Bodsy
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Member Since: 06 Nov 2006
Location: In the Clubhouse
Posts: 21361
  
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| Sankey Trailer Camper conversion thread |
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Sankey Trailer camping conversion.... long thread, picture heavy.
Some of you may know that I’m going with a few mates to Morocco next Easter.
Up until now, for most of the trips over the last 5 years we’ve mostly been using Clive Symons G4 with a commercial floor and custom made draw system to allow us to cater for two people. Meant that you couldn’t have rear seats so have been limited to 2 people in the car.
For the Morocco trip, we decided it would be a good idea if we also brought one each of our kids along for a change.
This means we need the seats back in the disco!
Only solution is a trailer!
Being Morocco, we’d also both decided we’d like to use roof tents for camping rather than a tent on the sand. May as well build a trailer that will cope with two roof tents then!
Being a Trailer it also means that either one of us can use it independently rather than everything being in Clive’s car.
This thread is really to document the development of the trailer and a bit of how it’s built etc. Hopefully it will help someone else and you may also come up with ideas to help us (although we’ve got a pretty good idea of what we want out of it.)
There have been a couple of other trailer threads that we’ve taken inspiration from.
Mainly
Chris Tyler’s Original Build Thread
https://www.disco3club.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=5705
As well as Wiggs build thread and some other threads on Expedition Portal.
I’m sure the build won’t work for everyone but it should work for us and what we need. Comments and suggestions welcome. Can’t guarantee we’ll agree with them though 😂
So you take one WideTrack Sanky Trailer.
Take it to Uncle Ray (RLD) to extend and then leave it to settle in a warehouse for a few years... 😂
Give it a coat of black hammerite paint and take it home!
Initial trailer framing
The basis of the trailer is a box with a large ‘catering’ door with overhead opening. This area will be the main ‘working’ side of the trailer. Next to it another side opening door to house the fridge and freezer on a sliding out draw.
On the other side will be three side opening doors. One a similar size to the fridge door and the other two just under half the size of the main door. All will become clearer as it develops.
We’ve designed the trailer to be built out of 14mm Glass Reinforced Panels with a composite internal. The same panels used in truck bodies.
Large aluminium extrusions with 15mm width with sikaflex to provide sealing and special GRP exploding rivets which grip the panels.
Supplier List
The panels were provided and cut by http://cvr-uk.com/
The Extrusions are available from https://www.servicemetals.co.uk/
Exploding rivets from https://www.orbitalfasteners.co.uk/search?term=Peel+rivets
Door hinges, locks and rod latching mechanisms are from http://www.hi-waycomponents.co.uk/
Water tank is Fiamma ebay probably, but they’re also available on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0056JA9TM/ref...MDbW4TK8CM
100x50mm box section was from Philmar
All other bolts and fasteners will probably be from Orbital Fasteners, cheap, quick and any quantity with price breaks
Will try to update this list with suppliers for the various bits.
First task was to mount the water tank. 70l water tank that used to be under the commercial floor in the disco.
This particular Wide Track sankey is one of the drum brake ones. Ideally you’d want the disk braked version as you can move the brake pipework out of the way. This one has a brake rod running down the centre so we had to make up some brackets to keep the tank out of the way and allow for suspension travel.
Of course also needs to be removable in case of any damage at any point in the future.
Simple bracket with a couple of bolts. One bracket welded to the chassis and the other part bolted to that bracket and to the chassis.
The tank is then held down by its own threaded bolts into holes on the bracket.
Next task is to work out the spare wheel carrier. Want to have 2 spare wheels as they’ll match the trailer and the car.
We’ll run compomotive 18” all round for the trip.
Some 100*50mm steel box is ideal for the frame. We’ll make some other brackets up to actually hold the wheels in a few weeks time.
Measured, positioned and then welded up.
We also decided we’d use some leftover box to make a front and rear ‘protector’ bars. To hopefully minimise any damage as well as to help hold down the box.
The trailer has had a couple of knocks here and there so the older outrigger on one side wasn’t as straight as it could have been.
Some fine fettling with a size 3 hammer as well as the box section made to fit it and trimmed off the excess we didn’t want.
So front of the frame you can see welded and cleaned up, then re painted in hammerite. Some more box sections welded to the back.
Neither of us are expert welders, but penetration seemed good and got better with practice!
Welder is a 200amp multi welder. Mig/tig/arc
We went with Mig for simplicity.
Later in the process, we’ll also try welding aluminium! So different gas and wire needed for that.
Anyway, the welding was tested with a number 3 hammer and 15-1/2 stone jumping up and down on it. 😆
The metalwork prep and welding took far longer than either of us expected it to but getting the prep in first should mean it’s solid for the future!
Lining up the base and moulding it around the tank took quite a while as because of the tank height, we needed to out a hole in the floor. If you have disk brakes you should be able to place it there without cutting out.
Some internal metal work and measuring and drilling the extrusion takes forever. Much easier to do it on the pillar drill we remembered we had for the last three lengths of extrusion! Grrr,
When cvr-uk cut the boards, we wanted the cut offs to help build the internal wheel arch. Unfortunately they’d binned them and couldn’t find them in the mahoosive skip they use. So they offered us whatever other offcuts we wanted. A large pallet of 25mm thick board off cuts and we took half a dozen or so. Ideal for the internal boards, particularly for uprights to provide more strength to the roof. A bit of a result tbh.
Plenty of white sikaflex in use which helps to bind the boards to the extrusion as well as waterproof it.
Once the base was built and extrusion secured, we added the front panel and sides.
The defender wheel arch spats will be added, but we had to cut out the shape and line it with some thin U Channel. Made a former from the piece we cut out and used that to clamp and bend the U channel to.
With the sides now in place we worked on the rear panel. However, we then noticed that one side of the side panels were 10mm too long. The bottom side was square, so we think someone nudged the panels when cutting as the top wasn’t square.
One of Clive’s home made track saws were utilised to accurately trim and square the panels up. A bit annoying, but it is what it is!
With the sides back in, we were able to measure up and cut out the main door so we could get in the box to do the final fixing.
To get the mitres to work properly, you need to cut out the panel all the way to the top and then trim the excess off. By putting the door extrusion as close to the external extrusion as possible, keeps it stronger and a bit neater.
With the hole cut and mitred, we then fitted the roof together. Although the roof currently is only stuck/riveted on the top. The sides are still free so we can lift up the roof to cut the other doors.
That was it before I left Saturday evening.
Sunday Clive did some more work on the doors, surround extrusion as well as the hinges and door locks. Looks simple, and it is once you get your head around it. You just have to make sure you plan in and do things in the right order!
So there we have it, the first door fitted with decent locks. Need some thin neoprene type door seals next to make sure water and dust can’t get in.
More to follow! Bodsys Brake Bible
D4/D3 Remote FBH heat kits
BAS Remaps/ EGR Blank
Transmission Flush
Software updates/enabling
Clock/ SNOTM /3Flash / 4x4Info /BT Update /Service Reset/Error Codes / Gearbox Reset
See It Here
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 6th Oct 2019 10:11 pm |
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Bodsy
Site Sponsor
Member Since: 06 Nov 2006
Location: In the Clubhouse
Posts: 21361
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Second post - don’t delete Bodsys Brake Bible
D4/D3 Remote FBH heat kits
BAS Remaps/ EGR Blank
Transmission Flush
Software updates/enabling
Clock/ SNOTM /3Flash / 4x4Info /BT Update /Service Reset/Error Codes / Gearbox Reset
See It Here
Last edited by Bodsy on 6th Oct 2019 10:28 pm. Edited 1 time in total
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| 6th Oct 2019 10:26 pm |
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Bodsy
Site Sponsor
Member Since: 06 Nov 2006
Location: In the Clubhouse
Posts: 21361
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I’ve got loads of pictures to upload to the gallery, but having to do one at a time from the iPad is a bit of a pain. May take a while! Bodsys Brake Bible
D4/D3 Remote FBH heat kits
BAS Remaps/ EGR Blank
Transmission Flush
Software updates/enabling
Clock/ SNOTM /3Flash / 4x4Info /BT Update /Service Reset/Error Codes / Gearbox Reset
See It Here
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| 6th Oct 2019 10:27 pm |
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Moo
D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 14478
 
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Sounds really good. Looking forward to the build pics and also the trip pics next year.  D4 HSE EU6 (Known as Jeeves)
New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!) Sold
Sold Volvo XC90 R-Design (known as Basil)
Sold - D4 HSE (Known as Gerty)
No longer the Old Buses original owner 
231,000 miles and counting
05 S manual owned from March 2005
D4 Face lifted
Still original injectors and turbo
V8 Front brakes
BAS Remap, Allisport Intercooler and deCat
EGRs blanked
T-Max split charge
Hanibal Expeedition rack
Prospeed ladder
Duratrac tyres
IID BT
BAS FBH control
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| 6th Oct 2019 10:31 pm |
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biskit
Member Since: 23 Dec 2009
Location: in my Mancave.
Posts: 1376
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Looking forward to this build it's bin a while.  Mantec sump guard.
Prospeed tree slider/steps.
Flack duel battery system.
18"Compomotive/AT3 tyres
Brembo 4pot front brakes
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| 7th Oct 2019 8:46 am |
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CDS
Site Sponsor
Member Since: 12 Oct 2009
Location: Cornwall & most of the UK!
Posts: 3358
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Seems a looooong time ago that you helped me to lift the tub off Biskit 😂😂
Discovery 3/4 & RRS keys cut and programmed at your home or work
Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto retro fit - see it here
BAS Remaps/ EGR Blanking
Software updates/ enabling
Mobile Servicing & Repairs
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| 7th Oct 2019 3:48 pm |
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Bodsy
Site Sponsor
Member Since: 06 Nov 2006
Location: In the Clubhouse
Posts: 21361
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I want to know why you put it on him in the first place! 😂 Bodsys Brake Bible
D4/D3 Remote FBH heat kits
BAS Remaps/ EGR Blank
Transmission Flush
Software updates/enabling
Clock/ SNOTM /3Flash / 4x4Info /BT Update /Service Reset/Error Codes / Gearbox Reset
See It Here
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| 7th Oct 2019 7:03 pm |
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Iguana
Member Since: 14 Oct 2013
Location: 'Sunny' Zomerset
Posts: 9424
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This is my kind of post Iggy/Ieuan
Current LR =
2015 RR Sport Autobiography
&
1992 Land Rover Defender Camper
- Gone but not forgotten:
MY10 D4 GS
MY05 Disco 3 'S'
MY14 FL2 HSE manual in Blue
MY15 Disco 4 HSE Lux in Santorini Black
MY08 Disco 3 SE manual in Buck Blue
1960 Series 2 88" (No idea why I sold it!)
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| 7th Oct 2019 7:08 pm |
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CDS
Site Sponsor
Member Since: 12 Oct 2009
Location: Cornwall & most of the UK!
Posts: 3358
|
Discovery 3/4 & RRS keys cut and programmed at your home or work
Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto retro fit - see it here
BAS Remaps/ EGR Blanking
Software updates/ enabling
Mobile Servicing & Repairs
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| 7th Oct 2019 10:51 pm |
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