The Stone Guard is home made, the uprights you see are curved sections from an old tramp frame with some threaded rod bent and welded for U bolts, the screen is shade cloth which was laced with bungy cord to stainless loops on on the edge of the van. It's getting an upgrade to V3.2 atm as it chaffed too much on the uprights last trip but as a stone deflector it worked really well, not being kept tight as a drum the stones would drop away not just richochet. Will post a pic when I get the new screen made up.
Drovers 14.44.3
- Thread starter Drover
- Start date
Here you go @MDS69 found a pic of the front of my van at Lightning Ridge, great place, anyway shows the stone guard as it was in between upgrades, new posts but the old versions of the shade cloth. New shade cloth finishes a bit further out from van to allow bungy to tension better, well it will when I make it.
UPDATE: This version also bombed it with tension issues causing fraying.
UPDATE: This version also bombed it with tension issues causing fraying.
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Fitted a strip of LED lights on the side, same way as everyone else basically, added an extra switch next to the interior and exterior lights switches, somehow I blew a fuse and what did I discover ???? the tags on my fuse panel don't match what they power. I am so impressed, so what did I do ??? I relabelled the fuses because I haven't figured out how to get the damn setek unit out.
I've had a look but it seems that the HWS has to come out first, so bugger that for a joke. Idiots built my van I'm sure of it.
I've had a look but it seems that the HWS has to come out first, so bugger that for a joke. Idiots built my van I'm sure of it.
@Drover, that should not be. I have the same van and have had the Setek unit out a couple of times. The front panel has a screw under the lid covering the fuses. Take this out and the cover can be taken off exposing 4 screws holding the unit in to the timber work.
Let me know if you you need it and I will take some pix in the morning.
hoto:
Let me know if you you need it and I will take some pix in the morning.
hoto:Well " Operation Curly Hair " is completed.........thats checking out all the electrical connections, today redid the 240v earth connections, a bare wire wrapped around a tek screw on chassis doesn't cut it with me, a sparky would like my upgrade, also checked out the 12v cables bundled up outside under the floor, the jumble that comes from the draw bar and goes into the van, Ha, the cnx for the fridge !!! what a, well a mess, had those screw connectors with 3 very thick wires jammed in, unsuccessfully, solder job with heat shrink, decent join now. Checked out the 12v to fridge from Jeep 14.04v at buzz bar, at hitch and same at fridge with engine running, no engine and only .01 drop so happy, have to wire up relay to kill fridge when stopped. Paid a visit to dentist so early Bourbon O 'clock today.
The other day I did the Sitek @chartrock sorted out the wiring and retagged the fuses another poor wiring job, actually I'm sure I did a post on it.........Old timers kicking in..aarrgghh.
The other day I did the Sitek @chartrock sorted out the wiring and retagged the fuses another poor wiring job, actually I'm sure I did a post on it.........Old timers kicking in..aarrgghh.
@Drover, maybe you should change your signature, you may be too old to learn something stupid.
Bawahahaha, @chartrock ..........but will I ever know ???????????
Fitted my version of a fridge switch today, a 30amp relay which turns the fridge on when I have the parkers on, which is usually when I'm driving and when we pull up, turn lights off so fridge is off, easy as, copied it from someone else's idea so not my own brilliance.
The mudflaps were just too short so cut up a bit of C channel and extended them, should keep the crap from underneath now.
And lastly put a lid on my wire rack in the old tyre rack, I'm surprised that it turned out so well, needs a latch but okky strap will do ATM.
Next up I'm going to sling a strip of conveyor belt rubber across the front cross beam, should keep the rocks from belting hell out of stuff underneath, mounted just in front of the legs. Something to think about while fishing next week, seem to go away, come home do mods then away again, just need more cash for this lifestyle.
The mudflaps were just too short so cut up a bit of C channel and extended them, should keep the crap from underneath now.
And lastly put a lid on my wire rack in the old tyre rack, I'm surprised that it turned out so well, needs a latch but okky strap will do ATM.
Next up I'm going to sling a strip of conveyor belt rubber across the front cross beam, should keep the rocks from belting hell out of stuff underneath, mounted just in front of the legs. Something to think about while fishing next week, seem to go away, come home do mods then away again, just need more cash for this lifestyle.
some very nice, well thought out, easy to do (well stuff up in my case) mods there @Drover
have to keep having small holidays so you can give us more inspiration
cheers
have to keep having small holidays so you can give us more inspiration
cheers
Hi @Drover , the wire front basket looks handy , does that mean theres one less shopping trolley on the streets ?
a few good mods there. lighting ridge a place i will have to get to, much to do there? or is it more of a couple day stop over.
a few good mods there. lighting ridge a place i will have to get to, much to do there? or is it more of a couple day stop over.
@Colin&Sue and @bigcol Lightning Ridge we found a great place to visit, need a few days including a weekend so you can do the market thing, very little arts and crafts but plenty of pretty rocks, a tour is worth it you get to see a mine and some opal cutting. A soak in the artesian pool is a must, very soothing while The Opal caravan park is one of the best in the country I reckon, surprisingly prices are not overboard thats food, fuel and refreshments in fact the fuel was cheaper than some major towns. Allow 4 days at least.
Shopping trolley wasn't good enough sadly used some nice gal mesh that could have been on a fence once.............lol.
Shopping trolley wasn't good enough sadly used some nice gal mesh that could have been on a fence once.............lol.
Stone Guard V4 completed, previous one V2.2 I think ,wasn't good enough and V3 didn't make it out of the shed so major design change saw V4 bolted on and ready to go with matching full width mud flaps from the front cross member.
This version is straight with a forward lean, wanted to have the ends swing back a bit but they would impede access to the boot and the position chosen allows access to said boot and it clears the turn zone, damn short draw bar.
Just 25mm square welded together, with some lovely 45deg joins, with shade cloth covering and U bolted to draw bar, the mud flaps are old converyor belt tek screwed onto the cross member, hopefully long enough to stop some of the goollies and mud but short enough not to do a dig and kick of rocks.
UPDATE: This version is a success, works really well.
This version is straight with a forward lean, wanted to have the ends swing back a bit but they would impede access to the boot and the position chosen allows access to said boot and it clears the turn zone, damn short draw bar.
Just 25mm square welded together, with some lovely 45deg joins, with shade cloth covering and U bolted to draw bar, the mud flaps are old converyor belt tek screwed onto the cross member, hopefully long enough to stop some of the goollies and mud but short enough not to do a dig and kick of rocks.
UPDATE: This version is a success, works really well.
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Why the change from the earlier pic of your Stone deflector @Drover ?
Here is a thread when I made mine, not sure if you have seen it mate
http://www.expandasdownunder.com/threads/how-i-made-my-stone-deflector.340/#post-8423
Here is a thread when I made mine, not sure if you have seen it mate
http://www.expandasdownunder.com/threads/how-i-made-my-stone-deflector.340/#post-8423
Yep I had seen your thread @cruza driver and thought it was a good build, I was going to do similar but trying to get it in a posi where I could rake back the sides yet still get to the boot and not be in the crush zone wasn't going to happen so it is straight which I didn't mind as trying to get those angles was doing my head in, lol.
Still has to get a test run yet though.
The old job worked really well, was light and didn't get in the way but tended to wear to much on the posts and keeping the right tension wasn't easy either, so when it broke last time that was it. With this one I'll be able to use it to dry out my life jacket and other kayak bits.
Still has to get a test run yet though.
The old job worked really well, was light and didn't get in the way but tended to wear to much on the posts and keeping the right tension wasn't easy either, so when it broke last time that was it. With this one I'll be able to use it to dry out my life jacket and other kayak bits.
That's right it also has to be practical, that boot is something I wish I had on ours although not possible.
Just don't have the mesh to tight as it will act like a trampoline as you really want to dull the speed of the rocks hitting it
Neat job mate :thumb:
Just don't have the mesh to tight as it will act like a trampoline as you really want to dull the speed of the rocks hitting it
Neat job mate :thumb:
I used to see the rocks dropping away on the old rig and hopefully I have the tension and angle right on this one. Have to see if I can get a better pic of my mud flaps tomorrow.
After a meandering drive along the Fossickers Way we are now down south and the V4 stone guard works well, gave it a test on a back road that I thought was tarred, no new chips on the van or Jeep and the front mud flaps seem like a success stopping a lot of stuff flying around underneath. Copped a big storm last night and all dry so spraying the canvas with waterproof must have worked.