Toy Hauler Build

[mif622]

I live in Spain and Wales, about half the time in each. Have various motorcycles. Semi-retired.

2008 Iveco Daily XLWB HiTop, panel van in good condition. Turning it into a single person motorhome. ...With room in the back for big motorbike(s). What the Americans call a Toy Hauler. What UK folk probably call a Motorsport Van.

The Living Bit big enough for one person to sleep/toilet/cook in comfort. The Garage Bit 9-10 foot long, the entire rear of the van.

So, someone said We Like Photos. Here you go:

With a second-hand wheelchair ramp: Ease of access, and riding bikes up. 300Kg SWL. I also carry a separate loading ramp.
View attachment 58058

Serious chunky steel bulkhead half way down:
View attachment 58059
60 x 40 x 3mm box section. Well strong. Bracketry bolts it to the side structure and the floor. It will have to stand having motorcycle(s) strapped to it - and I don't want them joining me in the cab if I have to emergency-stop!

(And it gives me a solid 'wall' to hang sink/cupboards/various motorhomey bits on)

---- Update

Windows, scary job! (And solar panels, easy job)
View attachment 58055

And the basic ply structure from the rear - winch and bike tie-down points:
View attachment 58056
It has carried a Yamaha Dragstar 1100 with 6" to spare (Phew, got that right).

And the front - seat/bed, cooker shelf, what will become shower cupboard:
View attachment 58057

 

[groyne]

Good luck with the conversion, keep the photos coming.

 

[The laird]

Well done as previously stated keep em pics coming and good luck ,

 

[Debs]

Good choice of van, but then I'm biased. :drive:

 

[AuldTam]

Copied from my Intro:
"I live in Spain and Wales, about half the time in each. Have various motorcycles. Semi-retired.

Just bought a 2008 Iveco Daily XLWB HiTop, panel van in good condition. Going to turn it into a single person motorhome. ...With room in the back for big motorbike(s). What the Americans call a Toy Hauler. What UK folk probably call a Motorsport Van.

The Living Bit big enough for one person to sleep/toilet/cook in comfort. The Garage Bit will be 9-10 foot long, the entire rear of the van."

So, someone said We Like Photos. Here you go:

With a second-hand wheelchair ramp: Ease of access, and riding bikes up. 300Kg SWL. So I will also carry a separate loading ramp.
View attachment 53823


And a - serious chunky steel - bulkhead to fit half way down:
View attachment 53824
60 x 40 x 3mm box section. Well strong. I have bracketry made to bolt it to the side structure and the floor. It will have to stand having motorcycle(s) strapped to it - and I don't want them joining me in the cab if I have to emergency-stop!


(And it'll give me a solid 'wall' to hang sink/cupboards/various motorhomey bits on)

That's as far as I got.

It's probably too late now but, I have recently removed a rear steel cage/cell from an Iveco daily ex prison van. It's built from similar gauge steel and also has an emergency escape door. It has steel mesh and thick Perspex so you can view, well, prisoners I suppose. Your welcome to it if you change your plans or want to add it at rear doors to make the bikes more secure. I'm in Glasgow.

 

[mif622]

Good stuff, but I would have used alloy box section and alloy sheet to create bulkhead, which would keep the weight down.

Yes. I thought about the weight. It is a heavy piece. Don't know how much, but I can just about lift it off the ground - as a reasonably strong bloke. I am working on the principle that it is a van, designed to carry more load than a m/h conversion will be, so I'm not overloading things.

I do intend to put two solar panels on the roof. 2 x 4' x 2' solid panels (I happen to have those and associated controllers as a result of some consultancy work I did, so I may as well use them). They will need frames, and - that high up - I'll be going for an alloy support structure.

Notwithstanding that my tendency will always be to over-engineer, I do have an eye on the total weight of a conversion. Plus perhaps a 300 Kg bike in the rear. And perhaps 100 Kg of associated tools; riding gear; paddock stands; ... And that is all going to be towards the back of a XLWB, above and behind the rear axle.

Has anyone calculated what the weight of a typical conversion actually is?

 

[mif622]

It's probably too late now but, I have recently removed a rear steel cage/cell from an Iveco daily ex prison van. It's built from similar gauge steel and also has an emergency escape door. It has steel mesh and thick Perspex so you can view, well, prisoners I suppose. Your welcome to it if you change your plans or want to add it at rear doors to make the bikes more secure. I'm in Glasgow.

Thanks. I would have gone for it if I had been nearer - and had the van in this country to collect it in. But the van is actually at my place in Spain.

And I know a guy there who is a wizard fabricator. We knocked the bulkhead up between us in an afternoon from my rough sketches - though we did have to take a siesta for beer & pasta by his pool. ...It being Spain : )

 

[listerdiesel]

Our 'Toy' is a 1300kg horizontal Ruston & Hornsby diesel engine which we take to shows and rallies. Next one is Nuenen, near Eindhoven over the Dutch Whitsun holiday.

We are building another one right now for a second, slightly smaller engine:

Both have full facilities, shower, toilet, cooker, fridge, oven and warm air heating.

We couldn't get it all in a van, and my truck licence is taking forever to renew after my 70th birthday, so we've gone for a second trailer.

Peter

 

[vwalan]

i just use a mini artic as my camper . carry m,bikes in the grage for playing on .
only used it for 17yrs ,i,m not sure if i really like it . havnt used it along time hee hee .
makes a lovely winter house in spain ,portugal or morocco etc .

 

[listerdiesel]

i just use a mini artic as my camper . carry m,bikes in the grage for playing on .
only used it for 17yrs ,i,m not sure if i really like it . havnt used it along time hee hee .
makes a lovely winter house in spain ,portugal or morocco etc .

Would like to see some bigger pictures if there are any available, Alan?

Peter

 

[trevskoda]

Good strong conversion but do let that steel rust before shotblasting as it makes the blue carbon/scale easy to remove before 2/pack epoxy primer ,good luck.

 

[listerdiesel]

Shotblast and Zinc Spray on all ours, Trev, followed by epoxy powder coat.

Peter

 

[vwalan]

View attachment 53920View attachment 53921View attachment 53922View attachment 53923View attachment 53924
well a couple of inside . one before the conversion . one at the paris /dakar rally . the last one on the piste in morocco.
its been over rougher ground since then though .
did break a couple of springs in 2008 while going down the dades gorge .
and one year the rear trailer axle got bent being towed out backwards from a river in maroc .
one day i might learn not to push it too far. but changed the both axles and springs on return to uk .
peak trailers in bidford on avon .supplied the original ones from new . so i used them again . great service . and got every thing a trailer builder ever needs .

 

[vwalan]

View attachment 53931
thought i had better let you see some of the toys it carries .
there is usually surf boards and snorkelling gear etc in side as well.
after all spearguns can be use full.

 

[vwalan]

View attachment 53932View attachment 53933View attachment 53934View attachment 53935View attachment 53936
these might inspire some to have an adventure .
i changed the tow truck ten years ago. the mitzy does cope better than the vw . but the trailer is 30 yrs old now and as had a hard few winters doing what it was never designed to do. i think i can say lynton trailers do build strong trailers really .
how its coped with the last 17 yrs is unbelievable .

 

[MarkJ]

View attachment 53932View attachment 53933View attachment 53934View attachment 53935View attachment 53936
these might inspire some to have an adventure .
i changed the tow truck ten years ago. the mitzy does cope better than the vw . but the trailer is 30 yrs old now and as had a hard few winters doing what it was never designed to do. i think i can say lynton trailers do build strong trailers really .
how its coped with the last 17 yrs is unbelievable .

Awesome pictures....

 

[vwalan]

Awesome pictures....

there is no doubt though lister diesel does a very good job on his trailers .
we have had a few chats before .
but there is facilities out there for a few more folk to get busy.
google peak trailers they really are brill.
but keep your eyes on ebay etc , lots good opportunities do come up for that alternative person .

 

[listerdiesel]

Thanks for the pictures, Alan.

We've just had a couple of weeks in Holland, engine show at Nuenen then we stayed on a site in Plasmolen to chill for a week.

While out there we picked up another engine after a phone call, same as this one (Picture copyright Woolpit Steam Rally)

That's another trailer to be built, it weighs nearly 2 tonnes and is 8 litres.

Peter

 

[vwalan]

boys and toys .
i manage these days to actually look ,touch but not bought anything for awhile.
often look at my store of vw bits then think i like touching and looking so keep them.
not sure if its going to gain a fortune for my son or grandkids or just be a load of stuff to get rid of .
but i like keeping it really.

 

[trevskoda]

Well as i get my free bus pass next year im starting to downsize and thinking of selling of my old rear engine skodas and a 20ft trailer of parts,kids will have no interest and i cant take them with me to a old folks home or into the next world,time to lighten the load.