hi from west yorks

[AlexB]

Hi all
Just returned from a continental jaunt in my newly converted 1985 land rover 110 (by virtue of a dormobile roof).
I will post some photos in due course.
Had the pleasure to have met Mick (in Yorkshire) and Jeremy (in Switzerland) and seen their respective vehicles. Most impressive.

I am sure I will have more to say in due course.
All the best to all
Alex

[jkhackney]

Hi Alex!

Glad you got home OK.

After opening your roof, I went and adjusted my springs 1 flat each. I think that’s the correct adjustment because now I can feel them helping me lift the roof (we’ll know if it’s right when a spring breaks!).

Dormobile sent me the latch I needed; it looks exactly like the one I made, myself. Then Phil’s arrived in the mail and I could see how Martin Walter REALLY made them. I’ll be having a copy made, locally.

I hope you find a stove unit you like. There were some at the gear swap I went to after we met, but all were made out of wood.

-Jeremy

[AlexB]

I’ve been infected. After seeing the post by Michael J re Dormobile on ebay, I bid for and won it. After having previously owned a 109 I had vowed never again, I mean, that’s why the 110 was invented – softer ride, a turning circle, a diesel engine and 5 gears etc etc.
Anyway, I’ve a lot of work to do , but it appears all the body work, bulkhead and chassis work has been done along woth new brake cylnders and pipes (a few to finish off), a new loom (rear part still in bag) to be connected, all interior trim to re fit and a decision on whether to transfer my new dormobile top onto it and on drivetrain and transmission. Amongst the paperwork is a note that leads me to suspect that the gearbox was replaced at 79000 (it has now only done 103000) by the second owner (1982 to 1994). The latest works has been done by the 3rd and most recent owner (1994 until this week).
Furniture wise, it’s not good, spice rack and hob but no kitchen or wardrobe or table. Offers of which would be appreciated!
It is sitting on 206 16s and whereas the front springs have been replaced I am not so sure about the rears – hence the saggyy rear end

So, some pictures – hope they are not too big.



[IMG}http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww5/AWBywaters/HPIM0866.jpg[/IMG]

I hope these are of interest and I welcome your comments

[jkhackney]

I think it’s a great find! Only a handful of owners, and the last one rebuilding a good portion of the vehicle. The roof looks very good and you’ve got one original bunk! Is it one of the really late 109’s with a Salisbury rear axle and synchronized gears? I think that Jabbawocky mentioned that he is having a wardrobe made.

Nice 88″!

Jeremy

[AlexB]

Hi Jeremy
Not sure what a Salisbury looks like to be honest. It was registered june 1971.
Which one is the original bunk?
All the trim is in boxes – not a clue where it all goes! There are metal bits and cardboard bits.
FIrst thing will be to finish off the brakes – metal pipes from the front to the 5(?) way junction box but we have several inches of snow at the moment, (had another 4 inches last night) so I won’t be doing much for a while.
My thoughts are to swap my new roof onto this one some time in the future – not too sure how much of a job this is – lots of rivits to drill out a nd replace and no gurantee that the holes will be in the same place. Still a great looking vehicle.
Regards
Alex

[jkhackney]

hi alex,

easy, salisbury looks different to the rover axle on your 88″, chunkier and frankly gigantic, and the rover axle will look the same of course. i was thinking yours was 1972, not 1971. i saw a 1972, once, with a salisbury, which is why i asked (“H” suffix serial number).

i notice the rear door is like mine, a defender. it was described as “series” in the paddock catalog but it’s not (warning, warning). this will offset your spare, if you mount one with a Series carrier. it looks funny but it’s handy for getting to the door handle, and it takes some load off the hinges. i’m welding a Series dovetail onto mine, too, to support the tire, rather than a third hinge. i may return to an original Series door if i find one in good shape, since i do like “originality”.

your side doors look new, quite an investment! and the C posts were repaired, i assume?

the original bunk is the plaid (tartan) one. if you someday remember, i’d appreciate a thorough description of the fabric so i can find a suitable approximation.

i’m not happy with the angle of the dizzy in the picture. the timing is probably messed up or it’s not a standard dizzy.

this seems to be the beginnings of a wonderful restoration project. but a bit like a white elephant if you know what i mean? a rare and beautiful beast whose high maintenance needs threatens to ruin you … i.e. do you finish the restoration or use parts on the 110 or vice-versa, or keep them both (his & hers)? that rear door is much nicer than the rear door on your 110! 😉 i hope you find a satisfying solution.

my dormobile had all the interior trim in its correct place, except the headlining over the front seats, so if you have questions about trim i can maybe help. i photographed each piece and then remade them in fiberboard with vinyl wallpaper over it and re-installed the whole interior.

-jeremy

[AlexB]

Thanks Jeremy
I have found door cards for the rear 3 doors, but, asyet, nothing for the front.
All doors appear to be new. The c posts were replaced.
I will probably swap the roofs over and get my panel beater friend to join the front of a series roof to it inplace of the 110 front. Possibly verging on the heretic but makes sense to me in terms of time and effort.
I have just bought a swing away rear wheel carrier and will, in time, have a spare on the bonnet.

If you could possibly let me have copies of the interior trim (both installed and in restoration) I would be grateful.
Load onto photobucket? or facebook perhaps?

Hope the move to Interlaken is going ok.

We have nearly 200mm of snow here at the moment and as the dormobile is outside, I can do no work. However the sheep need inspecting and feeding so the 88 comes in handy!

All the best
Alex

[jkhackney]

Hi Alex,

We’re moving Jan 23rd, now going back & forth renovating floors and walls. I’d rather be rebuilding my steering relay but I’m still liking it more than my real job.

Well, it’s your Land Rover but I think it’s one to be preserved as-is if possible. I don’t see what you gain by using the Defender roof?

The pictures I made of the trim don’t say 1000 words unfortunately. They’re just pictures of the parts you already found in boxes. I could try to photograph my 90% completed interior tomorrow if the kids give me a minute. Pay close attention to any photos of LR dormobiles you find online and you’ll see how most of it goes together. The feature on Michel’s Dormobile is good:

http://www.journaldu4x4.com/?Dormobile-Land-Rover-109-serie-2

Another tip is that the trim is screwed to the Land Rover, so if you play the game of trying to match the holes in the trim to where they are in the vehicle, you might figure it out.

I’d suggest you photograph the parts you have doubts about and we can all comment on what they are and how they’re installed.

Basically the whole interior is covered in trim: the doors will have the standard Station Wagon black trim, and the rest will be from Martin Walter: white with a plastic edging. The white is some kind of paper, I think, with a medium-deep animal hide pattern. I used waterproof vinyl bathroom wallpaper when I re-made the parts. Actually quite expensive but you don’t need much and it’s been really robust so far.

I count 18 or 19 pieces of white trim. It begins on the C-posts. Some of it is made of sheet steel and some is masonite (“pavatex”, “fiberboard”). Some is flat and some is curved: with water damage it’s all curved! The trim is installed from the bottom upward (if pieces overlap, the higher piece overlaps over the lower piece) and it is screwed in with self-tapping sheet metal screws. The C-posts each have a parallelogram of fiberboard on them, on the side toward the door. The region immediately behind the rear seats, in front of the cooker and wardrobe, has a flat and roughly rectangular piece of fiberboard on special mounting brackets that are rivetted to the wings (a bit of the supporting structure for the tub has been cut out for this trim). The one with a 1″ x 0.5″ notch cut out of it goes by the cooker. Above this, over the tub galvanizing, is a sheet metal corner-piece which is very rusty on mine, at the elbow of the person sitting in the seat. Then a metal sheet covers the roof side, from the side door to the roof side window, wrapping around to the door seal. The two side roof trims are mounted flush with the bottom of the roof gutter and continue upward to a channel in the plastic trim that surrounds the roof cutout. These are curved pieces of fiberboard ca. 1m wide. There are hard wooden strips behind them of ca. 1.25″ x 1″ cross-section, screwed into the gutter (you’ll see the countersunk holes in the roof gutter). The Silent Gliss track is screwed through the trim piece, the gutter, and the wood strip, in that order. The silent gliss covers the joint between the upper and lower trims on the roof. The headliner over the front seats is difficult to form and install. It is held in by the Silent Gliss in the same fashion. There is a front trim piece across the top of the windscreen that I never had and which I’m going to have to imitate from photos. There are assorted flat, rectangular fiberboard pieces around the roof side windows to completely conceal the Land Rover frame and skin. The one over the kitchen has a vinyl strap on it with a small press stud for holding the sink lid up out of the way. The one behind the stove has a clip on a block of wood for holding the cooker lid up. The trim behind the wardrobe’s water bottle carrier is a complicated shape that goes around the window and has a curve at the top to insert in the roof cutout trim. The vertical trim panel on the rear of the roof is flat and has a cutout for the door and a wood strip to support a horizontal trim panel, which is roughly rectangular (and as wide as the rear door opening) and which also fits into the roof cutout trim. This vertical trim piece slides behind the spice rack on mine. On other photos I’ve seen, it seems to end flush with the spice rack and have plastic trim around it, there. The final bit is a 2-piece metal frame around the left rear window by the cooker (the piece cut on a 45-deg angle goes over the other, rectangular piece). Assorted press studs and mounting straps round out the kit.

Removing the original damaged trim with its rusty screws was worse than doing the chrome steering swivels on the front axle!

-Jeremy

[marc78]

Happy new year to all and congratulations to you Alex for your very nice find, it looks in pretty good condition throughout…
Good luck
Kind regards,
Marc

[AlexB]

Thought I would update and show some pictures of the work so far.

sound deadening

minor adjustments to accomodate the 200 tdi

I found a kitchen unit from a trailer tent that fits (until I find a genuine one)

disco tdi with defender turbo and manifold installed

dash back in and wired up. new speedo to accomodate the 3.54 diffs and 750 x 16 tyres

Interior coming on as well

Dormobile now at garage for cam belt change and mot, but a stud sheared off on the timing housing, so waiting a replacement from the post man. Steering was a bit wandery so see what the mot finds out. Still curtains, carpets etc to fit, plus my new reproduction wardrobe (still in my front room)

[AlexB]

We have MOT!
Steering sorted (loose nut on drag link)
Curtains ongoing
2 weeks to go until Cornwall and back via Roscoff and Zeebrugge

[michel.j]

🙂 courage, courage

[Author]

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