So, you have decided that you need a new truck gate. The best option To solve this problem, turn to professionals. Among our clients there are companies that will help you with this. For example, Van-Service company.
But if you want to save money and you like to work with your hands, then this article is for you. First, you need to decide on the material from which the gate will be made. The most common and most best option or . This is the same. It remains only to choose the thickness. Laminated plywood is quite heavy, so you need to carefully choose the thickness. If you are making a gate for a Gazelle, then a thickness of 18 mm is quite suitable for you. If you are making a gate for a truck with a larger tonnage, then 21 mm can be used.
There are also options for manufacturing gates from a metal profile. In this case, the gate is filled with foam, which can be bought at a hardware store. Sheathing can be done with a galvanized sheet purchased in the same metal rolling in which the profile was bought.
Plywood can be left without sheathing, it can be painted or also sheathed with a metal sheet.
Now about the fittings for the gate. First - this, sometimes they are called canopies of the gate. When choosing hinges, important indicators are the weight and height of the gate. Depending on this, the size and number of loops are selected. Accordingly, the larger the gate, the larger the loop.
Small trucks like the Gazelle have one more important nuance, which must be taken into account when choosing loops. This is the thickness of the hinge attachment point to the body. Our task is to make the van door open all the way, i.e. hit the side wall. Therefore, we can use or .
Second - this is . Locks are available for two types of pipes: with a diameter of 22 mm and a diameter of 27 mm. If you have a gate height of 2 - 2.5 meters, then you can put a lock under a 22 mm pipe, if more than 2.5 meters, then you need to put locks on a pipe with a diameter of 27 mm.
In the process of manufacturing the gate, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of replacing the lock. Consumables include plastic bushings in the supports, which wear out over time. You can always buy bushings for our locks in our store.
Third - this is . The door seal is necessary to protect the cargo from moisture and dust, it will also help keep the temperature in the van. The best option is a rubber seal without a plastic base. It is mounted at the end, using metal plates and self-tapping screws or rivets. But such a seal is only suitable for gates with a thickness of . For a rubber seal, you can purchase silicone grease from us, which will help preserve its properties for many years and protect it from freezing.
If your gates are made of plywood, then a rubber-plastic seal is suitable for you, with a thickness of 18 mm and 21 mm, respectively. When installing this seal, you do not need metal plates. You can fix it with special glue or self-tapping screws. Rivets are not recommended, because the plastic base breaks under strong compression.
Making your own camper is not too difficult for an experienced craftsman. But the terms of such construction can be greatly delayed due to the constant improvement of the design. In order not to get into such a situation, you should think over the interior in advance, abandoning obviously unnecessary elements. This is especially important when equipping small cars, for example, when creating a do-it-yourself home on wheels from a GAZelle.
The mobile home has undeniable advantages - comfort, coziness and mobility. Moscow is a noisy city, from which you sometimes want to leave. Trailer owners do not have to look for a place to sleep, and travel becomes very economical. If earlier it was not possible to use this original housing, you should first familiarize yourself with their classification.
Types of motorhomes and their classification
When choosing the type of future mobile housing, you can be guided by its division according to:
- mind - there are trailed, van or motorhomes combined with a car;
- class - there are three classes of comfort for motorhomes;
- type of trailer - there are trailer trailers, hybrid and fifth-wheel trailers.
If everything is clear with the trailer type of a mobile home, then the difference between a van and a combined motorhome is not immediately visible. In the first version, the living quarters are located in the van of the car and are separated from the driver's seat.
This option is suitable when traveling together, when no one stays in the "house" for the duration of the journey. Thanks to this design, it is possible to fit more functional furniture using a blank front wall.
Motorhomes converted from GAZelles or minibuses are just combined.
The comfort class can be called conditional. So, class “A” motorhomes include spacious trailers made on the chassis of large trucks. Outwardly, they resemble a bus, they can have folding structures, but inside they do not differ in functionality from a small-sized apartment.
It should be borne in mind that the driver must have category "C" rights to drive this transport.
There is much less space in it, but it is still convenient to travel in them. What is important - you can drive such a car with the rights of category B, if the weight of the car or total weight car with a trailer does not exceed 3.5 tons.
Class "C" indicates the simplest motorhomes. It can be a small trailer or a minibus converted into a camper. There is no separate sleeping place - its function is performed by folding sofas or armchairs. But by equipping such a mini camper with a trunk-tent, a folding canopy and a set of camping furniture, you can get a comfortable stay at a minimum cost.
Such construction trailers are also called hybrid trailers to distinguish them from simple trailers. Separately, it should be noted fivsvill-trailers, the shape of which is designed to be used in conjunction with pickups. Thanks to this, it is possible to reduce the length of the entire caravan, because part of the trailer hangs over the car body.
Mistakes when building houses on wheels with your own hands
Prices for mobile homes significantly "bite". No wonder the desire of skilled heads of families to save the budget and do everything themselves. It is important to be wise and learn from the mistakes of others:
- you should not do everything from improvised materials - you will have to live in the house for at least a week and you want to spend your vacation in comfort;
- a serious revision of the body, heating system, wiring will be required - one cannot do without the skills of an auto mechanic;
- if you still managed to fit a shower and toilet, do not forget about the drain tank - pouring dirty water onto asphalt or lawn is extremely unethical;
- it's better not to forget to make a connector for connecting 220V at campsites, and a converter for 12V from the car battery.
Making a trailer on your own
If the difficulties do not frighten, and the desire for action is unstoppable, you can try your hand at building a house. And to remake a GAZelle or build a trailer from scratch - the choice is strictly individual!
Do-it-yourself house on wheels from a GAZelle
To work, you will need a grinder, a welding machine, a hand saw for wood and a lot of patience. The phased modernization of the car looks like this:
- The seats are taken out of the cabin, the old trim is removed. All metal parts are treated with a special solution to prevent rust. The walls and ceiling are insulated with polyethylene foam, plywood sheets are laid on the floor. All wiring runs under the floor and wall sheathing, this should be thought out in advance.
- A frame for furniture is welded directly in the body. If it is impossible to set the car straight, you can use a pipe as a level, resting its ends against the lower edge of the window openings. After rough welding, the frame is removed and everything is welded, cleaned and again brought inside.
- Window openings are glued with carpet. Ceiling panels glued with carpet are also installed. After completing the upholstery of the cabin, you can fasten the slats under the mezzanine and mount the furniture frames.
- For the front seats, you can make a swivel mechanism. To do this, you need a front hub, for example, from a VAZ and part of a swivel rack. The circuit is pretty simple.
- The final stage is the installation of furniture on the frame, the connection of lighting, the installation of a pump for the kitchen washstand, the lining of the mezzanines and minor interior improvements. For cooking, you can put a small gas stove on one burner.
- Instead of welding the furniture frame, you can use ready-made sets, reinforcing them from the inside with corners and additional screws. You also need to attach the kitchen to everything - the floor, the sofa, the wall. This is done to protect furniture from loosening while driving on bumpy roads.
We should not forget that such a modification of the car requires registration in the REO. To do this, you need to write an application and get a resolution from the technical department of the traffic police and a protocol from an authorized organization.
Stylish plywood trailer house
If the car has a towbar, it’s a sin not to take advantage of the situation and not make a nice “drop” trailer for spending the night outside the city. For this:
- The side walls of the future van are cut and attached to the base. All holes for doors and windows, as well as for lightening the frame, must be cut in advance, so it is better to think over the drawing well.
- Shelves are assembled from a furniture board and installed on the base. The same shelves will serve as the front and rear walls of the van.
- According to the shape of the van, a plywood sheet is bent over the shelves on both sides, and a power frame made of timber is fixed on top. One side is liftable, giving access to the kitchen.
- Cut out the top hatch and skylight. The entire frame is insulated, wiring is laid.
- Everything is glued on top with veneer sheets. When the door and window openings are cut out, you can proceed to the exterior painting and varnishing.
- Doors, an upper hatch and supply and exhaust ventilation are installed. After fixing all the fittings, parking lights and fenders for wheels, you can safely go on a trip!
And the video shows a detailed assembly of a motorhome with the installation of solar panels:
Many lovers of free rest dream of traveling in a motor home, so as not to be dependent on purchasing tickets, booking hotels and being tied to one point throughout the vacation. A mobile home is both a home and a vehicle. It allows you to travel with maximum comfort and stop on the road where you want. In addition, it can be used as housing in the country or during the construction of the house.
A motor home today can be purchased ready-made, although this is quite an expensive pleasure. But it is much more interesting and cheaper to make it with your own hands from the old vehicle, by re-equipping its interior or by making such a motorhome practically from scratch, not counting the base. For this, in addition to the “wheels” themselves, it will take not only funds for re-equipment and a variety of tools, but also certain skills for such work, as well as a lot of effort and free time.
Attention! Before investing in the conversion of a vehicle, you need to find out all the nuances of its registration with the relevant authorities in order to avoid any problems during registration. Otherwise, it is unlikely that such transport will be used for travel, and it will settle as a dead weight somewhere in the country.
A decent-sized mobile home can be made from a large van, but such a mobile home is too expensive a vehicle. Among the budget options, quite suitable for those who like to make anything with their own hands, there are three most convenient ones. So, mobile home can be made from:
- Gazelles;
- old bus;
- trailer with a strong chassis.
House from the Gazelle car To implement any of these three options, in addition to the presence of the vehicle itself, which will be taken as a basis, a plan for the future motorhome will be required, at least in a schematic form. Such a plan will allow you to take into account all the features of the design and plan residential area with maximum comfort. It can be simply drawn on paper or done on a computer, if it is more convenient.
Internal communications of the mobile home
Without electricity, water supply and gas, it is difficult to call life in a mobile home comfortable. To provide the premises with electricity are usually used accumulator battery and Charger. Electrical wiring inside must be thought out in advance. Do not forget about the external connector to charge the battery, which come in different capacities. The most suitable battery capacity also needs to be calculated in advance, taking into account the load and travel distance.
Interior arrangement of a mobile home Gas cylinders are often used for space heating. Gas will also be convenient for cooking, which is much more profitable in terms of consumption than a stove from electricity. The presence of a kitchen in such a house implies the installation of a hood over the stove and the organization of a general ventilation system, which is especially important when using propane.
Advice. You should not take on independent gasification and power supply of the premises in the absence of the necessary knowledge and experience, it is better to entrust such work to professionals. The safety of people in the motorhome directly depends on how competently they are carried out.
The kitchen will not be able to function without water, which is usually stored in containers where a submersible pump is lowered to supply it to the tap. To drain the used water, a tank is also used, which is mounted either indoors or outside. If desired, the mobile home can be equipped with a small shower. But the usual bathroom in a mobile home cannot be done; a dry closet is used in this capacity.
Kitchen area in a motorhome As for the furniture, it is better if all of it in the motorhome is practical and compact, because there is not too much space to accommodate it. Variants of reclining beds, sliding tables and similar organization of space can be used. And all this must be securely fastened to the walls to ensure safety when moving. Furnishing furniture can be purchased ready-made, but for a person with hands it is easy to make it yourself, taking into account the size of the room, and make a sofa and chairs, for example, from car seats.
It is quite possible to equip the interior space in a mobile home, and all this can be done independently. But before that, you need to prepare the room. Depending on which option is taken - a minibus or a trailer, there will be differences in the stages of work required for the conversion.
Mobile home from a Gazelle or an old bus
Re-equipment of a minibus begins with cleaning the body from upholstery and seats, after which various holes are made - for windows, ventilation, for gas supply.
Mobile house from the bus Then, work on the arrangement of the residential area is performed in the following sequence:
- align the dents on the inner surface, then primer all open metal parts of the body to prevent corrosion on them;
- the inner surface of the future house, including walls, floor and ceiling, is covered with thermal insulation;
- on top of the heat-insulating material, starting from the ceiling, moisture-resistant plywood or carpeting is laid.
Upon completion of these works, the electrification and gasification of the premises, the equipment of the kitchen and bathroom, and the installation of furniture are carried out. For reliable installation of furniture, plywood of a larger thickness is attached to the walls than on the floor or ceiling, or separate reinforced strips are placed to fix it. And, of course, if necessary, you need to put in order undercarriage and the engine of a Gazelle or an old bus, then such a house will become truly mobile.
Trailer based mobile home
Here, unlike the house made from a minibus, the work is somewhat different. First you need to protect the chassis from corrosion by cleaning and painting them. Then you will have to build the floor, walls, ceiling and roof, acting in this sequence:
- put plywood of sufficient thickness on the frame, surround the outer edge with a beam and fasten it with bolts;
Arrangement of the floor for the house based on the trailer - lay the beams on the floor, fixing heat-insulating material between them and close it all with plywood on top;
- for the construction of walls, timber and lining are used, not forgetting in the process of work to make openings for windows and doors, as well as technological openings for the entry and exit of various communications;
- for the construction of the roof, install rafters, sheathe them with plywood, covering them with moisture-resistant material on top;
Wall construction - after laying the electrical wiring, make the thermal insulation of the walls, then closing the fiberboard on top;
- to protect wooden walls, prime them inside and out, then paint in two layers;
- install a door and windows, additional interior decoration may be required.
Upon completion of these works, you can think about gasification, water supply, organizing a kitchen and a bathroom, installing furniture. Then only the fenders and headlights that the trailer is supposed to have left to install, and the mobile home is ready to travel.
Don't forget to get permits before you set off on your motorhome. In a motor home, of course, traveling is very convenient. However, before you start building, decide for yourself whether you can independently master all the work, because they will require quite a lot of effort, money and skills.
Do-it-yourself mobile home: video
In mid-May, a 1983 street food van appeared in St. Petersburg. Its creators - student Vlad Kyaune and designer Sasha Bratchikov - over the course of several months repaired Volkswagen Transporter 1983 release and equipped it with a mobile cafe, and then began to work on the streets, despite the lack of permits. The Village asked Vlad about how to turn a rusty wreck into a trendy small business.
VLAD KYAUNE
cafe creator
in the 1983 van
Buying a van
The story of street food interested us last summer, when interesting street food projects began to appear in St. Petersburg. Of course, the cart was one of the brightest. We even wrote to them for advice, but they did not answer. By September, my partner Sasha and I had already begun to put together a rack, but we had a lot of technical issues: how to attach wheels, how to make a stand. Then it became cold, and we decided to wait a little, dragging the rack into the garage. Around the same time, we read about the guys from Vladivostok who made a trailer with burgers and steaks. They also inspired us a lot, and we started thinking about a trailer, but realized that it was expensive.
In the end, it was decided that ideal option it will be easy old van. They began to search for it on Avito and quickly found the option with which we are currently working. It cost 40 thousand rubles. It had a working engine and was generally looked after. But the fact that this van is not for a million rubles comes back to us with enviable regularity. But now we are well versed in the device of the car.
At first, we tried to carry out all the repair work ourselves, and we even succeeded in some things. Every evening we spent in the garage, but the process dragged on for a long time. Now that we had a bunch of other things to do, we started putting the van in the hands of the craftsmen.
Equipment
From the very beginning, we bought a coffee machine, grill, refrigerator and coffee grinder. Now we have added a deep fryer, a slow cooker and a toaster. It all comes down to an electrical problem. It is necessary either to stretch it from some platform, or to install a generator. We have a generator for three kilowatts, but it is only enough for a coffee machine and coffee grinder. Our ice cream van friends have a five kilowatt generator. If we swap with them, then we will live and finally be able to drive around the city, and not look for friendly sites! Now this is one of the key issues for us.
Workplaces
The first time we left at 5 am on a day off to the Griboyedov Canal. It is clear what the audience was at that time. We sat in the van for half an hour and were afraid to get out of it. In our case, it was impossible to just open the door and quietly start selling. We still have problems with the door of the van: the two of us take it out and put it next to each other, this is a whole performance. In addition, it was necessary to get a generator, put it near Nevsky and turn it on. In the end, we did it, stood for half an hour or an hour and sold a couple of bagels with coffee. That was enough to get some first experience.
For the next couple of days we stood on the Promenade des Anglais, it was also quite sluggish there, but we began to receive the first feedback. At that moment, we faced a problem that is still with us today: people are mostly taking pictures with the van, and not buying food from us. But it's still nice, of course. Those ten bagels that we sold in a few hours helped us think about how everything should be arranged inside the van and organize the food preparation processes.
The first time we were fully loaded at the "Restaurant Day", when we first stood in the Contour, and then in the "Outbuilding". Then they sold everything. Then they began to write to us with suggestions. One of them is from the Novo-Isaakievsky business center, where we now get up on Wednesdays. They have a very beautiful courtyard, a van fits well there. We also rented a place in the Wing cluster - you can stand in the courtyard there. Although it is opposite the garbage dump, it is quite comfortable. The rent cost 30 thousand rubles, but we scraped them together. But we immediately understood what the cost of food should be and how much we can recapture. Now we are also feeding the artists who came to the opening of the exhibition at the Museum of Street Art. So far this is our main source of income.
Work Permits
All street food projects are divided into two types: legal and semi-legal, when someone from above “helps” and organizes a safe place on the street for money, approximately equal to the cost of renting a small room. In August, there will be a period for applying to the city administration for approval of street stalls, carts and vans. This approval, in a good case, takes six months, and it is almost unrealistic that you will be agreed on something. This is what we will be doing. True, in this case we will be allocated a fixed place, but this is still a bit not what we want.
In principle, it is already possible to work with those documents that we can do - tax registration and sanction books. Basic maximum fine, which threatens us for this - five thousand rubles, but there are a number of additional sanctions for the lack of a toilet, violation of the rules for the location of equipment. We were standing on the Promenade des Anglais on May 9, the police drove by and even stopped. We tried not to look in their direction. But in the end it passed.
Menu
At first, we were selling bagels, because we were mainly engaged in the van itself, and not the food - we are, in general, not cooks. For the first two weeks, we bought all the ingredients from grams, and then they were collected and heated. But in this format it is impossible to build a business because of the high cost of the product, so we decided to develop the kitchen ourselves. We try to cook ciabatta, sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers. At the moment we have not yet come to a clear menu. The final version will definitely be capacious: several sandwiches, one soup and drinks. This will save time and not lose quality.
We've decided to make the menu accessible, so we're not making much money yet. Now we do not have a goal to receive a salary, all the money immediately goes into business. The next profit will go to the generator and repair the door. We also want to have a canopy from the rain and big speakers - so that we can turn on the music and drive around the city.
Photo: Dima Tsyrenshchikov
An isothermal booth is an integral part of transport when transporting various perishable products, frozen semi-finished products, goods from the pharmaceutical industry on trucks or light vehicles. Also, flower products are transported in such vans.
Van construction
Modern models that are equipped with modern trucks have fairly thick walls. They perfectly maintain the desired temperature. A thick galvanized steel profile is used as the inner lining. This profile is quite rigid and of high quality, it does not oxidize and withstands chemical attack very well. However, in addition to the profile, plastic or stainless steel can be used as a skin.
Frameless van
In European countries, an isothermal booth is manufactured using a special, frameless technology. A special, pre-bent profile is used. It is lighter than the conventional profile by more than 30%. Although the weight of the van is quite light, but all the connections are strong enough. Galvanized metal is used as fasteners. Solid metal skids are used as a mounting base, which are fixed to the car frame along the entire length.
Isothermal booth made of sandwich panels
These vans are mostly used together with an additional one. Polyurethane foam is used here as an insulating material. It is pumped under pressure between the inner and outer panels. This allows you to repeatedly increase the characteristics of the booth, and also provides high strength and reliability of the entire structure.
With the help of special formulas, the thickness of the body wall can be calculated so that the temperature is maintained during the entire trip. Such preservation is especially important for the transportation of medicines and perishable foodstuffs. Here you need to maintain it close to zero degrees. The isothermal booth is a thermos which reliably keeps temperature.
Such bodies are produced under popular brands truck chassis. These are Mercedes, Gazelle, Kamaz, MAZ, GAZ and other cars. But most of these vans are created under the "Gazelle".
Production stages
The manufacture of isothermal booths, which could keep the temperature well, is carried out at various enterprises using international standards and European technologies. High-quality heat-insulating materials are also used.
To make a good booth that can confidently keep the set temperature, you must first check the sandwich panels for quality compliance. This is done in production using ultrasonic technology. So it turns out to find defects and voids in this material. In production, in the factory, multiple calculations are still performed in laboratories.
Van floor
In addition to wall cladding, special attention is paid to the floor of the body. Often it must be wooden. Further, according to the technology, the floor will be covered with a special additional material, and then covered with a sheet on top. The sheet will fit perfectly to the floor and thus protect it from water and other negative influences.
Roof
It is also great for building a roof. It is securely riveted to the walls of the body so that there is not a single hole.
Doorway
In order to seal this part of the van as much as possible, a special rubber seal is used, made according to a special formula. This rubber is polyurethane rubber. The material perfectly retains its flexibility characteristics and is not afraid of sudden changes in temperature.
To finally isolate the van, use special and silicone. This is how the isothermal booth, installed on the Gazelle, is sealed.
DIY van
Without owning European technologies and materials, you can also make something similar. Let's try to insulate the body of the car.
Today there are many companies that offer insulation services. As materials, extruded polystyrene foam in slabs is offered. It is perfect for interior cladding.
Since this material has a straight edge, this makes it possible to ensure the tightest fit of the sheets to each other during the laying process. Plates measuring 2500 mm long and 600 mm wide. The process of warming will reduce temperature leaks to a minimum, and in the future such an isothermal booth, assembled with your own hands, can work as a refrigerator.
Selection of insulation materials
In order for the work to be carried out with maximum efficiency, it is worth carefully choosing the right insulation. You can try the product from the company "Stirof".
For industrial products that have average temperatures, IBF 250A can be used inside. The average thickness should be chosen no more than 4 cm. If the van is made of solid metal, then the requirements here are more serious. Here you need a thicker material. The thickness must be at least 50 mm.
DIY van
Our country is a country of unique opportunities. Our people do not use European developments and do not ask for help and advice from specialists. It is worth considering such developments in order to understand whether it is possible to make this product with your own hands or not.
Often, foam was used to make an isothermal booth. It was fixed completely by hand, and then upholstered with a galvanized sheet. The design also provides for special pipes. With the help of these pipes, the cold leaves the van body faster.
The owners are very unhappy with this fact, because even with the refrigerator constantly running, there is no stable cold air in the van.
The disadvantages of such a system
It is difficult to keep the temperature lower than -10 degrees. Condensation constantly forms in the body, which leads to the destruction of metal surfaces. It is necessary to constantly repair isothermal booths and paint them from the inside. A doorway made of ferrous metal alloys will not last long. It would be better to use stainless steel.
Such a booth can only lead to damaged nerves, cargo, wasted money.
As needed
It should be done as they do in Europe or in our country, but according to their technologies. You can look at the isothermal booths (photo can be seen below) to see the difference.
For greater efficiency, plastic is used in sheets, and the space between the sheets is filled with liquid polyurethane foam. In our country it is much cheaper and easier to buy finished van which is already insulated with sandwich panels.
However, everything is not easy here either. Ordering insulation directly from a car dealer is one thing. If a private manufacturer, who has nothing to do with cars, is engaged in the process of warming, it is completely different. Here it can be quite difficult to determine if everything is done correctly.
Two options
As already mentioned, you can insulate the van using a special plate. Since the frame is quite dense, and the dimensions of the body of the same Gazelle are standard, there is no need to cut the insulation. To prevent the so-called seams between the plates, it is worth pouring sealant. As a material for the inner lining, you can use various or stainless steel. The selection and use of them for the most part depends on what you have to carry in this homemade isothermal van.
Work on the second option is much easier. But the prices for materials are slightly higher. So, polyurethane foam will be used as an insulating element. It can be bought at any stores. The inside of the van should be evenly coated with this material. That's all. Anything is suitable for top plating.
That's all you need to make an isothermal van (or thermal booth).