Savarus

Agreed, don't try to MIG it unless you're hot-hot-hot on your welding; IE coded. Tanks of any kind are jobs for pros as the welding has to be flawless, especially if it has to pass a ministry inspection. As a professional welding engineer of nearly 17 years I still wince when someone asks me to repair a tank... even then I tackle it with gas, never a MIG plant. Can't honestly say much about the suitability of silver solder on a tank but yes, it does adhere to Steel just fine. Hoseman's point about cleanliness is the key. It's all in the prep. Good luck with the repair!

Hi all! Been ages since I put my head round the door so firstly, my apologies. I'm not ignoring you, honest! Anyway, I've just bought a generator and am looking for an operators manual... and if possible, a remote control unit for it. It was shipped dry so I could also do with knowing the recommended oil grade to put in it. It's a 5KVA, 2007 ex-service / surplus model based on a HATZ 9.1HP 1B40T diesel engine. (See photo) The serial plate reads as follows: "QRPS EDGS diesel generating set" Serial number 046552/_____ 2007 Mfr'd by Harrington generators international LTD NATO stock no. 6115-99-867-8626 Contract BF1-C1/63 Anyone know anything about these units? I've contacted both HATZ and HGIL but as yet have had no response from either. Any information & materials greatly appreciated and if anyone has a remote control they'd be willing to part with... name your price! Thanks. Stu

Thanks muchly! First time having to inflate a truck tyre... having seen the kind of damage they can do I'll probably still be a bit tentative this time round! So the palm valves are for towing the truck as if it were a trailer, eh. Doubt I'll ever find the need but good to know.

"God?" I asked... "Of all the wondrous creatures on your glorious planet; and of all the places they could be... why did the giant spider have to be dangling from the antenna?" <<Shudder>>

Hi all, Sorry it's been a while since I put my head round the door! Life has taken over recently, as it has a habit of doing from time to time. Anyway, I came to take the truck for a spin the other day and noticed I had a slightly low front nearside tyre. The truck is a Leyland Daf 45.150 T244. It has 3-piece split-rim hubs. My main question, though I'm inclined to err on the side of caution is... Is it necessary to use a tyre restraint device to simply top up a tyre of this size or is such a device only needed if the tyre has just been re-fitted to the hub? My other question, which I'm also researching in every way I can is... What is the purpose of the two "handshake" (open palm) valves (outlets) under the front bumpers? I'm labouring under the impression that one has to do with the brakes and the other is something to do with the clutch. Unfortunately, my experience with truck air systems is limited to civilian vehicles. Would very much appreciate it if someone could explain to me how, when & why these valves would be used in practice. Many thanks. Stuart

Wow! So clean! Looks like it's never been used at all! Congrats on a real nice buy. They didn't have any bedfords in that good condition when I went up there. If they had I might not have been swayed to look at the DAFs. Those MJs really are nice looking trucks. So much character! For my purposes I'm glad I went DAF but if I were to be a 2 truck bloke then the other would definitely be an MJ.

Thanks very much. I'm well chuffed with it! Engine is standard 5.9 turbo-diesel Cummins throwing out some 145Hp. That was sort of the intention with the tail lift, though I'll be building the cabin door into the side of the body rather than on the back. With some modifications the tail lift will become a folding box of sorts... an on-board "garage" for a motorbike, tools and storage of the awning, which I'll be making out of the old roof canvas. Here's a link to my page on The Overlander where I've posted some rough design sketches & various info. http://www.theoverlander.org/my-wheels/trucks/leyland-daf-with-a-twist.html Hell of a nice MJ you've got there. Very clean! Did you buy it in that condition or did you spruce it up yourself?

Thanks Grubber. Erm, no I still haven't got an MJ but that's kind of a moot point now as I bought a Leyland DAF instead! Cheers for the offer though. Can you post some photos? Be nice to see what you've got and who knows, you might get a buyer on here!

Thanks very much! It was pretty immaculate to begin with but Withams paint plant did a superb job with it. Have to say despite all the negative feedback I initially had on here about Withams, they've really come through for me. Full set of brand new rubber, 4 new batteries, full valet & paint, complete tool kit & auxillery air lines included. Even some free grenade pins in the glove compartment! (I've yet to find the grenades they belong to! GULP!) Can honestly say its been a glitch-free purchase! A week later on delivery than expected but for the result it was worth every second! Nice one Withams! I'll post the project in a new thread as it kicks off and look forward to comparing notes with you Tony!

Wow! Tons of useful info there! Sorry for not getting back to any of you sooner. For some reason I didn't get any email notifications & have been a bit busy to check back. Anyway, a few points being brought up that I wasn't aware of so thanks to all for those. Letter from DAF? Will do! HGV or LGV? Think I'll go LGV and keep it as private goods, not hire & reward. Most of the use it'll see as a lorry will be agricultural as opposed to commercial, so no foreseeable problems with the ministry there. Also cuts out the hassle (and cost) of needing a commercial operators license for what will probably be a relatively short period before the conversion happens. VTG1? Oooh, that's a new one on me but ok, will do that. No issues with entering the M25 emissions zone. I live in Somerset. No cause at all to go anywhere near London! Tax is only an issue 'til it leaves the country. Once gone we're never coming back! Service records? Nope. Just the MOD654 & sales receipts. Replacement seats? Yes, I had considered it as I'll be living in the thing later on. Range Rover ones sound good as some of them have arm rests. Will have a good look around & see what I like the feel of. And David; yes by all means, drop by some time & check her out if you want. I have a bit of a manic life just lately so plenty of notice would be good if possible! (Also my kettle is old and very slow to boil!)

Cheers Tony! Footman James, next port of call. How long does that kind of policy typically last? I read somewhere 2 weeks (?) I'll be registering primarily as HGV rather than camper / motorhome, as I intend to put it to use as a lorry for a while & make the project pay for itself as best it can. I'll see about re-registering or down-plating later on, when the expedition body is nearing completion. Am I right in thinking (without an illegal drive to the nearest private weighbridge) that dry, these trucks weigh somewhere in the region of 5.5 - 6.5 ton, depending on the type of demountable fitted? I'm guessing with the tail lift & drop-sides mine will be closer to the 6.5 mark. That leaves roughly a ton for additional equipment before I'm over the bracket. Out of curiosity, which way did you go with yours? Under or over? And how does the conformity testing thing work? Does it form an integral part of the first MOT or do I need to take it to a separate VOSA station for that? The fog is clearing but there's still lots of it!

Thanks David. That's some really useful stuff. If you hear your name on the wind it'll probably be me thanking you for saving me from some of those "kick yourself" moments that you mentioned! Alternatively it might be the missus calling you for dinner! That's an interesting outfit you've got there too. What exactly is it rigged up for? And yes, mine is parked right outside my living room window (for now at least, 'til I can get it into a lockup) and every time I look out & see it, I want to drive it! Very fun to drive! Actually had it wheelspinning in a big boggy puddle the other day. The puddle just didn't stand a chance really! Sadly, no J brackets lurking inside for Tony. I did remember to look! Anyway, here she is in all her just-delivered finery!

Hi all. Been a while since I last put my head round the door as I was waiting to take delivery of the truck & 1001 other things cropped up in the meantime! Anyway, the truck's now parked outside my house where I can admire it every day & plan the modifications to come. I've received my MOD645 from Withams and my V55/5 from the DVLA and am tentatively placing a first step into the minefield of red-tape that follows. I've read so many articles on the whole first registration issue that my brain is hurting, yet no-one seems to speak all that plainly. From what I can make out, this is the order I now need to do things... 1)Insure the vehicle on a short term basis. 2)Have the vehicle MOT'd and conformity tested. 3)Fill in the V55/5 in accordance with the information on the certificate of conformity. 4)Colate all relevant documents & fees and visit the DVLA to submit it all. Lots of questions, though I'll just throw the main ones out there for now. Would appreciate answers only from those of you who've first-registered this exact type of vehicle yourselves. Please keep it to whole facts only as this is already confusing enough! Ok, here goes... 1) Have I got everything in the right order? Did I miss anything out? 2) How does one insure a vehicle that is not registered? Insurers contact details would be great here! 3) Can any HGV MOT station perform conformity testing / What is involved in the conformity test itself? 4) Does this vehicle require type-approval? (I am under the impression it doesn't) Sorry it's a boring list. Seemed the only way to keep it easy to read! All help muchly 'preciated! Stu

Hahaaaa! Ooops! And low, did the heavens shake when down to earth came crashing the mighty power of assumption! So sorry Tony. I DID know that. Not sure why my brain chose to think it was you in the photo just then! Note to self: Knock twice on head to activate brain before use!

Hey all! Sorry it's been a while since I posted back to you. Lots happening at the moment! Thanks Martin for the pics & spec. A lovely truck you've got there & very cosy looking. Only the caravan-shaped windows give it away as a home-build, otherwise I would've guessed maybe a military field office or cabin conversion. It certainly doesn't look like it's made of ply! Nice one and I hope it serves you a long time! Thanks to Gritineye & Redneck for the links. Loads of inspiration there... especially that last one to the ebay item. Now THAT looks like something I might be interested in! Will be hopping on over there next to pay it some serious scrutiny! Oh, and yes, I did have a look at the Gaz66. Very nearly would've bought one (a whole truck, not just the body) were it not for the international parts market being a bit of an unknown quantity. Worth a second look at the bodies though so I'll keep it in mind. And of course, thanks to M109, who has a vested interest of her own & who I look forward to comparing project notes with over the coming months. Spotted you on http://WWW.TheOverlander.org by the way! Great site that & very useful for anyone with a similar project in mind. How is yours coming on by the way? Truck is arriving this Tuesday, so I'm dead excited at the moment! Now to find some proper storage for it that's not the corner of a fam yard!