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Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:18 pm

How do your roof vents look? Mine broke into about 30 pieces once I took them off the roof! It looked like hairline cracks but they were only holding on by a thread. I couldn't find any replacement vents at the time so I epoxied the puzzle back together and fiberglassed over them. Looks good from 5' away but they're about 3/8" thick now.

Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:55 pm

built2last... wrote: How do your roof vents look? Mine broke into about 30 pieces once I took them off the roof! It looked like hairline cracks but they were only holding on by a thread. I couldn't find any replacement vents at the time so I epoxied the puzzle back together and fiberglassed over them. Looks good from 5' away but they're about 3/8" thick now.
mine has 2 cracks each vent. need replacement I'll get from Tim at Dormobile.co.uk...

You can also buy replacement vents from Susan... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=490807

Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:56 pm

Ninja Edit: Those seem to be good also and you will help the "local" economy rather than sending your money overseas. :wink:

They are available through www.justkampers.com in the UK but IMO they are also too brittle. I cracked one of mine upon installing it. :(

Sat Aug 22, 2009 11:23 pm

a bit more work after long time...

installed both glasses with new seal. It is really tricky to get the glasses in.

made a home made glazing tool to get the insert in and it worked fine. A lot of WD40...

looks good!

BTW I also installed the bar to help rising the top. I used new SS bolts and washers and a polyurethane sealer as per Dormobile instructions.

Sun Aug 23, 2009 4:41 am

I used glycerin when installing the beading in the K molding for the roof glass. It doesn't evaporate like WD-40, so stays slippery. It is also good for hands (is in Corn Huskers Lotion) and for rubber. VW says to apply glycerin to your rubber to keep it nice.

I like the tool you used. I used a tool with a hook at the end that I use as a hubcap puller, but turned it around so not using the point, but the back of the curve, and pushed one side of the bead in, then went along the other side. It was easiest when I lubed the groove before installing the beading. The first glass was a PITA, the second only went pretty quickly.

Susan makes nice roof vents. She had them made when she couldn't find new ones for her dormy , this was about 20 years ago. She gets a new batch run off every so often.
I went over and picked them up and also she let me take pics of her dormy top. The one for mine was loose, so there was some stuff I was not clear on how it went.

Sun Aug 23, 2009 7:46 am

Great work there..... :wink:

My first bus was a Dormy, in an early bay. Great conversions! The roof makes the bus really roomy and light. We completely overhauled our roof, just the same as you, seeing your pics brought back some memories..... :lol: :roll: . Just take your time, it's fairly straightforward really. Make sure that the roof/body hinges are strong, the roof itself is very heavy!

The ring screws are designed to stop the curtains falling out of the curtain tracks :wink: When we were driving around in bright sunshine we used to draw the curtains to keep the bus cool. If you didn't have the ring screw then the curtains would just slide out of the runners.

Did the roof still have the small oblong mirror screwed to the roof between the skylights? I think it was there as a shaving mirror for use when the roof is up.

Have fun.......

Sun Aug 23, 2009 9:21 am

carole11 wrote: If you didn't have the ring screw then the curtains would just slide out of the runners.

Did the roof still have the small oblong mirror screwed to the roof between the skylights? I think it was there as a shaving mirror for use when the roof is up.

Have fun.......

I already have the stop screws ;)

And no, the mirror was only a baywindow option.

Thanks for advices/notes
xavi

BTW I did some more work this morning...

polyurethane sealer after bolts are tight, I wiped it with alcohol.

interior shot...

Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:39 am

The new/current contact at Dormobile UK since Tim has left is;

Jim Bullock
Dormobile Division
SHB Hire Ltd
[email protected]

Mon Aug 24, 2009 9:15 am

Great thread... keep going! :D

Mon Aug 24, 2009 11:49 am

blackdog1999 wrote: The new/current contact at Dormobile UK since Tim has left is;

Jim Bullock
Dormobile Division
SHB Hire Ltd
[email protected]

I'm dealing with Jim for the parts I need, the vinyl bellow won't be finished till early october so need to wait again... sigh

Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:32 pm

One of my knobs was missing and didn't find any knob with withworth thread, so decided to fabricatemy own knob-rod.

The rod is threaded in all the length and is M8 with a nut welded to one end. Then painted hammered, as per original.
The wheel knob is the one I found closer to OG.

Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:35 pm

Nice Xavi,
If you didn't point out the differences, I doubt anyone would have noticed.
Keep up the good work.

Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:51 pm

thanks Neil, I'm pretty sure that Dormies experts will tell the difference, but those knobs are really hard to find...

BTW I placed and ad if anyone is interested in getting one... ;)

Wed Sep 09, 2009 11:56 pm

Wowh Xavi its so nice to see my parts being used to such high detail...

Extremly nice job You're doing, I'm sure You gonna love the finished result..... and You gonna love camping in it...

well You know coffee is ready when You coming this side of our good old continent...

Like we say in French; "Bonne continuation" keep up the great work!

Bob

Sun Apr 04, 2010 1:03 pm

All the parts I ordered at Dormobile UK are on the way... I'm really nervous...

I'm looking fordward to see how the candy red vinyl looks. I also ordered a pair of vent covers and a bunch of small parts like hinges, seals or silent gliss sliders...

more updates soon ;)

Tue Apr 06, 2010 3:03 pm

nice surprise in the mail today...

Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:49 pm

Very cool Xavi. Looks like it is getting to be cutting time. :twisted:

Wed Apr 07, 2010 7:22 am

From one Dormie owner to another, great work and great thread. Very informative.

Sun Apr 11, 2010 1:57 pm

Did some work this weekend...

here are the vents I got from Dormobile UK compared to OGs. New ones are a bit squarer and tallers, they fit well, though. They come blank, so you have to drill the holes.

Here you have the vent installed, I'm glad with the result. I used SS bolts and washers and nuts combined with a lot of polyurethane sealer all around. Nuts are SS nylock.

The vinyl is a lot soft than the extradry and cracked OG. It seems thinner but it is only a sensation, it is ver strong and is't not easy to make a hole with a simple punch. Seems are heat sealed. The grain is a bit smaller than OG but looks very good.

I used the procedure that Jim @ Dormobile recommended to me.

1. long 'big' side.
2. one side
3. other side.
4. long 'short' side

As allways... easy in theory, PITA in practice. Working with the poliurethane sealer is a real mess... wiping the excess of material with alcohol works OK.

long side done.

one side done.

all the bellow in place ;)
Finally I went for the bay style rubber. All around the top.

Note that the OG vinyl was really bad in some places...

next steps...: paint frames, cut hole, place top, bolt hinges (need to drill holes, they are blank), place wood bows, bolt bellow bows, bolt bellow on bus roof, trim wood hadliner, place plastic trim, install cot frames and cot fabric.... buf, still lots of work to do :p

Sun Apr 11, 2010 3:16 pm

:D :D :D :D :D