Fabricators for a bespoke Rear Swing-away...?

[Lorin]

I need to find a fabricator to work with me to put all my ideas for a rear swing-away into an actual design and then build it for me. Unfortunately there is nothing that I can buy, even with some adaptation, that would meet my needs. So, I thought I'd put it to the forum....

Googling has identified a few fabricators who clearly do this sort of thing, see links below, but before I start contacting them I would be keen to hear of any I've missed or any recommendations.

Devon 4x4 https://www.devon4x4.com/content/brandpages/D44
PB Customs https://www.pb-customs.co.uk/
Leyland Fabrication Design http://www.leylandfabdesign.co.uk/
Viking Fabrication and Design https://en-gb.facebook.com/vikingfabdesign/
K2 Designa and Fabrication https://k2designandfabrication.co.uk/
Dixon Fabrication https://dixonfabrication.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=104
Shire Fabrications http://www.shirefabrications.com/

The closest design I can find to what I want is below - the main feature being that it is a single, whole width swing-away (ignore the tyre mounting and ladder as mine would be different). What I am not looking for however is a whole bumper, as I want to keep weight as low as possible. I only want the swing-away mounted directly to the chassis, maybe with just some side wings.

 

[MarkW]

https://www.facebook.com/ircradockandsons/ up in trowbridge, not used myself but hear good things about them

 

[Chris]

Can't give you any recommendations Lorin, as you know I build my own stuff, but there a few thoughts to simply throw in about non bumper mounted carriers.

Wheels are heavy as you know and making sure there's no flex is an important part of the design. The more solid and deep the mount, the less flex naturally. The rear chassis rails do flex and so mounting directly to them isn't best. Bumpers of course mount to them, but in several locations you you remove the flex.

Some mount to the rear quarter and pillar. Thin, yes, but having top and bottom mounts stabilises the flex.

What you can't do if mount to the chassis and the body because obviously the move independently.

I'm sure you've though of all that stuff, but worth saying it. That's a fancy looking rack on there but the size of the hinge pin would concern me greatly. I made a stand alone carrier (I'll find a pic) and with a 37" on, it snapped one day. Broke the pin clean in half. The pins I machine are (from memory) about 54mm diameter.

 

[StarCruiser]

Urchfab?

 

[Lorin]

https://www.facebook.com/ircradockandsons/ up in trowbridge, not used myself but hear good things about them

Nice one Mark They’re close enough for me to pay them a visit.

 

[Lorin]

Can't give you any recommendations Lorin, as you know I build my own stuff, but there a few thoughts to simply throw in about non bumper mounted carriers.

Wheels are heavy as you know and making sure there's no flex is an important part of the design. The more solid and deep the mount, the less flex naturally. The rear chassis rails do flex and so mounting directly to them isn't best. Bumpers of course mount to them, but in several locations you you remove the flex.

Some mount to the rear quarter and pillar. Thin, yes, but having top and bottom mounts stabilises the flex.

What you can't do if mount to the chassis and the body because obviously the move independently.

I'm sure you've though of all that stuff, but worth saying it. That's a fancy looking rack on there but the size of the hinge pin would concern me greatly. I made a stand alone carrier (I'll find a pic) and with a 37" on, it snapped one day. Broke the pin clean in half. The pins I machine are (from memory) about 54mm diameter.

Yeh I hear you on all counts Chris. I’ve been thinking about/looking into this for a while. There’s lots of good examples of what doesn’t work - which I’ll discuss with the fabricator when doing the design. Alongside what you mentioned there’s also the flex in the swing-away itself and how you minimise rattles. My carrier will have a lot of weight on it when loaded, so this all needs to be considered.

Some good examples I’ve seen remove all weight from the pin when closed and latch at more than one point. I know the chassis will also need bracing.

 

[fbnss]

Nice one Mark They’re close enough for me to pay them a visit.

@Trevor had a bit done by them.

 

[Chris]

With a really big pin Lorin, you don't get rattle and the latch doesn't have to be quite so big. My carrier has done many miles now with a very simple pin latch and small riser pad. The whole strength is in that pin. Taper roller bearings the size of 80 wheel bearings almost

 

[stumog]

,I almost extended mine the full width of the car but find sometimes it's a pain to open now in a car park or with a trailer on

 

[Lorin]

,I almost extended mine the full width of the car but find sometimes it's a pain to open now in a car park or with a trailer on

Yeh I know it's going to be a bit of a pain. I've explored every option I can to accommodate all the stuff I need to carry for the three of us and a dog to travel, from chopping off the back and building a box to even considering alternative vehicles, but the simplest, most cost efficient option is to build a carrier that can do what I need it to do. The main thing is to get the spare out of the back but also to have the option to carry bikes without having to unload them every time I need to access the back.

 

[stumog]

Would you not be better off with 2 swing outs?

 

[Chris]

Trailer.

 

[stumog]

Why did you think the double cab conversion wouldn't work?

I am.coming round to the idea of a boring camper. Sorry to say.

 

[Lorin]

Would you not be better off with 2 swing outs?

Just won't work with using an awning as the main living space. The 2nd swing out would be right in the wrong place. Also doesn't work well with needing the spare to be dead central due to its weight.

Trailer.

Imagine towing a trailer on the Russia trip. Whilst only a small percentage of travel time would be conditions like that, if the trailer was your camping set-up you simply wouldn't be able to do the trails. They also don't lend themselves to exploring tracks and trails where you don't know what's round the next corner, and recoving yourself with a trailer is potentially a big problem. A trailer is too compromised for me.

 

[Lorin]

Why did you think the double cab conversion wouldn't work?

I am.coming round to the idea of a boring camper. Sorry to say.

It would work but to do it properly/well would be a big sum of money. When we go away for 6 months next year we are testing the waters for travelling for an extended period. The biggest factor is whether it's financially viable and not spending £7-10k on a dual cab conversion will make a difference.

I've also looked at campers but can't stretch to an Iveco Daily 4x4!

 

[stumog]

It's not easy finding the right sent up.

Mog?

 

[stumog]

How about building a box on the back of a RB44?

 

[steverjuk]

If you've got a c1 license think about a daf 4x4 they are selling x army ones off super cheap. They have a cummins engine in and parts are super cheap.
With some simple welding you can knock up an amazing 4x4 camper.

 

[Chris]

No I meant a trailer just to throw the bikes in
But then I simply wouldn't take bikes.

 

[stumog]

The daf are meant to be super slow. I was going to look at 1 and the chap.was they only do 40mph 45 at a push. Not sure if that's true but people seem to say they are dead slow