"BIG FOOT 02"

or 

2002_11_15

 

Following pictures show the progress of the construction before it was finished. This shows the cabin from the rear. You can see the big door, which allows access the storage area in the back of the cabin. The doors dimension is round about 140 cm x 220 cm.

 

 

 

A detail of the additional frame (cabin frame). 

The frame onto which the cabin is mounted is fixed to the truck frame at four points only. Point one and two I can describe best with reference to the next but one picture. The zinced cabin frame has 5 long cross-sections and in the middle a stubby one. Both ends of the stubby cross section have a vertical section, which is not visible here, and with these they are fixed to the truck frame. 

Point three and four are bearings at the rear and front, which are shown in detail in this picture

 

 

Between the trucks frame and the cabin frame is 6 cm space. Because of the above-described special fixation the truck frame can twist and bend without effecting the cabin frame respectively the cabin that is fixed to it up to 15 cm at the outside.

Picture of the complete frame without cabin.

 

 

Between cabin and the truck cabin is a bellow to allow the access between both. The bellow form (thick rubber with fabric inlay) is necessary because of the movement of the cabin on the frame. The truck cabin had to be modified (cut - out of the sheet metal). The bellow, which is not shown here, can be disconnected from the truck cabin to maintain the tilt facility of the truck cabin (easier access to motor, gear case, filters, injection pump, …..).

 

 

The following pictures I have taken much later

This picture shows the left side, from the rear (on the left side you see the mudguard plus a straight piece of metal for additional fixing): on the top the cabines frame, underneath the trucks frame and the vertical connection piece of metal between both (four srews on top, five on bottom, but here only two are visible). The dimensions of this unit are:

Height: 37 cm
Width: 20 cm
U-shape edges: 3 cm
Thickness of steel: 1 cm

The gap between the truck frame and cabine frame is approximately 6 cm. As you can see the connections (right and left) are close to the rear axle. The dimension of the steelwork of the cabines frame are 120 mm x 60 mm x 5 mm, that should last!  ;-)))

Additional dimensions:
The box-shaped frame (Chassis rail) has a profile of 12 x 6 cm and 6 mm thickness.
The cross connections are U -shaped with 10 x 5 cm and 5mm thickness.
The pivot point are located (dimensions taken from the rear end of the cabine): 1. pivot point: appr. 95 cm // 2 Vertical connections: appr. 240 cm, more or less above rear axle  // 2nd pivot point / front: appr. 510 cm.
The pivot point have a thickness of  8 mm each and a gap of 6,5 cm.
The support frame ends appr. 25 cm before the rear end of the cabin.
The cross connections are ending appr. 11 cm before the edge of the cabin (more or less thee overlap of the additional glass fiber edges).

 

 

The following picture shows the pivot point of cabines- and truck frame from an underneath perpsective. The screw looks nice but you need to know that the diameter is 24 mm!!

 

 

This tiny 24M screw is either in a  bush or in two rollers which I unfortunately cannot identify excatly.

 

 

The truck frame has a U-shape. So Ormocar built inserts for the two supports (at the front and rear of the cabine). When assembling the cabins frame with the trucks frame they pushed the inserts together, lowered the cabins frame to the correct position, pulled the inserts out again and fixed the inserts with two srews each. On the front of the inserts they had welded a plate which they than fixed with 4 srews to the trucks frame.

 

 

And here the front pivot point, now a top view.

 

 

Update: The rear  vertical connection piece was improved in 2007 from Ormocar:

 

 

It shows the camper with the finished cabin when I picked it up at 14th November 02. Total height is 3,82 m so far, inner length of the cabin is 5,4 m and 2,35 m wide and high. The isolation is 5,2  cm (including the 2 mm glas fiber inside and 3 mm outside), There are two "edges" (or "cuts") on the front, the one on the bottom has length of 37 cm and allows to move the cabin closer to the drivers cabin. The space between cabin and drivers cabin is 18,5 cm (Note: This small clearance allows a longer cabin without increasing the rear overlap of the cabin! On the other side this small clearance makes a connection rubber between the two cabins difficult. Please refer as well to Big Foot 36, on the bottom)

The space between lower cabin “edge” and the wheel housing is 9,5 cm. Here I have to admit that this is the weakest point after several 4x4 terrain tests: When driving offroad the twist of the cabine already hit the metal - but did not leave any flattened areas – so far! So 12 – 15 cm clearance would be better.

 

 

After having picked up the truck at Thursday, 14th November I drove the truck to a company in Cologne where the energy system has been installed (I do not want to use propane gas for heating and cooking but electricity). It consists of 6 batteries for 24 V plus one for 12 V with 160 Ah each. The 6 batteries are connected to an inverter to produce out of 24 V DC 230V AC. The power is 2500 Watt permanent, up to 5.000 Watt short term. A second inverter will double this in a future stage. Furthermore a power charger has been installed (24 V, 50 A, automatic adaptation for circuits with low capacity as you find sometimes on campgrounds). The standard 24 Volt generator has been exchanged to a version with 100 amps power. Together with a special regulator this allows to charge the batteries within 5 -6 hours driving to 100%. The concept for this energy system is from Agtar in Cologne. We expect a to have enough energy for 2 -3 days without 230 Volt connection or driving. A switch mode box for automatic energy source selection (internal 230 V AC from inverter, external charge with 230 V AC). To charge the single 12 V battery a 24 V to 12 V transformer has been mounted as well.

The next week I spend to construct a second level in the cabin. The inside height is 230 cm total. I built in a second level (cellar) for the technical stuff and other bits and pieces with a height of 32 cm. Together with the plank thickness of 2 cm it leaves a clearance between floor and ceiling of 196 cm, which is sufficient. This job is still in progress and will last at least until the end of 2002.