Arghhhhh! Broken the bed again!!

[mistericeman]

They have to be precise to fit in the rails they slide along in but if you simply had a flat strong surface for them to run along on each side as long as they were taut and held in place when run out they would be fine and you could get rid of the stupid plastic ends or at least the knobbly bit. Its the most stupid design I have ever seen. The only reason I can think of for them doing it this way is that on the earlier vans the slats were not stuck in the rails like a curtain rail so if you were a bit pissed and pulled them out wonky the whole lot could end up on the floor but it was easy enough to just pull them back up, drag them to the end and secure them in the end stopper.

Exactly what I meant by 2 batons.... One down either side at the correct height for the slats...
They look like they would be below the tops of the side panels so couldn't go anywhere laterally
You could use unistrut/Hydra zorb channel of an appropriate size if you wanted to keep them located completely....

Though personally I'd choose some matching timber to the side panels.

 

[barryd]

Exactly what I meant by 2 batons.... One down either side at the correct height for the slats...
They look like they would be below the tops of the side panels so couldn't go anywhere laterally
You could use unistrut/Hydra zorb channel of an appropriate size if you wanted to keep them located completely....

View attachment 149590

Though personally I'd choose some matching timber to the side panels.

They still need to be supported somehow but the problem is who, where and how?

 

[mistericeman]

They still need to be supported somehow but the problem is who, where and how?

Couple of runs of ct1 etc and some M6 gutter bolts/countersunk Allen heads (low profile domed heads to allow laths to pass if it was channel)

Or suitable glue/fixings if you were going with timber.

You could always add bracing inside the seat boxes if needed....

Though the batons/channel would add extra stiffness anyway.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

If going with new it's a fairly simple job, our van is exactly the same setup, so you'd need short coach bolts, as they have very flat rounded heads, the new runners would need inside support way of a 50mm strip to take the mighty weight, and stop the nuts from pulling through the crappy plywood.

 

[barryd]

That all sounds great chaps but it means nothing to me.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Well!!

 

[barryd]

Well!!

Well what?

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Exactly, I don't see the difficulties involved with doing something as simple as I suggested, you will need to.make some effort to visualise it of course, but you're more than up to that I reckon.

 

[barryd]

Exactly, I don't see the difficulties involved with doing something as simple as I suggested, you will need to.make some effort to visualise it of course, but you're more than up to that I reckon.

Are you joking? If an actual Joiner and a motorhome repair guy are stumped or don't want to know what sort of chance have I got? There is nothing simple about it Kev that I can see. It will require bespoke metal work or woodwork, precision parts and supports on both the front and inner lounge seats and the rear as well for the actual seats and right through to the back where the rear seat and Truma heater is and both sides are different lengths. Its possible it may require new slats and pull outs as well. You might as well go and ask me to go outside and change the clutch!

 

[Fazerloz]

Exactly, I don't see the difficulties involved with doing something as simple as I suggested, you will need to.make some effort to visualise it of course, but you're more than up to that I reckon.

Nip up Kev and show him. Don't forget to take the toilet paper.

 

[mistericeman]

Exactly, I don't see the difficulties involved with doing something as simple as I suggested, you will need to.make some effort to visualise it of course, but you're more than up to that I reckon.

Ignore him.....

He's just making a cunningly disguised attempt at thread lengthening.

 

[barryd]

Ignore him.....

He's just making a cunningly disguised attempt at thread lengthening.

Actually I think its just a wind up and I was too slow to pick up on it.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

As you have the same setup I just looked at how I'd fix mine, if you insist on keeping the same setup, you will keep the same problem.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

All it has to do is support your girth via slats along its length.

Currently the bit doing that is a simple L shape, the rest of the plastic there now is just supporting that L shape, so if you get rid of the plastic and use a sheet of steel folded into an L shape, then you're done, other than drilling a few holes in that and a backing sheet and putting it together, you may need to fit around some other gubbins but that is essentially all you need.

No joiner required, and your motorhome fixer doesn't understand the problem either, it's an engineering problem, take trip to see brother Tim in brum.

 

[barryd]

As you have the same setup I just looked at how I'd fix mine, if you insist on keeping the same setup, you will keep the same problem.

No Kev. I don't insist on keeping the same set up. I literally said yesterday it all needs completely redoing. Its a job for a professional though as its way more complicated than just sticking a bit of metal or wood down either side. It requires real technical and joinery and / or metal fabrication skills. I made a cheeseboard once in woodwork when I was 12. I think it took me a whole term.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Why? The setup is working in thousands of Swift vans, only yours for some reason keeps breaking so.may be its you that needs mending.

 

[barryd]

All it has to do is support your girth via slats along its length.

Currently the bit doing that is a simple L shape, the rest of the plastic there now is just supporting that L shape, so if you get rid of the plastic and use a sheet of steel folded into an L shape, then you're done, other than drilling a few holes in that and a backing sheet and putting it together, you may need to fit around some other gubbins but that is essentially all you need.

No joiner required, and your motorhome fixer doesn't understand the problem either, it's an engineering problem, take trip to see brother Tim in brum.

He does understand it. He's seen it. Considering he rips apart motorhomes and rebuilds them if he though it was easy he would have come up with something. Steel sounds good but it will all have to be properly measured up, bent to the right angles and cut to the right sizes for both sides and for the inner and outer supports. Its a big job for a professional. I don't think its a job that would easily be done by someone miles away either as it will require several visits, getting the parts fabricated and then fitted etc.

 

[barryd]

Why? The setup is working in thousands of Swift vans, only yours for some reason keeps breaking so.may be its you that needs mending.

I don't know how many Swift vans have these supports. The ones on my Kontiki were completely different and lasted years but when I posted in the Swift group on FB plenty said they had had the same problem and either reinforced them or replaced them with something else. No details though or who did the work.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

OK, what shape is the the bit that the slats run in, not the support, just where the slats bear down on, it is L shaped the same as mine the rest is just the extrusion designed to fit on the ply supports for the sofa for minimal time in building the van, you have a shape existing to copy I'm not up to doing stuff anymore more, but once the thing is bent, and I'm sure it'll be at 90 degrees, the rest is adjusting and fitting.

And no.mate I'm not in this case trying to wind you up.

 

[barryd]

OK, what shape is the the bit that the slats run in, not the support, just where the slats bear down on, it is L shaped the same as mine the rest is just the extrusion designed to fit on the ply supports for the sofa for minimal time in building the van, you have a shape existing to copy I'm not up to doing stuff anymore more, but once the thing is bent, and I'm sure it'll be at 90 degrees, the rest is adjusting and fitting.

And no.mate I'm not in this case trying to wind you up.

You can see it in detail here in this image where the slats run in. In theory if you could somehow remove the plastic knobbly bits from the slats that fit into that rail below (I have been unable to see how they come off) and replace the entire thing with solid steel that simply presents a right angle support on the left for the inner seat and a right angle support on the right for running the slats out at exactly the right height I think that would work. Its a metal fabrication job and a fitting job.