Gen 3 vs gen 2

[disco stu]

Good point Having Fun I read a lot of those issues and think things like "thankful I don't have that on my car"

So the chassis are only similar ROBBIE J ? Someone told me they were the same, but I've never compared. Apart from the pain of working on an engine in a van, would certainly give lots of room in the car for the way I like to camp in the car. I'm hoping to play around with the seat on the weekend to get a little extra leg room and see how things are then.

[pharb]

I think Delicas chassis' are more like Triton chassis ' which have quite a few small, but significant differences to Gen 2 Pajeros.

[ROBBIE J]

Crikey, lots of options, we could splice a Triton in halt & slap a Delica on it? Re Paj Chassis - I heard they were the same too Stu, only someone recently told me that 3rd Gen Delica's are unibody....will have to take pics of one in a shopping center car park & do some recon measurements without drawing attention to oneself 😁
I temporarily took one of the rear folding seats out & the opposite middle row seat & the NL was almost a van. Agree that van engines are horrible to work on, been eyeing off a Townace Surf 1996 engine under the passenger seat & an underpowered 3ye, bulletproof still..... Pity the 6g74 won't fit.... no such thing as the perfect ride. Maybe I should be happy with the NL & make it as van-esque as I can & save my cash? Delica bodies are so plentiful though, imagine the compliance headache on that misadventure? Even if possible.

[disco stu]

Would love to be able to remove the middle seat on mine, but not when I have kids to drag around etc. The rear seats were the first thing to come out.

I've got a platform in the back of mine, same height as the middle seat folded down. I've been intending to work something out to go between the middle folded and front passenger seat so I can sleep on that side. With the front seat pulled forward I will fit there.

Been thinking about getting a fridge, and would like it to fit there if I do. Doesn't have to be perfect as my legs will go on that end. Just not sure if the fridge turning on and off will be a pain, but in winter out west will be cold enough that I shouldn't need to have it plugged in over night. Storage box the right height would work even, but easier is probably just a board that goes over, with straps or something to the top of the passenger front seat

[Two Emms]

[QUOTE=disco stu;n1108080] Just not sure if the fridge turning on and off will be a pain, but in winter out west will be cold enough that I shouldn't need to have it plugged in over night. /QUOTE]

I usually leave the fridge in the car while using the camper trailer, (basic tent on trailer type) having put it in the tent once and being kept awake by the noise. Waeco 40 litre job that I can barely hear during the day, but in the still night air ......
Not sure about turning it off if it's in the car with you. Temps will be either so cold the fridge won't need to run ( uncomfortable) or warm enough for comfortable sleeping, less than ideal for a turned off fridge.

[erad]

If it is really cold, running the fridge will theoretically help warm the interior of the car because it is acting as a heat pump, taking heat from inside the fridge to the outside - in this case, the interior of the car. The heat load is on measured in watts - say 2 amps x 12 volts = 24 watts, compared to the human body which is putting out probably closed to 100 watts at rest, but it is likely to be contributor. In 1970, I had a 10 yr old Chev station wagon which I drove around the US in winter. Sleeping in the back of it, I had a sleeping bag and a roll of 2" thick foam as a mattress. In Yellowstone Nat Park, the temperatures got down to -23 Dec C. There was ice about 6 mm thick on the inside of the windows in the morning. If it is really cold, condensation from your respiration will be a bigger factor than the actual temperature. And yes - the noise from the fridge can be a problem as well.

[ROBBIE J]

I love sleeping next to the humming noise a fridge makes, I find them soothing lol

[disco stu]

Ooh, good point on the condensation erad. 6mm of ice is crazy! Not going to be able to wake up and drive in winter. Will have to open some windows to keep the humidity down with that idea, will lessen the warmth but I'm geared for it these days. Same temp I would be in if I was in tent anyway

Was thinking that the insulation in the fridge would keep it cold enough over night....hopefully

It's not the hum of the fridge while going, helps me sleep also, it's the on and off changes that would bug the hell out of me. Can't see myself buying a fridge this weekend so it's not a worry for a while any way. Do need to pull my finger out and get this part sorted out so I can start sleeping in there

[ROBBIE J]

I recall a luxury Townace Surf model that came with an ice maker & fridge glove box compartment. Why haven't any car makers seized upon this since? Dosh!! There must be a perpetual fridge hum app on a smart phone to offset the intermittent ice crackle & stop start pops of refrigerant cycles . After playing around with the seats & leaving two out (legalities? ) I'm sticking with the NL as I can roll out a matt & sleep fully stretched & I'm 6ft..... I also padded out the boot with heavy duty quality gym rubber flooring, spongy. Good luck with the mini fridge fit out, choose one with smooth tones cobber ha!!

[Two Emms]

Just to continue down the fridge rabbit hole........

Denmonkey has a drawer style fridge in his pajero. From memory it's in the footwell behind the front passenger seat. Pretty sure he has the back set up to be used as a bed and the low fridge fits underneath.

Might be worth checking out his videos for ideas.

[disco stu]

Two Emms thanks, I'll check his vids out

ROBBIE J funny, I'm 6'2" and it's too tight for me. But that could have been with the middle seat folded up and forward. At the height of the middle seat folded flat it's still a little tight, probably because of the front seat leaning back. After many nights sleeping in the camry wagon having to be on an angle and not being to stretch out I'm keen to have a little more room

[ROBBIE J]

Hear you Stu, I'm probably are 6"2 as well & that would be tight fit, sleeping on folded seats... I can only fit with the middle seat completely removed & the front seat slid forward, plenty of space down low.....with a small suitcase to level front of the middle seat foot arch dips...

[disco stu]

Sounds like my plan should work then, just as long as I can mount this ply decently and the front seat will hold up the other end fine. This way I've got storage under the platform in the boot and behind the front seat still.

I'm sure I'll get this finished within the next 3 yrs or so

[ROBBIE J]

Plan your work & work your plan, if you fail to plain, you'll plan to fail 👨🔧
You got this tall fella 👍

[disco stu]

So, plan.

Find motivation to plan
Plan
Pull out bits of wood and look at them for a while
Lose motivation
Hoard potentially suitable parts for the job for when/if I finally get around to doing it for the next few years
Have garage flood again and throw out all hoarded bits due to going mouldy
Ponder it more
Realise that there was a much simpler way of doing it after I rush the job because I'm going away and do it the day before.
Do it again the easier way

Sound about right? I can't help but feel there is something wrong here, maybe I should change my approach

I'm working on getting the seat a little further back today. I came to the realisation it was possible like a year after thinking it wasn't! Got a lot of other jobs to do which I'm putting off due to the water in driveway. It almost stopped flowing until it rained a heap again during the week