Hi, I'm sure I read about someone making the rear crossmember detachable in a thread on this forum but cant seem to find it anywhere on Mech & Tech, any info? Thanks Jeremy
It would be less trouble and expense to buy yourself another jack/axle stands. Nearly all I've seen are appalling not to mention the rear valance is part of the chassis. If I suggested cutting the front into 3 pieces and bolting it back together you'd think I was mad?
Thanks for concerns and input zed, just interested to see how it was done, didn't realise the crossmember was structural thanks Jeremy
It's fun jacking your bus high up anyway and you'll tool up for van ownership, making other jobs much easier in the future.
cutting into the monocoque/chassis of a camper will result in you needing a BIVA test and re registering the van a lot of work just to pull the engine out
bit like the old SVA test needed when you modify your car so much it's not deemed to be the same car any more and classed as a new build (bit like a kit car)
Biva is Unlikely to affect a camper, of what I understand its more to do with chassis mods to accept different engines, and until DVLA or an MOT tester get pedantic about it, I dont think theres to much too worry about, if you do go ahead, leave the vin number area attached to the main body though, to prevent questions as to its identity arising.
As Zed said, I don't think there's much point. Nice idea, but how often to you take your engine out? If it's a type 1, with practice you can whip it out in 45 mins anyway. The rear valence just ties the chassis rails together, so not truely structural...but if you make a bodge of it, you could end up with a lozenge-shaped van.
Going from the sublime to the ridiculous I have seen one where the valance was retained by cupboard type hooks ...truly scary. A good bump in the road and it probably would have fallen off. Of course a removeable valance comes in handy if the engine and or gearbox have to be removed three or four times in as many weeks.... but then that can't happen too often ..can it? )
Our van is just having a new back end, I went to see it the other day, the body shop used a strut clamp to hold the body whilst the valance and chassis rails were welded in. I know the earlies have a removable valance but surely if the van was designed with the cross member solid, that's how it should be.
... but I still wouldn't cut it out. Early EB's also didn't have extra chassis at the front, a deformaion panel or a fuel tank firewall, a brake servo or a brake compensator and I wouldn't be inclined to remove those from a late bay either.
