The resurrection of Doc, bringing a 20 year old neismann Bischoff Flair back to life after 12 years off road. (8 Viewers)

[Just smiffy]

The good thing though is I've been on every nook and cranny so I know it's a solid van . Just a shame the original chassis paint is all flaking off . Looks terrible but is just flaky paint.

And I’ve been in every place he can’t fit….

 

[Pugsy]

Tam used cheap ones from eBay they are OK for the price. I have them from both Amazon and eBay and had part of the strip fail on one others I've found they lose brightness over a few years.
Now I'd rather buy from Aten lighting but they are 30 quid instead of 5 but guaranteed quality.

I bought nearly all my lighting from Aten 6 years ago when I did my conversion.A reading light failed about 2 years ago and i contacted them to buy a replacement as I had another 3 in van ,they sent me a replacement free of charge,not very often you get service like that nowadays.Any light changes i do in The Arto will come from them .
Cheers Cris .

 

[Northernraider]

Tam, when you installed your concealed LED strip lighting in the hab area, which kind did you use? Do you have a link, by any chance?

Tam used cheap ones from eBay they are OK for the price. I have them from both Amazon and eBay and had part of the strip fail on one others I've found they lose brightness over a few years.
Now I'd rather buy from Aten lighting but they are 30 quid instead of 5 but guaranteed quality.

A fiver ???? Pffft ...I bought 2 x 4 meter and I think it was about 5/6 quid for the pair . And yes off ebay.

 

[Northernraider]

Got the rear wheels all reassembled this morning . Everything cleaned and greased , hub caps refitted . Looks good .

I then set about removing the spare wheel and carrier .


The spare wheel is a brand new tyre never fitted in 20 years .

And it's a good year cargo commercial tyre so just goes to prove that not every manufacturer bothers with camper tyres .


It's dated week 42 , 2004

Came off surprisingly easy .and still had over 30 psi

Now this tyre is unblemished but I wouldn't trust it very far at 20 years old .

I already have another spare room which is freshly painted but has no tyre .

I'm debating whether to just get 2 new all season tyres fitted on the front axle and keep one of the current tyres from 2021 as a spare . I'm also thinking I might just keep the spare in the garage at present and refitt it underneath once the underside has been painted in Morocco.

Can't decide whether to also keep the spare rim once cleaned up and painted or to just ditch the rim and tyre and stick with the one spare

 

[gus-lopez]

I'm debating whether to just get 2 new all season tyres fitted on the front axle and keep one of the current tyres from 2021 as a spare .

I was going to say this but

Can't decide whether to also keep the spare rim once cleaned up and painted or to just ditch the rim and tyre and stick with the one spare

if you have a spare rim then change both fronts for new & have the old ones put on so you have 2 spares.You can't have too many.

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[bigtree]

I've not had this on a weighbridge yet , might try that one near uncle Lenny HB before I go over the water just to see what I'm weighing in at in full fettle


I'll try the rears at 62psi for now and see how that works.

I'm planning to replace all these tyres for all season ones next spring anyway. But might get the front pair changed before I go away incase that's the cause of my slight vibration on the front.

I have the fronts set at 65psi for now which seemed okay

What dates are on the black circles ?

 

[Northernraider]

I was going to say this but

if you have a spare rim then change both fronts for new & have the old ones put on so you have 2 spares.You can't have too many.

Aye but it's a lot of weight to carry. I can't say I've ever had to fit a spare

 

[Just smiffy]

Who ever designed this lock on the flair needs shooting… Tam has done his back in several times on it and I’ve just cracked my elbow on it…..

 

[bigtree]

Sorry to bother you again but did you not say that the Virago 535 was your favourite bike ?
You can obviously tell I’m bored because I’m sitting in a bar in Alcaniz because it’s raining.

 

[Ditcha]

Who ever designed this lock on the flair needs shooting… Tam has done his back in several times on it and I’ve just cracked my elbow on it…..

View attachment 959442View attachment 959443

It's like that as a security feature stop that thief pay extra for that.

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[Puddleduck]

One spare wheel (tyre and rim) plus a spare tyre as if you get two punctures at almost the same time then you should have at least one good rim.

 

[Flairy]

Niessmann weren’t used to putting a side door in all the years of travelling I’ve only ever seen one.

 

[Mousy]

Worse we’ve ever had were 3 tyre changes in 3 countries (Morocco, Spain, Uk) within 3 days March 2020..racing to get home for a family emergency.
Put 6 new tyres on and Covid hit

 

[Lenny HB]

A fiver ???? Pffft ...I bought 2 x 4 meter and I think it was about 5/6 quid for the pair . And yes off ebay.

Cheap crap they won't last, been there done that. I won't buy cheap LEDs of Amazon or eBay NOW, false economy.

 

[funflair]

Got the rear wheels all reassembled this morning . Everything cleaned and greased , hub caps refitted . Looks good .

View attachment 959343View attachment 959344


I then set about removing the spare wheel and carrier .


The spare wheel is a brand new tyre never fitted in 20 years .

And it's a good year cargo commercial tyre so just goes to prove that not every manufacturer bothers with camper tyres .


It's dated week 42 , 2004

Came off surprisingly easy .and still had over 30 psi

Now this tyre is unblemished but I wouldn't trust it very far at 20 years old .

I already have another spare room which is freshly painted but has no tyre .

I'm debating whether to just get 2 new all season tyres fitted on the front axle and keep one of the current tyres from 2021 as a spare . I'm also thinking I might just keep the spare in the garage at present and refitt it underneath once the underside has been painted in Morocco.

Can't decide whether to also keep the spare rim once cleaned up and painted or to just ditch the rim and tyre and stick with the one spare View attachment 959348View attachment 959349View attachment 959350View attachment 959351View attachment 959352View attachment 959353View attachment 959354View attachment 959355

Looking good but you need some stainless steel CSK socket screws for those wheel trims

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[Northernraider]

Looking good but you need some stainless steel CSK socket screws for those wheel trims

You're spot on Martin.

 

[JockandRita]

And it's a good year cargo commercial tyre so just goes to prove that not every manufacturer bothers with camper tyres .

Our 99 Hymer was factory fitted with Good Year Cargos all round.

Who ever designed this lock on the flair needs shooting… Tam has done his back in several times on it and I’ve just cracked my elbow on it…..

Again on The Hymer, we had the same lock catch for the driver's door. I managed to rip off 2 x belt loops on a pair of jeans, and a rear pocket on a pair of shorts on that bleddy thing. The catch on the Flair's hab door frame is less obtrusive, but can still catch you out if not careful.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Northernraider]

So I've cleaned up the rim that the spare is on .. got 2 maxis all season tyres ordered at a local tyre fitters and having them fitted on Friday to the 2 spare rims I have . The 2 current front wheels will become spares. Not sure if I'll keep hold of both or sell one but for now I'll have 2 spare wheels.

Cleaned up and painted the wheel carrier too. I'll just wrap that up and store it in the van for now and once the underside has been cleaned up and painted I'll refitt the carrier and wheel.

So that's everything I had on my list for now bar the generator so Just smiffy and I are going to have a look at that tomorrow.

 

[Northernraider]

Our 99 Hymer was factory fitted with Good Year Cargos all round.


Again on The Hymer, we had the same lock catch for the driver's door. I managed to rip off 2 x belt loops on a pair of jeans, and a rear pocket on a pair of shorts on that bleddy thing. The catch on the Flair's hab door frame is less obtrusive, but can still catch you out if not careful.

Cheers,

Jock.

I ended up with a huge scratch and bruise on my side just below my ribs and one on my back right on my spine the other week when doing stuff on it. Since then I've been more wary of it but it's bleedin dangerous.



If Just smiffy would stop messing around and do this ball valve right so he doesn't have to keep going in and out he'd not have injured himself

Cannae get the staff

 

[Puddleduck]

Could you stick a lump of foam over that door catch? Just for when you have the door open and are constantly in and out of the van.

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[Nyvern]

A tennis ball like on a towbar

 

[dalspa]

I seem to remember (if my memory is correct) that on the habitation ( or was it the driver’s) door of our 2002 Hymer B544 that there was a spring loaded cover on the door catch. As the door closed the cover was pushed back to allow the door to latch. When the door was opened the cover concealed the catch rendering it safe.

 

[Just smiffy]

Poor little milo today, I had to go out and wrap him up or bring him in but if I have one in it’s all in then it’s chaos….

 

[Figaro]

I seem to remember (if my memory is correct) that on the habitation ( or was it the driver’s) door of our 2002 Hymer B544 that there was a spring loaded cover on the door catch. As the door closed the cover was pushed back to allow the door to latch. When the door was opened the cover concealed the catch rendering it safe.

You're quite correct, cab and hab doors. A spring loaded cover stops that bar causing injury, and pushes out of the way when the door is closed, simple but effective

 

[scotzsue]

Taggart’s right blast from the past for me. Did a fair bit of my learner driver practice going to the one at Motherwell for spares for dad’s lorries. Realise now how p’d off his drivers must have been having to sit beside me.

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[Onemanandhisdog]

If you have the payload and space, carry 2 spare wheels. A friend once ran over something that took out both tyres on one side of his car, he had a long wait for recovery and it was in a busy part of the UK.

 

[Northernraider]

If you have the payload and space, carry 2 spare wheels. A friend once ran over something that took out both tyres on one side of his car, he had a long wait for recovery and it was in a busy part of the UK.

I have the payload and space but not sure if it's overkill. But will see how it goes. Unfortunately unless sold before leaving here I'll also have the scooter carrier , an A frame and a bleeding motorhome cover in the garage lol. Any chance of using my scooter will be slim . Hopefully they'll be sold before I head abroad. But Cornwall not the easiest place to sell things .

 

[ManTheVan]

I have the payload and space but not sure if it's overkill. But will see how it goes. Unfortunately unless sold before leaving here I'll also have the scooter carrier , an A frame and a bleeding motorhome cover in the garage lol. Any chance of using my scooter will be slim . Hopefully they'll be sold before I head abroad. But Cornwall not the easiest place to sell things .

Speaking of selling things, you might want to edit your profile to reflect your current carriage of choice?

 

[Northernraider]

Just booked my ferry ticket , cost me £8 more than if I'd booked it last week lol.

5th November I'm oota here.
Might spend a bit longer in France this trip weather depending as I'm not in a rush this year. Dogs are all sorted for morroc etc. Might visit a couple of the villages uncle lenny went to . Will see.