Fabrication
and assembly continued on the tire handler. While the
fabrication was in-progress, air ride seats were installed in lieu
of the stock Mercedes seats.
The photos below are what we saw.
The rear
cargo deck was modified to allow stowage during travel without
interference to the Lance frame. Ears were welded on the
lateral sides of the pivot mounts.
In the
front, the hydraulic pistons were attached to mounts of the
steering stabilizer and then zip-tied to allow assembly.
The tire
mount was positioned and supported with a jack and blocks.
The forward mounting ears were positioned based on the
fully-extended hydraulic rams and clamped prior to welding.
Preliminary
assembly prior to painting.
The tire
mount was painted and the final components were marshalled prior
to assembly.
Driver's
side final assembly including locking pin.
Passenger
side assembly which includes the pawl lock handle. The
handle is rotated counterclockwise to retract the pawl.
Tire
handler without tire.
The
spare was attached to to the mounting frame with looped ratchet
straps. The cab was tilted to allow access to the
intercooler. By design, there was plenty of clearance
between the cab and the tire handler bumper mount.
The
coolant recovery bottle was reattached and the system was
pressure tested.
Our
"stuff" was sorted and put into plastic tubs and placed in the
Lance's storage compartments.
The
Lance has lots of storage but when mounted on Thor, the doors
are quite high off the ground.
Air-ride
seats were installed and connected to the air system. When
the seats were installed and tested our stuff was returned to
its behind-seat home.
The last
test before hitting the road.
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Photos and Text Copyright Bill Caid 2019, all rights
reserved.
For your enjoyment only, not for commercial use.