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New Member & Owner of Okanagan Conversion Vam

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2022 7:47 pm
by edyurgal
Hello all,
Thank you for allowing me to join form. Also, thanks to all who have provided info and pictures, they have been a great help to me already as I make myself familiar with the site.
I purchase an 1987 Okanagan on a Ford chassis with 55,400 original mile on the 351 cu.in. engine, abut two months ago. It is in good shape for its age but does need some TLC. I really like the layout with the wet bath in the rear. I have replaced the power system/converter and the fridge with a residential dorm fridge that I configured to run on battery power when driving and shore power when available. I have taken it out a few times to see how I want to configure some features to suit my needs and it has been fun. I am really enjoying the “lil beast”. I had an 24 ft. Bigfoot motor home prior to the Okanagan and never really felt comfortable with/in it. I think it was just too big so I named it “The Beast” and thus the Okanagan - the “lil beast”).
Now for a couple of questions:
1.) does anyone know what the weight limit for the sleep loft is? I tried sleeping on the jack knife sofa but find it being very uncomfortable. Thinking I might want to try the loft area but would like to know the weight limit.
2.) has anyone that has worked on the roof and have any thoughts about doing it smartly? I would use plywood pieces to distribute my weight and try to stay as far as possible away from current roof penetrations. Thing that concerns me is that I notices a few areas where water does pool on roof and don’t know if that is a sign of problem/weak areas or is it normal for this type of roof system.
Thanks again and I will post some pictures as I progress.

Re: New Member & Owner of Okanagan Conversion Vam

Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2022 7:10 pm
by Oldbagpipe
Welcome to the forum, it is a great source of knowledge, advice, and a bit of humor. I have been helped many times by the great people on this site. Coincidently, I am here in Bellingham, as well, if I can help with anything. Best, Alec.

Re: New Member & Owner of Okanagan Conversion Vam

Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 2:10 pm
by skater
edyurgal wrote:
Wed Nov 02, 2022 7:47 pm
1.) does anyone know what the weight limit for the sleep loft is? I tried sleeping on the jack knife sofa but find it being very uncomfortable. Thinking I might want to try the loft area but would like to know the weight limit.
I can't recall ever hearing of a specific weight limit. The bed is built atop the original van roof, so it should be reasonably strong.
2.) has anyone that has worked on the roof and have any thoughts about doing it smartly? I would use plywood pieces to distribute my weight and try to stay as far as possible away from current roof penetrations. Thing that concerns me is that I notices a few areas where water does pool on roof and don’t know if that is a sign of problem/weak areas or is it normal for this type of roof system.
I've climbed around on it a few times, but it's probably not something we really should be doing often. Spreading the weight out is good. The areas where the water is pooling are from the roof sagging due to age or possibly water damage. There are reinforcing wood strips running across underneath to help support the roof and ensure it's curved correctly, hopefully those are not rotted from leaks.

Re: New Member & Owner of Okanagan Conversion Vam

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2022 12:24 am
by edyurgal
Thanks for the info and your pictures have been a great help. I will look closer into the roof sag and see what I can find. I haven’t seen any signs of water damage but I did find some professional fiberglass repairs on the roof over the loft area. Looks like something may have fallen on the roof close to the drivers side edge and made a couple of holes in the fiberglass about six inches in diameter. I think I put questions in the wrong area sorry about that.

Re: New Member & Owner of Okanagan Conversion Vam

Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2022 10:32 am
by Oldbagpipe
Our driver's license has me at 225 lbs and my wife at 120 lbs with not even a hint of capacity issue. The thing to keep in mind is the thicker the mattress, the less head room you have. We originally wanted a 'folding' mattress but realized with the thickness of our mattress would not work with the headroom. We ended up with a two-piece custom mattress which my wife likes better than anything in our home.