For those of you with Ferrets, CVRT's , 432's and Challys and Cheiftains this might be of interest to you. For those of you with M series stuff it may simply be adaptable.
I have long been a proponent of modification of MV's as long as it does not cross the cardinal rule of "no new holes, nothing welded on". I am sorry to say that for me MV ownership is a bit of a purist thing. Dont get m wrong, MV's make a great basis for modified machines but they turn me cold.
Now that I have left the luddites and joined the rest of you technoworld ( I have a digital camera now! ) I thought I would share such a modifcation with you all. I may have mentioned it before about 5 years ago but it bears doing over as I am able to show those interested some pics.
Driving MVs on the highway at night can be a bit fraught, as what with the less than bright lights and the cam schemes one can be near invisible to the average civvy plug minivan driver.
When I used to drive my Ferret on the road at night my with or without a commander I always wanted to be a bit more visible. I had spied a roating beacon that I liked the look of on Caterpillar backhoes. After a visit to a dealership I found out that the part was a Britax 370 series light. The unique feature of this light is that it is dual voltage capable, 12v and 24v.
My next task was, bearing in mind my cardinal rule, to choose a mounting system. I have seen so many half assed and hack jobs its not funny. After looking at the Ferret for long enough I decided that the rotating light should be located above the drivers vision height, and should be visible front and rear. Then one day it clicked. The antennae mount on the MK 2/3 is on the left of the turret base and set to the left of the machine making it ideal for North American driving as it is on the "drivers side" per say.
I fabricated an aluminum plate as the bolting base for the light, and pierced the plate to allow a piece of round bar stock to be welded into it projecting below the plate, welded flush on top and all the way around underneath for strength. The bar stock is just the right size to allow the base plate to mount into the antennae mount. Locking it is acheived by turning the butterfly nut on the Clansman style mount.
A curly cord supplied with the light was then run inside into the power breakout point just above the slave socket not two feet away inside. A lick of green paint completed the job.
In action the light is bright and rotates fast which has the effect of catching peoples attention well and not blinding the driver when looking in the wing mirrors. Since then we have used this light many times on Ferrets and Stolly's and the like in daylight or after dark. Once at a show it takes seconds to dismount the light and tuck it away in a stowage bin.
Should anyone want pictures then email me direct and ill send them out over the next few day.
Rgds Robin Craig