Dazzzy

Thanks man! I appreciate the compliment I've had a little break from doing the Volkner Mobil RV, but managed to do a little more over the weekend. There's still loads of stuff to do and solutions to be found, and i am finding it a bit overwhelming, as it'll be the biggest moc i've attempted so far. Having said that, i'm glad i've decided to go the less complicated route of keeping it all hand operated. I've started building what i can in real bricks, but it's looking a right mess at the moment, as i only have about a quarter (if that), of the needed pieces, and they're mostly the wrong colour. I will take some progress pics (hopefully next week), as i should hopefully receive a few more useful parts that i've ordered. It'll still look like brick vomit though. What i've discovered so far from building what i can of it in real brick are these two slight issues. As some of you were probably suspecting, the weight of the little sportscar is actually quite heavy. So it is causing the slightest bit of sagging to the lowerable tray. It's not too bad (about half a millimetre gap at the centre of the bowing). It really isn't that noticeable though, and is helped when the tray is screwed tight to the RV's main body. The other issue is with the car doors. Have had to change it slightly as they wouldn't sit flat against the sills. It was a fairly easy fix, but now leaves a gap similar to that of the back of the doors. I haven't rendered any pics of the door changes to the car, but i did make a quick render of the car in a different colour combo. I should be getting both red and white pieces for it, and will be playing around with both colours, to see what works best. Pic: With regards to the RV itself, I decided i'd make a start on the exterior. That way i can see what space i have to work with, to be able to fit what i want inside of it. There's still a lot of work need for the chassis, and i've somehow got figure out a place for the HOG steering. Pics/renders:

@Jundis I too hope we do get something with a telescopic boom, as calling anything a telehandler / telescopic loader, without one, seems really daft.

That's fair enough. I have a different opinion, but i guess time will tell in both of our cases. I agree about there not being a shortage of older classic cars LEGO could explore. What i'm really looking forward to now is the big Technic BMW motorbike set. I don't mind if LEGO doesn't give us another 1:8 supercar next year, as to be honest they're too expensive for me, but the price of the BMW is far more palatable. Actually i wonder if LEGO will shift more of them than the 1:8 super car sets, due to the more accessible price point?

This is looking great Jurss! Such an iconic rally car done in Technic, i'm predicting the end result is going to look really good! Actually, out of interest have you given any thoughts to the headlights? I don't know whether you're for or against using the odd System part here and there, but i think part number 3823 / 35260 (2x4x2 transparent windscreen) would make a nice solution.

That would indeed be a great solution for something of a smaller scale. I'm not a huge fan of using non-LEGO aftermarket parts, (though a lot of the 3D-printed elements that some users create here, are pretty damn awesome), so i like the idea of using the LEGO Ducati piece. If this were my model though, i'd definitely be tempted to take a plastic soft drinks bottle, and fashion something similar to the Ducati piece but at a larger scale.

I can't believe i actually forgot to say what it is. I was quickly re-reading what i'd wrote to check for spelling errors (i'm useless at writing), and did'nt even notice it then. But thank you ever so much @Tenderlok! For thinking it's cool, plus reminding me that i'd forgot to say what it is. It is indeed meant to be a Ford Escort RS

A slight change of topic (non Volkner Mobil RV related): After seeing @Pingubricks excellent Lancia Stratos a bit earlier, it reminded me that i'd created a road-going rally car recently myself, (albeit digitally in Stud.io about a year ago). Rather than clog up the 'Technic, Model Team and Scale Modelling' section of the site, with another thread of a digital model i've yet to build in real brick, i figured i'd just dump a few images in here for the time-being until i get around to acquiring the bricks to be able to build it. It doesn't do much apart from having an opening bonnet, boot and doors, but it also has steering (though the achievable angles leave a lot to be desired due to clearance issues) A few rendered images: And one more image in a different colour: Edit. Just noticed the last image doesn't have an interior. So here's a pic showing the interior with part of the roof structure missing, to be able to see some more in detail: And in another colour:

Thank you for clarifying the issues faced over there in Sweden. I just hope that in the coming years and the inevitable mass adoption of BEV's, that solutions can somehow be found for your country, and other parts of the world facing similar issues. Obviously there's some parts of the world where ICE vehicles will always remain king, due to harsh climate conditions, and poor (if any) infrastructure at all. My original reply was to @allanp who's a UK resident (like myself), so maybe i should've clarified that point more clearly. An interesting fact is that here in the UK we currently have more electric charge point locations, than there are petrol station locations. Obviously it's not as simple as that, as petrol stations can handle a larger flow of customers quicker, but i was still quite surprised to learn we are making big steps towards electrification in my country. Again, apologies to the mods (and other members), for somewhat derailing the thread. On topic: I'm really looking forward to the Technic Batmobile! So i hope the rumours about that are true, also i'm intrigued to know what the transforming vehicle could be.

@langko I'll echo what @Gray Gear has said about the McLaren Senna being ugly (it is, in my opinion). But you've captured it's likeness to perfection! This is probably the best (and my favourite) rendition of a 1:8 scale supercar i've ever seen! It really is superb quality.

I believe this is a common misconception. Not so much about being able to produce enough electricity to power them all, as that's an obvious issue that needs to be addressed in time for mass adoption, but as far as infrastructure goes, apparently it's quite easy (and relatively cheap), to add charge points to existing street lamps. And i predict heavy investment of increasing public charge points in the near future (depending on which country you live). Apologies to the mods for taking the discussion wildly off topic.

That looks fantastic @Pingubricks I wanted to attempt doing the Lancia Stratos myself, (shortly after i finished my digital moc of the 1970 Ford Escort RS 1600 i did about a year ago). I started it but wasn't happy that i had no windscreen solution for it. But looking at yours even with the lack of windscreen, it still looks really good, and it's unmistakable of what it's meant to be.

That is real perfection @Tenderlok What you've done here is truly inspiring to me!

Very true! I hadn't thought about that aspect. You're indeed right about that. Thanks for helping look at things in a new light.

You're not wrong in BEV's being far too expensive for mass adoption at the moment. But the current battery technology is most definitely there. I do agree that ICE cars won't be going away anytime soon (they'll be a used market for some time), but i also think you're going to be in for a shock (excuse the pun), if you don't see the ban on the sale of new ICE cars in the UK, coming into effect by 2030. Personally i think LEGO should start to embrace this new market, with their Technic 1:8 scale cars/vehicles. True it may not be as mechanically interesting what with the lack of fake engines and complex gearboxes, (as interesting as they are, i've always thought the gearboxes in the LEGO supercars and other mocs, look a bit daft where they're so big. I know it's the nature of the beast, but still..). Having said all that, trying to make BEV based models interesting isn't an easy task. I think what i'd like to see though, is LEGO packaging the battery boxes/electric hubs as a slim unit, to try and take the same approach as the battery cells found in such vehicles. Maximising the packaging advantages (skateboard chassis'), and increasing interesting features (active aero when it comes to supercars, and motorised interiors and doors when it comes to SUV's etc). I think those aspects of a model/build could still be quite interesting. Also we'd still have suspension and wheel geometry to play with.

Thank you both for the suggestion of doing a manual model first, then going back to see whether it's possible to automate it after. It has been something i've been giving a lot of thought about lately myself. As it stands if i do take that approach, i predict there may be a difference in wheelbase between the two though. When i rough it out in Stud.io it becomes clear that the manual version is a lot closer in proportional scale to the real thing, what with not having to make allowances for the motors and new slide-out garage tray i'm working on, (i think i may have found a solution to that). Another welcome advantage of going manual is, it won't be nearly as expensive to build as the motorised version, which is good because i have a fairly tight budget when it comes to LEGO. It will also allow me to create additional camping furniture/accessories that can be stored in the empty void, which would've been crammed with motors and hubs etc. So at the moment going manual seems like the best option for me, but at the same time it's quite disappointing that it won't be as clever or mechanically pleasing, as it would've been if it were motorised. As far as progress goes, i have no new pics to share. I did manage to get hold of some bevel gears i needed though, for the lift mechanism. The bevel gear and shaft mechanism is a lot more stiffer to operate than the chain-link method i was using before though. However, i did quickly strap a medium PF motor to the new mechanism and it seemed to work fine, though i image with the additional weight that will be added, it may require a motor with a bit more torque, (if i do go motorised).

Thanks ever so much for your help guys! Reducing the need for unnecessary parts and overcomplication, is always a good thing, so i really appreciate the advice/suggestions. I managed to get a little side-tracked with another moc i've just started, but i will most definitely be making the changes you've both suggested. Thanks ever so much Jurss! It's loosely based on a moc i did around 7 years ago. I guess it's a kind of evolution of it. Image of what i'm referring to: Thanks for sharing this concern, as it wasn't something i'd really thought about in detail. Anyway last night i decided to test it out in real brick, (well to the best of my ability with the limited parts i have at my disposal), and your suspicions are indeed correct, there is a major issue. The small gear and gear rack pushes the tray out okay, but it's on the return that the tray jars against the frame. There were 2 factors that added to causing this though, the first being that the old and worn plates i used for the tray (they were also the wrong size), bowed when built up a layer causing the tray to not sit so well in the slotted brick rails. The second one is, that i didn't really brace the U-shape base outer frame from above, doing so would've helped keep the frame that little bit squarer, and kept the return that little less jarring. Having said that, i'm still not confident that fixing both of those factors will fix the overall issue, so i'm glad you pointed it out. I did spend a great deal of yesterday evening trying to come up with a different solution/mechanism, to get the tray to operate smoothly. I tried using worm gears as an option, but no matter what i did, it just wouldn't package within the strict parameters i've set for the size of the build. So unfortunately it looks like the tray won't be powered after all. I've got to look on the positive though, as just having the tray as pull-out/push-in, i ditch the need for an extra motor and the additional weight and space that goes with it. Also, how the tray is suspended, isn't too bad really. The thin tile pieces and jumpers underneath them seem to hold up fairly well when located/suspended by the slotted bricks, as all 4 corners of the tray are held in place. I haven't tested the tray with weight of the barchetta on top of it yet, but i did try a half a tall glass of water and it held up, but if it does cause an issue, then there's nothing stopping me building up the outer edge wall of the tray, to sandwich it all in a bit better. Doing that will affect the overall finished look, but it's something i'm willing to do if necessary. You're right about the general motors being similar in price, but it's that PF servo motor that's killing me. The cheapest ones available i can find (i only tend to buy from UK sellers, due to lower shipping costs), start at about the £42 mark and go up up to as much as £69. I have considered Chinese brand alternatives , but the purist in me would prefer to keep it all LEGO. Thanks for suggesting them though. Again the same as my reply above to @2GodBDGlory, thanks for the alternative motor suggestions. Though currently i'm still leaning towards LEGO's PU option, as i already have 2 motors, compared to the 1 PF i have. Slightly off topic/tangent, part of the reason i bought set 42124 (Technic RC buggy), is that i wanted to test the PU out on my RV moc, as well as potentially use it in the moc pictured below, (it's really early stages, and will hopefully get it's own thread eventually). I managed to get hold of set 42124 off Ebay (BNIB) for £85 shipped, which i thought for the PU and the new tyres, was quite good value when compared to the price of a used PF servo, that i would need if i go the PF route. The non-LEGO brands alternatives you both have suggested, is mighty tempting though. With regards to the RV's mini-LA's attachment to the tray frame, in the images/renders i've shown it only shows 8 points of attachment, but i was intending on adding further plates (or bricks) on top of those Technic 1x1 bricks, to increase the overall clutch power to 18 studs. Hopefully that should hold the weight of the car and tray, (no need to worry about the tray motor now, as i ran into another issue with that, so it's no-longer being motorised). However, i do prefer your suggestion of using that part instead of the 1x1 Technic bricks, so i'm going to see whether i can fit them into the design instead. Thanks! Also, the next time i jump back on Stud.io, i'll do a version of the new car with the central stripe like you've suggested, to see how it looks. Here's a quick pic/render of the other moc i'm currently working on. It's at a really early stage at the moment, but i'm hoping to motorise it using the PU that came in set 42124, or i may decide to not motorise it at all, and instead focus on giving it a fake engine instead (flat 4). I'm trying to make something that looks a little bit like Tamiya's Wild One RC buggy, or a kind of similar sandrail design:

First off, apologies for leaving it so long to reply, and many thanks for all the feedback and comments. It really is helpful. Also, forgive me for not replying to each individual comment, as i feel i'd be repeating myself a bit. So it's probably best i just share my current thoughts with regards to motorising the RV or not, and what progress has happened so far (unfortunately very little in that regard). Right now i'm leaning towards motorising as much as i can of the eventual functions/mechanisms, though part of me is still thinking maybe i should just keep it simple and ditch all electronics and instead focus on making the model more detailed. It really has given me pause for thought, even right now as i'm typing this i'm debating whether to keep it manually operated, as the only mechanism needed would be the lift platform really, as everything else can just be pulled or slid out. Originally i had no plans of motorising the functions, but after watching vids on YT of the real thing in action, i thought how neat it would be to just press a button or 2 and watch it do its thing. I'm still undecided about whether i should go for PF or PU if i do motorise it, as there seems to be pros and cons to both methods. Currently i have the PF 8293 set, that i bought around 5-6 years ago for £30 brand new, and also earlier this week i treated myself to the 42124 set (Technic buggy) with the PU and 2 L motors, so i'll be experimenting with both. I'm pretty sure PF will package better (vs PU) and most probably operate easier too, but i can't get over how expensive the motors are now. So the cost may sway me towards PU in the end. @Tenderlok thanks! Unfortunately i haven't made any renders of the sports car door mechanism, but it's just parts 11458 and 18677 / 28809, hinged together with a friction pin. There are some new pics of the car though, so hopefully you'll be able to see it a bit more clearly. And thanks! @2GodBDGlory I think you're absolutely right with regards to stresses on the chain links. When i built the test rig in real brick it worked fine when i added weight to it, but i can see the model turning out heavier than originally anticipated, so yes, bevel gears and axles looks to be the way to go. Thanks for the advice regarding that as it also reduces the size of the mechanism slightly (around 1 plate in height). Also thanks! @Oliver 79 @jorgeopesi @syclone @howitzer and @Hrafn for all your comments too. So where i am at the moment in way of progress, isn't very much really. About the only thing i've worked on besides the bevel gear and axle lift mechanism, is the little barchetta sports car. I decided i wanted to give it steering to add a bit more playability, though i had to use the 4262 part (x3) to get it to work within the small space available. Ideally i'd prefer to use more modern parts, but i just can't find a solution that works and fits. Here's a pic of my first attempt: I was happy with it, and i prefer the look of the car now, as it reminds me a bit of one those old Renault Sport Spiders. Then i decided i wasn't too happy about the steering wheel (2x2 round plate), as it has to be offset slightly because of the door hinge, as well as all the untidy and exposed gears. Also, steering wheel 2819 and steering yoke 18352 / 40001, i couldn't get to fit properly, as both are a bit too big. So i decided to simplify the steering even further by ditching a working steering wheel, in favour of a side-to-side gear stick/tiller steering arm. It does look a little odd but it allows for a cleaner interior. I was also playing with the colour, and i think i prefer it in white, though that does mean if i go with white instead of red, the RV itself will be back to Dark Grey to add a little contrast. As it stands now though, i'm really happy with the car itself and i can't see myself adding anything more to it from here, so i guess that part of the build is kind of finished. Barchetta sports car pics: And here's a couple of pics of the revised lift mechanism. The Green and Pink bevel gears, are just so i can keep track of their rotation direction. The RV's wheelbase has also been extended by 1 stud, as it allows more room should i decide to use PF or PU. And that's all have to share right now, it's very much a slow burner.

Thanks for giving me a heads-up of where you got them. I'll be sure to check that method of acquiring them out myself, as i really cannot afford to purchase the Creator VW T2 at this very moment in time. Congratulations on your awesome model getting frontpaged too!

This is a work in progress thread for my most ambitious build project yet, a luxury RV scaled model that's inspired by the 'Volkner Mobil' luxury RV. I say inspired as it's not scaled correctly to the real thing, and I'm not sure at the moment whether the end product will resemble it enough, to class it as a scale model of the 'Volkner'. And it is quite ambitious for me, as i'm not really a very technically minded person at heart, and to be quite honest, i feel i may be out of my depth a little even just attempting it, but i'm going to give it a go anyway. Also i'm not 100% sure whether it fits into this section/theme of EB (Technic and scale model), as i think it may fall just outside of the acceptable parameters with regards to the scale (i think it's just below 1:20 scale), and like i said above, it may not qualify as a scale model of the real thing, as i'm not sure i can get it to look like it. I guess it is kind of 'Model Team'y though, either that or 'Creator' style. Anyway, this is something i decided to attempt some time last year, though has been put on the back burner for quite a while now, with very little progress at all. My first initial idea after doing a rough sketch of the vehicles wheelbase (in Stud.io), was to create a lifting mechanism/platform that could raise the RV and allow access/deployment of the underneath garage tray. Although it looked fairly good (well, to my eyes anyway), the more i thought about it, the more i realised maybe my approach was flawed, as i thought maybe using worm gears to do the lifting would do the trick. But as many here i imagine will attest to, not everything built digitally works in real brick form. So in an effort to test the principal out, i changed my approach and simplified the mechanism to use linear actuators instead. I managed to get a hold of 4 small LI's and built a crude mock-up out of the limited Technic parts i own, and was quite pleased with the results. I was able to lift set 10262 (James Bond Aston Martin Creator set), which is quite a reasonable weight, on the crude platform i'd built. Though i will have to experiment further, as i suspect the finished model will weigh quite a lot more than set 10262. Although i don't have any pics of the mock-up platform i built in real brick, i have modelled it digitally for the purpose of seeing how i could adapt it and clean up the design. this is what it looks like (albeit in digital form): I know the following pics are quite a jump in progress, but i do tend to get a bit carried away when modelling in Stud.io, and forget to pause the process to render pics. As you can see there's now a car (there always was a car originally, a 10-wide slightly shorter green version of my made up barchetta), as well as a slide-out tray mechanism. There's also the addition of 2 PF motors, as i'd like to power the mechanism somehow, but i'd be interested to know the opinions of the members here, whether using PU would be the better application VS PF? Pics/renders: And here are a couple more pics/renders, of the mechanism sitting inside of the rough sketch lower bodywork: That's all i have to show in the way of progress so far, and as you can see i've got quite a fair bit to do ahead of me. But eventually i'm hoping to add more powered functions and maybe make it RC powered, with working steering and a powered slide-out living space. But it all depends on the packaging really, and if i have the space (and skill) to achieve that within the 14-wide system built bodywork. I'd also love to add some kind of suspension too, but i'm not sure whether that will be at all possible. Here's a couple more final pics/renders, just for reference to the original worm geared version i was referring to with the small green barchetta. As you can see it's smaller in length than the new white version, mainly due to increasing the small cars length. It's also lower too, as using the worm gears allowed for a lower height, but the more i analysed it, the way i built it just wouldn't work. Also it's near impossible to see the worm gear mechanism but i can assure you it is there:

The song 'Convoy' just started playing in my head when i read that. Awesome looking build @Tenderlok Those skinnier wheels from the VW T2 Creator set, look just right on it. I may have to see whether i can source some of them myself, for my newest build/WIP.

This is going to be fascinating to watch once you've fully completed it. Looking forward to it!

what an amazing build, it looks spot-on! Absolutely love it without the engine cover and wheels on too. It's like a beautiful work of art.

I think if LEGO were ever to do an official BMW M3 (E30) set, then this would be it. It looks really good!

I'm really loving the teal colour super/hyper car! Some really good part usage that i haven't seen before. The red grappling hook rear lights, are a touch of genius. I also really like the rear lights of your green rally car.

That looks great! It's also making me think i went a bit too far apart with my rally lights. Yours looks more accurately spaced. I did do some more of the rally version i was working on. A second version with changed grill. And finally a chunkier version. I think i may still go back to the drawing board though.