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Omnistor Awning 5000 left hand end cap


VW Calypso

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Hi I just joined.

Can somebody help me I have a VW Calypso 2004 it has a Thule Omnistor 5000. I need a left hand end cap part number 71560. I have tried everywhere in the UK and Reimo/Thule/Aussie travel etc overseas but as the awning is now obsolete nobody has an end cap. I tried for a 3D drawing from Thingiverse but they only have a drawing fir a right hand end cap!

There was a chap on here who managed to get a drawing.

Are you out there? HELP PLEASE

 

Sue

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Welcome to the Out&AboutLive forums, Susan.

 

In this 2018/2019 forum discussion

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Thule-Omnistor-awning-5000/50249/

 

a forum-member (“Bish” - Peter Graves) was seeking a 3D image for the left-hand end-cap of an Omnistor 5000 awning.

 

There was no forum reply to Bish’s final posting of 23 September 2019 7:12 PM, so no way of knowing if he was ever successful in sourcing what he needed.

 

(Bish’s last forum logon was on 28 November 2019, so your chances of contacting him through this forum are likely to be slim. He did provide an email address petergraves8@me.com but that may not be active nowadays.)

 

I came across this link

 

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/omnistore-5000-cap-left

 

that translates as:

 

3D MODEL DESCRIPTION

 

It relates to the left cover for an old "Omnistore 5000” awning . This part does not seem to be available any more from the manufacturer so I have redone it using the right part which is already on this site.

 

if necessary do not hesitate to contact me

 

3D PRINTING SETTINGS

 

I printed this piece with my Zortrax in ABSPC wire and it came out perfect and refitted on the awning.

 

3D file format: STL

3D model size: X 85.2 × Y 148 × Z 91 mm

Publication date: 2020/09/23 at 09:35

 

The image attached below resulted from me playing about with the “Cults” website. But I’m not familiar with 3D-printing, so I’ll leave you to follow this up yourself.

990519233_endcap.png.9f40ce0ed0e470a51f8a11366609b895.png

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It’s not that easy...

 

The upper of the two photos attached below shows the RIGHT-HAND end-cap, while the lower photo shows the LEFT-HAND cap. It’s obvious from the photos that the two caps have significant design differences and that simply transposing the data of a 3D file for (say) a RH cap would not result in a file suitable for printing a LH cap.

 

It may well be practicable to exploit the data from the file that allows a RH cap to be printed and modify those data to create the LH-cap version and (as I read the 3D MODEL DESCRIPTION text in my last posting) that may be the approach that the French author took - but that’s just blind guesswork.

1133169090_RHendcap.jpg.617f23ff69e4e3875682332dbb396be4.jpg

1524075195_LHendcap.jpg.a61f7745c32ac61878b9ec5f8149e009.jpg

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Can you provide a brief description of what the procedure was after you'd found a 3D-printable file for the RH end-cap, please?

 

Assuming that the STL file for the LH end-cap that I mentioned above is OK, which company did you use to print the RH cap, which plastic material was used, was the 'look', colour and strength of the printed cap acceptable, and what was the cost?

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Derek Uzzell - 2020-11-28 6:09 PM

 

Can you provide a brief description of what the procedure was after you'd found a 3D-printable file for the RH end-cap, please?

 

Assuming that the STL file for the LH end-cap that I mentioned above is OK, which company did you use to print the RH cap, which plastic material was used, was the 'look', colour and strength of the printed cap acceptable, and what was the cost?

Derek, i found the cad file online, I don't recall which site it was, but it was just a case of searching with google. I then ordered the printing online with a firm in Munich (All3DP.com). As I recall it cost me around 80 euros which included shipping. A bit pricey but cheaper than replacing the awning. All3dp act as a kind of broker, they do not do the actual printing, they place the order with a manufacturer. It took about two weeks in all and the part when it arrived, was perfect and indistinguishable from the Omnistor part. I turned to the printing process after scouring the world in different languages to try and find the spare. I actually found two sites, one in Australia and another in the Netherlands that listed the part as in stock, but in both instances had an email back saying that actually after checking their inventory, they had no stock.

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Thanks for the reply.

 

Downloading the STL file from the cults3d.com webapge I gave a link to in my posting of 24 November 2020 8:40 AM above produces a 1.5Mb file named Omnistore_5000_cap_left_new.stl

 

Opening that file results in a 3D image of the cap that can be rotated in any direction and I’ve attached three sample ‘views' below.

 

I THINK the cult3 site will act as a ‘broker’ for people who don’t have their own printing capability, but I notice that there are UK firms that advertise 3D printing services - for example

 

https://www.3dpeople.uk/

 

If Susan has the RH cap, I assume that could be used to decide on the appropriate material and colour.

 

 

 

 

1.png.61236e745d7b844742abc27ced1c51a5.png

2.png.791bd90d3c806a1527851423eb6a1ae7.png

3.png.7f60c21a20b79f28df2e22290c37003f.png

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Derek Uzzell - 2020-11-28 9:05 PM

 

I THINK the cult3 site will act as a ‘broker’ for people who don’t have their own printing capability, but I notice that there are UK firms that advertise 3D printing services - for example

 

https://www.3dpeople.uk/

 

If Susan has the RH cap, I assume that could be used to decide on the appropriate material and colour.

 

 

I am sure there are many local firms these days. I had mine done a few years back when it was still a relatively new industry for the retail consumer wanting a one-off. They offer a range of colours so she should be able to match.

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I came across this 'middle-man’ website

 

https://craftcloud3d.com/?utm_source=all3dp&utm_campaign=navbar1

 

I uploaded the end-cap STL file, specified that my location was in the UK and that metric mesurements were involved, and a list of 44 possibilities were provided priced according to the required material, colour and finish.

 

https://app.craftcloud3d.com/material

 

The prices went form £20.29 to over £4K (for a metal part).

 

There’s also this website

 

https://www.treatstock.co.uk/

 

that does something similar and can produce a list of UK 3D-printing firms and prices.

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I have a 3d printer, purely for hobby purposes, we are not looking at commercial quality here.

 

Send me a link to the file and I shall take a look at it.

 

I only print pla and stock colours, black, white, black pearl, navy or pink. I can get close to the tolerances but will need some key measurements, especially internal dimensions to make sure it will fit over the awning rails.

 

Pla deteriorates with weather so not sure how long it will last. If you want to go fancy you will need it printing in abs which I dont do.

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PJM

 

The SLT file for the LH end-cap can be downloaded via this link

 

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/omnistore-5000-cap-left

 

The creator of the file says that he produced the end-cap using a Zortrax printer (model not stated)

 

https://zortrax.com/

 

and PC/ABS filament.

 

The background story to this seems to be that the guy that created the LH end-cap STL file (Arnaud Vandemeulebroucke, living at Annecy) damaged the end-cap of his awning against a tree and, a couple of months ago, asked for help to produce a 3D-printable version as a replacement cap was no longer available. Someone with an Omnistor 5000 awning (who - I think - had earlier provided a file for a RH end-cap) then offered to remove the undamaged LH cap from his awning and send it to Arnaud so that he could scan the component and have it printed. And presumably that’s what happened.

 

As I mentioned in my last posting above, the “Treatstock” link can produce a list of UK 3D-printing firms and the quoted cost of using ABS starts at around £35.

 

(As I said earlier I’ve only a very basic understanding of 3D-printing, but I was under the impression that an inexpensive one-off printed component may well have ‘layer lines’ on it as a result of the way the printer builds up the shape. However, even if that’s the case, it probably wouldn’t matter much for an awning end-cap.)

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Ok, I have downloaded the file and will have a go at printing it.

 

The translation of the text reads

"This is the left cover for an old "Omnistore 5000" blind this part no longer seems available from the manufacturer I have therefore redone it using the right part which is already on the site if necessary do not hesitate to contact me

 

I printed this piece with my Zortrax in ABSPC wire and it came out perfect and reassembled on the store"

 

I shall give it a go and let you know how it goes.

 

It is now printing and will take approx. 22 hours to complete. If it turns out okay the PLA will need painting to suit and you can smooth out any layer lines either by sanding down or use car body filler. Having said that I don't think you will see the layer lines from ground level. Unless its a forum user who is reading this, lol.

 

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Excellent...

 

There’s more background to this in the ‘messages’ part of the relevant cult3d webpage

 

https://cults3d.com/en/users/arnaud_vdm/comments

 

The forum Profile of Susan Wilson/“VW Calypso” (who needs a LH end-cap) carries an email address that I believe is valid, so you should be able to get in touch with her directly when the item has been printed.

 

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Derek Uzzell - 2020-11-29 1:37 AM

 

I came across this 'middle-man’ website

 

https://craftcloud3d.com/?utm_source=all3dp&utm_campaign=navbar1

 

I uploaded the end-cap STL file, specified that my location was in the UK and that metric mesurements were involved, and a list of 44 possibilities were provided priced according to the required material, colour and finish.

 

https://app.craftcloud3d.com/material

 

The prices went form £20.29 to over £4K (for a metal part).

 

There’s also this website

 

https://www.treatstock.co.uk/

 

that does something similar and can produce a list of UK 3D-printing firms and prices.

 

Derek now you have done the research and successfully initiated your first project, I suggest you set yourself up as a middleman, being the "go to guy" for motorhome parts. You can find plenty of technical people on upwork.com to create the 3D files as you need them!

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curdle - 2020-11-30 7:01 PM

 

Derek now you have done the research and successfully initiated your first project, I suggest you set yourself up as a middleman, being the "go to guy" for motorhome parts...

No chance...

 

As well as the motorhome/camper-related files on the thingiverse.com website, there are others on the cults3d.com site that may be of interest.

 

https://cults3d.com/en/search?q=motorhome

 

https://cults3d.com/en/search?q=camping-car

 

For example, the availability of a ‘winter cover’ for the external flue-cowl of a Truma combination air/water heater has occasionally been asked about on UK forums and - as far as I’m aware - this has never been commercially available. I’ve bodged up a temporary cover from a suitable-diameter years-old plastic bowl that my wife was chucking out (plus a bit of self-amalgamating tape as a seal) but I see that someone has done the job properly using 3D printing.

 

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/home/camping-car-bouchon-hivernage-ventouse-gaz

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Two end caps are on the way to Sue. The online file has errors which were not easy to rectify however with some wizardry from bill gates and car body filler I have sent two end caps in primer for final finishing and fitting.

 

A8AAA449-7F0A-4CAE-946F-2B83DE24D535.jpeg.e688292908189acf5bba78808575353d.jpeg

1153156947_EndCaps.jpg.c0f8019a67b1f1d13c5c5c0a30365f04.jpg

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