Some more grinding on the EM-50 project. Its like a puzzle. So the new entry door arrived and I wanted to install it, but there is a lower panel that needs to go on the side first. Also I need to install the vents for the new fridge, there is a lower and upper vent that lets the air circulate behind the fridge where the cooling mechanism is located. And finally, I framed in a new window where the old full size fridge used to be, but since the window has rounded corners I need to patch some of the siding to match the window frame. The hole is where the old vent used to be and the corner is square.
I got out the old lower side panels and started to clean them up, but they were looking pretty rough. Too much corrosion and a big split on one of the panels so I decided to replace them. Thankfully there is a shop about an hour from here where they make these panels. They just take a sheet of aluminum and run it through the correct roller die to make the shape. I brought the old panels to them and we measured everything up and cranked out a new set. Hunnert bucks.
The tricky part of installing the new panels is getting the front and rear edges installed properly in the vertical channel. Also, some of the fasteners that hold them go into wood and some go into the metal RV frame. In any event it took a couple hours but they went on pretty good. I used the old fender frame to mark the wheel well and used tin snips to cut it out.
Once those lower panels were on I cut out the spots where the vents would go. I decided to re-use the old original vents that came off the vehicle. The upper one is just a louvered panel that lets hot air out, the lower one is a louvered door you use to access the guts of the fridge. I cut the hole using a vibrating multi-tool and some tin snips, cleaned up the edges with the sander and a router bit, and screwed the panels on. Before mounting anything into the side of the RV though, first you have to use this thick putty tape around the flanges to seal out any water from getting in. When I first started using this **** it was a giant mess, but after a little practice and keeping the putty cold and my fingers wet it goes on easy enough. Just apply it to the flange and then when you screw the panel or door or whatever down it compresses the putty and makes a tight seal. Since the aluminum siding has high and low spots, I put a little extra putty in each of the valleys.
When the guy was making the lower panels he messed up one and got the ridges and valleys backward so he gave me that piece for free. I used it to cut up patches around the forward edge of the upper vent and the upper edge of the new window. Once its all painted it'll be very hard to notice. Finally all that was done and I was able to get some putty on the new door and screw it into place. The nice thing is that the more of these doors and hatches I get installed the more solid the entire frame of the coach becomes. Got one more baggage hatch to install and I gotta pull off the generator door and put new putty on the flanges. The exterior is just about done and the next task there will be paint, which won't happen until pretty much the end of the project.