People Doing Things: Zambo inserted some wood into Betty

Yes, it is. It really is better.

 

Those come from UCF.

The discount priced receptacles come from FSU.



Alex.

 

Made some decent progress today. I worked on putting up more paneling walls. A little tricky in the rear because the side walls and back wall aren't supported in the corner so they have to attach together. I had to basically put the back wall in, mark where the side walls would intersect, and then attach a support strip to the edge. Then when I put the side wall up, there is something for the paneling to nail to.

Then the side walls had to be notched in a precise way because of how they intersect the curved window and the shelf at the top. And the wall on the passenger side had to be cut around the fuel filler neck. A little trial and error and everything fit ok, at least close enough to finish.

I stuffed the cavities with insulation and before I nailed and glued everything up I did one last check of all the rear lights and other electrical stuff that runs through there, because if there is a wiring problem it'll be damn near impossible to undo all this without ripping a bunch of stuff back out. Everything seems to check good, and everything got nailed up. I put a little wood filler in some of the cracks and joints, which I'll sand down later before primer.

That small section of curved wood I hogged out yesterday needed to be finished so that the two walls intersect, and the paneling I have wouldn't make that curve. I tried to bend it but I would just snap. I didn't want to cut it into ten small pieces and have it just look faceted, so I sliced off a couple thin strips of pine from a 2x4 to bend around the corner. They weren't that flexible while dry, so I boiled a pot of water and put them in it for about 15 minutes. I used a dumbbell to hold them under water. When they came out I was able to form them to fit the curve to finish off the corner.

Just have one last section of wall to do behind the passenger side cabinet. Also, there is a wall forward of the entry door that I've already cut and fitted, just have to nail it up as well and all the walls are done.

Next I have to build the bunks. There will be a lid on the passenger side bunk for storage access from inside the cabin. The bunk on the drivers side will be accessed from the outside hatch, so I'll have to insulate that one.

 

Making a little more progress. I want to shoot a couple coats of primer on everything in the next week or so, so gotta get some stuff done before that happens. First I pulled everything out of the dash so I can hit the front fiberglass clip with primer at the same time I do the walls, etc. It only took half an hour or so to remove all the vents, the radio, sun visors etc. Just have to clean it, scuff it up with some scotchbrite, and wipe it all down and it should be ready to go.

Also had to finish building out the back, mainly finishing the bunks. They have storage underneath so I kinda have to build it with a frame that is strong but doesn't take up a lot of room so there is as much storage as possible. On the one side, the bench will have a hinged top so you can access it from inside the cabin.The top of this bench will be nailed down. On the other side there is an exterior cargo door. This compartment needs to be insulated or the cold air from outside will surely make its way into the cabin.

As I was laying everything out I realized that there is a ton of space between the bunks, and that a table which fills up that space will be huge and unnecessary in such a small coach. So I decided to connect the two bunks in a U-shape, which adds some storage. Also, by opening this extra section up to the exterior cargo door, I can fit long cargo such as snow skis, fishing poles, etc.

Squaring everything up is a challenge in this thing and these bunks were no exception. I started by installing the rail that goes along the outer walls, then I snapped chalk lines on the floor and screwed down the baseplate. Then I built the framework, all out of 1x2 boards with the occasional 2x4 here and there with some creating notching. Finally I skinned it with the same project paneling I've been using on the walls. I had enough plywood to cover one side, but I need another piece to finish the other side and the back. I screwed some 1x2 stringers to the underside of the panel that you sit on to strengthen it, and I put foam insulation between the stringers.

Tomorrow looks like rain so it'll be time for a break. Two big projects left before the primer can get sprayed....gotta peel and scrape the last bit of wallpaper off the exterior of the bathroom, and I have to put up the ceiling panels.

 

Really starting to look good Zamboni.

 

Apparently ol Zam has been holding out on us. Turns out he’s hedging his bets on a future restoring old RV’s with a thriving snack food business. Kudos sir on how you’ve diversified.

 

You can only eat so many bananas

 

That's his "jet"