Friday, September 18, 2020

Post # 40 - Windows, Vents & Rails installed.

 Once we got the skin on it was time to install the windows and vents.  

A bit dirty - but this is the new Refrigerator vent cap.
Front windows installed (for some reason I never realized that one is plexiglass before I installed it.  Will have to take out in place and replace with glass.
Street side windows and outlet covers installed.


Rear window, tail lights, license plate light, city water inlet, fan and range vent covers installed. 
Upper side fridge vent installed with screen behind to keep the bugs out. 

Curb side windows installed, as well as cargo door & brow. 

The Awning rail is installed as well as the drip rail on both sides of the trailer.  Because I could,  I put an Awning rail on the street side too.  There have been a few times I I've camped where there was no space to put the awning out on the curb side, but had room on the street side for an awning.  And when camping with a friend I could cover their spot as well... 


Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Post # 39 - Skin Install

 August and hot weather finally arrived.  We had a predicted forecast for 85 - 95 degree days for a full week, occuring in between camping events, so I managed to wrangle the husband from his project for a few days to help me. We set took the metal out of their boxes and assessed the situation - since I went with mill finish Hemet Valley RV sent me metal that was 36" wide, which ment I didn't have a full run of staples holding it down along the wall, but this trailer has lots of openings to staple around.  We held it up and marked the openings, cut the opening out and installed each piece.  Turned out pretty good over all. But I will not use a double mesa sheet for the roof of a trailer ever again.  The ridges and seams make it really difficult to get a good seal around the perimeter.  I did run putty tape under the fold over up the sides, as well as under the awning and drip rails. We used 4 straps over the roof to cinch the metal down while we folded the edges over & stapled it down.  We used many tools to cut and trim the aluminum - scored it with a utility knife, used a pneumatic shear, hand shears, a pneumatic saw, a nibbler, & a router.  Depended on the opening we had to cut. 

I did put the cargo doors in upside down, and will put chains on to hold the doors up when open.  I also purchased brows from Vintage Trailer Supply & painted them black and installed them over the doors. 


Street side


Strapping down the roof wrap

Front panel installed - window cut out.

Street side - tank water inlet - electrical inlet, and cargo door set in place. 


Bottom street panel cut out before installation.

Curbside metal all installed with all openings cut out from behind.


Curbside metal all installed with all openings cut out and cargo door installed from front.

POST #38 - 9/2020 - Windows, cargo doors, and vent covers.

Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted anything since last year when I got the inside to the point I couldn't move forward because it got too cold for me to work outside & so I had to wait until the weather warmed back up. Some of it I couldn't do until I got the skin on.  And to put the skin on I needed hot, hot weather which we didn't get until August of 2020.

And after a trip to Hawaii in January, Covid-19 in February, Quilt Camp in March, I was busy with other stuff until April. Once Spring became a thing, I set up my popup tent with screened sides and set my tables up inside to work on.  

This trailer has 7 windows, three roof vents, a vent for a fan and one for the range hood. It also has an electrical and two water inlets. I went through each window and took it apart, removing the glue and silicone that were holding the jalousie windows in place (broke a few getting them out), replacing cracked and broken windows. 

I did spend most of the spring (from April) cleaning up, acid bathing, polishing, and re gasketing all of the windows, the rock guard and the cargo doors.   Vintage trailer gaskets had everything I needed to reseal all of the windows. 

I also painted the cargo doors, and vent covers black, so the trailer will primarialiary silver and black outside.