Bambi II Saved from Recycler!

[Air Cruiser]

Becky, your buffing/polishing looks great!

When working on really badly oxidized aluminum (I imagine your Bambi has it), are you having fits with the "black" which you wipe off with mineral spirits? I keep wiping and changing cloths, and it just keeps appearing.

Do you use a car wax on your trailers when you're done polishing? I've been told to do that so that the water will bead up and roll off.

Deb

[Becky B.]

I wipe down the area I'm working on with mineral spirits on Viva paper towels. I've changed from rags simply because I didn't have enough of them to do the job! Viva paper towels don't leave scratch marks (you'd be suprised at how many varieties do! especially when you're nearing the end of polishing) I wipe between grades of polishing, whether it be with the wheel method, or the Nuvite method. Go over it several times. You'll never come back with a white towel--ever. Unless you have clear coat on it. But if you go over it several times, you'll get the grit from your step of polishing off.

I use Meguiar's caranuba wax when I'm finished. I've tried a lot of sealants, but find that caranuba wax leaves the clearest coating, so you don't dull your shine too much!
And if you're doing steps and won't finish a section all at once and have your trailer outside, do yourself a favor & wax it a minute. If it rains & you don't, you'll have to do it again (don't ask me how I know)

[Air Cruiser]

Thanks, Becky. I wouldn't have done that extra step of waxing before rain, and I would have been kicking myself later, so you saved me some work there.

Also, I didn't realize some paper towels leave scratches while Viva does not -- I'll have to pick some up. I feel a little better about the "black", I was thinking that I should end up having none on the towel.

Deb

[Becky B.]

My hubby did some work on the electric in the front of the trailer tonight. Hooked up the emergency brake & the jack. All the wiring for the exterior lighting, brake and jack are in a junction box on attached to the a-frame. If there are ever problems, it will make it pretty easy to trouble-shoot them.

We also tested the water system for leaks. Fix one of them under the galley sink. There's a big problem with the toilet. It leaks from a fitting that's part of the plastic shroud. I'm ticked because I bought it at a surplus store over a year ago & don't have any kind of warranty since I've had it so long. I'll call Thetford tomorrow & see what can be done. The shroud thing probably costs as much as the toilet did. Urggg!It's the fitting on the right that is actually in the plastic part of the toilet.

[Becky B.]

Found out how to fix the toilet, thank goodness! The threads into the shroud were crossed (probably at the factory) and it was plastic. I went to the local plumbing supply shop and the guy said to try a brass fitting. He said it would straighten the threads by cutting new ones, as the plastic fitting wouldn't do that. IT WORKED

Got all the systems up & running, including the water heater. Attached the propane line to the belly pan & installed the grate for the refrigerator air intake.
Found the grate at Home Depot -- it's ALUMINUM!!

[reinergirl]

Nice find! What section of the store did it come from?

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by reinergirl

Nice find! What section of the store did it come from?

It was by the floor vents. I think it was about 12 bucks. I need another one for the back where the air intake for the a/c goes. I still have to do the belly pan back there.

[HiHoAgRV]

Geez, make a new floor, then saw a hole in it, then buy a vent to cover it up....my head hurtz.

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by HiHoAgRV

Geez, make a new floor, then saw a hole in it, then buy a vent to cover it up....my head hurtz.

Really....make a new floor that you can see about 2 feet of it! It's all crazy, but that's why we're all here...crazy people....

[Becky B.]

My hubby & son helped me mount the tool box to the front of the trailer. It'll be good to have a little storage! There really isn't any good storage accessible from the outside for the weenie sticks & stuff.

I spent the last 2 afternoons finishing up the belly pan & insulation. We wanted to make sure all the systems worked & didn't leak before buttoning it up. I went to Home Depot today for a couple more vents & they only had polished aluminum ones! SWEET, but unless I ride over someone, they'll never be seen! Made the area by the dump valves to with an access panel cause eventually we'll have to get in there!

My dog's days of tunnel building under the trailer are numbered. I have to get some grass planted or I might go crazy with all the mud they're dragging in the house!

[Antique Pedaler]

Very nice tool box, Becky, and a good idea for frig vent. We made our tool box a double decker. The bottom half houses two batteries. The top holds sewer hose and couplings. We closed off the floor frig vent which was a dirt and dust collector and fabricated this side vent.

Jay

[eljay]

Consider rubber stable mats.

[webspinner]

Beautiful tool box, Becky!

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by Antique Pedaler

Very nice tool box, Becky, and a good idea for frig vent. We made our tool box a double decker. The bottom half houses two batteries. The top holds sewer hose and couplings. We closed off the floor frig vent which was a dirt and dust collector and fabricated this side vent.

Jay

Actually, it's a dual vent for the air intake of the air conditioner that's above (and the tube is the drain for condensation) I used the same style for the fridge in the front, though. If I find it to be a dirt and dust collector, I'll be sure to use your idea! Hopefully, I've sealed it off from the interior pretty well. I like your double-decker idea!

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by eljay

Consider rubber stable mats.

Huh?

[eljay]

Originally Posted by beckybillrae

Huh?

Talking about dogs and mud in the thread. Consider stall mats under the trailer.

[reinergirl]

What, and wreck their fun? My daughter's border collie spent all day digging under the my trailer yesterday! Of course my family room looks like I could grow carrots in the floor but......

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by eljay

Talking about dogs and mud in the thread. Consider stall mats under the trailer.

Aaah! That IS a good idea!

[Air Cruiser]

Becky, more excellent ideas, you just keep coming up with them, and we all benefit from your trials! I'm wondering, is there some steel screening on the inside of the aluminum vents to keep critters out?

I l-o-v-e your storage idea for the front, too. And, I think Antique Peddler's idea of a double decker is wonderful. We've been kicking around how/where we're going to put our battery(ies); we had decided to place them on the tongue, but I don't think we'd thought about placing them into a storage box. I think we're contemplating 30lb. aluminum tanks, are yours 20lbs each? (I'm not up on what the various sizes look like, sorry.)

Once again, I'm not looking forward to your completion of your Bambi, as I won't have your great ideas to look forward to, but at the same time, I'm so happy for you that you're about "there".

Deb

[Becky B.]

I'm wondering, is there some steel screening on the inside of the aluminum vents to keep critters out?
Yes, I put hardware cloth inside them as well as across the vent holes. I used regular screen in the one under the air conditoner since that's an exhaust. The rear vents are for air intake.
Thanks for the compliments. I'll be polishing & doing little things for a while yet! But she's almost campable!