Anybody know what these are used for? I found them around the wheel wells. They were not attached to anything, just scattered about the wheel wells. Maybe they were there to hold something in place during the installation process.
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What is that line from "Miracle on 34th Street"? Something like "Maybe he's only a little crazy, like those men in Washington."
The "D" shaped clips in post No. 42 are definitely used to hold large bundles of wire in place between the inner and outer skins inside the wall. I’m looking for a suitable replacement for these. I have the entire interior out of the TT, including the inner skins and the insulation. These “D” shaped clips hold the 12v and 120v wiring in place along their respective paths to the outlets/lights/etc.
The smaller clips in post no.43 were just laying about on the floor around the wheel wells after I pulled out the carpet, beds and outer plastic portion if the wheel wells. There doesn’t seem to be any wiring in the area, or any other thing that they may have held in place. They were “just there.”
Jim
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What is that line from "Miracle on 34th Street"? Something like "Maybe he's only a little crazy, like those men in Washington."
So far I have used a combination of Vulkem, Sikaflex, Parbond and even some Alcoa gutter seal. I would think that they would all be reasonably compatible with each other but I do not know for sure. I used some Vulkem 116 (I think thats the number) the kind that is readily avaiable at Lowes and Home Depot - rather than the preferred number (which I can't recall at the moment). I find that it is a bit grainy (and was designed to be) but it does seem to work fine on leaks that I have sealed up from the inside of the outside skin. the Sikaflex is smoother and maybe sets up a bit faster. I used some of it to reinstall an exterior body panel that I had to take off and put back on. I also used some Parbond when I installed a smaller piece of aluminum to cover where the water heater door used to be (I am moving it). The Alocoa gutter seal is the shiniest of all the sealers I have experiemented with. I mostly sealed up a couple of leaks from the inside with it to see how it went on - it seems fine too.
The clips you found around the bottom of the walls may just have been a few extras that were left over after the installation. I don't remember finding any extra ones but I have found a lot of broken ones - or have broken them by accident. The plastic has gotten pretty brittle with age. What I found that seems to work OK providing the aluminum is clean and dry when you install them is some adhesive backed tie down brakets that I found in the electrical departments at both Lowes and Home Depot. They are designed to have a plastic tie down strap slipped through them. I have not actually used very many though since I made the decision to run most of my wiring inside of the foil insulation. A few of the lighter wires I have taped to the foil with foil tape. When I get to the larger bundles what I am thinking of doing is attaching some wire between the two adjacent body ribs to create something to tie wire bundles to - probably with the plastic wire ties. I am thinking of using a little duct tape to pad the wire so that the bundle of wires won't get rubbed raw by the mounting wire. When I get to that point I will take some pictures and post them.
Right now I have to take some time out from AS remodeling to do some house remodeling. My wife and I have finally talked my elderly parents (both in their 80's) into moving closer to us so we can be around to give them a hand when they need it. Well we have just closed on buying a small house that needs some serious cosmetic remodeling before it will be ready for them. We also have to help them move and get their current house sold. Its hard to say how long this process is going to take but it will definitely slow down my AS activities (maybe to an entire halt) for at least a couple of months.
Family first. My and my wife’s folks are doing o.k. My father in law is a crotchety old WWII flyboy, my dad is just to ornery, and you know mothers!. They are all enjoying a nice retirement these days. I’m sure our time will come when we’ll need lend a hand to them, as well. Do us all a great favor and check in from time to time. Your advise is invaluable.
We use those tie downs at work to hold down all types of electrical wiring. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it. They are always used in applications that move around, as in a travel trailer. There are certain types of those that are made with special stops or “keepers” that keep them from tightening past a certain point. I would be a little leery of cinching them down too much on 30 year old wiring. We also use a waxed cord that telephone people have used for years to tie down all gauges of wire. This only works if you cinch them down tight, however. It could be used in a few limited applications.
Thanks for the practical advice on the sealants. I’ll see what HD and Lowes has to offer.
Jim
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What is that line from "Miracle on 34th Street"? Something like "Maybe he's only a little crazy, like those men in Washington."
Getting ready to pull up the floor, any sage advice from the more experienced? I've read a bunch of the previous posts by the more experienced, and I appreciate the help!
Jim
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What is that line from "Miracle on 34th Street"? Something like "Maybe he's only a little crazy, like those men in Washington."
Getting ready to pull up the floor, any sage advice....
Take out the floor in as large sized pieces as possible to use them for templates - make sure ALL of the bolts/screws are out of the "C" (or "U") channel prior to attempting removal - take LOTS of pics.
Identify the pieces with a marker and a "map" showing where they came from - also mark "top" and "bottom".
When going back together, do not get stingy with the screws in the area of the splice - screws one inch apart work well for the spliced sections.
Take a section of the plywood to the lumber yard when you pick up the new flooring to insure a good thickness match - 5 ply is generally much stronger than 3 ply.
Luck - Please post your removal/replacement pics.
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Dennis
"Suck it up, spend the bucks, do it right the first time."
There are several how to things about the floor removal there and how to support the body during the process. There are also some photos in my photo album on what the supports look like. For new readers some other threads with floor replacement information are:
I totally agree with Ken about taking your time with the work. It will probably take more time than you think but it is all possible given some patience. Also be flexible with your choice of tools for a particular task. If one tool isn't doing the job all that well try something else. I am repeating a list that I posted in the first thread above about the tools that I used.
Tools Used:
large crow bar (about 2' long)
small crow bar (about 6" long)
putty knife shaped paint scraper (one of the most useful tools overall so far)
circular saw
table saw (mostly to cut the plywood strips, shims and gussets)
reciprocating saw - especially with an abrasive blade
saber saw
cordless screw driver/drill
air-powered cut off saw (with portable air compressor)
vacuum cleaner
manual screw driver
leather gloves
dust masks
sweat bands
hack saw blade holder and blade
black sharpie marker pen
wall paper brush (helps with dislodging dirt or insulation fuzz)
hammer
rubber hammer
1/4" wood chisel (especially useful for getting out stubborn pieces of plywood around the edges
I also used a matox to help pry out pieces of the floor that I had cut most of the way through with the circular saw. If you are not familiar with the term "matox" its the type of pick that has a flat blade on one side somewhat like a hoe. That actually makes a great pry bar for the more stoborn pieces.
I did not actually use my floor pieces for a template. Instead I cut a piece of poster board to fit half of the curve at each end before I took the floor apart. By the way don't assume that the front and back curves are the same. They were not on my AS. I carefully marked it with where the center line of the AS was so I could lay it on the floor material, mark one half of the curve and then flip it to mark the other half. The rest of the floor pieces are all a consistent width from side to side of the AS so just carefully check that before you cut everthing up and you should be OK. I did make a paper sketch of my floor with all the holes and cutouts measured and marked before I started cutting things up. That way I did not actually rely on any of the pieces of plywood that I took out for a template. Just make sure that you carefully check all your measurements. I measured all the width dimensions from a centerline that I marked down the middle of the floor instead of from the sides of the AS. Also I checked that all the floor panels were 4' pieces and measured from the nearest floor panel seam and then added the rest of the distance. The back of my AS started with a full sheet so I started my measurements from the back rather than from the front where there was a sheet about 3' wide. The drawing doesn't have to be pretty but you do need to be able to read it later. I have added a scan of my drawing just to show that how rough mine is.
I hope all goes well with your floor removal. Don't hesitate to send in any more specific questions if they come up.
Malcolm raises a great point about making sure you secure that body to the frame - on my 58, I left a few bolts in here and there because and it was still a bit scary to me to when the floor was out - felt a whole lot better after the floor was back in and everything secure again - when you take the floor out, you for the most part have done a frame off with the body still on and not attached to much..........
Why are you replacing the floor? Looks to me like your set to go - you have a great custom toilet and custom sound/tv system + a good bucket to sit on to drink beer while your getting cooled by your fan - those holes in the floor are good for ventilation
Nice, a TV for distraction? Look at all the room in there. Looks like you'll be at this for a while.
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