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wasagachris · 01-02-2011, 09:38 AM

The bolts go down through the door frame in each corner. You should have two holes in the bottom of the door frame in each corner. You won't be able to see them from below because they come down outside of the step opening.
I haven't put mine in yet.

Aage · 01-02-2011, 01:18 PM

Fabulous work (as usual) Chris. So, did you fabricate the box from aluminum, then TIG weld it?

wasagachris · 01-02-2011, 01:32 PM

Aage what you are seeing is a sheet of aluminium sitting on top of the left & right step outrigger and the main frame rail. The outriggers and frame rail are painted with the POR-15 silver paint which makes them look aluminium and the seams where the sheet meets the frame & outriggers are sealed with vulkem.

DanielB · 01-02-2011, 02:00 PM

Ima call this a weekend. This weekend I:
-finished painting the rustproofing on the chassis
-Got 7 sheets of plywood from Lowes for the floor.
-Cut the first 3 sheets (front to back)
-Got some epoxy and sealer from West Marine.
-Epoxied the edges of the 3 sheets of plywood that were cut.
-first time using epoxy
-Got a 4" angle grinder from Lowes. The skids on the new chassis were all the way to the end of the main rails, leaving no room on the bottom for the bumper. Grinded those out so the bumper will go on.
-first time using an angle grinder.
-the grinder will be used again on the outriggers for the steps. They were made the same length as the other outriggers so need to be ground down some.

I'll be working on the plywood as I go toward the back. Before I get there I have to figure out what to do with the waste tanks.

- I hate the way they have the drain to the gray water tank sticking up out of the floor. This makes the shower need to be elevated from the floor of the trailer. Like there wasn't enough head room as it was. I'd really like to have the shower drain as close to flush with the floor as possible. Gonna need to jerry rig the input to the gray tank. Maybe lower the tank as well.

- Looking to have an aux drain for the gray tank as well, so I can just dump that quickly when nobody is looking.

wasagachris · 01-02-2011, 02:52 PM

Daniel did you find a sheet thick enough for ther fresh water tank to sit on?
As for the gray tank you can't get it to get any lower because of the axles. You could use a smaller tank and then the Ptrap for the shower and the grey inlet could be lowered into the space left over from the larger tank.
Congarts on a hard weekends work. just think maybe 50 or 100 more and you'll be done.
Chris

DanielB · 01-02-2011, 03:07 PM

Chris,
I don't think that I have ever seen 1" plywood.
Does the height of the fresh water tank relative to the floor matter for anything?
I have some 3/4" plywood laying around I could use.

On the fresh water tank... I look at the drawing in the service manual and I see the outlet located bottom/middle of the tank. There are two small screw in things on each side of the tank near the top. They are not on the drawing. Know what they are?
They have a screw in and (both of mine are broke off) looks like maybe a nipple.

wasagachris · 01-02-2011, 03:20 PM

Daniel you have to get the tank up at the right height to stop it from sliding around in the space. Why don't you laminate two 1/2" pieces together.
The two smal screw in things are tank vents they tee together and go onto the small nipple of the fresh water fill compartment. When you are filling the fresh tank the water occupies space that was filled with air and the air needs to have somewhere to escape to.

DanielB · 01-05-2011, 06:20 PM

Making some progress on getting the shower down to floor level.. Different type of trap to use in place of a p trap..
Hepvo Waterless Valve from Drain Master

Aage · 01-05-2011, 09:16 PM

Interesting. How much is it?

DanielB · 01-06-2011, 04:32 AM

$25. Something still may need to be done with the tank/inlet inlet in order to eliminate the shower platform. Not sure yet.

DanielB · 01-09-2011, 04:36 PM

Calling it a weekend. The days are getting a bit longer, which is good.

I've just been working on weekends because when I get home from work it is dark (and cold) and the things that I have had to do have been involved enough so that I would have to pull a number of "infrastructure" items out into the back yard and then pack them back in when I am finished. Too much trouble.

The biggest burr in my butt this week was a missing angle iron (and hangars) for the front support of the black tank. I pondered and fretted all week about having to get the angle iron, rent a welder, etc..
I wound up getting two 6" Simpson Strong-tie angle brackets, bolted them to the outside of the main rails and bolted the angle iron to the L brackets. Relieved to get that done.
I cut the floor pieces around the wheel wells and put one coat of water based Verathane on one side. I still have the last two pieces of floor to cut at the rear. One is a straight cut and one is the curved cut at the back.
I had to get more epoxy hardener.
I got the 1/2 pex and some T's and 90 degree connectors and sorta laid out the main water lines.
Got some new pieces for the black/gray evacuation contraption on the back. Still need to get the valves. Camping world does bankers hours.
I used the angle grinder to cut a couple round holes in cross members for water and heater lines to pass through.
Got one quart of silver KBR for the second coat of chassis rustproofing. Need to get at least one more.

I'm gonna see how much I can get done now in the evenings after work. If I can get the second coat of rustproofing on the frame and get the floor attached this week..
Big Baby may get lowered on to her new frame next weekend.. HooYa!

wasagachris · 01-09-2011, 04:49 PM

Hi Daniel just a couple of things. Don't forget to run your wiring to the brakes and to the tongue jack and break away switch before the floor goes back on. These harnesses run inside the frame and will be much easier to install without the floor in the way. Secondly the waste valves you will need must have the extension handles on them so they will reach outside the frame rail.
The big stuff like what you're doing now make the progress go quickly. I'm piddling away now just cleaning and polishing and waiting for Spring so I can really start the inside.

DanielB · 01-09-2011, 04:57 PM

Chris, I think the PO's did so much Jerry-rigging on this thing that I don't trust at all the way things were when it came apart.

The wiring from the front where the tow vehicle plugs in came in and back out through a hole cut in the floor in the front wall. There was a piece of reducer pvc pipe stuck in the hole and the wire went down through it to underneath.

Same kind of deal on power coming in from the back. The 30A extension cord lived in the rear bumper. the wire came from it to the underside roadside rear into some box that was screwed onto the floor underneath between outriggers, then a bundle of wires came out of the mystery box and came up through a (pvc lined) hole just aft of the roadside wheel well.

DanielB · 01-09-2011, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wasagachris

Secondly the waste valves you will need must have the extension handles on them so they will reach outside the frame rail.

I was wondering how that was going to work. I was thinking of maybe rigging something up so that i could open the valves from inside. I think the extensions would be preferable to that.

wasagachris · 01-09-2011, 05:59 PM

Daniel here is the pic of the waste outlet. You can see the 3' outlet with the cap on it and on either side are the tee handles on the extension rods which attach to the dump(gate) valves. I also added a couple of pics showing the valves and the tanks installed before the floor went on.

DanielB · 01-09-2011, 06:14 PM

Very slick. Thank you very much.

wasagachris · 01-09-2011, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanielB

Chris, I think the PO's did so much Jerry-rigging on this thing that I don't trust at all the way things were when it came apart.

The wiring from the front where the tow vehicle plugs in came in and back out through a hole cut in the floor in the front wall. There was a piece of reducer pvc pipe stuck in the hole and the wire went down through it to underneath.

Same kind of deal on power coming in from the back. The 30A extension cord lived in the rear bumper. the wire came from it to the underside roadside rear into some box that was screwed onto the floor underneath between outriggers, then a bundle of wires came out of the mystery box and came up through a (pvc lined) hole just aft of the roadside wheel well.

Daniel the 7 pin umbilical should have a connector which is mounted on the lower flat section of the front end cap below the front lift up window. it passes through the front hold down plate and the wiring for the running lights,brake lights,reverse lights and turn signals from inside the trailer as well as the harness from the brakes and the tongue jack/break away switch all attach to the connector at that point. The brake & tongue jack harness exit the shell through the c channel in the front end cap on the road side and go into the main frame rail. The brake harness travels down the frame rail and comes out roadside at the axles. It splits into three points there. 2 travel out through the belly and attach to each brake roadside and the third travel across the frame inside the belly to the curbside and splits again into two and exits the belly at each axle to attach to the curbside brakes.
The tongue jack/breakaway switch harness exits the frame roadside at the rearward edge of the A-frame and travels forward through the A-frame and comes out right under the tongue to travel up to the jack and break away switch.
I'll get you some pics later because my camer's batteries are dead.
The shore power wiring will be a whole other kettle of fish. Originally you had the reel set ups like mine and the PO removed them and did his jerry rigging. You'll have to decide how you want to correct this. Personally I love the reels but they are expensive to purchase.
Chris.

DanielB · 01-09-2011, 07:23 PM

Thanks for the explanation. I will be referencing this as I go.
Pics are unnecessary. I think I have it. What I don't understand is what part of this is easier with the shell off?

wasagachris · 01-09-2011, 07:34 PM

Daniel it's mostly an access thing. It's a lot easier to run the harnesses through the frame, crossmembers and A-frame while standing up instead of lying on your back. I also attached my harnesses to the frame rails and suspended them half way up the vertical side of the rail. That way they won't be caught by a drill, rivet or floor screw while attaching the floor or belly. Drilling the holes for the rubber insulated mounting clamps is also easier while standing up and you have more room to manouver without the floor in the way. I also installed all the water tanks and waste outlet pipeing before the floor went on. Same reasoning. BTW attach all the fittings to your fresh water tank before installing it into the trailer. Then all you need to do is attach the hoses after. P.S. do you have the wiring for the fresh and black tank probes attached to the tanks. Make sure they come up through the floor before you attach the floor.