Slow floor replacement

[toastie]

Was not happy at all with the fuse block that I had, decided to go with Blue Sea fuse block. Part number 5026
ST Blade Fuse Blocks - Blue Sea Systems

Blue Sea 5026 ST Blade Fuse Block w/ Cover - 12 Circuit - eBay (item 200531624151 end time Dec-13-10 23:14:38 PST)

toastie

[toastie]

Started finishing the 12v system tonight, very happy with the new 12v fuse block. The fuse block came with label.

toastie

[Dave Park]

If that cover were silver, it would even look a little like the roof of an Airstream...

[toastie]

Started working on one of the beds today, arranging the drain for sink, ventilated battery compartment, underbed drawer, electrical and AC. Decided to go with copper for the water lines.

toastie

[toastie]

Added a removable brace for more support, can be remove if needed.

toastie

[Dave Park]

That looks like really nice and accurate work. Very crisp.

In post 605, the first photo, the removable support looks unsupported on the right extreme - will it be supported or is it strong enough to float?

You decided to go with copper. What were the factors that made you leap that way? I seem to be favoring Pex but don't have any rationale beyond freeze durability.

[tinman54]

Very nice work Toastie, looks like you are not slowing down this year just because of a little snow and cold! Questioning the copper also, pex is so easy to use and probably cheaper to purchase with today's copper prices but it depends on what you are comfortable with. Pex is also easier to repair on the road if need be.
Again Great work.
Doug

[Zeppelinium]

Originally Posted by Dave Park

...You decided to go with copper. What were the factors that made you leap that way? I seem to be favoring Pex but don't have any rationale beyond freeze durability.

Speaking as one who loved copper and used it in four remodels, I am now an advocate of PEX. I even removed all the copper I did from three Airstreams and replaced it with PEX. After 300+ connections and not a single leak, I am sold not only on its freeze performance, but on its installation reliability as well. As far as freeze protection goes, I can say I devoted extensive time to getting all my copper to lay flat, no humps or sags where water could pool and not be easily dumped. To my surprise, when I removed the copper from the Caravel I found several places with freeze damage (pipe expansion, no cracks), even though I had "thoroughly" dumped the system. I would not use copper in an RV in the future under any circumstance unless a fitting needed the mechanical support and could be isolated with a shutoff valve (see the link below to the Caravel installation).

PEX doesn't "lay flat" or have elegant corners (unless you use lots of 90 degree connectors), but you can achieve a very nice looking installation with some planning and a few 1/2" holddown clamps. If you start at post #3 in this thread or, for a more fully documented installation, look here or here. I especially like the red and blue pipe.

Zep

[toastie]

Installed some copper lines and a waterless trap to one of the gray water tanks today. Plan is not to use any antifreeze.

toastie

[clancy_boy]

It's like a work of art. Very neat.

[fastrob]

I think that very soon that copper will be money in the Airstream.
Just have to watch out for theft.
Someone like me can only dream of acheiving your level craftmanship Toastie.

A waterless trap?
Sounds efficient.

[toastie]

Thank you all for you kind words. I knew that I was going with copper 2 years ago and designed it in. But what really made my mind up was the cost of the sharkbite fittings. A copper 1/2" 90 deg elbow is 0.45 cents vs one sharkbite 1/2" 90 deg elbow is $7.00. The copper that you see in my pictures total price was only $18.00. However, if I where going to redo the plumbing in my 65 Caravel I would go with pex and the sharkbite fittings.


toastie

[toastie]

Went with 1/2 finished plywood for the top, made template using cardboard then transferred. Looks like we can go with a 8" thick mattress

toastie

[malconium]

I intend to use PEX when I finish the plumbing on my Airstream remodel. In the meantime I have started using it for some remodeling in my home. I decided to spring for a crimping tool (but they can be rented too) so that I could use the very inexpensive type of crimp fittings. They are amazingly easy to use and no where near as expensive as the Sharkbite types of fittings. One thing I like very much about using PEX so far is how easy it is to flex it in and around things. Less joints are needed because of that. Also it is a bit easier to get it into odd places since it can be threaded through places somewhat like electrical wiring. I am also intending to install PEX for radiant heating in the floor of my Airstream - which is another story of its own. I have been buying all of my PEX tubing and fittings at Home Depot so far. I may buy some from an online store for the floor heating because it can bend to a tighter radius than the products that HD sells. I have done copper tubing before for various projects including a radiant heating system in a former house but I am not going back. In short I like PEX very much.

Malcolm

[Zeppelinium]

Originally Posted by toastie

...A copper 1/2" 90 deg elbow is 0.45 cents vs one sharkbite 1/2" 90 deg elbow is $7.00. The copper that you see in my pictures total price was only $18.00. However, if I where going to redo the plumbing in my 65 Caravel I would go with pex and the sharkbite fittings....toastie

PEX ring crimp 1/2" elbows -- $0.58 in a box of 25

I got my crimper used from a local plumbing store which was selling one of it's rental units. Sharkbites are great for quick repairs in the field by hand, but in hundreds of crimps, I have had zero failures [so far].

Love da crimper! Anyone seen red and blue copper?

Zep (so, sorta, for the hijack...)

[Dave Park]

Since the thread started as "slow floor replacement" and has become so much more, I think toastie should start a new thread called "Slow Interior Design" and another entitled "Slowly Driving to Places", closed out by "Slowly Camping, At Last!"

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Zeppelinium

PEX ring crimp 1/2" elbows -- $0.58 in a box of 25

I got my crimper used from a local plumbing store which was selling one of it's rental units. Sharkbites are great for quick repairs in the field by hand, but in hundreds of crimps, I have had zero failures [so far].

Love da crimper! Anyone seen red and blue copper?

Zep (so, sorta, for the hijack...)

What do these crimpers look like and why are they so expensive?

[ebair]

Pex is the way to go, the crimper isn't cheap, but I made up the cost on the first use. My teenage helper and I were able to completely replumb (repex?) a medium size rental house in 6 1/2 hours at a cost that was 1/3 of copper. There is enough left over on the rolls to do another and the AS to boot. Add in the resistance to cold weather bursting and the non-appeal to metal scrappers and it seems the best option.


What do these crimpers look like and why are they so expensive?

They look like bolt cutters with jaw inserts for the different size tubes.
Good tools are never cheap, cheap tools are never good
You could always do your project then ebay or CL the tool to recoup most of the cost

[toastie]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

What do these crimpers look like and why are they so expensive?

$200 for a good clamp crimp tool, the heads stay in alignment without an additional hand. Good luck.

toastie

[Dave Park]

I bought my "Zurn multi-head crimp tool" through Amazon for $120 - it does four common sizes, has a removal tool and a few extras in the box. It works very well and has never done a bad crimp yet.

It paid for itself after one household job, considering the saved costs, materials and time.