STEP-BY-STEP Shell-Off Floor Replacement

[TONI MAC]

Hi Jordon - thanks for posting this helpful step by step. I am in the process of replacing the floor on my 75 Overlander. What type of ply wood did you use and/or do you know what is recommended for the floor?

Thanks much,

Toni Mac

[malconium]

Originally Posted by ankornuta

Holy cow... I wonder if this stuff will take off zolatone?! It looks amazing: Environmentally Friendly Paint Stripper | Environmentally-Friendly Paint Remover | Environment Friendly Paint Removal | Paint Stripping | Removing

Check out the product slideshow demonstrations...

The slide show is impressive! At the very least this looks like it would be a great product for stripping off clear coat and other gunk on the outside. I wonder what is does to old silicon sealer? That would be great if it just happens to be able to strip if off too.

Malcolm

[A-Merry-Can]

Originally Posted by ankornuta

There are lots of clear coats out there, but they usually end up peeling when exposed to the weather. However, on the inside of a trailer, I think they would last much longer... hmm... I kind of want to leave my interior aluminum bare... it looks nice!

no clear coats for me! i'm hoping i can get it pretty decent with nuvite and rouge, then just spray it with motorcycle polish or whatever to give it a thin sheen. it is looking better every day! i tell ya, though... HARD work! i had to sand the last bits of the panels with 220, then used my buffing wheel to cut it back, and shine her up... final buffing (for now) was a regular orbital buffer. i'm planning on doing the random orbital thing before i get to installing the wood around it... if santa's good to me, that is! ha!

jp

[A-Merry-Can]

Originally Posted by TONI MAC

Hi Jordon - thanks for posting this helpful step by step. I am in the process of replacing the floor on my 75 Overlander. What type of ply wood did you use and/or do you know what is recommended for the floor?

Thanks much,

Toni Mac

i can't remember exactly, i think it was CDX? something like that... seal both sides with Polueurathane. i wish i had done that. i just did the bottom. DON'T use pressure treated wood. there's something in it that corrodes aluminum... plus it weighs twice as much.

good luck!

jp

[A-Merry-Can]

i'm so close i can taste it! i tell ya... it REALLY strains the back doing the top bits! ug... who's stupid idea was this to polish the end caps? oh yeah....


... mine ...


jp

[ALANSD]

that stripper looks great. I used the Removall, which is enviro friendly also, it worked very well on the clearcoat. I don't know if it would remove paint quite as well. I want to strip our older Chevy Truck, and that stuff might do the job well. Have to see if Benjamin Moore carries it here. How much is it, I did not see pricing on the site?

[A-Merry-Can]

well, finally got the initial polish done on the rear end cap. i'm going to follow up with NuVite next, then Wenol, and i'm calling that one DONE! i also installed the first of the roof sections in teh rear, and started installing the new recessed lighting. it looks awesome! i can't wait to see it all together with the maple panel walls, as soon as i can get to it, that is! here's a few pics...

[A-Merry-Can]

i finally got around to finishing the inner door this afternoon. a few days ago, i formed the outter skin at a friends with a 50" shear and a break. it looks exactly like the original... except no dents, and all new aluminum! no new techniques here... just the same ol same ol... line up the formed metal skin, 4 clecos on each corner... test fit... drill the rest of the holes and cleco-mania!

i disassembled it after all the holes were drilled, so i could buck in all the rivets on the hinges. the only bucked rivets on my original door were on the edge, with pop rivets on the rest. i'm guessing (if that was original) it was quicker than assembling the door with clecos, disassembling, bucking in the hinge, then reassembling the inner frame, and buttoning it up.... but, it really looks wierd to have half one kind of rivet, and half another on the hinge, so it was worth the effort.

then i test fitted it again, so i could locate the retainer tab for the bargman latch, disassembled the whole lot and bucked that tab in as well. re-cleco-ed, re-rivetted, and rehung the door. looks great!

the next steps on this door is i'm going to have to replace the top piece, since i put that one in a little askew. perhaps this week, if i get a free moment or 2 also left to do on the list is sealing the door, and installing the 2 remaining pieces of interior panel (top and bottom). one thing i have learned about these doors, in rebuilding this one is the interior top and bottom pieces are very critical to getting a good even close around the edges. the side pieces hold it really tight to the curve of the trailer, but the bottom and top pieces affect the way the door twists. originally, i put the one on the bottom without checking the fit, and lo and behold, the door was slightly twisted. i removed the lower panel, and the door closes fine. i'll post pics later of this fix, after i get the outter top piece replaced.

i love working on the skins on these things, but i HATE doing things twice... HOW MANY TIMES do i have to say the ol saying... "MEASURE TWICE CUT ONCE, STUPID!!!!"... i'm learning....

ha!

jp

[LI Pets]

That's really sweet, I love that hinge

[A-Merry-Can]

thanks man. sure looks better than it used to!

jp

[flyfshr]

Man - oh - man!! That is awesome. Nice work.

Brad
FF

[Roscinante]

Great workmanship! I love seeing what talented people are on this forum and what amazing things they can do. Makes me wish I were more of a "handy man" myself and had some of all of your cool toys (er, tools)!

Nice job. Can't wait to see the final AFTER photos!

[A-Merry-Can]

Originally Posted by flyfshr

Man - oh - man!! That is awesome. Nice work.

Brad
FF

thanks mate! i was looking at your hinges on your december photo contest. it looks like yours has half bucked and half pop-rivets like mine did. what do ya know. that might have been original? also, i have the same pull handle, but i replaced it with a cleaner one off eBay.

http://www.airforums.com/forum...0&d=1165987225

jp

ps. i moved my ID tags from the left to the right side so i could admire em with the door open. did ya notice?

[A-Merry-Can]

Originally Posted by Roscinante

Can't wait to see the final AFTER photos!

you and me both, man!



jp

[A-Merry-Can]

i got the rest of the dome lights and panels in. could use a touch-up polish, i guess. i'm really looking forward to getting the wood panels in next.

jp

[A-Merry-Can]

... test polishing the new door panel...

[Jim & Susan]

JP, please forgive me if you've already told me or postedv this, but what lights did you decide to go with?

Jim

[A-Merry-Can]

i got them from sailorsams.com. they have a great selection of lights in 3 different price ranges. i opted for these:

12 Volt Recessed Ceiling Lights - Boat - RV - Marine Lighting - SailorSams.com - Nova ICM-8777 Optional Switch

they look great, and you can't tell they're plastic at all. i also got the double toggle switches they sell. i had thought about using their dimmer for the dome lights, and may still. the light fixtured can't be grounded to work with those dimmers, and won't work correctly with older light fixtures or LED bulbs (if i understand it correctly).

for the front wall lights, i'm thinking about these:

12 Volt Wall-Mount Reading Light with Switch - SailorSams.com - Halospot ICM-8106

jp

[t.gray]

jp,
Just beautiful - love the work you're doing - feeling jealous and inspired - I look forward to watching your progress.
thanks
theresa

[A-Merry-Can]

i don't know how inspiring it is, when you look at the starting date of this thread! ha! but it is rewarding, that's for sure.

jp