up-date or leave original on '72?

[SafeHarbor]

Hi, Tim,

That birch ply is coming out nice. This is going to be a good-looking interior, I can tell.

Lamar

[malconium]

Originally Posted by tphan

hi all- one of these days will lay the flooring, but was just wondering if there was any group wisdom on the merits of laying the pergo planks lengthwise with the coach, or crosswise?? As a carpenter I'm used to laying strip flooring across the floor joists, but it's not so obvious in the old '72. Also wondering if you have to keep it 1/4 inch away from the metal doorway threshhold- would rather butt up tight to it. I hope to be on the road by next summer, if I can find a reasonable TV, and hope to start meeting some of you. thanks for any suggestions- tim

Tim,

The equivalent of your floor joist would be the cross members that run from side to side at about 24" on center. In my 1973 there are lenghwise frame members that are about 60" apart down each side just inside of where the wheel wells are. There are also outriggers on the outside of the length wise members that line up with the cross members in the middle part. From a strength point of view this would suggest that running the pergo lengthwise would be the best bet. Having said that it probably does not actually matter all that much in light of the fact that the floor plywood is 3/4" thick and does a pretty good job all by itself. At the door you might be able to find a piece of aluminum u-channel trim that the floor edge could slide into and still maintain some expansion clearance.

Malcolm

[tphan]

thanks, lamar and malcolm. It also seems like less cutting to run the flooring lengthwise, so I think I will go that route whenever I do it. I first want to get as much other work as possible done with, to keep off of the pergo while working as much as possible. Tools and other things do occasionally fall from my hands or pouches.. One of these things is to re-do and re-mount the upper storage compartments, though I realize that they butt to and are sandwiched between divider panels. May have to lay some flooring first? I am going to re-use the original anodized metal framework , leaving out the formica strips that used to fit in the face of the channels . Out go the old dark-brown panels, in go new 1/4" birch panels . Since my tambour doors were mostly shot, I'm going to re-do them with sliding panels of either formica or that snazzy-looking quilted-look aluminum from rigidized.com that was posted by another member . I kind of like the modern back-lit translucent panels used in the new CCD's, but don't need the headache of more wiring and lights. I fit strips of wood with 2 saw kerfs into the anodized channels to receive the new "doors". Will try to post a pic. Best regards to all of you bringing back new life to old coaches- whether absolute purists, modernizers, or somewhere inbetween. It's all good!! -tim

[tphan]

hi- have mostly put the coach in a holding pattern for our colorado winter, though it warmed up enough lately to get the cherry pergo floor in. Still have some shower plumbing to finish, and some under-bed storage too, before I can put the bed deck on. Will use a full-surround shower curtain, one side of which will double as the bathroom door. Will try to post a couple pics- happy new year to all!!! -tim

[tphan]

hi- I didn't realize how LITTLE I would get done this winter. It's just no fun to go out to my coach in 30 or 40-degree, windy weather and try to accomplish anything. So, I'm trying to learn espanol since we're going to costa rica in marzo.BUT, I am thinking of building just a "lattice-work" of bed deck, and then stapling a 1/2" wire mesh over the whole thing.WHY? My thinking is to have a firm support for the foam mattress, but something breatheable from the bottom to avoid dampness/mold problems.It would also allow me to bend up the mattress and be able to see through the mesh to look for problems with the converter, water heater, plumbing, etc. Worth the trouble, do you think? What I have been able to do is re-furbish the original Dometic elec-gas fridge, following the instructions in the service manual. This included turning the unit upside-down for a while, to redistribute correctly the condensing fluids. Apparently over time, this balance can be upset leading to overheating of the various coils and piping on the back, and poor cooling inside. Anyway, I also added a panel of embossed aluminum to the door for a more modern look. I also cleaned up the electric radiator-with-fan heater that came with my coach, it seems to work very well. Does anyone out there recommend the use of a newer catalytic heater for the boondocks??Will try to post a couple pics.thanks- tim

[tphan]

very little, actually. built some maple-ply cabinet bases over the wheel wells, not sure yet of the configuration above them. I think a desk with cubbys on one side, and a small space for hangers, and more cubbys, on the other side.Still wondering if anyone has done a bed deck out of wire mesh, for the ventilation of the underside of the mattress.?? Plus it's lighter than a sheet of plywood. will post a few more pics. Hope your renovations are all going great! -tim

[Wardinbb]

Hey Tim,
This is the first I've seen of your thread, looks like your having fun.
I'm at 6,500 feet with similar temps as you. As my rig is gutted as yours was, I solved the temp issue with a Big Buddy heater. It puts out up to 18k btu on high, takes about an hour to heat the rig with it's fan on and then on med or low to maintain a 35 degree difference from the outside. I actually got the inside temp up to 74 with an out side of 40 while getting some foam to cure. They are available from the Sportsman Guide all the way to your local hardware store. Hope this will help you to keep "streamin".
Ed

[indefatigabl]

Tim -

Your wood interior looks great. I'm still waiting for my airstream to find me , but when it does, I am looking to do the same thing is you – Squeeze in a queen bed and move the bathroom from the rear to the side.

I have a question about your shower though. Are you intending to leave the birch ply as is, or are you going to add metal or fiberglass of some sort? The reason I ask is because I'd be scared to death of warping and rotting.

Thanks!
Nicole

[tphan]

Nicole, my plan is to have a shower curtain that completely wraps around (not sure yet exactly how to accomplish this without having headroom issues when NOT using shower). I would, I suppose, have the valves sticking through a hole in the curtain, and the shower head would be above the whole thing. I have also thought about covering that part of the wall with something else more moisture impregnable, like that thin sheet-plastic stuff that many restaurants use on the kitchen walls, or a sheet of aluminum, or I don't know what-? This is something I am letting "ferment" in my mind before I do anything, and would LOVE some ideas from you guys out there! I am convinced that this whole part-time shower idea will work, just a matter of figuring out some final details to insure practicality and reliability. Thanks for the kind words, hope you find your AS soon- keep looking, learning, and then dive in when it feels right!-tim

[tphan]

hi all- forgot to mention that I saw something at H-D yesterday that might make a nifty little shower pan, not permanent- just something to either use in a pinch inside (with a curtain and drain hose) or outside to keep your feet out of the dirt. It was a round,maybe 24" diameter, green plastic pan for under a water heater, with a side drain hole. The lip was maybe 2" high, and I think it was only about $9. Gotta run to Ace, today is 20% off day. -tim

[SmokelessJoe]

Tim:

1. I like the birch plywood you are using, the kind that seems to use butted strips of veneer 4” to 6” wide as opposed to the more common “rotary cut” stuff we mostly see in Canada. That single grain pattern is not as interesting as yours.

Where did you get the plywood and has it a name?

2. What is the exposed chrome pipe water supply for your rear toilet constructed of?

I am considering exposed piping in my new bath.

3. You could consider using epoxy on the birch shower wall. The stuff in the West Marine catalog is supposed to be good.

Sergei

[tphan]

hi Sergei- thanks for the compliment and advice. The wood is birch/maple plywood from good ol' Home Depot, available in 1/4", 1/2", maybe 3/4"- nothing fancy, nothing expensive. You DO have to sort through lots of sheets sometimes to find ones with the veneer you like, but the price is right. Is there H-D in Canada? The chrome pipe you see in the bath foto is just one of those snakey, flexible shower head hoses- any hardware store has 'em. Now, when you say to maybe use Epoxy on the shower wall, what exactly do you mean? Just a marine-grade poly or the like? thanks for your input! -tim

[SmokelessJoe]

Tim:

Your trailer rebuild is nice looking.

If you haven’t seen the West Marine catalog go to westmarine.com.

Their free 1150 page catalog is full of good ideas. Land Yacht, Water Yacht - they are both about mobility, lightness and small space.

Much of the marine stuff seems better designed and built than the RV stuff in my opinion.

The West System epoxy products are explained there. People build plywood sea-going boats that way so you should be able to waterproof a shower stall.


I’m surprised you have such nice plywood at your HD. Ours seems to be primarily “rotary cut” which means it is peeled off a log something like lathe turning. The result is one grain pattern over the whole 48” width.

I like your stuff where they use 4” or 6” strips of veneer side by side. Much more interesting. IKEA uses this type of veneer in all their stuff.

It’s hard to find here. I was hoping it would have a name so that I could track some down.

Anyone else out there know about this?


Sergei

[indefatigabl]

Tim-

I emailed this to you, but thought I should post it here also in the interest of group brainstorming/debate.

What about using fairly thin sheets of plexiglass? It would be pretty light, and would still let all that nice birch show through. Perhaps you could rivet or screw it in the middle to keep it flat and in place, and then caulk the seams? You could always use the shower curtain as a back up...

- Nicole

Originally Posted by tphan

Nicole, my plan is to have a shower curtain that completely wraps around (not sure yet exactly how to accomplish this without having headroom issues when NOT using shower). I would, I suppose, have the valves sticking through a hole in the curtain, and the shower head would be above the whole thing. I have also thought about covering that part of the wall with something else more moisture impregnable, like that thin sheet-plastic stuff that many restaurants use on the kitchen walls, or a sheet of aluminum, or I don't know what-?