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Slats · 04-28-2018, 07:34 PM

It made me glad I had painted the subfloor perimeter with truck bed liner. The water just beaded up instead of soaking into the plywood. Marine plywood, but plywood, nonetheless.

Slats · 05-06-2018, 08:09 PM

I got the tv antennae holes covered up last Saturday. I had the good folks at Gieske Custom Metal Fabricators here in KC make a Missouri-shaped patch that I buck riveted on. The patch was a little thick, but I was able to bend it to fit the curve of the trailer and I actually like the way it stands out a bit from the shell. they did an excellent job of cutting the Missouri River in the northwest corner and the Mississippi River all along the east side of the state. I really like the guys at Gieske. They have the templates for all 50 states if anyone is interested in ordering from them. Mine cost $75.

dbj216 · 05-07-2018, 06:27 PM

Gee that looks neat. I like the fact it is thicker and thus "stands proud" of the surface. And it is buck riveted to boot.

I simply cut a round patch for my antenna hole and used Olympic rivets. Hey, it's more imaginative than a square patch, which happens to look like the state of Colorado.

David

dbj216 · 05-07-2018, 06:42 PM

Gee that looks neat. I like the fact it is thicker and thus "stands proud" of the surface. And it is buck riveted to boot.

I simply cut a round patch for my antenna hole and used Olympic rivets. Hey, it's more imaginative than a square patch, which happens to look like the state of Colorado.

David

Slats · 05-07-2018, 08:11 PM

Thanks Dave. You might have noticed the asymmetrical riveting job, with only three rivets across the bottom. This was a case of anal-retentiveness at war with superstition. The fourth rivet would have made thirteen total rivets. Superstition won out.

dbj216 · 05-08-2018, 06:51 PM

I gave up on trying to bring myself good luck. Thirteen rivets wouldn't bother. If I didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. No chance I would ever win a lottery.

David

Slats · 05-14-2018, 08:22 PM

Got this 13,500 btu Coleman Mach 8 today. Slid off Fed Ex truck's lift right into my pickup truck bed.

Now the fun begins. The eye bolt in the beam above and chain host I used to pull the shell will be used to get the a/c unit above the Tradewind and set it into place.

dbj216 · 05-15-2018, 07:12 PM

I don't know, Mach 8 is a very fast airspeed. Why do the marketing folks come up with these silly names.

Glad to hear you will use a hoist to lift the AC. I did mine by hand and it was really too heavy for one person. But I got it mounted without injury.

I hope it works good for you.

David

TouringDan · 05-16-2018, 12:02 PM

Slats

I like the low profile of the mach 8 and I hear that it is very quiet. I hope your installation goes smoothly.

Dan

Slats · 05-17-2018, 08:22 PM

Thanks, Dan. I plan to follow the Greatley's installation instructions here:
https://thegreatleys.com/journal/201...ac-accessories

By the way, I've been using the Curve for a few weeks now to see if it will work satisfactorily for when I get the Tradewind back together and on the road. I find it to be a perfectly acceptable potty, especially for the money. So far no pump failure.

TouringDan · 05-24-2018, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slats

Thanks, Dan. I plan to follow the Greatley's installation instructions here:
https://thegreatleys.com/journal/201...ac-accessories

By the way, I've been using the Curve for a few weeks now to see if it will work satisfactorily for when I get the Tradewind back together and on the road. I find it to be a perfectly acceptable potty, especially for the money. So far no pump failure.

Slats

My Curve is about 5 years old. No pump failure yet although the batteries loosen up periodically. Glad that you like your Curve.

Dan

Slats · 05-24-2018, 07:38 PM

Well, sort of, with some superb assistance from my brother Gary, pictured below. The unit is now setting on the roof, awaiting this Saturday's bolt-down and hook up. Installed a condensate pump on the unit prior to lifting it up in place. Plan to run the drain tube down the curbside wall just aft of the door, but also considering routing it down the refrigerator vent. Pros and cons?

dbj216 · 05-25-2018, 05:34 PM

Why not the fridge vent? There is some heat behind the fridge, but nothing a decent plastic tube couldn't take. I'd stay away from the boiler side. I'd want to drip the condensate on the ground where I wasn't stepping in it and blaming the beagle.

Nice your brother helped with the heavy lifting.

David

TheGreatleys · 05-26-2018, 09:46 AM

Looking good. My condensate drain goes down the street side wall behind the fridge between the skins. The fridge has a drain a few inches away, so I guess that's the designated puddle area.

Either side would work. I'd pick whichever route is most direct, avoiding making a belly in the tube for clogs to form in.

TouringDan · 05-26-2018, 10:00 PM

Slats

Do you really need a condensate pump? Isn’t gravity good enough?

Dan

Slats · 05-28-2018, 08:46 PM

Newton would have thought so, but it never crossed my mind. Now that I think about it, some fabrication would have been required to run a drain tube from the bottom of the condensation collection box into the interior of the Tradewind. As things stood, that box was already set up for a pump to be mounted in it. So, being a man of little imagination and even less moral fiber, I just went with the flow.

TheGreatleys · 05-29-2018, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slats

Newton would have thought so, but it never crossed my mind. Now that I think about it, some fabrication would have been required to run a drain tube from the bottom of the condensation collection box into the interior of the Tradewind. As things stood, that box was already set up for a pump to be mounted in it. So, being a man of little imagination and even less moral fiber, I just went with the flow.

The Penguin AC uses gravity and cups. I like the Coleman pump system a little better, since it moves the condensate with a little force whenever the compressor kicks on, which seems less likely to form a clog in the tube, and doesn't require double-gasket shenanigans. And if you're running the AC, it's not like the power draw of that little pump is anything you'd even notice.

dznf0g · 05-29-2018, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGreatleys

The Penguin AC uses gravity and cups. I like the Coleman pump system a little better, since it moves the condensate with a little force whenever the compressor kicks on, which seems less likely to form a clog in the tube, and doesn't require double-gasket shenanigans. And if you're running the AC, it's not like the power draw of that little pump is anything you'd even notice.

However, gravity hasn't failed.....yet. I've seen home condensate pumps fail. Not pretty.

TheGreatleys · 05-29-2018, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dznf0g

However, gravity hasn't failed.....yet. I've seen home condensate pumps fail. Not pretty.

That's exactly my point, though. A gravity system can fail. If there's no force behind it, only a slow drip through a tube, a clog can form more easily. How many Dometic penguin "my AC is dripping" threads are there on this forum? I recall the usual advise is to thread a wire in there and dislodge the clog.

I have no data on the comparative failure rates. The condensate pump just seems like a more robust solution to me. Personal preference.

dznf0g · 05-29-2018, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGreatleys

That's exactly my point, though. A gravity system can fail. If there's no force behind it, only a slow drip through a tube, a clog can form more easily. How many Dometic penguin "my AC is dripping" threads are there on this forum? I recall the usual advise is to thread a wire in there and dislodge the clog.

I have no data on the comparative failure rates. The condensate pump just seems like a more robust solution to me. Personal preference.

I hear ya. Maintenance, awareness, and mor maintenance. If ya dont like that, you got a wrong hobby and lifestyle.