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Old 07-15-2019, 03:52 AM   #81
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1978 31' Sovereign
Cold Lake , Alberta
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The black-stainless wraps look great... So much so that I might have to steal your idea!

Also loving the systems monitor! As a giant nerd myself, I approve!

Fantastic work so far!
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Old 10-01-2019, 10:11 PM   #82
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What brand of monitor is that, I want one.
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Old 10-02-2019, 12:49 AM   #83
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Quote:
Originally Posted by andymeyer View Post
Been terrible about updating here, but here goes...



Rear end is bolted together. 1/8” Al angle sandwiched between c channel and sub floor. Had it bent to 80 degrees which was about perfect. Put 3/32” plates in c channel to distribute the bolt load. The rear end seems solid now. Hopefully I didn’t just move the stresses to a bad spot. Still need to rivet the rear skin back on, but it appears in good shape.



Fresh tank is in place - side bolts holding it in. Put XPS insulation under / around with a wrap of the foil bubble wrap to seal it up a bit better. Going all PEX for the new plumbing. Any problems going all sharkbite?



Tank monitoring... I’m an Arduino / Raspberry Pi geek. Built up a capacitive tank monitoring system... big copper foil pads on each tank. Now to see if it works as well as my experiment. An Arduino pings the tank and then measures the voltage response on an analog line. Spits the data across USB to a Raspberry Pi running a python program to display tank, pressure, voltage, current and temperature data. All displayed on a 7” touchscreen.



Most of the insulation is in... Roxul rock wool. Layers split in half. Making new sections of wall where ours were too torn up. I can get 4x10 sheets of 0.032 locally. Trying to figure out where my holes for wiring exits are...



Belly is covered in 2” XPS. Probably overkill, but... debating on squirt foam sealing every gap to preclude bug intrusion, but also worried about trapping water. Thoughts? Think we can salvage the belly pans. Not sure whether to salvage the rub strips or replace with new. I’ll have to see how ours clean up. Scotchbrite?



Also replacing all of the bananas... Do I go to 0.032 , or stick with the 0.025”?

We got all new ABS corners for the corner panels. Any tricks for rolling the banana aluminum to shape?



New waste valves are coming together. Got a new Valterra T with 2 valves. Need to slightly turn down some 3” PVC to fit in my tanks... doesn’t quite slide in. Any other suggestions on how better to do this?



Replacing all of my exterior lighting with LED. Need to do a full checkout before the walls are sealed up.



Two new MAXXFans installed and working. Debating whether we still need the center vent near the kitchen... it’s worn and I don’t have any nice trim to salvage for it... it could’ve be sealed up and left covered in case I want it later.



All ( I think) electrical is in place for now except for stubbing in the solar for the future. Just need to run the thermostat wires and USB. Going with an AC / Microwave select switch.



That’s about it for now, I’ll try to update more soon.


Can I get the pie code and parts used for that?
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Old 10-06-2019, 08:53 PM   #84
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Shadeemry

Yes - let me know where to send it or I'll set up a google share for it.

It's the standard Raspberry Pi 3B+ with the official 7" screen.
I still need to get all of the IO working, but the UI is pretty much done and has most of the hooks for the IO. Just need to actually load the variables from the hardware.
Plan for the IO was a 900MHz radio to transmit data to/from it for the electrical, a USB cable for the tank info, and I've got a relay shield for the thermostat, water pump, etc...
Only from for the electrical is the inverter on / off.

Any other ideas to make this better would be greatly appreciated - we are totally new to RVing - we rented on once from the Air Force MWR, parked it for a few days, then brought it back - 8 years ago when my oldest was 2 weeks old and we went to Oshkosh.

Still learning a TON!

Andy
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Old 10-13-2019, 09:42 AM   #85
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Making progress...
Got the street side forward banana panels installed and all of the front belly pan riveted in. Hopefully I can cut and drill the gas line holes while those are installed or I'm in for a headache. That's one of the next things (furnace) since it's cooling off around here. Also going to install the fridge.
The rest of the interior side walls are in except for the top center section which will be a slightly suspended strip with backlighting and likely be make to match our floor. Getting the insulation in (silver bubble wrap). Also the curb side middle section - a bit of wiring to do there,then the 3d printed switch plates to install.
Finally settled on two twin beds in back. Gotta keep the bride happy - she wants to be able to stand in our bedroom - wants that more than me next to her all night. Plan is to build those out of 2x2 framing. Drawers underneath (I think we can get 5 pretty big ones in there.) What are folks doing for mattresses - especially with the curved corners on the narrower trailers? Anyone have a Purple brand mattress - thoughts?
Once the frames are done back there, we'll start on the bathroom and the curbside bed/cabinets and the front wrap around.
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Old 10-13-2019, 05:59 PM   #86
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Our 86 Limited twin has Airstream supplied mattresses that fit the curve. There is a night stand between them. They are innerspring mattresses. We think replacements would have to be custom made. Or Airstream dealers may know where to get them.

What we did in the Overlander was to buy 6" high quality foam and cut it to the length and width we wanted. Then we added 2" of memory foam on top of them, and a good mattress cover around the whole mess. They are very comfortable in my view.

I would go foam instead of innerspring.

David
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Old 10-14-2019, 06:44 AM   #87
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If you go with making your own custom mattress, you can use one of those electric meat carving knives to cut the foam. It's about $13 or so on Amazon
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Old 10-14-2019, 07:12 PM   #88
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The electric carving knife is what we used. Works on foam and turkeys. David
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Old 10-14-2019, 09:37 PM   #89
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While ikea sells mostly junk, they do have really good deals on decent mattresses. I got a double bed split foam mattress for one of their folding beds. Really good quality thick foam and I believe I paid +/- $100 for what worked out to be two beds. I cut them to fit my silver streak with the aforementioned turkey carving knife, which is a staple of scenic artists in the film business for foam carving intricate sets.

Ian
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Old 10-18-2019, 06:19 AM   #90
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New Smyrna Beach , Florida
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Hi Andy

Following your progress and impressed with the high tech touches you’ve added to your project. You’re a few steps ahead of me, so it has been fun to get your take on challenges you’re encountering.

You mentioned briefly your insulation, but could you give a little detail. I have that decision in front of me and would appreciate your thoughts.

Bill
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Old 10-19-2019, 03:05 PM   #91
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Andy

I was researching vista view windows in another section and ran across your post there about issues you were having with them.

What was your ultimate fix?
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Old 10-21-2019, 11:23 AM   #92
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Bill,
I knocked out the interior glass and cleaned everything up the best I could. I got some "insulation saver" 1/2" OD from the Airstream section of Lowes and wrapped that in a vinyl like fabric. I made lengths of this long enough to go all of the way around the window. I then went outside and put a thin bead of vulkem on the outermost 1/4" of the window, went inside and pressed the window up and inserted the foam/fabric tube between the seal and the glass. I went back out and put a nice smooth bead of vulkem over the seal and made sure the bottom edge sloped away so that water wouldn't sit there. Only issue I've had is the foam / fabric tube shrunk a bit. I'll remake them and make them extra long and stuff them in with some slack. I got this idea from someone on here, but I'm on my phone writing this...

Insulation is RockWool from the same Airstream section at Lowes. 3.5" thick Batts split in half then cut to fit. 3M super77 sprayed on the outer skin and press the batt into place. Get an interior wall on within a day on the uppers or they will sag and fall. Our top center strip between the longerons will be several layers of silver bubble wrap.

Ian, Suzy, David, thanks for the info on mattresses. Can't wait to have parts of this thing looking finished.

Got to get the controls for the user interface working soon, along with gas lines so I have heat before it gets cold...
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Old 01-21-2020, 09:05 PM   #93
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1978 31' Sovereign
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Haven't posted in a while - everything else in life has been taking priority, but some work has been done...

Pi controller is coming along. Almost ready to install - then final tweaking of software for basic operation...

Rear bed frames are build - trying to get the painting method right - gloss white is what my bride wants. Got some consulting today and we are priming with a water based primer, flat latex with some flotrol, then a water based poly over that. Hopefully that gives us the gloss sheen we're looking for. We went with two twins in the rear.

Heater is in and working right now. Need to get the propane tanks re-certed once I empty them while working out there. Fridge is in, but no gas to it yet - just need to run the line across and forward and up to the fridge.

Door glass is almost fixed - the inner pane was knocked out, film removed, and I've got to put the beading in to hold the outer pane in place. I'm replacing the door inner panels as the door needs a bit more curve to close tight. Drill / rivet with a come-a-long strap around the door is the plan, unless there's a better way to add a bit more curve to the door. Then, need to 3D print a frame that goes from the door inner skin to the window frame. Need to do the same for the sky-view windows as well.

Just ordered the flooring - Coretec laminate in a dark oak. That'll also go down the center two feet of the roof. Holes for the lighting cut into that as well.

About to dive in on the front horseshoe couch frames. Once those are in, I can permanently mount the electrical components and hook up the front arduino for all of the power monitoring, the inverter, etc... The inverter will be on two relays controlled by the center module. One to turn on the inverter, and once power is good, switch the house circuits (most of the 120V outlets) to inverter power. Fridge, converter, battery charger, and a couple of others won't be able to be powered by the inverter.

Any thoughts on the best way to attach plywood walls to the aluminum side walls? Plan was Al angle or U channel riveted to the Al wall, then the plywood wall screwed into the angle. Any better way to do this?

I'll work on getting some pics once we have the beds painted and installed...
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Old 01-21-2020, 09:20 PM   #94
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Andy, can you use an ‘F’ channel from VTS to connect the wall panels to the aluminum skin? Great progress and good luck.
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Old 01-23-2020, 10:29 AM   #95
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The F channel doesn't bend well. I ended up kerfing the channel to get it to lay flat on the skin. Some won't like the look. I spaced them 3/4", but I think you can go wider. Mine were very flexible. Over did it as usual.

Click image for larger version

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The gap in the channel is for a corner shelf that attaches to the outside wall and the partition.

In DDickey's I Love Lucy thread he talks about the issues of bending the F channel. HiHoAgRV responded saying he used a die to shape his, but still had issues. If you anneal the extrusion to soften it up I think the die would work much easier.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f44/...-150509-9.html

However you approach this issue it is labor intensive. Good luck
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Old 01-23-2020, 11:03 AM   #96
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Originally Posted by 57Vintage View Post
The F channel doesn't bend well. I ended up kerfing the channel to get it to lay flat on the skin. Some won't like the look. I spaced them 3/4", but I think you can go wider. Mine were very flexible. Over did it as usual.

Attachment 359738 Attachment 359737

The gap in the channel is for a corner shelf that attaches to the outside wall and the partition.

In DDickey's I Love Lucy thread he talks about the issues of bending the F channel. HiHoAgRV responded saying he used a die to shape his, but still had issues. If you anneal the extrusion to soften it up I think the die would work much easier.



http://www.airforums.com/forums/f44/...-150509-9.html

However you approach this issue it is labor intensive. Good luck
Harold, I agree that the F-channel is a PIA to bend and have lay flat against the skin. I used 3/8” plywood for the bulkheads and used a dado to cut it down to 1/4” to fit into the channel. We were able to use the bulkhead as a template to carefully bend the channel. The concern was making sure shaping did not distort the flat against the wall. Anyway, we were able to gently tap the channel around the template with a rubber mallet. I have a picture of that on page 11, and 207 post. Again, it’s a PIA and slow. If you go to Pismo this year we’ll discuss.
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Old 01-26-2020, 02:02 PM   #97
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I just used the smallest L-brackets that I could find, then finished off the edge with a bead of Big Stretch caulk. Worked just fine! One thing to remember, the bulkheads are supported by other walls, cabinets, furniture, etc. I also designed in edge support with hardwood (cherry) 1 X 2s that got the L-bracket treatment top and bottom.

Now if I were to want something more structural, and maybe a bit of a detail rather than plywood to inner skin... I would cut 1/8" ply into 1/2" strips across the bendiest axis. These strips would be layered 2-4 deep and glued up together to the curve of the wall. I'd probably use PL Prem + Fast Grab, as that is my current fav adhesive. They would be "clamped" in place with whatever long straight pieces were handy: 2X4s, brooms, garden tools, skis, whatever. When dry, all that rigmarole is put back in the shed, the pieces cleaned up, and attached with rivets. Or maybe do a round-over with the router table first? Glue them in place?

My thought is that you want a least a bit of flexibility, so that if there is an extreme wobble going down the road, the panel flexes or moves rather than the exterior crinkling. Airstream uses those channels to account for the vagaries in actual trailer dimensions so that the framing guys don't have to speak to the interior panel guys on every trailer. Us craftsmen-types smirk at them, and turn up our noses at such behavior!
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Old 03-08-2020, 07:58 AM   #98
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Made some progress on her over the past few weekends...

Got some of the interior walls cot to shape. Salvaged almost all of my old F-channel - not sure if I'll need to get any new.

We are STRUGGLING to get a gloss finish on our cabinets and benches and beds. I am not sure if I could paint an asphalt driveway black at times. But, the beds and the front couch / wrap around is all built. Need to install hinges on all of the lids still.

Starting on plumbing as well. That should be pretty quick. Need to refactor the grey water drain / vent pipe. All of the runs are dead horizontal. Gonna make them run slightly downhill while I get the fit right and most a few locations (sinks). PEX for the main water lines.

Electronics are almost complete. I am waiting on a couple of circuit boards to connect to the Raspberry Pi monitor. I'm going to wire USB to both the front (power measurement) PCBA and to the rear (Tanks and shore power) PCBA. Easier / more reliable than LoRa radio.

It's fun again since it looks like things are actually happening.
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Old 03-08-2020, 08:14 AM   #99
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Okay - questions on water system...

Why the bypass on the water heater? Is that needed and why? I'll have a check valve to ensure water goes into the heater only and doesn't flow back to the cold system.

My freshwater tank has a port for filling from a hose. Is it useful to have valves to fill the tank from the city water connection to the city water line?

Backflow prevention from the toilet sprayer? What's everyone using for this? Hate for water to backflow from that thing?

How do you keep an outside spigot from freezing risk? I'd love to have a spigot on the back for a hose for washing feet, etc... How on cold days do I keep that from freezing?

Thanks in advance!

Andy
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Old 03-08-2020, 09:24 AM   #100
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I can answer 2 questions:
Bypass on the water heater is there for when you winterize. You don't want to completely fill the water heater with antifreeze because that could (and will) be gallons and gallons. So after you drain and blow the system, you bypass the water heater before you put antifreeze in. There's varying opinions on whether you need to use antifreeze. We tried just blowing the system once, and replaced the water pump in the following spring. But, we're more in the frozen north than you...
Our toilet sprayer came with vacuum break/backflow prevention, so you might have it and not realize it.
Can't speak for filling from city water, or keeping spigots from freezing, although hubby says just don't get into cold weather on that one.

Kay
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