Peanut lives on!

[bkahler]

Gee....no pressure....!

[bkahler]

We were going to tackle the rear quarter panel install this weekend until I realized I'm out of Tempro 635.* It's on order now so maybe next weekend



Ernie got the front grille polished and painted and I got the frame work done inside for the air conditioner support.

I tried to add more pictures but keep getting the following error:

"The webpage at http://www.airforums.com/forums/newa...anageattach&p= might be temporarily down or it may have moved permanently to a new web address."

This problem started last night and is still happening today so with that I'm giving up about trying to add anymore pictures

Brad

[bkahler]

[martin300662]

Originally Posted by bkahler

We were going to tackle the rear quarter panel install this weekend until I realized I'm out of Tempro 635.* It's on order now so maybe next weekend

Attachment 356820Attachment 356821Attachment 356822

Ernie got the front grille polished and painted and I got the frame work done inside for the air conditioner support.

I tried to add more pictures but keep getting the following error:

"The webpage at http://www.airforums.com/forums/newa...anageattach&p= might be temporarily down or it may have moved permanently to a new web address."

This problem started last night and is still happening today so with that I'm giving up about trying to add anymore pictures

Brad

Looking amazing Brad

Love the glimpse of the new wheels!

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by martin300662

Looking amazing Brad

Love the glimpse of the new wheels!

I tried uploading these earlier and they wouldn't take. I then tried resizing them and they went. Not sure why some pictures the same size will upload and others won't



The back wheels are off the ground because Ernie was greasing the driveshaft.

[bkahler]

Ernie and I did a test fit of the replacement panel and it seems to fit pretty good. There won't be any problem getting Tempro into the joints on each side but the top edge is really tight where it curves around to the back so I don't know that we'll be able to get any sealant into that joint.

How about you armchair quarterbacks out there, know of way to get sealant into that joint?

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by bkahler

Ernie and I did a test fit of the replacement panel and it seems to fit pretty good. There won't be any problem getting Tempro into the joints on each side but the top edge is really tight where it curves around to the back so I don't know that we'll be able to get any sealant into that joint.

How about you armchair quarterbacks out there, know of way to get sealant into that joint?

Attachment 356914Attachment 356915

start thinking like the Airstream factory, no sealant is just fine on anything that overlaps from the top down, haha. (I have proof) Seriously don't worry about that horizontal seam too much, put plenty of goo in the holes when you set the rivets and than seal the seam from the inside.
(PS, I would have Ernie carefully push on the panel after you have it in place and squeeze some tempro in there. Problem is, the stuff wants to set up, so no beer breaks. If you want more time, use seam tape on the verticals instead of tempro)
http://odmrv.com/catalog/index.php?m...roducts_id=919



Sitting back down in my chair...

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by PeterH-Airstreamer

start thinking like the Airstream factory, no sealant is just fine on anything that overlaps from the top down, haha. (I have proof) Seriously don't worry about that horizontal seam too much, put plenty of goo in the holes when you set the rivets and than seal the seam from the inside.
(PS, I would have Ernie carefully push on the panel after you have it in place and squeeze some tempro in there. Problem is, the stuff wants to set up, so no beer breaks. If you want more time, use seam tape on the verticals instead of tempro)
http://odmrv.com/catalog/index.php?m...roducts_id=919

Thanks for the tips. That seam is accessible from the inside so we'll deal with it that way.

Tempro should arrive today so possibly tomorrow we'll git er done....!

Sitting back down in my chair...

Don't get to comfortable, you've got your own problems to deal with in a few weeks!

[bkahler]

Today I installed the internal drain attachment to the new air conditioner prior to setting it in place over the opening in the roof. I may be overly picky but to me this is adapter is a real crappy design. The worst part of the design is it raised the air conditioner height by an 1" more above the roof.



Now that the adapter is in place and the air conditioner is sitting where it's supposed to we moved inside to do a trial fit of the interior panel. This is where ^&#($*) hit the fan

This air conditioner uses four long bolts to basically squeeze the top unit down on to the roof by compressing the gasket as you tighten the bolts. Things were going ok until the last bolt (it's always the last bolt) wouldn't thread into the hole

Within short order the nut itself stated spinning. After many colorful words were expressed by all we managed to get the screw back out. This led to various attempts at running a tap up through the nut. That was difficult to do because the nut kept spinning. Finally using water pump pliers to hold the nut in place I was able to run the through from the top down.

Now that the threads were fixed we were still left us with the problem of the nut spinning in place. I solved that by drilling a hole through the frame and at same time creating a dimple in the side of the nut. I then used a sheet metal screw through the hole and into the dimple. It's not pretty but it appears that it will work.

[PeterH-350LE]

sounds like a fun day on the farm. And then you got your trusted torque wrench out and tighten the bolts to the specified torque??? something like 6 or 7 inch pounds? The issue I had with that amount of tightening, is that non of the "outrigger" pads touched to roof, because of the curve of the roof.

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by PeterH-Airstreamer

sounds like a fun day on the farm. And then you got your trusted torque wrench out and tighten the bolts to the specified torque??? something like 6 or 7 inch pounds? The issue I had with that amount of tightening, is that non of the "outrigger" pads touched to roof, because of the curve of the roof.

Nope, not a fun day at all!

One of the reasons I beefed up the framing in the roof was so it would support the air conditioner and also allow me to torque those bolts to whatever was needed to get the gasket to squish properly.

That recommended 6 or 7 inch pounds torque setting is absurd and not one I think is appropriate

Here's a shot of what the drip pans look like and how exposed they are. It's pretty obvious they were added as an after thought to the design. Keep in mind this picture is with the nose of the air conditioner sitting off the roof about 1/2". It won't sit level until I torque the bolts.

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by bkahler

...

That recommended 6 or 7 inch pounds torque setting is absurd and not one I think is appropriate
....

Those bolts can easily handle 6-7 foot pounds. Ok, go ahead and asked me why I know that... Not that I suggest to do that, since you also have to consider the drain line and keep from compressing it. I personally do not like that design, the older duotherm units with the internal drip pan are a much better solution.

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by PeterH-Airstreamer

Those bolts can easily handle 6-7 foot pounds. Ok, go ahead and asked me why I know that... Not that I suggest to do that, since you also have to consider the drain line and keep from compressing it. I personally do not like that design, the older duotherm units with the internal drip pan are a much better solution.

Definitely a rinky dink design.

Panel is now installed, all that's left is to shave the rivets. Ernie will do that later this week. I like to let the Tempro set up for a few days before shaving them.




Brad

[martin300662]

Jeez.....

For my American cousins, the week between Christmas and the New Year is when the majority of Brits book their annual vacation. So we are sitting watching TV and the commercial break shows fly-drive vacations to California. Denise then says, 'oh I have never been to the West Coast; can we go on a fly-drive?'

If I only knew where there was an RV we could use next summer!

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by martin300662

Jeez.....

For my American cousins, the week between Christmas and the New Year is when the majority of Brits book their annual vacation. So we are sitting watching TV and the commercial break shows fly-drive vacations to California. Denise then says, 'oh I have never been to the West Coast; can we go on a fly-drive?'

If I only knew where there was an RV we could use next summer!

The only one I know of has no interior......at all.......

[martin300662]

Originally Posted by bkahler

The only one I know of has no interior......at all.......

Perfect description of an 'aluminium tent'!

But actually that would be the intention, pick half a dozen stops on route, stay in a hotel at each, but have some very basic facilities on-board for stops as we drive - more like a day van.

Biggest challenge is getting from KY to CA to start the drive.

That or buy yet another MH (this time complete and serviceable) to use on the trip and then export and sell when we are done!

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by martin300662

Perfect description of an 'aluminium tent'!

But actually that would be the intention, pick half a dozen stops on route, stay in a hotel at each, but have some very basic facilities on-board for stops as we drive - more like a day van.

Biggest challenge is getting from KY to CA to start the drive.

That or buy yet another MH (this time complete and serviceable) to use on the trip and then export and sell when we are done!

What'a another motorhome or two among friends.....

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by martin300662

......

That or buy yet another MH (this time complete and serviceable) to use on the trip and then export and sell when we are done!

Lol, Martin, I would like to see that in person. Sorry the 350 will not be ready any time soon, but once it is you would be welcome to use it for Texas hill country camp-out.

[Smartstream]

Well I do have a 280 diesel that needs to find a new home but I'm way up north on the west coast but some distance from Calif.

[martin300662]

So the interior layout change is now confirmed as 'do-able' mainly due the rear bunk only needing to be 5ft 6in (ie Denise being short) and the because there is no shower going back in.

However framing out where stuff will go highlights the over head bins are going (I have practically knocked them off the wall with my head anyway) and the current gaucho has to go to get the rest of the furnace flue out. Which means Peanut will be a blank canvas.







And yes, I will be sleeping on the sofa with the dog, nothing new there then!