Removing the microwave in a 390 XL

[israndy]

I don't remember where I read it, but I believe that removing the microwave is a matter of removing the crown molding and then undoing the bolts on the sides from the cabinets and lowering.

My fear is that the place I know that from is the thread for the clipper:
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f313...ces-94770.html

Has anyone tried to remove the microwave on the newer unit? I am suffering a microwave that was damaged and then destroyed by the mechanics trying to fix it. I need a new one, but removing the old one is a good first step.

-Randy

[israndy]

So no one has had to do surgery on the Microwave? OK, I'll post how to do it when I figure it out.

-Randy

[Roadtoaster]

Randy, look for a post by me last year on this subject. I'm on my iPad and can't seem to attach the link. PM if you have more questions than my post answered.

[israndy]

Thanks Roadtoaster, in your other post you say:

removed the crown molding, the L shaped wood piece above the MW and the 3 screws that run between 2 pieces of aluminum angle on top of the MW.

and that the hint you were missing was:

remove the grease filters from beneath the MW, you will see a bolt head on each side. It is a long bolt that attaches to the rear hanging bracket and holds the front of the MW up. Loosen the bolt and the MW pivots down.

Yay, it let me upload a pic again!

I am looking at beginning the project, so remove the crown molding, I am looking at it, but do I just pry it off? Hate to use force if none is required.

-Randy

[Roadtoaster]

Yes, pry it off carefully. Mine was attached with finish nails from an air nailer so it came off easily. If I remember correctly, the L shaped wood is attached via screws through the cabinet on each side. I suggest you make a prop under the microwave before you begin loosening things. It's pretty heavy. By the way, you will not be impressed with the aluminum angle that is used to help support everything. Poorly done on mine so I had to make improvements. Not a difficult job. Good luck.

[Roadtoaster]

And a suggestion to take some of the strain off of the mounts after your repairs are completed. Before driving each day, I insert a prop under each front corner of the microwave. Made ithem out of 1/2 inch plastic conduit and crutch tips. Obviously, I remove them when parked. Not attractive but very effective.

[israndy]

OK, finally found a cheap, great microwave on the web.


Kitchen remodel, they were just gonna junk their 2 year old stainless steel KitchenAid KHMC1857BSS. Contractor sold it for them for a pittance, $150.


Old microwave before


Removing the crown molding can be done with your fingers, the finishing nails have no heads so the wood pulls off.


The screws are big, phillips #2, and tight, if you use the wrong driver it may strip. This view is looking down on the screws going into the slide wood.


The wood is held in with friction, so after it's unscrewed yank it and it comes down.


How do I rotate a photo that was already rotated? This is the piece removed.


Two L brackets are used to attach the MW at the top. Three screws hold the two brackets together. Just removing the screws released the MW, but it would not come down.


Eventually had to get my RV mechanic to figure out why I couldn't get it to come down. Turns out there is a diagonal bolt holding the MW to the back wall bracket. This view is looking up at the bottom where the bolt is unscrewed from.


The bracket is custom for the original microwave, when I tried to lift the new MW into place it was easily an inch to tall to fit.


After

To get a better view while removing I undid the cabinet interiors on either side. Don't bother. It's easy to get apart and probably easy to put back if you have a finish nail gun. But it only helped me realize I didn't need to take them apart. Don't do it.

If I have success putting the new microwave up I'll post about that too, but likely on the Skydeck thread.

-Randy

[PSchw]

Nice work looks complicated just to hang a microwave.
Peter

[israndy]

Still have not hung the new unit as the mirror is in the way. I originally thought I just needed the right mount, but I got the same mount with the microwave that the manufacturer sent me. It is simply a piece that mounts to the sheetrock. I am going to have to remove the mirrors as the old mount hung over them.



The original was offset from the wall with a piece of wood that was simply nailed up, all the support seemed to come from the large metal backplate that was attached to the wood to the wall. There was so little weight on the bracket hanging from the cabinets that when I remove the screws the microwave didn't move. Hope I can get the new microwave to hang well enough to drive down the road. I may have to drill thru the roof of the slide out to attach it securely.

-Randy

[israndy]

The metal plate the original microwave used is not compatible with the new one. I have been unable to find it's reciprocal. I finally decided to just build it. I cut some 3/4" ugly plywood in the shape of the old metal bracket and attached the wall bracket for the new unit. I don't have a good photo, but there was a piece of 1/2" plywood that the original bracket was attached thru to the wall. This allowed the microwave to stick out beyond the mirrors that are also attached to the wall. I used this piece under the newly installed mounting and I added a few screws to help hold it all to the wall.



Now came the hard part. This microwave had different top mount holes than the original. I had to attach it to the slide, but I didn't want to drill thru the slide as the heads would catch the slide out's gasket and let rain in. So I measured the place the aluminum angle bracket needed to be drilled to use the big microwave bolts and I reused the many small screws to pierce the skin of the microwave.



This left me with a strongly attached bracket, I then lifted the microwave into place (glad I am a 6 foot male, this could be a two person job). I then measured where the bracket ended up and I drilled holes in the new position and screwed (really hard) the other bracket into the top of the slide. It came with two 1 1/2" and two 1 1/4" screws that I reused. This REALLY held the bracket in place, not that I know what I drilled into, but I felt the drill break thru metal at one point. I checked the fiberglass after I screwed it down and there were no punctures on the top of the slide.

The officially hardest part was lining up the brackets. It would have been great if they just did line up, but I had reversed the one bracket to re-use one of the big holes from the original install, so the little holes that the screws go thru to hold the brackets together were no longer in line. I lifted the microwave into place and marked where the new holes should go and then drilled out those holes. If I had been smart I might have screwed the screws into the holes before lifting the microwave again...

It took all my energy to get the holes lined up and screw the screws down, but after 45 minutes I finally had it in place. Plugged it in and then went to microwave last nights left-overs as a reward. Oops!



Unlike the original microwave, this one has the hinge pin in the middle of the door and so when you open it the door extends half a door thickness into the cabinet area. I cannot open the door. Looking at the original photo of the new unit I see it was designed to protrude from the cabinets...

I had no more energy and I just gave up. I later found a piece of 2x3 lumber that I wasn't using and I cut pieces and added them to my sandwich of two plywood boards, just sheetrock screws holding them in place from both sides and then I re-screwed the original plywood board to the wall and re-attached my bracket holding piece to that. I feared this would give the microwave much leverage to pull the screws out of the wall, my only hope was that Airstream had put those screws into the metal of the wall.



I know this looks like the first photo, but if you look closely you'll see a longer tunnel going to the vent. Same steps as before, lifted microwave, measured for the bracket, drilled (with new bit this time, took 1/10th the time), screwed, aligned, attached, plugged into power.



Oh, and I cleaned the kitchen for the first time since this project started. I know Peter has had half a year of nights cooking in his kitchen since this started, but I have other things I am working on fixing in the RV and I am still a year and a half out from taking to the road. At least one more thing checked off my list.

I still have to put back the trim, but since the microwave moved forward I need to cut the trim piece from 6" to 4" and I didn't have a saw at the RV. I am also fearful that this will all come down when I go driving. If it does I'll have to get a microwave intended for RV mounting, like the original with it's metal bracket and diagonal bolts holding the unit in place, not just relying on the top brackets.

Hope this is all useful to the next guy that wants a new microwave in an old Airstream.

-Randy

[PSchw]

Hi Randy love your progress. Yes I glade my microwave/convection oven works well.
I am hanging out at Newport Dunes CA in the moment. I did replaced my front air conditioner with a new and bigger one finally. This haves me also a good look under the front cab extension where I did some cleaning and rearranging of the cables. Some of the dirt gets trapped because of extra cable AS is putting up there.


Was easier then I expected and after a few self inflicts problems I got it running with the new power supply board installed.
Still would like to see a Skydeck rally somehow somewhere.
Keep up the good work
Thanks
Peter

[israndy]

Wow, that makes it look very easy. I have to get to my AC and check the switches for the front furnace. Drilling out the rivets and removing the two water lines and the drain and the electrical connections it seems like I would have access. And here comes the end of winter. At least I got the AC fixed, too bad it was right at the end of summer, perhaps I can leave the furnace until we get closer to NEXT winter. I still have the important one in the bedroom. Maybe someone will tell me there is an easier fix by then. Or I will have time to learn how to rivet it back in place...

Southern Cal, you must need that AC even during the winter. I had to winterize the RVs and only now am putting water back in it has been that cold. I even have a shovel stored for getting snow off the roof. If you are not planning on coming up here but you are going to be in SoCal for a time I might need to come up with a reason to come down.

-Randy

[PSchw]

We gone be at Newport Dunes until 3/21 move the Jojoba Hill in Temecula until about 3/28 then we gone be around Lebec or so don't have a Park yet but want to go from there to the Reagan Library. Than work our way back to Midwest have an appointment with Mastertech in Indiana to reduce the roof.
So fare it was cool down her no need for AC I did run the heat pumps which work fine.
Peter

[israndy]

If you get plans on when you will be in Lebec I could try to get some vacation from work and fire up my beast and come take some photos while we are still on the same coast. Not that mine is much to write home about, but I hope to get it all fixed up over time. It would be a good outing.

-Randy

[PSchw]

We gone move tomorrow 3/25/16 to Mountain View RV Park in Santa Paula and we gone stay there for 5 nights.
Hope I see you there.
Peter

[israndy]

I tried to email you to keep this off the forum, but I have not heard back, I do have the next three days (starting today) off. Give a call or send a PM so I can head down there if you are around this weekend.

I would have sent this yesterday but I was busy in line for the Tesla III

-Randy

[PSchw]

Did not get a email we also moved on and on our way back toward Indiana to have my roof looked at.
Peter