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jcferguson · 11-16-2005, 12:16 PM

Snow in Iowa.

jcferguson · 11-23-2005, 04:27 PM

The cork floor is in, I cut up 12" tiles on a table saw, glued them down in a pattern and then it got very cold (7 degrees) just as I was about to put on the poly - I stacked hay bales around the base and put a space heater inside and another underneath and then kept the floor above 60 degrees. Then, when I finished, it got back up to 50 degrees outside.

I made a threshold for the door from 1/8 x 2" L stock aluminum, now I am working on trim for windows and fantastic vents.

uwe · 11-23-2005, 07:05 PM

Great job, Carlos. This is good stuff!
Happy Thanksgiving!

jcferguson · 11-23-2005, 07:14 PM

Thanks Uwe, same to you.

Carlos

flyfshr · 11-23-2005, 08:02 PM

I think the designers at the factory should see what you've been up to. It's outstanding! I'd really like to see it in person.

Brad
FF

jcferguson · 11-24-2005, 01:57 PM

Window trimming is slow work. I would like to figure a way to avoid the cut in the side pieces that allows the trim to follow the curve of the trailer, but unless I make a separate fillet for each piece to bring the trailer curve to flat I suppose this will do. At least on most windows they will be covered, more or less, by the window crank. They look industrial, which I do like. Maybe when I get going it will go a little faster, all the sides of the windows are the same dimensions.

uwe · 11-24-2005, 02:52 PM

Carlos,
All my windows have flat sides to them on the inside. There is a piece of c-channel right next to the window, between the inner and outer skin, usually held in place with the same rivets that hold the interior window frame. I think it looks nice, especially since the glass for our trailers has no curve to it. It does not seem to distort the inner skin in any way.
Why don't you keep the frames flat, see what it looks like? I would not like the cut being visible if this was my project.
I agree, the industrial look against the visually very soft wood is very attractive.
Alternatively, you could cut little triagular shaped fillers and clean up the edges real nice, then rivet them over the slot to cover the gap.

jcferguson · 11-24-2005, 04:26 PM

Uwe,

On most of my windows a rib is the nearest supporting member - with a space of 2 or 3 inches where the skin "floats" next to the window. The trim is rivetted to this floating skin and it sort of anchors things together. The skin is relatively strong in these places because of the nearby rib.

The rib, however, is curved and so the skin has a bit of a curve to it as well. The original trim was split in two places top and bottom - this allowed the trip to conform. I thought about just putting a flat straight piece in and hoping the bend would be split between the skin and trim... I will try this tomorrow and see how it looks. It sounds like this is how your trailer trim is put together?

I think it is a choice between rivetting the trim until it conforms (which involves some scrunching and bending of the strim) or cutting and rivetting (no scrunching, but visible cut). Dang these organic shaped trailers!

I also might try the "cut cover" you suggest and see if it looks any better.

Thanks for the advice. If you have any pics of your trim handy, would you mind posting them? If not, next time you take pictures...

Thanks,

Carlos

uwe · 11-24-2005, 06:42 PM

Carlos,
I e-mailed you some pictures with my window frames in them.

jcferguson · 11-24-2005, 06:49 PM

I think Uwe's second idea works well. I tried to put a straight piece of trim in (with no cut) but the curve was too great. Instead I will cover the cuts with a small piece of metal. When everything is together I think they will look ok - more industrial still...

uwe · 11-24-2005, 06:52 PM

I think that looks sharp.

malconium · 11-28-2005, 12:38 PM

Carlos,

Somehow I managed to entirely miss this thread until today. Your use of the plywood looks very nice. I can not imagine that there would be any structural problems with this approach given the shorter length of your trailer, all the extra re-enforcement you did to the frame, the use of the thicker extrior skins and the much larger number of rivets you used. Your enterior looks very warm and inviting with all the wood.

I am very tempted to consider using the type of mini wood stove you are using. It is a really neat looking little stove. I still think that I want to do the radiant heat in the floor though but I am still going to think about it.

I hope to get back to doing some work on my interior - maybe even some today. I am putting my aluminum skins back in and I have both the ends with the end caps back in place. I am glad to hear that the foil insulation is working so well for you. I have been very happy with the part that I have installed so far. I do think that it takes longer to install than fiberglass would but I very much like the results. I decided to put my wires on the inside of the foil as well. Did you do anything in particular to anchor the wires so they would not flop around?

Malcolm

jcferguson · 11-28-2005, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malconium

Carlos,
Did you do anything in particular to anchor the wires so they would not flop around?

Malcolm

Malcolm,

I used some of the foil tape to stick the wires in position. I think this means I won't be able to fish any wire later but the chances of that working anyway seem so slim that I am not worrying about it. I just stuck a bit of the tape over the wire anyplace that it seemed droopy.

You can see in an earlier picture that the snow melted off the top only where the ribs connected (this despite my cork spacers). I think this means the insulation is working pretty well - it was pretty warm inside the trailer and pretty cold outside when I took the picture. It's fun to be in a warm trailer when it is snowing, I can't wait to get the stove in - hopefully this week.

Carlos

jcferguson · 11-29-2005, 03:14 PM

The window trim is in. Next is a trim ring for the stovepipe and installation of the shore power jack and the trailer umbilical jack.

Then I suppose I will have to start building.

A-Merry-Can · 11-29-2005, 04:46 PM

looks like i have some catching up to do! ha! looks awesome, man! REALLY nice!

jordan

squrlgurl · 11-29-2005, 09:35 PM

I kinda like it like it is now....a futon and a candle on the middle and you have a zen thing happening

Awesome job and interesting thread!

-Tracey

jcferguson · 11-30-2005, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squrlgurl

I kinda like it like it is now....a futon and a candle on the middle and you have a zen thing happening

Awesome job and interesting thread!

-Tracey

Just before I read this I was considering moving my futon from my minivan (which is more creepy than zen) into the airstream so that I could be warmer at night. It's been about 20 degrees here. I might wait until I get the stove in though, then I won't need the candle... Incense though, that would zen it out, huh? And it might cover the slight smell of poly, construction adhesive, seam sealer...

Today I trimmed the woodstove exit - first with a donut shaped piece of aluminum rivetted to the skin to reflect heat, then with a wave shaped piece of metal that I fit to the roof - it is mounted on the tabs you can see in the picture below. The surrounding area between the skins is filled with fiberglass insulation to create a big buffer between my meltable foil bubble insulation and the stovepipe. I think this will work well, but if it gets too hot up there when I get the stove in I can rework it to create more buffer.

jcferguson · 11-30-2005, 03:47 PM

The electrical jack is in, near the front so that all my electric wires can be in the same spot. The jack is just long enough to extend through the wall to the otherside - underneath the doorside dinette.

The trailer umbilical will plug in just below the electric jack.

A-Merry-Can · 12-11-2005, 03:48 PM

looking good, man! i'm hoping to be wiring stuff here this winter. i just finished putting the wheel well trim on, via your method... i'm very pleased with the results. see what you think. i ran the trim pieces completely under the trailer body. That was a bit tricky, but worth it i think.

jordan

malconium · 12-12-2005, 06:03 PM

Are you guys maybe working way to hard on your wheel well trim? Maybe the way you guys did it is an AS purist thing but I found a way that is far easier.

For my wheel well trim I used door edge molding that I found at an auto supply store. This stuff may not be as tough as aluminum (maybe it is though) but it was definitely very easy to install and looks great. It would be a cinch to re-install too if it ever needs replacement. It is basically U-shaped and has a little bead of adhesive in the bottom of the U that is activated by taping the trim into place with a rubber mallet.

As I said I bought mine at an auto parts store locally but it looks like some of the products on the following website. Mine came with about 30' in a package I think.

http://trimlok.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=21

What do you think?

Malcolm