It's all Stef's fault...

[wahoonc]

After reading Stef's and Ingrid's threads, it got me to thinking about what the floor under my kitchen couter REALLY looked like, so I got under there with a sharp point and found some small area's of rot, right where the door frame comes up against the edge of the cabinet, so....out come the kitchen, at this rate it will be a full monty It looks like the door leaked at some point or another along the hinge side but there is not an active leak there now. But NOW is the time to do it right. And I will be able to really scrub the walls down with my bleach, TSP and Hot water solution. Oh well at least it will be fixed right before I am done.

Aaron

[Silvertwinky]

I hope it's not as cold where you live as what it is here if you're working out of doors!
Right now it's 8°F in North East KY at 09:56 p.m.
__________________

[Over59]

Don't get the TSP on the Aluminum. If you look on the box it tells you no aluminum. I cann't believe you looked. Now see what you've done.

[Stefrobrts]

Don't blame me - it's something like the blind leading the blind! I'm wishing I hadn't looked too at this point, though the frame member coming out through the bellypan was getting hard to ignore! Personally, I'm taking a little break. A new videogame came out that I've been waiting all year for, so I've been glued to that all week. I hope I don't regret the week off come spring when the rallys are starting and the trailer isn't done yet!

BTW, I scrubbed my walls with 'softscrub with bleach' and a soft bristle brush - worked like a charm, almost no elbow grease required!

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

Don't blame me - it's something like the blind leading the blind! I'm wishing I hadn't looked too at this point, though the frame member coming out through the bellypan was getting hard to ignore! Personally, I'm taking a little break. A new videogame came out that I've been waiting all year for, so I've been glued to that all week. I hope I don't regret the week off come spring when the rallys are starting and the trailer isn't done yet!

BTW, I scrubbed my walls with 'softscrub with bleach' and a soft bristle brush - worked like a charm, almost no elbow grease required!

Might have to try the soft scrub. Actually the TSP I am using is a Non Phosphate version. Now is someone can tell me how Tri-Sodium Phosphate can be non phosphate....

Stef,
I know what you mean about missing rallies, I am hoping to make the VAC in Denver in early August. But I only get one weekend a month to work on the AS...if the weather will let me. And right now it is 18 degrees outside....not exactly what I call working weather!

Aaron

[eljay]

And right now it is 18 degrees outside....not exactly what I call working weather!

True, but in Va. Beach the odds are with you that you will have more weekends with warm temps to work in than I will have here in Missouri.

[Ken J]

I'm building cabinets inside since its too cold to work outside on the trailer - varnished beds and bulkheads yesterday in the garage, but am letting them dry in the house - now the whole house stinks!

Ken

[Stefrobrts]

I had no idea it got down to 18 degrees anywhere in NC! The more I hear about other parts of the country, the more I enjoy visting them and coming home again - today it's in the 50s and sunny, perfect weather for working on the trailer. Love that mild NW weather!

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

I had no idea it got down to 18 degrees anywhere in NC! The more I hear about other parts of the country, the more I enjoy visting them and coming home again - today it's in the 50s and sunny, perfect weather for working on the trailer. Love that mild NW weather!

Stef,
In the NC mountains it can get below zero on a regular basis. I am actually in Virginia Beach, VA about 3/4 mile in from the ocean and it got that cold last night. It is NOT NORMAL! Norms for here this time of year are 34/54 degrees. FWIW you live in a great part of the country. We did our honeymoon to Anacortes in December of 2000 and the weather was near perfect, and what was neat was you could see the snow on Mt Baker, but only needed a light jacket to be comfortable where we were. I would not mind living out there, but it would be one helluva commute.

Aaron

[Stefrobrts]

A few years ago I had a business trip to Hilton Head, so my hubby came along, and we got to see some of the sights, civil war stuff, old buildings (much older than we have out here), stuff like that. We were very impressed, and my husband has repeatedly said that is the only other place in the country he's been where he would like to live. A little humid for me though.

So, is your rot a 'cut it out and replace it' thing, or something rot-doctor could shore up for now? Even having stripped out the interior, I'm still trying to keep this little project from getting too out of control. Instead of a full-monty, I'm thinking of it more as several large patches that need to be replaced. If I take it like that, I think it will be less overwhelming than thinking of replacing the whole thing at once. When I'm done though, pretty much the entire front half of the floor will be replaced, at least around the edges, and inward enough to get good support.

[Edie]

Originally Posted by Ken J

...am letting them dry in the house - now the whole house stinks!

Try lighting a few candles. They seem to burn the volatile elements that are out gassing into the air.

[Ken J]

Edie

Thanks for the idea - I'll try it when I get home.

Ken

[wahoonc]

Stef,
The rear floor is defintely a cut out and replace, the front floor was a cut out and replace; that is the one that I did not know about The rot near the door is iffy but probably should be cut out and done right, I won't know for sure until I get the belly pan and wrap off and get a better look at the underside. I already have the entire front interior including the low wall panels out, the fridge is out and the stove top and sink are on the way out with the rest of the counter assembly All that leaves is the bath and the twin beds, and the bath's turn is coming

Aaron

[Stefrobrts]

I'm hoping I won't have to take off the bellypan, or at least I'm still warming up to the idea that I will eventually have to do it! Just not ready to take that step yet!

[wahoonc]

Hi all,
Posted a few pictures of the beginning of my front floor repair, more to follow Thery are at AirstreamPhotos Where else

Aaron

[eljay]

the beginning of my front floor repair, more to follow

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen I do believe he's going for the full monty!

[john hd]

c'mon!

when it gets that warm i start thinking about tuning up the lawn mower!

john

[Stefrobrts]

I'm surprised you were able to remove the floor in such large sections. I was thinking I would have to cut mine into smaller pieces than that. How did you cut through the bolts in the channel?

I'm really feeling chicken about digging in and cutting wood, but I'm eager to get this thing done. For one thing I'd like to have my garage back!

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

I'm surprised you were able to remove the floor in such large sections. I was thinking I would have to cut mine into smaller pieces than that. How did you cut through the bolts in the channel?

I'm really feeling chicken about digging in and cutting wood, but I'm eager to get this thing done. For one thing I'd like to have my garage back!

Stef,
The edges were rotten which made it come out easier, some of the bolts I was able to unbolt,(after hosing it down with Kroil) one of the main bolts was missing the others I cut off using a dremel tool with a cutting disc. Note: buy a bunch of discs! The main bolt that was missing had sheared at the channel level and the remainder had to be drilled then punched out. I am replacing all the removed bolts with stainless steel ones. I am not sure about your unit but mine has a splice plate at the first joint in the plywood. Fortunately the factory did a crappy job with the glue so that came apart pretty easily. I will see if I can get some better detail pictures up in the next couple of weeks. I am using a high grade wood glue when I put my splice plates back in along with ss screws.

Aaron

[Stefrobrts]

I'll look forward to seeing your progress.

Those dremel cutting discs are great. I went through a lot of them on the classic mustangs, even using them to cut open sheetmetal on the ends of the cowls to fix inaccessable rust in that area - a common rustang problem. Point is, those discs are amazing. The trick I found was not to try and force them through the metal you're cutting, but to let the disc cut through with very little pressure. It's a bit slower, but the discs last a lot longer. I also burned up two dremel tools by not letting them cool enough during the job (one off brand, one genuine). My husband teases me about it still, like I'm some kind of Dremel serial killer