Being a typical man I put some vents in for the fridge, but now after reading the installation manual I have found out that the vent’s are way to small. So off to the caravan shop to oder the right size vent’s as well as an extension for the flu so the hot air go’s straight out side. The post about putting the small vent’s Prep work for the new fridge. Not what to do !!!
Though’s vent just don’t make the grade.
Should have read the fridge fitting manual be for I started the job.
Time to make a mess & rip out the vent’s
So now is the time to start pulling the vents out, the only problem is I fitted them to well. This is not going to be fun at all, but lesson learnt and I’ll read every manual from now on.
Bugger I put them in to well.Sheet metal = cut fingersBottom hole cut to the new size.Four time’s as big.
Now that I’ve cut the bottom hole to size, next will be to bend up some sheet metal to fit in the gap so it will be waterproof again. This will be one pice at a time not like the first time when I made up the ducting in one pice.
New side duct work to make and fit.Top and bottom.Bottom pice in place.Nice outlook And the side’s in place too.That’s the bottom one gone.
The right size vents now
After fixing the bottom and top vent holes, now it’s only a matter of fitting the new right size vent covers. Now this was the best part as I know I’ve got it right this time!!
New vent base in place.Just fit’s in the hole.
Now to pope rivet it in to place.Just need to put on the coversNow for the top one.looking from inside.
Now for the top vent
F!#k this is not fun as the top vent is even a bigger pain to get out, as I had timber all the way around the vent hole.
This one was even harder to pull out than the bottom one.Why did I do such a good job.After grinding out the new hole in the fiberglass.now to make more ducting.All the part’s for the top duct.Happy day’sTop duct finished’now the gas fitter will be able to fit off the fridge.
Now that job is finish for the last time I think I need a drink. But lesson learnt I will always read the installation manual first before starting another job.
Finishing off behind the driver’s seat was only a small job, that had to be done. This meant that the driver’s side wall would be finished till I put the final cladding on later on sometime. This will also stop things hitting me in the back of the head later when I’m driving down the road.
Small wall behind the driver’s seat to build now.View from the back.Bottom panel in place.Makes a difference.We are just making it up as we go a long.Just some undercoat to finish it off for now.
Well that’s all for the front of the coach for now, I have some small job that have to be done now in the bathroom and kitchen.
Yes it is a dream, just a lot of work to get there. With the air-con fitted into place now I can finish off all the small bits still to go. So back out with the tape to mark out the next pice to be cut.
Now I’ll have to move the air-con pipes.Well that’s the air-com pipe’s in place
I have also covered the top of the driver side window above the pull down shad with insulation behind it, because the heat that comes off the window when the sun’s on that side make’s like not that nice.
The door side will look unfinished till the new door go’s in.
Now to cut more ply to fit into place across the front to finish off the bottom of the air-con housing. Making every measurement count as I don’t wont to stuff a pice of ply up.
I think I’ve cut it right.
The things you do by your self
Now all I have to do is get it into place, glue & screw it by myself as Charmaine’s at work.
BeforeAfter.Joy Joy Joy
Now to tidy up the little bit’s to finish it off across the bottom of the air-con.
Lot’s of small bit’s the fit into place.Somewhere to put the GPS, Two way and reversing camera screen.Should have lot’s of room for everything.
This will be covered later on and have a panel to fit the GPS, two-way and the reversing camera screen as well as anything that I think of later.
From outside.The hole is for access for running power and the air-con drain’s.
The drain for the air-com was fun to put into place. It needs to have a drain on both side’s because when your driving down the road and the coach sways from side to side the water go’s every wear. We found this out driving down the coast from Townsville, They was no problems in the outback because of the low humidity.
I ended up running the drain down through the middle windscreen support bar then through the floor so it will drain out on the ground below the driver’s seat.
Drivers side drain.Passenger side drain.Looking for somewhere to run the drain pipe.I will have to go through the floor.I had some fun running the pipe up the RHS tom the air-con.This will work.
Well that’s done thank goodness, even the drain works when your driving down the road.
After starting on the bedroom wall at the Bowen house sit, now at a house sit in Laidley Heights a year and a bit later it’s finally time to finish them. With the floor down and the front window in place, all that needs to be done is to cut the ply to length with the window cutouts. I’ve packed more insulation around the window with some 12v and 240v cables to go into place.
Four more panels to go.The walls are going up again.Just the NOT so much fun one to cut on this side now.This side’s not so bad to cut to size.Lots of wires everywhere.
I’m glad that all the wires have been tagged both ends, otherwise I’d have a hell of a time working out what I have put where. On the passenger side window I have painted some of it black as I’m covering some of it up. I will be putting in insulation where I had painted.
Screwing and glueing time again.Well that fitted like a glove, more ass than class.Good to see all the walls up.All done.Only one side painted as the other side of the coach has stuff everywhere.
Apart from where the new door will go in and around the driver’s seat all the wall panels are in place. We are still looking at different products to finish off the walls, but that will do for now.
I’m so glad, soon the whole floor through the coach will be flat. The front 1800mm of the floor slopes down 165mm, which means that I will have to build up the floor some how. That’s after I rip up the old floor, at least this will be the last time on my knees making a mess.
There’s a hole in the floor again.
As normal I’ve started ripping up the old floor and with head down ass up, I forgot to take photos again. This is after cleaning off the old glue and fixing the rust, then two coats of undercoat paint and three topcoats.
New sheet metal cover to go over the front passenger wheel.
I had a sheet metal workshop cut a sheet 2400mm x 1200mm x 1.2mm down to 2400mm x 950mm, then fold a 50mm lip down one side that will go up the inside wall. All I have to do is cut it to length and glue then using 5mm pop rivets fix it into place.
I forgot to take photos again.
Yes I know it’s been one of though’s days, I keep forgetting to take photo’s. As you can see I’ve fitted the sheet metal into place as well as the ply over top. From here on I’m going to mark out the floor level on the side wall’s and start lifting the floor up.
Levelling up the front floor.Just a bit of a step up.Screw, glue and onto the next one.
I need to pick my feet up as I’ve snapped the string line so many times.
this side done.
Nothing is ever straight forward, so I’ve had to plane every bit of timber that goes down. This side is a bit of over kill, but one big chair will be fitted here somewhere.
Both sides finished.
The driver’s side has a cut out area for the seat and down beside the wall the air-con pipes and power will run. I will have to make up some kind of cover for this later on. The next job is to set up for the step up onto the main floor level.
Need a new step too.With the floor lifted up this should help.
I had an idea about moving air around the coach, so with a fan out of an old floor heater I’ll be able to blow air down the back of the coach through the floor cavity.
Setting up for a fan to circulate air down to the back of the motorhome.Extra piece of ply down the middle.Some holes should do the job.
Later on I will have to make up a cover with vent to finish off this part of the job, but now it’s time to put down some floor sheets.
Second last sheet down.Some trim around the front.
There is always something more to think of, ….I’ve run some 12v cable for lighting up the stairs and to run the three stage fan. So after drilling lots of holes and pulling cables then putting in some insulation it’s time for the last sheet.
Insulation in place and some wires in for the lights for the steps.The last pice of flooring.
Let’s hope it fit’s.
Looking good.Wire in place for the three speed fan.Some where for the air-con and power to run down this side.
Next will be to finish off the wall to the drivers seat and on the other side up to the doorway.
