First the more.

The ends of the twins show some delamination.  I had enough 1/8″ oak left from doing the kitchen cabinet so I thought I do the ends of the twins.

Another thing that needed to be addressed is the streetside twin needs to be modified to allow full access to the TwinTemp underneath, as well as clearance for the drain into the grey tank.  This is actually taking a lot of rebuild work and tweaking.  Also the original staple construction has gotten loose over the last 46+ years.

Here you can see some of the delamination. 

Here it is with the new ends and set in place.  It still needs a few mods to allow TwinTemp access and I’m going to add a furnace duct out of the kick panel.

Even though it was too cold (around 55 degrees out), I decided to try and get the kitchen counter laminated.

Here is the counter with the contact cement dry and paint sticks in place.

Hitting it hard with the J-Roller as I pull one paint stick out at a time.

Here it is after using the router with the flush trim bit.  Worked pretty well.  I used a hair dryer on the curve to help get the laminate to bend around the curve.

Turned out well.  I’m please with it.  I just hope it holds up since it was cold out.  I put the finshed counter top in the house over night to aid in drying.

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Got some time in on the trailer today because of the holiday. 

I decided to get some work done on the kitchen cabinetry.  The original configuration had an oven and I am going with a drop in cooktop and a built in convection microwave below it.  There was also some delamination near the bottom.  I decided to try my hand at reskining the whole thing.

Here is a before shot.

After hours and hours of work it seemed like to get all that off to expose the basic frame.  Does that look like progress?!?! 🙂

One problem with this.  The orginal grain lines run up and down.  The 4’x8′ sheet of 1/8″ oak has the grain running up and down along the full length.  So the widest piece I can make with the grain running right is 48″.  You might say big deal, just run the grain length wise.  I would too, but since I am reusing the doors, they have the grain running vertical, I thought it would look weird.

So I ended up with a small seem and I lined it up where the cabinet doors meet.

Here is the finsihed product that still needs sanding and staining.  I also made a countertop but it was too cold to put the laminate on today.

I still need to buy the sink, cooktop, and microwave so I know what size for the cut outs.  I also eliminated the small storage door below the original oven.  I’m going to put a heater blower there.

I decided to make the countertop edge rounded to keep the point from being sharp.  I’ll have to see how the laminate forms around it.  Need a hot day…

 

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Last night I was able to figure out the problem with my camera.  Turned out the memory card was bad and you had to do some crazy reset on the camera with a new card.  Anyway its working.  ;-)  Garage door opener is still busted :-( 

Had a couple of hours to sneak in some work.  I was able to get the TwinTemp, mounted again.  I had to move it to fix the screen and change the mounting configuration.

I spent a couple of hours building *the box* for the TwinTemp.  The TwinTemp uses the air around the box for combustion air.  Kind of like a catalytic heater, or the space behind a propane fridge.  So you need to isolate the TwinTemp from the living space by means of an air tight box.  The plan is to build the box so it has enough air space within the box to function.  I’ve been working with the designer and was told 3/4″ – 1″ of space around the TwinTemp is sufficent.

Remember there is a fresh air intake through the floor of the trailer along with the power vent exhaust.  I put foam stripping around the rear edge of the TwinTemp and will mate the box up with that.  I figure I’m about 90% done with the box.  I need to do some fine tuning as well as get a way to secure it.  The box also needs to be removable for servicing.  Precision Temp is also going to provide some ceramic type of insulation to put inside the box as well.

So basically that was it for the day.  I’m going to have to try and get more done during the week some how.  This daylight savings being over is killing me….

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I had big plans today.   I was going to mount the grey tank, build *the box* for the TwinTemp, and do some cabinet work on the kitchen.  How’s 0 for 3 sound 🙁

First off, my digital camera broke 🙁 so I had to borrow my old one back from my dad.  Then the hole saw arbor broke drilling one of the cross member holes, not to mention how heavy the grey tank is trying to lift it myself.  Also I know why they call it a belly pan now, because my belly rubs against it while I’m sliding underneath about a thousand times :-(  Then at the end of the day my garage door opener broke.  Can’t open the garage door!  Great ending to the day 🙁

Anyway, that’s not why you’re here ;-)  This first photo is of the drain location from the kitchen into the top of the yet to be installed grey tank.

Here is the shot underneath of the grey tank cavity.  The one cross member was moved about 10 inches when I had my other welding done.  This gives me room for my 30″ grey tank.

Here is the hole I made just before the arbor broke 🙁

Here is a shot of the tank all prepped and ready to go in.  I put a rubber mat on the top of it for protection.

And finally here are the straps I fabricated to hold the tank up.  I got some rubber hoses to put over the straps. 

By the end of the day with nothing going well, this is as far as I could get.  I was too tired to hold the tank up myself so I just called it a day and will enlist some help later.

After I thought about it, its proably better that I did not get the tank in yet.  I’m getting a tank monitor from RV Gauge and it will be easier to mount the sensor with the tank out.

So much for my big Saturday plans!

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Today was a big day.  First thing I did was install the TwinTemp Jr.  It was a little scary because it needs an exhaust hole cut into the subfloor, an air intake through the subfloor and four bolt holes through the bottom of the floor as well.  All w/o hitting any frame members or blocking future tank or plumbing locations….  As it turns out two of the mounting bolts are in the grey tank cavity.  So if the TwinTemp ever has to be removed the grey tank will have to be dropped first :-(.

I started by measuring the vent locations and measuring the area I planned for the TwinTemp, from above and below where I had the belly pan pulled back.

Here is the bottom of the TwinTemp with the vent and air intake hole.

Next I used paper to create a quick template of the vent locations and drilled a small test pilot hole and ran a red wire through it so I could measue from below to make sure everything is free of frame members.

Everything looks good.  So the holes were cut and a screen was put in over the fresh air intake.  I then laid the twin temp in the spot to see how everything lined up and to outline the corners so I could fine the locations of the mounting bolts.

So here we go.  TwinTemp mounted! :-).  The system comes with rubber spacers that keep the TwinTemp elevated so the fresh air can circulate, and to cushion the unit.  What a relief to get this thing mounted.

The first photo of todays post showed that I had to totally remove the tub, vanity, and toilet and made the trailer a complete mess.  I needed to run a lot of wiring and plumbing behind the tub, vanity, and black tank.

I decided to run two #6 wires to get high current +12vdc back and forth to each side of the trailer, I still don’t know where the battery is going.  I also ran CATV wiring, speaker wiring, and CAT5 wire just to have it.  Also power for the TwinTemp power vent in the vanity.

The plumbing I needed to do was to get the TwinTemp furnace plumbing to the vanity as well as standard plumbing for the bath sink and toilet.  The red PEX is for the TwinTemp and the white PEX lines are for the vanity.  All lines were secured to the trailer wall.

Next an opening was made in the base of the vanity for a furnace vent.  The vents are like little radiators that hot antifreeze is pumped through.  Here are a couple of photos.  First the front.

 

And the back.  The muffin fans can be seen here.  They kick on when the TwinTemp thermostat calls for heat.

Here’s the bathroom more or less back together.  If you look at the bottom of the vanity you can see the hole cut for the power vent yet to be installed.

And finally an over view shot of the work today.

That’s it for today.  Tune in next time for more exciting Ambassador restoration! 😉

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Time to break out the aluminum again!

I needed to close up those openings on the inside with insulation and some aluminum paneling.  These will all be covered up by cabinets and won’t be seen when complete.

So the first thing was to get out the ol’ Harbor Freight shears and the aluminum from Air Parts Inc.

Here is the first opening, which is where the orginal gas heater was.  When I got the trailer that had been replaced with a 110VAC heater.

Add a little insulation…

Then of course, finally the new panel.

I needed to get this done because I intend to mount the TwinTemp right in front of it.  While I was making panels I also sheated over the other two openings in the kitchen.

There ya have it for todays work.  Tomorrow is the last day of daylight savings.  I don’t expect to be able to do too much after work from here on out during the work week unless I can confine it to the inside of the trailer.

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First off, I got the taillights back on.  These are now (knock on wood) leak free.

I also restored the license plate light even though its in the wrong spot since someone added the spare tire carrier and moved the license plate.  I thought of moving the light when I had the inside skin off during the floor repairs but did not do it.

I may yet find a better place for the spare tire and put the license plate where it should go.

I had a few more potential leak sources to check out.  The first of which are where some after market awning brackets were installed.  They used rather large screws.  My olympic rivets barely filled the holes.

Still need a rivet shaver….

Next up was removing the *eyebrow* fridge vent cover. I wanted to see what learked inside 🙂

Yes more wasps nests.  I have found tons of them in every conceivible hiding place.  I was able to dig these out.  Nice dry kindling for a fridge fire eh?  At this point I also blew out the chimney from the inside with the air compressor just for good measure.

Next it was time to add a screen and vulkem around the opening to keep it water tight.

Probably would not keep wasps out anyway, but it should keep other creatures of larger stature out.  Finally put it back together with the brow back on using pop rivets as original.  I dipped them in vulkem first and put a dab of parbond on the tops when done.

Here is what a restored 60’s fridge vent looks like.  Nice and clean and leak free.

Of course, I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to use it or not when I put in a modern fridge.  The original fridge only used the chimney to vent the combustible air out.  Modern fridges also vent out the heated air from the back of the fridge out the top to create the airflow that allows for cooling.  This small hole may not provide enough venting for a modern fridge.   If not, a new vent opening will have to be fabricated.

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Carrying on with my weatherproofing my airstream, I continued on around and removed the tail lights.

They were in very nice condition.  But I decided to go ahead and paint them up.

And polish behind them.  I really was not intending on do it but I thought I might as well.  Even though this clear coat is killer.

I used more of my favorite butyl tape to seal the mounted lamp bases back.  It’s so much easier than using vulkem to clean up.  And that it what was used originally.  I decided to keep the lenses off and try to polish them up with Nuvite to see how they come out.

In the middle of all of this, I also removed the CB antenna in the front.  I polished behind it, painted it, and mounted it back with butyl tape as well.

So we’re getting there.  I only need to repair the license plate lamp holder.  It has too short a wire to install it back.  So I will have to solder a wire to it before I mount it.  After that is mounted, the only leak holes I know about are about eight awning mounting holes.  Someone used rather large bolts to hold on an after market awning.  I’m not sure a Olympic rivet will fill the holes or not.  So, I’ll have to check that out, do a little vulkeming and parbonding around and hope for the best! 🙂

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I’m in the process of taking everything off the trailer that is mounted and seal it up again.  Turns out there are quite a few things to do.  Any everyone of them has had bad or dried up gaskets.  I guess 46 years in the Sun will do that.

Today I started on the water inlet on the front.  It’s a big mess.  Good thing I took it apart because it would have leaked like mad.

Here it is disassembled.

I decided to try and clean it up a bit and paint it.  I have no intention on using this again, but would rather avoid another patch.

Here it is installed again.  I was wondering what was supposed to hold the pipe in place.  The flange is screwed to the trailer but the pipe just flops around. Mine had a small strap around the pipe and screwed to the wall but it seems pretty whimpy.

A buddy on the forums explained that the pipe originally screwed directly into the metal tank that would have sat inside the trailer.  Of course mine was missing so I had no idea.

I also had no idea I put in back on upside down ;-)  That’s how it was when I took it off….. Oh well.  At least now it should not leak.  I put butyl tape behind the flange and put good amounts of Vulkem around the pipe inside the flange.  It’s pretty solid now, but I may look into a better way of securing it inside.

I also removed the original power inlet, and TV antenna wiring input and sealed behind them with the butyl tape.  All that’s left is the CB antenna, license plate light, and rear brake lights…

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Hard to believe that I’m trying to get ready for rain as its 85 degrees and sunny today.  But the weather turns on a dime around here so you never know.  Also today is the start of the last week of daylight savings time :-(.

I sealed the top of the main door gutter, I could see daylight through the seam.  I also removed the porch light and scraped off the old putty which was dryed out.  I added new putty, painted the heads of the screws and secured it back on the trailer.

I also decided to attack this little project.

The rusty old TV pole.  Its kinda neat actually.  Inside that rusty box in the middle is a gear that attaches to a crank inside. It functions as a nify rotor.  I had no idea if the seal was water tight behind this thing or not.  Plus I needed to deal with the rust.

So I took it all apart.  After fighting some rusty screws with the dremal and drill, I got it apart.

And it left this rusty mess on the trailer.

After completely disassembling it and painting what I could I got it back together.  Good thing I did this because the gasket between the rusty metal square and the trailer was completely wasted.  I replaced it with putty and vulkem across the top.

It’s all back together and working nicely.  Another project checked off the list.

We always use the cable TV connections at campgrounds, so I don’t think we’ll be needing the TV antenna anyway.  My plan now is to figure out how to use it to get better wifi into the trailer.  I have a nice high gain wifi antenna that could be mounted to this pole.  If I can figure out a way to get that hooked up inside the trailer that would be cool.  Only problem is the wifi card I have does not have an antenna input.  More to think about… 🙂

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