Curved Supports for Benches - Fiberglass RV
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Old 05-03-2010, 09:02 PM   #1
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I tacked this question onto an earlier thread I started and I think it got lost, so I'm posting it separately. I have been studying Victor Benz' photos of his Fiber Stream renovation. I do not have the facilities and tools to make curved pieces of wood to support the front ends of the bench seats like he did. Does anyone have an alternative suggestion?

I'm not entirely sure yet that I will be removing the benches and replacing them, but if I do, I will need to do something to support that curve at the front. I can cut the curved top of the bench easily enough. It's just creating a support under it that I'm not sure about.
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Old 05-03-2010, 09:49 PM   #2
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Is there already some means of support glassed into the shell for the benches you have now? If so you can build upon that using strips of thin plywood and copious amounts of construction adhesive.

You can see the idea in this picture from my Boler modifications....I began by screw-and-gluing a 3-inch-wide strip of 1/4" plywood to the curved plywood ledge that held up the old fibreglass bench shell. After that set up for a day I began layering strips of 1/4" ply on both sides of the initial strip until I had a 1-inch thick curved support at the height I wanted. That was capped with some 5/8" plywood scibe-cut into the shape of the trailer shell and fit directly to the shell by cutting away the Ensolite. Copious construction adhesive! Once it all set up, it didn't budge. The bench top was made by finding the largest width and making a pattern out of cardboard, trial fitting it until it matched the curve of the cabin, then transferring it to 1/2" birch ply. The only tools were a jigsaw and a bunch of small C-clamps.
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Old 05-03-2010, 10:11 PM   #3
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I haven't looked under the front end yet to see what's holding it up now. I assumed it was some kind of curved wood like the setup that Victor made. I didn't think about supports being tabbed in to the fiberglass already. I should be able to get a closer look in a day or two. I'll take a photo or at least post a better description after I get under the bench in the front.
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Old 05-04-2010, 07:40 AM   #4
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I can cut the curved top of the bench easily enough. It's just creating a support under it that I'm not sure about.

Pam,

These are the original supports under my bench seats in the 1979 17 ft. Boler. Not pretty but they worked. Strips of 3/4 inch plywood fibreglassed to the wall.


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Old 05-04-2010, 09:05 AM   #5
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Pam,

These are the original supports under my bench seats in the 1979 17 ft. Boler. Not pretty but they worked. Strips of 3/4 inch plywood fibreglassed to the wall.

Wow, Kevin, did Boler ever skimp on the 17-footer. My '73 1300 has a hoop of 3/4" plywood surgically implanted in the fibreglass, all the way 'round the front, from the door to the kitchen cabinets. It formed an excellent jumping-off point for what I described above.
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Old 05-04-2010, 09:22 AM   #6
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Quote:
I haven't looked under the front end yet to see what's holding it up now. I assumed it was some kind of curved wood [b]like the setup that Victor made.
My Fiber Stream has a wood strip fiberglassed into the straight side of the bunk that stops at the curve. The curve itself was unsupported. I have a single vertical piece of 2x4 in the center of each curve screwed to the bench on top and sitting on the floor at the bottom, not fastened.
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Old 05-04-2010, 02:18 PM   #7
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I tacked this question onto an earlier thread I started and I think it got lost, so I'm posting it separately. I have been studying Victor Benz' photos of his Fiber Stream renovation. I do not have the facilities and tools to make curved pieces of wood to support the front ends of the bench seats like he did. Does anyone have an alternative suggestion?

I'm not entirely sure yet that I will be removing the benches and replacing them, but if I do, I will need to do something to support that curve at the front. I can cut the curved top of the bench easily enough. It's just creating a support under it that I'm not sure about.

To support the seats for my front dinette conversion I made frames out of cedar 2 x 1 using right angled brackets and plates, no carpentry required other than figuring out the dimensions and cutting the wood to length, then faced them with 1/4 ply.
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Old 05-04-2010, 02:27 PM   #8
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Thanks so much, everyone for the help. I still haven't had a chance to see what I've actually got under the hood, but Frederick, what you have sounds like something I can do if I need to.

Everyone has been so good about helping out with ideas, suggestions and photos. It's been a wonderful resource. And I am SO excited about renovating the Fiber Stream. Thank you, thank you.
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Old 05-04-2010, 08:42 PM   #9
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And I am SO excited about renovating the Fiber Stream. Thank you, thank you.
I'm copying this and the next posPamela,

I rebuilt the bunks in our Fiber Stream. I did not like the way the original ends were (not) supported so this is what I did. Not as fancy as Victor's work but is very sturdy when screwed together.

Bunk front with top: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/index.ph...st&id=32847

Bunk front, top supports: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/index.ph...st&id=32848 http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/index.ph...st&id=32849 http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/index.ph...st&id=32850

I made two support legs and connected them with rails to the frame and the wall support. Curved top sits on rails and is secured with screws.

Hope this helps , t from the other thread so that there is continuity...
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Old 05-04-2010, 08:46 PM   #10
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I am SO excited about renovating the Fiber Stream. Thank you, thank you.
From the other thread, for continuity:

I used 3M 77 spray adhesive. Any spray glue would work, 77 might be over-kill . The Refelctix is rigid and does not need much to keep it against the wall.

I used Reflectix under the benches, behind the fridge, under the kitchen counter and around the kitchen window, in the upper cabinets and the lower part of the closet. Where it would be visible (closet, kitchen and cabinets) I covered it with tempered masonite.

I covered the ceiling, bathroom and walls in the bunk area in ensolite and painted it with many coats of latex.

The trailer is really quiet and cooler in the heat , warmer in the cold .

Sometime in the next week or so I'll start a thread and post pictures and an explanation of our remodel.

Here's a short list of what was done:

New kitchen cabinets, counter and walls.
New overhead cabinets and doors.
New arched bulkhead and folding table.
New refrigerator cabinet including wiring for a Microwave and fridge fan.
Added 12V circuit to Fridge.
Replaced 2 burner cook top with 3 burner stove/oven/heater (original type of stove)
Replaced water heater
New bunks.
New floor.
New insulation as above.
New flooring in bathroom and cabinets.
Added 12V outlets.
New LED kitchen lights.
New cabinet by front door.
95% stainless screws outside, 80% inside.
New tires.
New spare tire cover.
New bumper.
Flipped axle for more ground clearance.
Strengthened frame with doubled tubing.
Painted interior, new curtains, etc.etc.etc.

Be glad to help if I can, just ask.
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Old 05-04-2010, 09:17 PM   #11
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I'll look forward to seeing what you did. I was thinking about adding Reflectix to the closet, too. Seems like a good idea to add SOMETHING since these Fiber Streams came without.
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