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10-13-2017, 05:15 PM
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#221
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Senior Member
Name: Gary
Trailer: UHaul CT13
Iowa
Posts: 312
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Kenny,
No problem. "Slow" would characterize my progress on our camper. Still too early to call it "completed"... but at least it's usable now. Sounds like you had similar damage to deal with that we did. In our case, there was a bumper-mounted spare on a stout steel-tubing vertical post...........when hit by the truck from the rear, the bumper rotated forward at the top, and the square tube slashed through the back glass and both outer & inner layer of f/g.
Thankfully, a Scamp backglass is close to the same size as the U-Haul's, so that took care of the window.........the rest was just a lot of f/g repair.
I think, too, that the vertical seams on the U-Haul made a nice place for the f/g to shear apart.........maybe saved us more extensive ripping & tearing elsewhere on the camper. ??
Gary
__________________
"You'd care less what people think of you if you knew how seldom they did." E Roosevelt
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10-14-2017, 10:50 AM
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#222
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Senior Member
Name: Steve
Trailer: Amerigo FG-16
North Carolina
Posts: 313
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Quote:
Originally Posted by groys02
Partial Paint Job... [ same info as on the U-Haul Facebook forum--repeated here for those of you who don't do Facebook]
Don't know if this is something to be all that proud of, but..............
[1] I really didn't want to have the camper head into another winter with her backside still in primer. And, [2] I also really didn't want to paint the whole thing right now.
Having "put the pieces back together" after the big truck smacked her... I got to thinking of puzzle-pieces... and decided to try making a puzzle-piece-pattern where the new paint met the original finish. Hoping that it looks more "whimsical" or "creative" than "half-a__ed". 🤔
Got the right rear corner outlined with tan pinstriping tape this morning... I'll try to get the left rear transition area taped this afternoon.
[ The left rear is painted now, too. I'm satisfied that it worked, to get the repaired areas sealed up... and to not have it look like I just painted it piecemeal... though, I kinda did. Good enough for now.]
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Very creative on the paint work & a well deserved "badge of honor" to your U-Haul with the journey it's been through!
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10-18-2017, 08:00 AM
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#223
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Senior Member
Name: Gary
Trailer: UHaul CT13
Iowa
Posts: 312
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Thanks, Steve.
Spent some time a few days back re-doing the counter area. Didn't feel any great need for either sink or original range, so just put a counter-top there. I had some surplus stainless steel that I was going to use, but mercy sakes that's nasty stuff to cut!
So I ended up using some 1/4" Plexiglass as a base, roughened up one side of it with 80g sandpaper, and cemented some Formica to it. Added some oak trim around the edges, and suddenly we had to go camping again. [cool nights, sunshine, and highs in low 70s all week]
We were going to visit a different state park than last time, but some old friends were interested in camping, too, and needed to stay close to home, so we're just up the road once again.......but the park's nice. [Ledges SP, south of Boone IA]
What's better than swapping stories with old friends around a campfire?
__________________
"You'd care less what people think of you if you knew how seldom they did." E Roosevelt
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10-18-2017, 09:44 AM
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#224
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Senior Member
Trailer: No Trailer Yet (want 13 ft fiber glass
Posts: 2,316
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Very nice job. Thanks for the pictutes.
Dave &Paula
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10-19-2017, 06:03 AM
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#225
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Senior Member
Name: bob
Trailer: Was A-Liner now 13f Scamp
Missouri
Posts: 3,209
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hey gary
gary when can I bring my scamp over for a redo? Sayin that you are a truly amazing artisan.
That is all I can say about you. Just amazin!!!
bob
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10-19-2017, 08:44 AM
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#226
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Senior Member
Name: Gary
Trailer: UHaul CT13
Iowa
Posts: 312
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Bob [and Dave & Paula],
Thanks for the kind words. Sometimes hard to differentiate between "inspiration" and just being too stubborn to accept reasonable limits on what can or should be tackled.
At this point in my life, if I can finish up the camper... and finish up my old car project... and create a tear-drop-type camper to match the car... before the arthritis in my hands clear hobbles me... I'll be a happy/grateful man.
keepin' on............Gary
__________________
"You'd care less what people think of you if you knew how seldom they did." E Roosevelt
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10-19-2017, 12:30 PM
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#227
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Senior Member
Name: bob
Trailer: Was A-Liner now 13f Scamp
Missouri
Posts: 3,209
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totaled
gary I have a friend in the car repair business. He gets cars sometimes I have to shake my head at.
give him a day the car is stripped the rivet gun comes out and the rebuilding starts!
he can do really amazing work with a rivet gun and some filler. Soon the car is ready for paint!
bob
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07-20-2018, 06:20 PM
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#228
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Senior Member
Name: Gary
Trailer: UHaul CT13
Iowa
Posts: 312
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Well-----long time, no posting. But, didn't do much of anything over the winter, and then we had the darndest spring.
Revisited the awning, and replaced last years nylon, stretchy tarp with a simple light-canvas painter's drop-cloth, with a bunch of tent water-proofing spray added for good measure. [ I think the tarp's 6x9]
Spring came way late, and stayed for a bit, and then it was early summer. We took the camper to a local park, but the buffalo gnats were so bad we only stayed a day! But, we liked the simpler tarp, and I had opted for some aluminum screw-jacks for leveling/support.....which we also liked.
More recently, cut a hole in the wall by where the stove used to be, and installed a 5000btu air-conditioner.....as a slide-out, sort-of. Slide it inside and set it on the floor for traveling, and swing down and pin shut the outside skin......swing that panel up in camp, and slide a/c back out. Seems to work fine, just testing it out at home. Camping for real, soon...........
__________________
"You'd care less what people think of you if you knew how seldom they did." E Roosevelt
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08-18-2018, 06:38 PM
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#229
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Senior Member
Name: Gary
Trailer: UHaul CT13
Iowa
Posts: 312
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More non-standard remodeling...
Since we took out the stove-top and sink... and then the original icebox... we've been thinking about how to better utilize that under-counter space.
[1] Enlarge the under-counter opening margins--open it up. Treated-wood "floor joists", and a 1/2" treated plywood floor.
[2] Ordered a more "upright" cooler, compared to the normal oblong sort. This can occupy the original icebox area, and I think be at least partially opened to snag a soft drink without needing to slide it out of its cubbyhole.
[3] To the left of that, then... below where the sink used to be... and where all the water hoses aren't any more... build in shelves. A short one up-top for plates & silverware trays, etc. And more substantial storage bins for non-refrigerated food-stuffs, or whatever else occurs to us as we use this arrangement for a while. [with the utility-hookup-basics left intact, and just notched around, should we ever want to put all that back into play]
'Just got it roughed in today. A little more fussing with the edges of things, and we hope to camp for several days next week. And if the description above didn't make good sense, hopefully the following pics will give you-all the idea..........
__________________
"You'd care less what people think of you if you knew how seldom they did." E Roosevelt
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08-19-2018, 09:01 AM
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#230
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Senior Member
Name: Diane
Trailer: Casita, previously u-haul ct13
Virginia
Posts: 1,020
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Oh Gary, I would be scared to death to do this. But with your other marvelous electrical updates, I can truly see the practicality of this revision. There was a lot to be desired in this original design. Have always wanted a place to put silverware and dry food. The upright cooler sounds good, What type are you getting? Great job with your design. and workmanship as always.
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08-19-2018, 12:15 PM
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#231
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Senior Member
Name: Gary
Trailer: UHaul CT13
Iowa
Posts: 312
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Thanks, Diane, for the kind words. You've been a regular encourager.
My wife Elaine found this upright cooler, and ordered it, from Amazon. Haven't actually received it yet, but laid out the space per the dimensions online. Just went on there, and downloaded a pic and some info...........
__________________
"You'd care less what people think of you if you knew how seldom they did." E Roosevelt
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08-19-2018, 03:15 PM
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#232
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Senior Member
Name: Diane
Trailer: Casita, previously u-haul ct13
Virginia
Posts: 1,020
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Coolers
Thanks for the info, I truly believe Igloo makes the best non yeti coolers. I have the rectangular 5 day cooler with wheels for 20 years now and it is my favorite. I did get tired of replacing the latch and hindges so this year I bought the stainless steel latch and 2 stainless jewelry box hindges. Still ticking after all the years.
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01-15-2019, 07:24 AM
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#233
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Senior Member
Name: Gary
Trailer: UHaul CT13
Iowa
Posts: 312
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Got the camper out from under wraps a few days back, and installed 2 new windows in the rear sides.
'Too frugal to spring for $500-each, custom made ones, so did what follows.
BTW, this is written up in somewhat greater detail on the Facebook U-Haul camper page..........
I bought a pair of 24W x 20H horse-trailer windows from an online source in Oregon... they arrived in central IA 2 days later, and well-packed. $281.85 for the pair, including s/h.
They had 4 vertical aluminum bars, to keep horses from readily breaking the glass, which I removed.
[ which left, then, some holes & scratches I'll have to touch up later]
They're a little too tall, as-is. I removed a total of 7/8" of fiberglass from the top & bottom of the window opening, and trimmed 3/8" from the top & bottom flanges of the window itself [ fine carbide blade in table saw] so it'd fit in the 'recessed' camper window location.
[ I used 3M windshield-setting polyurethane, rather than the butyl caulk, as there's only about 1/4" of overlap onto the trailer shell.]
Caveats: [1] This is more "customizing" than some would want to do, I know.
But I'd say it's doable--just kind of a "fussy" project.
[2] They're probably a lot more "utilitarian" than the custom windows people some folks have sourced. [ Motion Windows is one custom source] Not an issue for me, but might be for others. [certainly affordable, though]
Along the way, I had to deal with some "bow" in the rear, vertical edge of the window openings. Which tended to bow the window frame when I dry-installed it, and make it very hard to fully close the sliding window. The inside & outside f/g layers had come apart some--perhaps when the camper was rear-ended while with the PO's. I re-glued the separated areas [ 3M panel-bonding adhesive], while bracing the shell outwards from the inside to correct the "bow"... and then the windows closed freely.
Looking forward more to spring, now..........
__________________
"You'd care less what people think of you if you knew how seldom they did." E Roosevelt
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05-14-2019, 04:02 AM
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#234
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Senior Member
Name: Gary
Trailer: UHaul CT13
Iowa
Posts: 312
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In the interests of full disclosure:
A brief update on my replacement rear/side windows... they leak.
The left rear one leaks more than the right, and at least as much as the original U-Haul window did.
I think I can tweak them enough to eliminate it, but haven't yet, as I'm getting over carpal tunnel surgery on my right wrist/hand.
These came from a horse-trailer site, and were simple & affordable... I'm a little fearful that what would be insignificant leakage in a horse trailer is enough to be unacceptable in a camper. ( could it be that I screwed up?)
I should be back to normal activities in another week or so... I'll post again, on whether I can get a handle on the leakage..........
__________________
"You'd care less what people think of you if you knew how seldom they did." E Roosevelt
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05-19-2019, 04:48 AM
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#235
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Senior Member
Name: Gary
Trailer: UHaul CT13
Iowa
Posts: 312
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Further update on leakage:
[1] I think I've located the source of window leakage... for flexibility in where/how windows could be installed, they had weep-holes both top and bottom, and I didn't seal up the top ones. And on the driver's side window, there was a small gap where the main rubber seal between aluminum frame and glass didn't quite meet the vertical frame strip in mid-window.
I covered those 3 spots up with just electrical tape (temporary fix), and didn't get any more leakage in the rear of the camper during a recent rain.
[2] Checking for leakage in general, I found that the throw rug I'd tossed on the counter area was all wet, though... it would seem my AC hinged panel in the side of the camper isn't sealing well enough.
So I'm going to put some sort of drip rail across the top of the hinge, to divert water from the hinge itself, and from a small gap high on one side of that hinged panel.
So, progress............
__________________
"You'd care less what people think of you if you knew how seldom they did." E Roosevelt
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08-24-2019, 06:55 AM
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#236
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Senior Member
Name: Gary
Trailer: UHaul CT13
Iowa
Posts: 312
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'Realized just now that I haven't posted a few improvement steps on here... though I had over on the U-Haul FB page.
[1] Added rain gutters over the rear side-windows... and over the front door opening. Fabricated a gutter from some light aluminum angle to go over the A/C door, as rain had run in at the edges of the door. ( just diverting the rain flow out from those edges a half-inch basically stopped it coming in there... which was a pleasant surprise)
[2] And, added a .3" thick, perforated anti-fatigue mat under the cork sheet flooring material... and 3 stainless-steel soffit drains to slightly low spots in the floor. So that any water that did manage to come in could conceivably migrate to the additional drains, and on out.
Recent heavy rain didn't apparently cause any leakage. Gutters seem to have helped some, then... along with the fussing I did with the aftermarket windows I'd bought. Good enough.
__________________
"You'd care less what people think of you if you knew how seldom they did." E Roosevelt
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