Rebuild--rear-ended Uhaul CT13

[groys02]

Mike---I am looking forward to boondocking with the camper! We used to spend a week or so every summer at one of 3 NFS campgrounds near Twin Lakes, CO. They were very nice---but no electric. This camper would make it a more pleasant visit.

Thanks, Diane.

Yes, the panel has a cover. It's very similar to the one in this link:
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Syst...e%2Bpanel&th=1

"Almost finished"? Now, that seems hard to believe. 'Bout ready to take a rest from the building for a while, though.

[groys02]

12V system just about wrapped up. Over the last 2-3 days, went ahead and removed the old rooftop fan [was starting to squeak intermittently] and replace with new, base-level Fan-Tastic unit... Then hooked up remaining 12V outlights & lights to fuse panel in closet.

Only real challenge was getting a 12V line over the top of the camper to the area above the sink... I didn't want the wires to show, and I didn't want to go down through the floor and back up again. So I chased that cord alongside the power coming into the new fan... through the fan housing... under the 4" or so of carpet on the ceiling... through an added 5/16" hole at the outboard edge of the carpet... between inner & outer f/g shells, and down to 12V outlets. [this took 2-3 hours, the one fishing-of-wires thing... plus a prybar wedged up between the layers, and a make-do wire-fishing wire]
I used 14ga stranded speaker wire for the various light-duty wiring circuits... none are more than a few amps, and don't go very far at all from the fuse panel.

Biggest heresy was up-top, with new fan. I just bedded it in medium-density automotive window urethane, applied in two stages about 2 hrs apart. 1st, to stick fan assembly to roof... 2nd, to seal up screw-holes and fillet the juncture from fan-base to roof some more. [used masking tape to create a tidier edge] The urethane is paint-able, when I finally get around to painting the camper's exterior.

In the course of all this, I glued-n-screwed 2 cleats to the closet walls, and put a shelf in about halfway up. Elaine can have the less-cluttered lower half, and I'll take the upper half with wiring etc. [I added a little wooden "shelf" just underneath the 12V outlets, as kind of a bumper/protection for them]

[itlives]

Gary, I replaced about 95% of my wires but I did re-use the wires that went to the exhaust fan for my lights.
I'm not sure why you went to all the trouble unless you really want all new!
Good job!

[groys02]

Mike,

Since I relocated the battery etc from the back corner to the base of the closet, and eliminated the converter, I wanted to go ahead and just eliminate all the old wiring in the back of the camper--apart from the marker lights, brake lights, etc......those wires I'm leaving alone--apart from still needing to figure out why they've been spliced-into and added-onto as much as they have.
With the battery right in the middle of the camper, none of the wires from the fuse block are much more than 2-3ft long now.

I would admit that I got a bit obsessive/compulsive about snaking that one wire over to the above-sink cabinet......it was such a "clever" idea [in my head] that I really didn't want to give up on it, once started.

I'm about done adding some vent-holes [screen-covered] to the base of the solar panel........thanks for that idea re heat build-up. I even looked up some tiny exhaust fans & thermostats that I could add later, if it seemed necessary.

[itlives]

I know what you mean about getting an idea (those wires) in your head. You get into the job , then have too much time invested to give up on it!
You can cool your solar panels with water to make them more efficient. If water is available.

[Jon in AZ]

Did a double-take on post #198. Couldn't help noticing Muir's VW repair manual in the last picture. Love that book! My copy was rat-eared and grease-covered. Long gone, along with the '66 Beetle he helped me rebuild. Fun times!

Now back to regular programming...

[groys02]

Jon,

Glad you enjoyed that pic. 'Pretty sure I picked up my first copy of Muir's Idiot Manual before I actually bought my first bug--I liked the illustrations and the approach to things that much.
Stay humble... tackle things step by step... you'll get there.
Still seems to work.

Gary

[Buggeee]

Originally Posted by groys02

Jon,

Glad you enjoyed that pic. 'Pretty sure I picked up my first copy of Muir's Idiot Manual before I actually bought my first bug--I liked the illustrations and the approach to things that much.
Stay humble... tackle things step by step... you'll get there.
Still seems to work.

Gary

So Gary, kinda begs the question... Watcha towin' this rig with anyway? Lol. See you on the SAMBA... Buggeee

P.S. I dig those 12v socket reading lights.

[groys02]

"Buggee"

We've only actually had it out for camping once so far, and that was just to a state park 5 miles away.
Towed in there with wife's 08 Corolla, which seemed to tow it easily enough.
95 Ranger tows it with no sweat at all.
Towed it home from 600 miles away [3yrs ago now] with a 95 Neon [5spd], again without issues.

Probably will NOT try towing it around with current project car--58 Anglia. [At about 1650lbs, this might be foolish.]

[Buggeee]

Originally Posted by groys02

Probably will NOT try towing it around with current project car--58 Anglia. [At about 1650lbs, this might be foolish.]

Ahhh... Foolish, maybe... but FUNNY as all get out. I double dog dare you! 5 miles is doable and the picture would be priceless. Thanks for the off-topic digression.

Enjoy your build you are on the way out of the mountain now! The electrical is fun but exhausting isn't it? All those circuits running around the noggin like hamsters on wheels waking you up at night... scribbled scraps of paper... "Honey, have you seen a little piece of paper with lines all over it?" Then, the lights go on and its stare city. I love that part.

[Buggeee]

Originally Posted by groys02

Biggest heresy was up-top, with new fan. I just bedded it in medium-density automotive window urethane, applied in two stages about 2 hrs apart. 1st, to stick fan assembly to roof... 2nd, to seal up screw-holes and fillet the juncture from fan-base to roof some more.

Sorry about the multiple hits here but you sure give a guy a lot to read!!!

I applaud this method. Modern adhesives are amazing. I wish I would have thought about window adhesive. I used an exterior construction adhesive for glass, mirrors, etc. to bed in an acrylic skylight and I think its the way to go and I am very pleased with the outcome. The original installation used about a million mechanical fasteners but man what an invitation for water that would be. I didn't have the guts to do it on the MaxxAir fan vent but looking at yours I'd do it that way on a mulligan for sure. Well done and leak free forever. Lead on good man.

[groys02]

Ohmygosh!! A double-dog dare??

Well, we'll see. I joined an online forum for the Anglias [most everyone on it is from somewhere around the British Isles], and there have been some old pics on there of the little buggers pulling campers ["caravans"] around.

It could happen......................

[groys02]

Update on awning rail + nylon 9x9 tarp:

'Finally pulled camper out of the shop, where I'd been working on wiring etc, off-n-on for quite a while... and decided to do a test-fit of the awning. I put the awning rail on quite a while ago, with HD double-stick tape [Grizzly brand, just 'cause it was a little thicker than the 3M stuff I usually use] primarily, but 3/16" aluminum rivets at ends and in the middle.
I bought 2 adjustable-length aluminum poles [Coleman], via Amazon. They have mixed reviews, re holding to their adjusted length in-use... I figure I can drill some small holes through them at different heights and "pin" them, if that seems to be a problem.

Maybe because we've traditionally tent-camped in CO, and strung shade tarps catch-as-catch-can in between trees, I didn't bother trying to make the awning tidy looking... rationalizing that it would shed water better after a rain. It does limit how many people can shelter under it this way, tho.
Up-top, I simply wrapped the nylon tarp around some scrap telephone cable I had. Kind of a nuisance feeding it down the channel this way, but not too bad. The 9' tarp stuck 8-12" out of either end of my 7'6"-or-so rail... I wrapped those upper corners around the camper, tying one off to the back bumper, and the other to the LP line up front. [probably not a good long-term plan]

So far, so good. I'll leave it up for a couple days and see if "issues" develop.

[groys02]

Update on awning rail-to-tarp attachment:

I got a roll of awning rail tape [5/16] online, and with my wife's help got it sewed to the hemmed edge of the tarp.... a double row of stitches through the edge of the nylon tarp's "hem".
Then got a tube of seam-seal at the local outdoor store [Jax], and seam-sealed the overlapped edges, top and bottom. It was then really simple to rig the awning/tarp to the camper on a recent outing..... the relatively stiff awning tape just slide right down the channel!

If I had it to do all over again, I might have gone with a perfectly square tarp, of slightly heavier material..... the "Noah tarp" isn't perfectly square, and it's real light. Decent material, just not intended for this application. That said, it's not troublesome enough to feel a need to re-do it.

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by groys02

If I had it to do all over again, I might have gone with a perfectly square tarp, of slightly heavier material..... the "Noah tarp" isn't perfectly square, and it's real light. Decent material, just not intended for this application. That said, it's not troublesome enough to feel a need to re-do it.

Call it R & D Gary . FWIW, after my desert suns UV deteriorated my rolled up awning on a motor home I removed the fabric, cut 6" off. Folded the end over the round filler piping and ran it through the sewing machine doing a double stitch. Worked out fine and no one ever noticed that it was 6" shorter .

[Buggeee]

Nice. The edge of the tarp looks like it was made that way.

[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.]

[Kenny Strong]

Gary.
I repaired a 73 Boler. Rear ended into the benches. Including the first foot on each sidebench, took out the rear window. Split cracks up on an angle at the top of the window. The section below the window sitting inside of the benches, broken from window to the bumper. I removed the rear, broken out panel, removed the rat skin at the sides back to the side windows , top over window, just rolled them back. I took a bright work light, shining it out side to look from inside ,major spidernet clacking, where it was broken inward not at bent in area.
My comment. there can be cracking under gel coat that can't be easily seen. When painted or gel coated. (Gel coat, extream cost. many thousands ),with time and flexing. My Sister's repaired Boler has won, best in show; at Canada Boler event, East of Calgary near border,with Saskatchewan CA. . They live in Canmor CA.
It took several months. I'm a retired cabinet maker; forman. It took a lot of time thinking things over. I worked on it a couple of hrs. Let glass dry worked on it another day. Put glass on thin !!! Put on another coat. put next coat thin. Or make sure there is very little sanding. Shape templates from complimentary surfaces.
I will look for photos, to post. Call if you want talk.

Later Kenny

[Kenny Strong]

Sorry Gary I was slow. not being aware you were completed.

Later Kenny

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by Kenny Strong

Sorry Gary I was slow. not being aware you were completed. Later Kenny

Kenny, even though Gary is done, please post your pics. There's always something to learn from a repair .