neubie Posted December 6, 2017 Author Share Posted December 6, 2017 boy, howdy. they make it seem like its 5 minute job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted December 6, 2017 Share Posted December 6, 2017 Something to think about. I'm 5'9" tall and it always seemed to me that I was looking through a pillbox gun slit when I drove my rig. So I got some longer seat bolts and some short pipe nipples and cut them to make a 3/4" lift. Not a big lift but it seemed to help a bunch with the pillbox effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted December 7, 2017 Author Share Posted December 7, 2017 (edited) 7 hours ago, WME said: Something to think about. I'm 5'9" tall and it always seemed to me that I was looking through a pillbox gun slit when I drove my rig. So I got some longer seat bolts and some short pipe nipples and cut them to make a 3/4" lift. Not a big lift but it seemed to help a bunch with the pillbox effect. I am about the same. Sitting higher is always welcome but for the space constraints overhead. I am getting about 1/2" out of the mixture of things I am adding now over the floor. Hoping current screws will still work. Probably not enough, screws and height improvement both. But will at least try first then modify given that there are so many many other things on the list. The vinyl is cut and laid down. Its not an easy task with garden shears. I actually broke two pairs of general purpose scissors before it occured to me to use hedge repair tools. Its down, doesnt look terrible and seats are sitting on it. Not bolted. Still need to drill some holes. In the process, found at least one more reason for water in the footwell. Numerous holes from erstwhile screws that secured the shag carpet. The screws went forever ago. But I never closed off those holes. Closed off most before I laid down sound deadner but still found more today that would have let water in. Sigh. Its a process. Some day it will all be done. Edited December 7, 2017 by neubie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted December 14, 2017 Author Share Posted December 14, 2017 (edited) i should take some pictures of el slate blanco while i have a chance. its been a while since i felt like it. Its basically a whitewashed empty space. Totally white. Like every stick and its underside double white. There is a reason. Kilz was needed given there had been water and to at least cover over the 30 year history. Also if water comes in the future discoloration should be obvious. i want to catch it early. But if you paint every stick, nook and crevice, you use a lot of paint brushes and a lot of kilz. Over the floor, ceiling and walls front to back there is now at least 2.5 gallons of it. Hoping thats enough. I have had enough of primering. The bathroom door, the back side of the kitchen and wardrobe faces, etc had been hiding in plain sight. No more. Painting is time consuming, back breaking the way I do it, but not a mind consuming. I am procrastinating on putting the thing back together. Hang doors, connect water and propane, and attach shower wallpaper and kitchen backsplash. May be a bit of counter top polish. Everything else upto floor level is finishing. I need to start screwing appliances back in. But I dont seem to close it out. Tomorrow is entry step day. A new carlson-and-something single step and the one step inside itself is also getting a makeover. May be after that I will screw in some table legs and kitchen counter and stuff. Edited December 14, 2017 by neubie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted January 17, 2018 Author Share Posted January 17, 2018 Its been a while since any measurable progress. I did put up the entry step. It promptly broke its holding bar the first time I stepped on it. Thankfully thats easily substituted. The bigger problem is clearance. There isnt enough space to hang the step and also close/open it without the sidewall getting in the way. The screws arent long enough to permit lowering it much and cant be replaced without taking off the step from the inside. For now, it doesnt fold. The rest has been sitting without progress. Only a bit of finishing is left. But cold, rain, health, whatever. Winter is not a friendly time. At least things have stayed dry. Hopefully this week I can clean up things enough to start making progress. May be put the water piping back in. Then start finishing up next week. Or something. Lets see. There is may be a day or two of total work left for an able bodied motivated person. May be a month will do for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 Its almost 6 months later. Weather is finally warm and toasty. I now hope to finish up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 Hey good to hear from you again. Hope everything is going well. Never got around to meeting you and now I don't come down there anymore but looking forward to seeing progress on your camper. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted June 5, 2018 Author Share Posted June 5, 2018 once you stop working on it, its hard to start back up. I just have to screw in the new parts but the project needed a kickstart. The neighbor next door is selling the house and was worried the sight of "that" parked next door would reduce the sale price. Requested I move it to the back parking lot. At that point everything was still unscrewed, seats and all. But it gave me the kickstart. Slowly but surely its being put back together. The truck cabin is done except for the fact that the old screws holding down the seat rear arent long enough with the new insulation and vinyl flooring. Not the end of the world. The coach needs to be reassembled. But its just reassembly for the most part. Parts are ready. May be a bit of work on creating the space for the fridge. It gets hidden away for a week starting tomorrow, hopefully, also gives me time to take pictures of the progress while its empty/cleared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted June 11, 2018 Author Share Posted June 11, 2018 So this is where things stand. The truck cab is back together -vinyl carpet, new surfaces everywhere except dash but still needs rearview camera hookup. The main coach is mostly together just not completely screwed in. The kitchen is done but waiting for power, gas, water hookup to be screwed back in. The bath area is done but for minor fixups. The major work is a buried ac wire in the roof thats come disconnected, and installation of solar and vent fans. And the fridge cabinet needs reassembly and some work. Generally held up in the weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted June 12, 2018 Author Share Posted June 12, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted June 12, 2018 Author Share Posted June 12, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted July 9, 2018 Author Share Posted July 9, 2018 (edited) Finally stuck the solar panel on the roof along with new vents, including a maxx fan, and the gas, co, smoke sensors in the wall. Need to find a way to get the solar cables in without new holes, which should be possible via one of the ABS vent holes. The gray is in the right place. Just need to undo the vent to get the holes in the vent plastic right. Need to stick in the appliances back in, make the supply lines tight, and screw in the missing screws. The biggest issue is checking the oven before I stick it back in. Anyone know if there are adapters for compressed gas to 3/8 flare so I can check the oven without real gas? The oven has a 3/8 flare that I can plug back in but it would be a pain to take it out again if it turns out it was broken. Is there an adapter for the portable disposable tiny bottles to 3/8 flare? Edited July 9, 2018 by neubie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lambchop27 Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 Great work! Maybe this post will help with the solar? We added solar to our 1991 Toyota Winnebago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted July 9, 2018 Author Share Posted July 9, 2018 My solar setup is a bit different. The panel is a thin/flexible panel. And coach batteries are outside in the space vacated by the generator. The load center and solar controller are still inside. Everything is on the driver side. So the fridge vent isnt helpful. I am trying to avoid running the solar cables in visible spaces. There arent any real cabinets along the roof now, so the partition wall is the only hiding space. The original design carried all the ac, dc, and sound cabling inside this wall, so adding a solar cable isnt the end of the world. Its just a bit of pain because I didnt stick the wiring out when things were more open. It will get done eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 The solar wires finally poked their head out of the separating wall between bathroom and kitchen -- The gap at the entrance of the gray water vent on the roof wasnt too wide, so I would drop them and they would conveniently bend their ends back and get stuck. Guiding lines, pulling from the bottom, nothing helped until I poked the damned things with a bit of moulding long enough and thin enough. Positive side -- the solar is connected. Negative -- have no clue how much its producing. The cheap PWM controller show a blinking arrow between a panel symbol and battery. And battery voltage ticking up. But no actual solar panel voltage or current. The panel is a decent 120W monocrystalline flexible unit, the controller is the absolutely cheapest one. At this point I am satisfied with just checking battery voltages at the end of the day. The controller will get replaced at next bargain opportunity. The only major thing left is sneaking in the refridgerator, fitting it in a cabinet and solving a minor puzzle. I upgraded to a RM2451 size instead of the RM2351 size. The decision wasnt terrible in the end BUT it means yet again creating a new cupboard and vent. And for some reason, having to find a place to drain the moisture. Presumably the old setup didnt need a water drain, so there isonly one hole/vent to pass the propane through. Now, I need a second drain hole. Thats the puzzle. I would rather not hole the floor again. And there is the big fridge vent inlet right behind. RM2451 series is also considerably heavier at around 80lb. The passanger door/seat is not a problem. Its just dragging 80lb to the door, getting it in and dragging it through, mounting on the cabinet that are all going to be major work items that will need help to get done. Life is sort of gallon sized items right now, so its quite intimidating to have to organise an 80lb item move. Lets see who/what can fix the conundrum. How have you folks -- who ended up a drain hole short, resolved your problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 The new fridge now remains the last major component, following that I can start testing the equipment for use. There will still be minor loose ends and shakedown of everything but at least the core standard functions will be available. I am toying withe idea of having a macerator around. Folks that use it -- is it worthwhile? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 I use this at home...https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/electrical-plumbing-lp-gas/rv-toilet-tanks-plumbing-sanitation/macerators/sewer-solution_88-8635 I pump 60 ft to my house sewer cleanout. I use 60 ft of 1"PVC. This is only of little use on the road as it requires good water pressure. In many cross country trips I've always found places to dump every few days.. This helps https://www.sanidumps.com/sanidumps_usamerica.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 Thank you WME. This is very helpful. I am looking at needing a length of 50 feet with one end that will be unattended during use. Thats a bit on the long side and a bit risky for me from an accident/spill management perspective. Will need a bit more thought and planning from me. Can you combine with a smarttote type solution so there isnt a long sewage line to run? Are portable waste tanks meaningful as an aid in dumping at home? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted July 24, 2018 Author Share Posted July 24, 2018 Here are some almost-after pictures: fiber glass cleaned up (almost), new but ugly imperfectly cut stripes (meh,they will do), new plastic and covers all around, solar panel (works, but does it do enough?), maxxfan, yada yada (almost). Outside will get a coat of wax, and the rest of sprucing up will wait for a while until after some use has been made of the apparatus. Still need the fridge to go in there before I start thinking use. That and tank cleanup. And some caulk. And some.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted July 26, 2018 Author Share Posted July 26, 2018 rm2451. that's this fridge: http://www.rvpartscountry.com/Dometic-RM-2451-Americana-Fridge-1.html and its anything but suitable for a toyotahome. Consider the dimensions: 37x24x24 or thereabouts and weight about 80lb. Thats up there near the weight of a petite person. If you have fridge furniture already then unless someone did it for you before, you will be the lucky person to tear it down. Because it should be the 2351 dimensions. which are petite, to put it another way. Next will be the fridge vent. Its a propane device, it will need sealed proper venting to the outside unless you want to not wake up anymore. I didnt consider these issues carefully enough. The size was attractive, there was some bargain sale (not really, but they fooled me anyway). These things come freight. On a pallet. Some folks can only ship to like walmart parking lots aka business addresses. With the protective covering (the styrofoam only protects corners, its not really anything secure or tough), the dimensions are 41x28x28 or there abouts. Herein lies another predicament, your passanger door hole is but an inch or more than this clearance. And your truck cabin isnt much more wider. And the space between the bed/dinette is probably narrower than needed (I dont have these things, cant give you dimensions, but 28inch is way too much floor space from looking at images of other people's yotas). Get it installed professionally -- unless you have helpers and you are working with a complete tear down. It will cost you the cost of the fridge to get it shoved in and connected, after the cost of the fridge to get the cupboard and vent redone. With many of these things I was lucky. The fridge was on a dolly -- it could get wheeled to the door of the yota. I dont have a dinette, and courtesy of the need to let the cats run free, the bed is considerably narrower and the vent was torn off long ago, the fridge cupboard too will be built around the fridge. It just needs to wedge inside somehow. As it happens, I decided to lay down a movers quilt to prefent dings/scratches. As it turns out things dont slide very well on these. With the fridge tilted to its side and laid on a suitable height box (luck would have it, there is no shortage of cardboard when you are re equipping a yoterhome, it was just push and pull. Fingers crossed on injuries and damage. First obstable -- clearance not deep enough unless you get the driver seat out too. This concerned me a fair bit, because I value the ability to steer the vehicle quite highly. again with the nudge, nudge, push/pull. Due to the movers blanket, it was 2 inches forward, one back. The fridge comes on a little plastic base on top of the pallet. In their wisdom, this is also a ring and not a pan. So promptly decided to come off mid way. Fortunately, I had added a hundred wraps of movers ceran wrap to keep the rest of the packaging intact. It did expose the jagged edges of the bottom rails. Note that there isnt really anything to actually hold on and push on the apparatus. All you can do is push and slide. In the end, despite having to also make a left turn half way towards the coach, it went in. With just pushing and sliding. It sits upright now where your dinette would be. Net damage: scrapes and cuts worth a cage fight with a hungry tiger. Fridge seems intact, unless there was some hidden damage. cab and coach also seem to have escaped without incident. Frankly, I was half going to give up and get as shop to do the installation, except the fridge was on a box on its side and sticking it in was as much trouble as moving it back to the garage. So, thats the last of the devices to go in -- new water heater, toilet seat, fans, reconditioned oven and furnace were already in. propane is plumbed. Need a hole for the fridge water drain. Might stick it out the tirewall instead of making yet another hole in the floor. The tirewall has a fair bit of protection now, including a new plywood cover. A small hole near the wall away from the ties is probably not the end of the world. But its old plastic and they arent easy to replace. May be just the floor again,then. Decisions, decisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted July 27, 2018 Author Share Posted July 27, 2018 Spent some time looking around for tires -- the local costco doesnt want to hear the letters R14 and the attendent couldnt say if they can even mount them. Must call tomorrowwhen actual mechanics are around. I would rather do tires+mounting in one place but havent found one yet that is able to do the job. Sigh. Fridge installation, some loose ends, then tires and a toyota dealer oil change was all I wanted before trying the apparatus out. Looks like it will take a bit longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted July 28, 2018 Share Posted July 28, 2018 Costco does not have the correct size tires. Buying from a shop you will pay far more than the online prices too. I had all new valve stems installed at Tire Merchants on N 13th street in San Jose . Of course it required removing and remounting all the tires. They charged me some crazy low price like 10 bucks each. Maybe 12. Super nice guys. I wouldn't hesitate to go there again but I would always bring my tires with me. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted July 28, 2018 Author Share Posted July 28, 2018 1 hour ago, linda s said: Costco does not have the correct size tires. Buying from a shop you will pay far more than the online prices too. I had all new valve stems installed at Tire Merchants on N 13th street in San Jose . Of course it required removing and remounting all the tires. They charged me some crazy low price like 10 bucks each. Maybe 12. Super nice guys. I wouldn't hesitate to go there again but I would always bring my tires with me. Linda S Costco does the other vehicles, so i went the easy route first. I am also hoping to avoid having to lug the tires around myself -- tires are something a shop will have to do this time. Yes it will probably cost a bit more. I am trying for hankook ra08s from america's tire tomorrow. If they dont work out (either availability or installation) then I will try the tire merchents next. thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted July 28, 2018 Share Posted July 28, 2018 15 hours ago, neubie said: I am trying for hankook ra08s from america's tire tomorrow. RA08s have been out of production for a few years. If they can find some, they'll be a couple of years old (at least). New replacement is the RA18. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted July 29, 2018 Author Share Posted July 29, 2018 Got the fridge on its new cupboard pedestal but missed out on checking up tires today. Hopefully tomorrow. Will check date codes. There seemed to be a good deal on RA08s at a local tire store, but it could well be old stock or a bait and switch. Lets see when I get a chance to investigate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted July 29, 2018 Author Share Posted July 29, 2018 Took me a long time before the "oh, god will it even be done?" moment. There is very little left -- hook up a few hoses and pipes, make a fridge vent, new tires and an oil change. Hopefully. My part is all but done. But the little niggles -- seal roof and windows again, fix holding tank straps, and similar finally depressed me. Recovering one as far gone as mine is really only a professional's job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted July 31, 2018 Author Share Posted July 31, 2018 I made a reasonable plywood box for my fridge and then a vent on top. All dimensions carefully measured. Then it turns out my wall isnt at right angles with the floor, at least not anymore. There is a gap that will need a moulding. But otherwise, its just a matter of sealing properly and hooking up power and propane. When this happens, all new appliances will be in, plumbed and wired. Everything else is sealing this, tightening that. Except the tires, and the oil change, and undiscovered mechanical issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted August 1, 2018 Author Share Posted August 1, 2018 At this point I have gotten to where most people start when they buy one of these, except that the parts are new. There is a ton of minor fixups left but I am hoping to do the new tires + oil change thing as soon as I can finish testing propane and water lines and appliances. Here is the outside in its sort of after pictures. The backup camera is next to the license plate light. Still not firmly attached. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted August 1, 2018 Author Share Posted August 1, 2018 On to the inside. Cabover is covered in plastic. The bed space is reclaimed to a great extent with a metal frame. The dinette is one seat and a smaller round table top. Appliances are sort of in their place. There is a sink and vinyl covers the FRP for appearance. Everything is still quite rough. But as long as its screwed in place, and tested free of leaks and defects the finishing will happen over the winter. Paint work has gotten dirty over the delayed reconstruction already. No point in trying to make it look better at this point, there are too many little imperfections that will keep that from happening. The backup camera wires into a dual camera dvr. The batteries are now in generator space. The rest is just reconnected. Hopefully in two weeks I can finish cleanup and testing and start thinking about use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted August 4, 2018 Author Share Posted August 4, 2018 hankook ra18 185r14 d1 : the delivered cost from a warehouse to store (they all get them from the same warehouses) is 77 per tire or lower. local chain outlet had a markup of 33. you cant expect them to do amazon/3rd party price of 87 shipped but i have seen prices that include markup of 47 per tire. Thats another tire worth of markup. went back to see if i can talk to someone reasonable there. long shot. but when shown the markup they adjusted slightly. to 99 per tire+ usual fees. Its less than a hundred dollars at that point and while another time I would have a tire shop just mount and balance, this time its worth the convenience. Hopefully new tires tomorrow. Then finishing up all the minor stuff -- like new window screens yesterday. Testing coach pipes and lines. Then an oil change. There is no reason to be afraid, the car seems to run fine BUT I dread they will find something major wrong. Either way, progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted August 4, 2018 Author Share Posted August 4, 2018 (edited) tires are going on. it takes a while for them to install them. a lot longer than a car. may be experience matters. but either way, new tires. yay! edit -- old tires had nearly all of their tread left, well over 1/4, if I wasnt so worried about rubber age there wasnt much wrong with them. New date codes are 4417, not the newest, not the end of the world. Overall, given the sheer volume the tire shop gets (there wasnt an empty bay for the several hours I was there and the lots were overflowing) I would say they did a good job. Inflated to 60psi, they say. Hopefully nothing was overtorqued or broken. And in the process the vehicle also drove a couple miles each way. Farthest from home in years. Edited August 4, 2018 by neubie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted August 8, 2018 Author Share Posted August 8, 2018 Connected the fridge today to both 110v and propane. Sealing the damn cupboard was the biggest chore in the end. It turns on on 110v, the propane tank is empty. How long should it take to actually cool? All the appliances are now hooked back up and exist. Still need to wire water heater on/off switch. With this done only tightening loose screws and patching the various mistakes remains. Hopefully an oil change and engine hose/belt update later I will be able to start thinking of stocking up and traveling. Am now beginning to put together the toolkit for the truck. If you have your favorite must haves then please let me know. I will keep AAA RV+, and hopefully roadside insurance from the insurance as a tire change isnt likely to be my cup of tea. But minor electricals and such I should be able to manage myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted August 15, 2018 Author Share Posted August 15, 2018 It took 8 hours to cool the empty fridge. The RM2451 now (or may be always did) comes with a 12V fan that seeks to improve air flow. I havent seen mine operating though. Why that fan wouldnt turn on didnt make sense to me. Need to test LP and water/sewer in parallel with finishing up. The LP main line had collected quite a bit of crud, it wasnt hard to cleanup on both ends but the middle passes over the rear axle and is well beyond my reach. For now I assume the copper pipe isnt going to be a failure risk, at least compared to my new flarings. The generator space is cleaned up with the battery bank and empty dry storage. There is still the old gas line for the generator there. I toy with the idea of sticking in a second tank there some day, in distant future. Need to figure out oil/fluids/belts in parallel. The first oil change will be at toyota, later on, hopefully, as convenient. Getting closer to the end. Still a long list of little things, but with water/sewage/LP tested and service done it will be usable for day trips at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted August 15, 2018 Share Posted August 15, 2018 One more down, the 12 cooling fan is a simple set up. Fan, 12v power, temp sensitive snap switch, maybe a fuse. Check the fan motor, they are real cheap and don't age well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neubie Posted August 15, 2018 Author Share Posted August 15, 2018 58 minutes ago, WME said: One more down, the 12 cooling fan is a simple set up. Fan, 12v power, temp sensitive snap switch, maybe a fuse. Check the fan motor, they are real cheap and don't age well. Theoretically a new fridge, never seen food yet. I would hate to find out it arrived with "issues". Still, an open question for a coming day. We will find out sooner or later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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