1976 toyota chinook pop-top

[marbo]

Hi, my little pop-top, Chiquita, got wet this winter. I need to look for and fix the leak and being a complete novice on fixing anything I would appreciate any help.

I also started to pull out the original orange shag carpet but found that it was more difficult than I anticipated; the cabinets were placed on top of the carpet. Is there a way to remove carpet without removing cabinets? Also has anyone put laminate wood flooring in and if so do you have any photos or instructions and recommendation on type of laminate to use? Thanks, Marbo

[george101]

Hi Marbo,

I also had a leak in my Chinook. Have you figured out where it is leaking from?

I found my leak by staying inside my chinook and having someone spray it with a hose to isolate the spot where it was leaking. It turned out that my leak was coming from the back tail light. It wasn't attached firmly so I just rescrewed the light back on and put clear cocking around the light. That fixed the leak and it's dry as a bone now.

Concerning the carpeting, I had ripped up my old shag carpet too. It gets a little stinky and dusty after 30 years. It took a little doing, but I was able to get it up. Maybe a weekend or two worth of work. You can unscrew the beds in the front, just enough to get them up so you can pull the carpet out. You don't need to totally take them out. Then, I personally like the original burnt orange shag carpet look. Totally 70's. Hells ya. So I went on a wild goose chase looking for burnt orange shag carpet in 2009, which apparently isn't a high demand item. Took me about a month to locate some new carpet, but eventually I did. It looks pretty close to the original, of course not an exact match. I like it though. So them you need to measure the inside dimentions of your chinook, cut carpet to fit (incorporating about an inch and a half to fit underneath bed/cabinets so that it is seemless when you drill it back in). Then tap down carpet and drill beds back in and you're good to go.

[flatspin]

Hi, my little pop-top, Chiquita, got wet this winter. I need to look for and fix the leak and being a complete novice on fixing anything I would appreciate any help.

I also started to pull out the original orange shag carpet but found that it was more difficult than I anticipated; the cabinets were placed on top of the carpet. Is there a way to remove carpet without removing cabinets? Also has anyone put laminate wood flooring in and if so do you have any photos or instructions and recommendation on type of laminate to use? Thanks, Marbo

I have a couple of suggestions, having just gone through a lot of this work on a Sunrader. Pulling carpet is a chore, for sure, but well worth it. It took me a few days to get it all out (along with all the associated debris). I'm a big fan of doing as much demolition as you plan to before going in search of leaks. I had a stubborn leak in the cabover portion of my Sunrader, and it became a lot easier to locate and repair once all the old carpeting had been removed.

I'd absolutely agree that a friend with a hose is a terrific way to find the place where water is coming in.

In terms of resealing windows or exterior lights, it may just be time to re-do the butyl tape seals around the window frames. That's more of a chore than it is difficult. Same thing with the clearance lights. The tape lasts a good long time. A light bead of clear silicone around the edge doesn't hurt either, but be sure to use masking tape on the fiberglass shell. That will give you a nice finished line. Silicone is less forgiving than traditional caulk in that regard.

As for flooring, a couple of boxes of laminate or composite hardwood make a pretty stunning and easy to clean floor. I prefer it to the carpet by far, though I must admit the thought of orange shag has a strange appeal!

Have fun with it.

-andrew