Ambitious repairs

[Debbit]

I've been looking at lots of photos of things people have done to their toyota motor homes.

Wow, I'm impressed!

Especially after spending a frustrating hour trying to remove a captains chair and its base.

Yesterday wrestling with the fridge, and of course turning it upside down didn't do a thing. working on new shur flo installation. It didn't work in camper, did work at kitchen sink in the house. Must be sucking air somewhere. The water lines are crazy, I'm tempted to re-run them.

My list of things I'd like to do is shrinking as I realize how difficult the simplest jobs seem to be, due to access and the way things are put together.

I've decided a person needs to be a contortionist to own one of these toys.

[WME]

[MontanaChinook]

Yeah, I do a lot myself, but more and more often I'm deciding my time is worth more than my money.

If I didn't already work 40 hours a week, it would be different... But I have more in mind for my life than just work and motorhome. Yes, especially when you're learning as you go, even simple repairs can take a lot of time. Often more time than I really have.

Which is why my fridges still doesn't work, and the chinook is actually in the shop right now having someone else do the work!

[Debbit]

Well, I am trying to remove the captains chairs. We want to replace them with something more practical, comfortable and attractive. I've removed one chair by removing 4 nuts that attach the chair to the base. But the base is bolted to the top of the wooden box that contains, presumably, the water tank, among other things. The bolts go in and the nuts are inside the box, no access to inside this box and the bolts are spinning free, unless I pull up on the bolt to keep it against the underside of the wood. So bent over forever, pulling and turning. Almost done with last one. Lucky we want to take up the carpet, as it is over the base and it has to be pulled up to access the base. It is stapled down randomly and often. To access the seams of this box, one would have to remove the carpet. Bizarre.

My water pump is accessed through a drawer slot. Have to remove drawers and stick arms through these slots. I cut the floor of the closet out to form an access panel for the furnace blower and the water pump. It made the job possible.

I really like this little camper, but I'm used to the German engineering on my westfalia. You get a Bentley manual and boom --exploded view of the way thing come apart and go back together.....with common sense and precision.

[Debbit]

And now the second chair has different bolts. Aargh!

The nut are underneath and the bolt heads on top are smooth. Maybe accessed from under coach? Guess I'll see tomorrow. SIGH

[Debbit]

Another morning. It rained hard last night, and no leaks

Out to tackle chair two with renewed purpose. My son thinks I should leave it alone, but too late for that now. We have two large dogs who like to travel and dog sitting is expensive! And YES! The second chair can be unbolted from underneath.

With the chairs removed, and some attractive hard surface flooring, I can see my dog's beds on that platform, and no more stumbling over dogs in the camper. (My dogs are pretty well trained and go to "place" on command)

The carpet in my dolphin was stapled down by a madman turned loose with a staple gun. The staple holes look like patterns from a shotgun rampage.

When the dogs aren't along, we will use square cushions covered in the same (new) fabric as the couch and a low table between. I think it will work!

[WME]

^{Sounds like the chair is held in with what are called carriage bolts. If all else fails use a grinder to remove the head and just push the rest through the floor.}

^{I think all carpet installers were paid by the staple and not by the job.}

[Debbit]

Remembered to grab a before picture.

And after a long day, all carpet is up and most of the million staples are out. Tomorrow, maybe the floor.

If anyone is interested, Home Depot has some very nice light oak laminate flooring for .68 a sq ft.