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Franka548 · 08-22-2017, 11:27 AM

Harvey,
Hopefully it was only the ground, even though you had to pull the tank.
Frank

Wroughtnharv · 08-22-2017, 08:21 PM

Lil Blu is running awesome!

There was a hiccup of course. Last night as I was reinstalling the gas tank I messed up and pinched the fuel line closed. So this morning after finishing the install of the tank, the skid plate, etc. we hit the starter, it was just exactly like before. The motor was not getting any fuel.

So I opened the line at the motor, no fuel. I went to the new fuel filter and it was then that I noticed the line was pinched. The remedy was simple, pull the skid plate, loosen the tank and drop it down six inches, reroute the fuel line, and then put it all back together.

It's been a journey but we're the better for it. I really needed the experience of doing it over and over. Dad assured me that old people can learn too. It seems that for me the learning gets tougher as I get older.

So tomorrow we start repairing the water damage in dad's travel trailer.

ronjhall · 08-23-2017, 04:03 AM

I would like to give you some old guy advice. I sold the MH to a mid 40's couple. You have a few years before you get to that point. Enjoy the trip.

Wroughtnharv · 08-24-2017, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronjhall

I would like to give you some old guy advice. I sold the MH to a mid 40's couple. You have a few years before you get to that point. Enjoy the trip.

For those who don't know Ron, he's six years older than me and moves around like he's ten years younger.

Wroughtnharv · 08-24-2017, 07:58 AM

Okay. Lil Blu is running like a top and once again a lot of fun. I think it has something to do with the stick shift, clutching is a kick.

So we moved over to dad's project. Yesterday was discovery day. It seemed the closer we looked the more water damage we discovered.

Dad had exposed some of the damage under the bed area. I chased it around to under the bathtub/shower area. It looks like now that we have it isolated to those areas and today will be installing the new floor decking over new and additional framing.

One of dad's concerns was lifting his feet over the edge of the tub to take a shower. Once I pulled the tub I went online to see if we could find a shower base that would replace the tub. The closest sized unit was available to us Tuesday from Walmart at the best price. But we wanted sooner so we called Camping World Flagstaff. Nice young man in parts found the unit in Phoenix and will have it in their store late this afternoon. We will pick it up tomorrow and the best part? We get it for $85.00 vs Walmart's $132.00, Good Sam's club works.

Keep in mind that the way I'm doing this isn't the way professionals would. I've never done anything like this before, that hasn't stopped us yet.

Wroughtnharv · 08-24-2017, 08:11 AM

The plan is to find the leak, suspect hot water line but it could be the cold water source. Then it will be about cutting away or isolating the damaged framing and decking. We'll spray the damaged framing we keep with bleach and then coat it with Kilz. Damaged framing will have new material stabbed on to strengthen it.

Dad is 91 and doing great except when it comes to walking. If this is his last trip to the mountains it will be a good one. If it isn't, it will be a good one of many.

The temperatures here in the Verde Valley are in the nineties, mountains in the high seventies low eighties. We hoped to be in the mountains by now but stuff happens. Right now we're looking at next Monday as the target. Anytime between now and then is joining a traffic jam for the weekend.

Wroughtnharv · 08-28-2017, 09:45 AM

Well it's Monday morning and at 9 am we will be calling Camping World Flagstaff to see to see the ETA of the shower base that was supposed to be there last Thursday afternoon. We need it to finish up the bathroom.

This project has became one of the things we seem to do in our RV land. We start off with a repair and end up a remodel.

Wroughtnharv · 08-28-2017, 09:49 AM

I found out that I like repairing aluminum skin much more than fiberglas ones. Pull the staples, slide out the panel, do your thing, slide back in the panel, finish it up.

Wroughtnharv · 08-28-2017, 08:19 PM

RV repair remodel world is a very interesting one. Everything has to be done in layers. Right now I'm sitting with a bunch of layers waiting on the new shower pan. And it's been a five day circle so far. It even looks like we might even have to start all over again. We'll know more in the morning.

Attached is picture of dad testing the new bed for height. Height is very important and evidently we got lucky on this one. What we were going for was it high enough where he could easily stand up without having to lift himself up. It was kind of fun coming to the height, involved dad sitting down and then standing up repeatedly. I'm sure he thought I had lost my mind a couple of times. But when he tested it he was happy, and that's what's important.

okmunky · 08-29-2017, 12:03 AM

Hey Harvey, your namesake is sure reeking havoc on the Houston area! I hope the flooding rains don't affect what you left behind in Texas.

Wroughtnharv · 08-29-2017, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okmunky

Hey Harvey, your namesake is sure reeking havoc on the Houston area! I hope the flooding rains don't affect what you left behind in Texas.

It's all good. They're getting rain every other day so best thing's plants don't die. We're in north Texas so it's about ninety minutes of good traffic to Houston. And dad's namesake is still hanging out there wrecking havoc. I'll bet that by the time the weather and Texas politicians get done it will be the most expensive storm ever.

sam-3 · 08-29-2017, 08:30 PM

Nice job on the repairs. As you have found out the walls have layers to them. DH used heavy duty liquid nails to put our three layer wall back together. That was six years ago and we are high and dry. Be careful around the black mold and wear a mask/respirator.

Wroughtnharv · 08-30-2017, 08:17 AM

Thanks Sam, we're using construction adhesives on everything.

The hiccup on the new shower pan was a circus. We found the pan online but the earliest delivery was yesterday. Keep in mind this was last Wednesday afternoon. Then a young man at what we thought was Camping World, it wasn't. Due to the magic of Safari search we were dealing with Paul Everts RV. And it turned out that the young man was new and had ordered an a/c pan. Monday night I figured out what might have had happened that would explain all of the dead ends and frustrations. Yesterday morning I made some calls and I was correct. The problem now was I would get the new correct shower pan early next week.

So I started calling local RV places asking about a used shower pan. We found one, $20.00. We're back in business. It's not the exact size we want but it will work. I don't know about y'all but I really hate shopping. And shopping at the box stores is the worst. Yesterday at the orange box store I spent over an hour and a half getting the parts I needed and checking out. I knew what I needed but didn't realize that to get the combination of fittings to make a P trap for an RV shower would be across three aisles. It was a nightmare. We decided
to use FLP panels and fittings for the shower itself. Once we got that together we learned that the right adhesive was in paint. Paint didn't have a clue what adhesive was applicable, then it was only available in one and two gallon sizes. Makes me so glad I'm not a contractor today when all of the good sources of good materials have been put out of business by the box stores.

Overall it was a pretty good day. We found the usual issue stuff one needs with RVs. We needed a new pop off valve for the water heater, handle for the awning arm, fresh water drain valve, etc.

One of the issues with the new shower pan and plumbing is matching minimum height off the floor, P trap clearance, and allowing for the slight downward angle of the shower drain to the grey water tank. We have to have the P trap and the angle. But that affects the height of the floor panel by dad's bed. At the entrance to the grey water tank we need 3 1/2 inches. But when the pipe passes through the wall from the bathroom to the bedroom I need 5 1/2". My five inches framework needs an additional 1/2" spacing added. And then there's the testing of the plumbing for leaks. I've came to the conclusion that the original water damage was caused from get go by a bad P trap fit up that got worse over time. I'm going to make sure this isn't what happens this time.

The plan is to get the shower pan in place and plumbed up, tested, and then we start framing in the new shower and finish up the bedroom. It's all about layers, and skipping a layer can mean real trouble now and later on.

okmunky · 08-31-2017, 02:53 PM

While you are working on layers, Harvey, is there one you can suggest that will keep mice out? We just spent 2 weeks in rural Oregon and the campground was plagued with mice. We only had one get into the bays but a friend caught 9 in his class A, both inside his coach and in the bays. Folks in travel trailers didn't have any so I'm thinking there is something different about how they are constructed.

I thought I had plugged all the holes. Any suggestions?