The Ultimate DIY thread - Ubuilding (Pics)
Hey all, There is another, albeit smaller, side to this whole RV thing - those crazy folks who build their own for whatever reason. Whether you've scratch-built it from the ground up, assembled a kit...
Forum Discussion
Thanks for the kind word, westend. I'll let you in on a secret: it's just practice. But don't tell anyone, it'll stay between you and me ;)
If I'm dumbing it down or going too much into the minutiae, let me know - I just put down what I'd want to know if someone were trying to show me how to do it. I think most people's reticence about glassing is just lack of experience with it. It's like everything in life I guess: the more you do it, the easier it gets.
Thanks for linking to your exhaust vent. With that flapper weighing so little, do you still get a decent seal on the weatherstrip with the spring ?
I guess the real question is: how much difference does it make ? As long as it's mostly closed, that ought to make more difference than the last little bit.
You've definitely got me thinking though: maybe doing the same thing except in a round duct. The hinge line would be slightly above the horizontal center of the flapper: that ought to negate the need for a spring since it'll be bottom heavy (like an HVAC flapper). I figure a PC fan will give me the CFMs I need on less current and when it gets full of crud I can replace it cheaply enough...though the filter ought to catch most of it.
I've got the inside of the wall/ceiling panel glassed now. You can't really see much in the pic since the glass is so clear, but here the side laying on the table is glassed up to where the vertical piece of blue foam starts. You'll see the addition of fairing compound along the center seam and in the corners: you can see the white vs the yellowish of the spray foam.
To do the ceiling (blue) I rotated the piece after that glass had hardened and stood it up so that the blue would now be horizontal. I blocked the wall up so it was 90 degrees to the table and ran a couple drywall screws in so it couldn't slide around. I faired the corner fillets with some more compound and glassed that surface too.
I'm working the next couple days so when I get back to it I'll flip it over and start fairing the outside. Once it's all glassed, it's back onto the trailer to be glassed into place and the curb side wall is structurally complete. Yay!
If I'm dumbing it down or going too much into the minutiae, let me know - I just put down what I'd want to know if someone were trying to show me how to do it. I think most people's reticence about glassing is just lack of experience with it. It's like everything in life I guess: the more you do it, the easier it gets.
Thanks for linking to your exhaust vent. With that flapper weighing so little, do you still get a decent seal on the weatherstrip with the spring ?
I guess the real question is: how much difference does it make ? As long as it's mostly closed, that ought to make more difference than the last little bit.
You've definitely got me thinking though: maybe doing the same thing except in a round duct. The hinge line would be slightly above the horizontal center of the flapper: that ought to negate the need for a spring since it'll be bottom heavy (like an HVAC flapper). I figure a PC fan will give me the CFMs I need on less current and when it gets full of crud I can replace it cheaply enough...though the filter ought to catch most of it.
I've got the inside of the wall/ceiling panel glassed now. You can't really see much in the pic since the glass is so clear, but here the side laying on the table is glassed up to where the vertical piece of blue foam starts. You'll see the addition of fairing compound along the center seam and in the corners: you can see the white vs the yellowish of the spray foam.
To do the ceiling (blue) I rotated the piece after that glass had hardened and stood it up so that the blue would now be horizontal. I blocked the wall up so it was 90 degrees to the table and ran a couple drywall screws in so it couldn't slide around. I faired the corner fillets with some more compound and glassed that surface too.
I'm working the next couple days so when I get back to it I'll flip it over and start fairing the outside. Once it's all glassed, it's back onto the trailer to be glassed into place and the curb side wall is structurally complete. Yay!
