Today - First attempt at the roof vent and structural repair. Re-done later when working inside the roof structure.
Thanks westend, very good suggestions. I think today I'm going to give a few thoughts on some of what's been brought up, and start into the vent.
Much of my enjoyment of the project, comes in my daily reporting of same. I'm a writer at heart, and while I may not be the best writer, I do suggest that's what I am. See, that way I can claim poetic license - and poetic license is so handy sometimes. ;)
I appreciate the comments and encouragement, and the apparent excitement shown for a new report like this. As I said, get ready - you will see much greater detail, pictures, etc. than you will see "end restoration". This one will take some time, as my direction is to still get Lil' Queeny completed and used.
But this Roadrunner will be used as it is worked on. That makes it tough when the kids are hoping to use it - this Memorial Day - and they don't even know yet, I've pulled the wall out behind the galley now. Whoops, spoiler alert. Next time I'll try and get that warning in first.
CavemanCharlie wrote:
I love that furnace. I wish I had one of them in my TT instead of the battery eating force air furnace that it has.
Me too Charlie. We had this sort of heater in our two previous canned hams. Let me tell you a story.
Shortly after we got married and moved out of state (to Wyoming) we bought a little 13.5' from a past neighbor I had in Ogden, UT. $350! Killer! We had to make several monthly payments of $50 each.
I painted that one in my buddy's aircraft hangar and he got mad at me because I got a little over spray on his immaculate floor (white epoxy). He parked his airplane tires on carpet pads to protect the floor. He was also a sore Chess loser. But I lost most of the time, so he was generally nice.
We cracked the dinette window with the heat from our Coleman lantern, just sitting in it while in storage. We've been marveling all along.
It had the roll up cots, singles, one front and one back. I built a hinged backward at the top fence (like a child's crib). Used 1 x 2 fir for the top and bottom rail and 1/2" wooden dowels to connect between. Still use that thing in the laundry room as an inside drying rack. It would fold down and forward and lock. The new baby (daughter) was put on the cot, and could push on the fence safely. I have a picture somewhere of the daughter, who owns THIS Roadrunner now, grinning from ear to ear, with camp dirt smudged all over her face. Probably marshmallow in there too.
We sold that to buy back-packing gear when the two kids were old enough to each carry their own daypack. Our dog had a saddle pack and her food and chain in one side, my beer in the other.
We backpacked for a few years and missed the RV. My Dad gave us his old (rotted) 1972 12.5' truck camper we used for awhile on our 1969 3/4 ton 4x4 GMC. Until it scared us too much. Picture this - Dad and me in the cab, my Mom, DW, our two kids, in the camper, driving UP to Boot Hill Cemetery in Deadwood, SD. Rotted campers make interesting noises underway. That road is steeper than the streets of San Francisco!
We found (this next time) a 1960 canned ham and parted out that truck camper into the trailer camper. Now we had water on board, water heater, fridge - all from the TC. Cool little trailer. Sold it to an oil worker to live in for $500. He too had to make payments.
But it had the same heater in it, non electric, gas only. Convective heat and brings in outside combustion air, vents the exhaust.
DW and I took it Elk hunting in Jackson Hole area. The lower half of the trailer was iced down. Snow and ice pack on the floor. Pretty darn cold in that lower half of the space. Extremely hot in the upper half - couldn't wear a coat! But the fresh water never froze until we reached -15 degrees F.
Been a lot of water under the bridge since then. Mmmmm - Memory lane.
Okay here's the vent from inside. Remember these double crank type? I know I've seen them, but never gave 'em much thought. Check it out.
It's oriented N-S for catching drafts/breezes fore and aft. When I reinstalled, I set it in E-W for greater capability (in my mind).
Notice the handles pop on/off like a socket set!
Up top, I unearthed the screw heads. Had to remove those with a small wrench as the lid was in the way for a driver and I couldn't figure out how it came off. Don't think it does.
Once off you could see how dryed out was the butyl/putty tape. Lil' Queeny had some REALLY good dark green, still thick and sticky sealer. I'll call it green butyl. This was grey, and dry. I wonder if it was drier to start with? Still, it appeared to be holding, even now. Most of the screw threads were just fine. Many screws (windows, etc.) will be re-used because they are already patina'd like the trim. I'm not polishing and painting right now. I'll make it cleaned up and get it on the road.
We're painting the house this year. So I had my buddy deliver the scaffolding the other day (a few of us co-workers bought into a nice set years ago as a co-op ownership - smart move). So having the scaffolding for this job was real handy!
In the previous pictures you can't see the framing wood on the vent opening due to the interior framing. I got in there and took it out. When I saw the wood, I was surprised. With so much water damage around the vent interior paneling, I expected more rot in the framing. Only this one spot!
The other two sides.
At first I thought the framing was going to be 2 x 2 all around. But this was just doubled up for the vent (to raise it 3/4").
Here are the bad boards with my new replacement 2x2. I was glad the rot was on the cross boards and not on a roof stringer.
While up top, I scraped the ineffective roof patch applied by the PO from the aluminum roof seams, and prepped the vent sealing surfaces. There's four of these on the flat and one on the rear round.
I covered it overnight with a board and a bag-o-tire-chains. We got a shower, and it puddled a little.
The next day I slid the replacement board in place (this was after the fam and friends came by the previous day to looky-loo and they brought Pizza!
And screwed it in place through the roof metal. I used the same holes except in two spots, and put in new screws. They all bit good. Most of the old screws were NOT bad, for all the water evidence. New/Old.
In the shop I prepped the vent.
Like an engine oil pan or metal valve cover, I flattened the distortions with a hammer and vice and even tried to regain the edge bend.
I also prepped the interior trim, which was in four pieces. I pop riveted them together for ease of use and because I hadn't had opportunity to pop rivet in awhile.
Test fit - for ideas on wood treatment.
Ready for action.
My new butyl tape order has arrived. But it hadn't by this time. I formed the last of my glob on the bench into this.
I used new screws in #2 Philips and Square head combo to allow better driver angle by slightly pulling the lid one way or another. Couldn't get the same results with a nut driver in 1/4". Then verified good ooze all around.
There were three spots that didn't quite ooze to the edge but were close. I used my pocket knife to press more up in tight and then trimmed the edges.
After finding the vent framing in such good condition, I started suspecting these edges more than ever.
We had wet weather forecast - so what better time than now to pull off trim? But that's a story for another day.
