Today - the left taillight location, as it didn't have much in the way of backing for both the screws fastening the fixture to the wall, as well as backing for the aluminum skin damage in that area, and prep work on the skin holes near both taillights, and on the big, ugly gash at the camper's left rear side wall and corner.
This is the main area of work.
Sneaking a peak behind the scenes, I discovered fairly shoddy original build on backing in that area for fastening lights. Incidentally, the same held true for the marker/clearance light at the left rear. It also received a backing up in there, but I didn't get a picture. Here again, back behind the left taillight.
After making a plan, I cut boards and applied glue.
The bottom board was pressed against the back wall wood paneling just past where my peak was looking two pictures ago. The upper board in place is here, leaving a small space channel for wiring.
To help the backers stay in place until the glue dried, and in an effort to get as much wood fiber press in the glued area as possible, I stapled once for each board here, where I can put a decorative nail later, in place of the unsightly staple. Even so, this area is usually covered with the sofa back.
Then it was time to zip up the corner. I started with the sidewall siding and brought it in as evenly as possible, paying particular attention to bring the sides of the gash down where it would have as little flex and vibration stress as possible.
That's 90, count them, 90 staples! No mere 9 pop-rivets and 9 screws here. No sir! 9 times 9, 90! Sure am glad I studied those multiplication tables so many years ago. My mind's like a steel trap! That's why I'm so concerned about rain!
Here's another spot with a tear that I drilled stop holes in at both ends.
And this shot shows where I trimmed the angle cut on the repair board for the sidewall, to a flush surface with the back wall. I want that metal laying fully flat and supported.
Thereafter, I stapled in the small torn out piece too, but guess I didn't get photos.
All day I had been looking to the sky. Thunderstorms had been threatening and my mind (the steel trap, getting rustier by the years) was back and forth between taking things apart, fixing, and getting things put up, weather sealing, so I got the taillight on (since the backing was done) and yet, for real repair on the gash, I'll probably have to remove the light again. Maybe I can get by just taking of the lens. The fixture on this side is in great condition!
This time, I didn't trim shorter the excessively stripped from the factory wires, just used their original install trick and twisted the wire nut in to fully twist and cover all exposed wiring.
Then I secured the tears at the taillight area with stop holes and staples.
And just stop holes on the right side damage.
And each of the areas got a good steel wire brushing. The liquid nails solved best with lacquer thinner.
All done! Now doesn't that look better?
Just kidding. This is still prep. Next plan is for the epoxy treatment, and then I'll probably finish up with Bondo for best shaping to the siding pattern.
I've never used Bondo before, so that will be a new thing for me to learn and play with.
But the epoxy, I used over on Lil' Queeny. You can start about
here to see how I did that.
