Today - Adding in flexible ceiling panels to damaged panel roof transition areas, decorative screw treatment for camper is begun on ceiling transition, routing ceiling wire, curbside framing edge fillers.
Here's a 4x8 sheet of wet area wall paneling. Thin stuff, but some of the beefier of the several choices. I also thought the textured paneling had the most appropriate surface for Tow-Mater's camper shelves area use. I don't need a huge amount of it, so could buy one sheet (about $22) and double it up to gain my 1/8" panel thickness dimension. It scores like sheetrock and then you can fold it and cut the back side. We bought similar stuff to custom build Lil' Queeny's wet bath wall surfaces, and this gave me a chance to get some experience with it, as I've never used the stuff before.
Once cut to fit the ceiling openings, in two pieces it was like this, just a little long so as to make a final trim once fastened into a shape with its edge flush to the wood paneling.
But first, I needed to get the ends of the new and old stringers glued and stapled in proper position to the side wall top plates, with that 1/8" gap to allow the panels to press into place tightly, but not too tight.
I cut two small sections of plastic to hold the space, while fastening the stringers.
On curb-side it came out like this.
On street-side there was more to do on the wiring.
Down low, where I could fit the staple gun under the roof metal, I stapled in retainers, careful not to run a staple through the wiring, and making sure a sharp edge wasn't going to nick the sheathing.
But higher up where the stapler wouldn't fit...
I simply wrapped electrical tape to keep the cable in place until the metal goes down.
And that shows street-side ribs fastened. Here's curb-side ready too.
I had no intention of trying to hammer twist screws in from below; that might cause lots of problems with banging and loosening or damaging lots of stuff. Screws are much less destructive than "a bigger hammer".
We used the black screws with brass washer treatment a few various places in our home, and migrated it over to significant use in Lil' Queeny. The kids have chosen silver metal accents in Tow-Mater, instead of the brass, so we got the silver washers and black screws started here.
This sort of bling will be used more widespread in this camper as we turn it into a main feature, as opposed to a visual "repaired area". For now, just enough to do the job.
I pressed ceiling panels up tightly into the ceiling's new support system.
I eyeballed alignment with the twist nails, but used a chalk-line for the rib locations.
Somewhere about this point I was able to make my fillers for the curb-side. The longer interlocker is like the cedar one on the street-side, part filler, part top-plate lap joint edge replacement.
Okay - rib ends fastened. Check. Ceiling panels down tight. Check. Let's get that plastic up. First get the easier butt-joint in right, then press the panels up and place a screw. Then two more. Check.
Once in place I could fit, mark and cut the final length. Both sides.
The last step was simply stapling the edges where trim would cover.
In the store this stuff was cream, but installed, and in the sunlight, it was white as the driven snow! Did I mention the manufacturer says it is paintable? So there's that. We'll make it look right, not white.
I'd been watching the approach of a thunderstorm, and just kept working. But now, with lightening getting closer, I came down to ground level, after getting another bag-o-chains and Lil' Willy's tow-chain kit up top, to help control wind damage.
Not long after, this...
It was again, wind and rain. That wasn't forecast!
And as I wondered if I should try and take on Mother Nature, I remembered a little bit of parental teaching, "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day".
