More picture problems. Today's post shows the same link for my last several pictures. I think I reached a 50 picture upload limit on this new tool or RV.net Imgur storage spot. I suspected there might be some constraint like this. We'll work it out and fix today's post next, then I'll be back in future for additional stuff.
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Today: Propane evaluation, making a plan, changing the plan, doing it again, leak testing, appliance checks. Check!
Before I even started on the fresh water tank work, I began work on the propane. I started that by pulling two 20 lb bottles off the trailer and putting them in the truck. Then I took two more 20 lb bottles out of the parts camper, and put them in the truck. All four had OPD valves, but all four required their 10 year checkup. Came to find out two had it, but had been re-stamped on the opposite side from where it is normally found. So got the other two rechecked and all four filled.
On the way home from that side-trip, and some other errands, I picked up the grandson and brought him home, so he and me and DW could work on his lemon-aide stand.
But first let's get this truck unloaded. I asked him, "of the four propane tanks, which two do you like best to put on Tow-Mater?"
He said, "this one, and this one".
I asked, "why".
He said, "because they have the most rust and Tow-Mater is supposed to be rusty".
And with that little comment, I had my exterior color scheme!
But being the grandpa, I said, "well you know it's important for safety, that we kind of sand that bit of rust out, and re-paint the tanks, right? So they stay in good condition and don't develop a leak and can pass the test in another 10 years, right?"
He said, "oh". So we got that taught. I turned and winked at Hank Hill.
I showed him the differences in the handle shapes and hold down holes and some other features and he made another choice. It just so happened, we got the rustiest one after all, and it's not too bad, so we'll get it painted soon enough, but for now - it fits the color scheme. At seven years old he carried the one tank over to the trailer. Yeah, kind of a struggle, but he did it!
With tanks removed here's the parts. Note the hold down bracket is home-made; must have lost the original at some point. The home-made bracket was drilled to fit a hold down stud that had been bent near the bottom. What? Why not straighten the rod first and drill the hole in the middle of the bracket?
Also, one factory bracket holding the tank tray to the tongue frame is off and shown in the picture. The other is still on.
That tray position appears to be the original spot. I thought it could be moved forward or back, to free room on the tongue for an expanded metal tool tray below the frame, and a battery box.
I had three trays to pick from. I ended up keeping the original, because it matches the finish on the tongue, and it's in good enough condition, and because...well...because it is original!
Check out these mounting brackets. I cleaned up the fasteners.
And reattached the tray further forward.
I also hit the frame parts and tray with a wire brush and then sprayed the whole thing with that silicon lubricant spray stuff. I did that the other day on the tongue of our big trailer and it was a nice finish - wiping it in. It worked different on this old paint and the rusted spots. I don't know what, if anything, it will do, but foremost is to protect Tow-Mater's spotted, rusted finish! Yeah, maybe we'll talk more about that.
Check out this 1976-77 Wyoming Inspection sticker; must have been safety checks.
Our neighbors and we, have both been in Wyoming a long time and neither of us could remember a safety inspection in the state!
I routed the under-camper propane line up to where I wanted it and installed the new regulator and hoses.
But I didn't like it. That copper line stuck out too far, maybe better in back.
So I came back to it a few days later and shifted it forward. By moving the tray from original location, the factory brackets wouldn't hold correctly. I wasn't exactly sure about them anyway. I thought they were cool, and kept them for looks and originality, but bolted the tray down in four spots for a more secure setup.
This way I could route the line toward the back side, and still have room to build a tool tray behind.
So the line is in a preferred shape for combating vibration stress. It will also move up and down with the hold-down bracket, all while staying below the area to be turned into a tool tray between the tongue frame rails.
The line routes from here back to the heater tee.
Here it goes up through the floor curbside to the heater.
The other branch coming up here under the ice-box.
Continuing up to the tee behind the drawer, below the range.
Where one branch runs to the range, and the other to this upper cabinet spot for the lamp. Remember I installed the line too short here? I bought a 5" nipple to make up the length and another style of fitting, flare to FIP (female inside pipe thread) to fit the nipple instead of the lamp fixture, and got the lamp installed.
The wood had two types of lamp mounting evidence, indicating pretty strongly that this is not an original fixture. I think it looks newer. I suspect the original was a brass style lamp, but the kids prefer the silver metal accents over the brass, so this is working out well. I stored my extra brass lamp (from the parts Travel Queen camper) back in my spare stuff and got the silver unit up.
And lastly, hooked up the range line.
Then we went back to the beginning...
Opened up both tanks and did the soapy water leak test on every joint, twice.
I found a couple of minor areas to tighten a bit, and the lamp tee behind the drawer hadn't been tightened more than finger tight, so I got it pulled in. Looks good, no bubbles, no smells. Check!
Using the instructions that came with the camper, I adjusted the oven settings. No pilot here, it's a flame light when you need it; full off when you don't. It does have a lesser flame at the burner when the oven reaches it's pre-set, but later models used a pilot light to reduce that lesser setting even more.
And the heater's pilot light was set too high so it got adjusted correctly. But it functioned real nice on that cold morning test that we ran!
I bought a handful of spare mantels and stowed them on board.
The heat from the lamp (it's very close to the dry wood ceiling) mostly escapes through the vent opening. But I intend to work the ceiling wood around the vent to accomplish several things. First to make it look good and fix the water damage wood, and also to flange it with a metal shield for the lamp heat. But we'll get to all that.
To me, the propane lamp is a "must retain" in one of these old rigs. But the safety factor is important. We'll make sure all those aspects are covered before we send the family out.
So then - Propane. Check!
