Today - Staining interior paneling, sealing upper forward facing bunk window, trimming butyl.
What? What did I say yesterday? Removed pieces from the inside? What?
What the heck are we removing pieces for you ask? Aren't we getting it ready for the kids to go camping? Well yes.
But when you sit around in the evenings talking about the next day, and DW has this idea and says, "I can sand"! Hmmmmmm. She's quite driven you know. And you saw what she did on that Fairbanks home with stains and polyurethanes.
So we decided, while I concentrate on these other things to finish up a ready status, DW went inside - the camper. Now for a guy like me, a quicker than originally planned job requires a little attitude adjustment. But I like it. See - everything DW does, I don't have to! And that's incentive! This isn't Lil' Queeny for crying out loud! This camper is tougher, will be used by a young family, for fun, not display at some museum somewhere. Hmmmmm.
So we decided, on Thursday morning, I would get at removing the last observed leaking window (makes paneling sanding and prep and finishing easier) - the forward facing bunk window, and remove the cabinet doors and drawers, and stuff. Her car came out of the garage, the packing blankets went down, the camper pieces stacked on top.
Don't get lost in the foreground and screen frames, the main bulk is behind, cushions, tables, rear sofa platform, doors and drawers, etc. You know, out of the way.
I also did some of the rougher sanding. The goal isn't perfection; this is about getting it together. We did pretty good prep, for a faster than expected interior finish, and then got the stain on.
DW was at it all day! Now she can do some today, but she has some other afternoon commitments, so we'll see what can be done. If any. It's so windy today, so maybe she'll do something inside.
Me? I'm finishing doors and drawers and screens and odds and ends.
Here's her work so far. With just stain.
Forward.
I haven't gotten to this yet. Shhhh, I'm still thinking.
Hey now this is pretty!
Ceiling.
We're talking the bead-board color on these. Since it says they are paintable and all.
Ceiling toward the rear.
Okay check this out. DW has a design element that you want to allow rein on. She'll run with stuff like this. Wait for it!
Then I went shopping. Basic home materials and recycle drop offs, and several other errands. Materials for the camper. Hey I mowed too!
And the window I removed in the morning? And the front eyebrow? Well those got prepped and put back up too. The remaining windows are caulked pretty well. No leak evidence. I'm about out of butyl tape, so this is a good stopping point on window seal work.
Because we're down to the wire, I trimmed butyl too. It was warm but came off pretty good even so.
I also trimmed these strips. Note a few things here. First, look at the hard-water and other film build-up on the window! Cleaning that has been tough.
More importantly, I have learned a good technique is to use a hammer to tap the aluminum strip into a good formed shape for butyl seal and tightness. Let the screws pull it in to a good place, then tap the remaining aluminum strip into a conforming shape. I think that is a forgotten technique on this style of sealing.
Also note, the trim shape above is like a rain gutter shape. Originally the pieces were reversed. Following the same install all the way around the camper, these had been upside down (in my mind) and that had created a water dam up high for leaking seals to let water into this bunk area framing.
I changed that. On both sides.
And trimmed the oozed butyl.
Countdown to camping - 7 days!
