Today - Re-assembly of the camper interior after poly is complete, CO2 detector, the wheel well trim, ready to see the doctor.
The poly was dry. Well, except for the one side of the ladder still to do. DW got to that early.
These were her close friends the past few days. She licked cleaned several more than this. But we pulled extras out from the storage shelf and cleaned out the stash. For instance, the bunk floor received the darker pecan tinted poly. Used it up. There is only the smallest of amounts left in these cans.
DW felt the emotion. I've been feeling the loving emotion for the past few years on Lil' Queeny - understandable to anyone spending those hours immersed in applying finish. DW felt that on Tow-Mater.
She recalled DGS's (dear grandson's) comment that Tow-Mater was rusty, and how that helped me determine his exterior color scheme. Now on the interior, DW analogized how the Gunstock colored stain was the rust, and that to polish himself up in presentation to DD, he rubbed used motor oil all over himself - the honey tinted poly - which is a thick motor oil color and consistency, with the dirty pigments of the honey pine tint suspended in the golden fluid.
And - when he ran out of used gasoline motor oil - he finished up on his galley base cabinet - and other black stained areas - with used diesel motor oil. Rub that oil all over! Tow-Mater is freshening himself to present! To the girl child and her family, but mainly to the girl child. Freshening in the only way an old tow truck who lives in a shop could think to do! And he has one more surprise in store for DD, but that's a later date. Maybe in a separate report, after he heads out camping with the family, and leaves GPA and GMA alone with their morning on his first day gone.
Now however - with surfaces dry - we put things back together!
Let's start at the wardrobe. Here's the finish protected ceiling; we're covering it. There are basically four areas of the camper needing wood paneling attention. This is one of them. I had already checked the roof structure pretty good in this area. I fixed some, but we'll cover this part. Cosmetic!
So covered with one of the new shelf panels.
Then we could get in the clothes rod and the rest of the shelves. I had to cut notches to fit the door stiffener, and a couple small notches on the bottom board to fit the lessened width of the adjustable metal shelf brackets.
The clothes rod was installed. You can hang stuff and lay it on the top shelf like this.
Or move the top shelf down to the middle shelf like this.
Painting the hammered brass hardware to the nickle was kinda cool, and turned out very nice. Although not exactly our style, it indeed freshens that marred hardware - and we think the kids will love it!
I had this idea of Tow-Mater styled coat hooks near the door for each member of the family. A papa hook, a mama hook, and two baby hooks. Okay so not babies. We'll just call them the boys.
These hooks (about 10 or more) came off the militarized Spen trailer I worked on last fall. All the tie-down hooks (which were not original to that civilian trailer) were stuffed in my coffee cans for later use. They got wire wheeled on the bench grinder, and painted silver.
And hung the hooks with hardware that ALSO came off that trailer. Kind of cool screws. Found the nuts and washers to make them work on the 1/8" paneling of the wall.
I get into those cans several times a day. Okay, more than several.
DW had bought this Route 66 sign (our character is styled on the Route 66 stuff).
I painted it silver, and wiped the raised spots, the lettering, etc.
We also got the mirror up.
And the Route 66 thermometer.
Not to mention the tables, the cushions and bed-platform.
It's getting kind of cozy and comfy in here!
That spot at the wall's top left is the 2nd of 4 areas needing paneling attention.
The CO2 detector was easy to install. Had to Google height placement. Lighter than air gas; the opposite of propane, which sinks.
And note this area is 3 of 4 which needs a little further paneling attention.
The finished ladder all dried...
And stowed.
Staging curtains.
All of the interior window opening frames re-installed over the wall paneling edges, on windows that had been removed and sealed. This is at the large back window.
The left rear sofa window.
The galley window.
And the vent, the 4th of 4 areas still needing the paneling attention.
That's the worst, and we have the plan in place.
On the exterior, I still had the wheel wells to trim.
Had to break into the butyl excess stash to complete it.
And longer screws were used in this area as the curbside had existing holes to hit and a deeper depth to find.
And that all went up good.
Combos of both sides here.
Now this morning, me and Tow-Mater are leaving the house together early.
He has his first doctor's appointment. They are going to put him on the rack and adjust his axle. Alignment time! So this morning, DW gets to put some attention to her gardens, which have taken a back seat the past few days.
Countdown to camping - 2 days!
