While applying multi-coats of finish to the cab-over bunk, and puttering around with the grey water drain system over in Bathroom Remodel and Waste Water, I've also been working on the cab-over structure and the installation of the cab-over escape hatch.
It's a Heng's brand 26" by 26" and it came quite some time ago. It looks white, or translucent, but it's actually opaque for the sleeping area.
Somehow, I have to shoe-horn it into this 14" square hole.
Here I am standing on the ladder escaping from the 14" hole. So why do I need a 26"?
Oh yeah! The roof damage!
Exactly 7.25" from the edge of the 14" cut out, on the right front corner of the area, there is this repair from a tree branch run-in from vacations past. Ouch!
I don't know what this stuff is, but it has a darker green cast, is just a little pliable, but has quite a brittle quality too. Gas tank repair? I don't know.
And what I could see before ordering the hatch from below, is now visible from above. I think I can flatten a good portion of the damage, and stop the tear while placing it under the flange of the escape hatch, sealing it away for good. (The tear would remain, 1/4" outside the center placed 26" square rough opening, leaving it under the screw flange.)
So I have to open up this.
To make it look right, I have to more or less center it - front to back - in the sleeping chamber. That means it has to be placed further back than is optimal when trying to make a flat opening so close to the rounded roof arch support between the two rooms.
So the archway has to come out after all and be re-arched to a flatter curve, in addition to the front wall of the camper getting a flattening as well.
Place a brace.
Remove these four screws.
Remove the three screws on the right side of this photo.
And gingerly remove all the little nails holding the roof to the arch from outside.
8d where they go through a 1x2, 4d or 6d where they go through just paneling into the arch.
And Voila!
With some close measurements and double checking, a saber saw and various other means, here's how it turned out.
