The time had come to lower the roof metal for thorough evaluation and prep work. Using the poor man's block and tackle (two single lengths of rope – one per side – left uncut. Remind me to tell you about my dad and his 100 foot length he was too cheap to cut – the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree), and eye bolts/screws instead of pulleys (have you priced pulleys lately?), I rested the driver side low.
Then the passenger side and DW helped me remove the ropes and spans of lumber.
The first thing I did was to center it left and right and front to back then clamped it in a few places. Then I went to the front side marker light holes to examine my earlier transfer of placement to the camper wood. It was right-on! At least within a small fraction of an inch. Yes! And on top of that, my roof flattening reasoning had also panned out. The roof circumference dimension had not changed, the metal fit perfectly. The flattening had only slightly bulged the rounded corners, like a tire hitting pavement.
Then I went to the rear side-marker lights and marked the holes on the camper wood. Check!
Okay, let's see what we got. Starting on the passenger-side roof looking rearward, here are two spots needing work. The closer got hit with something, the further got hit with something worser, and right on the seam!
And passenger-side front, the original 14” square cut out with the attacking branch damaging from front camper edge (with its own hole) scratched and grooved backward until about a 1” gash abeam the cut out opening. That had been sunken and patched with a combination of lots of silicon and what appears to be a dark green gas tank-repair type of patch material.
Driver-side front. Hmmmm, not bad, not bad at all!
Driver-side rearward about mid-ship. Good lord! This is one of a few where interior cabinet walls are screwed to the roof framework. Just a little too much force guys huh? Sunk that screw too deep did you? Shipped it out like that anyway? Thanks a lot guys. You must have passed your skills and care on to your trainees. I think they built my 2013 Komfort.
Close-up.
But the rest of the rearward driver-side, not too bad.
Back wall looking forward toward the rear vent opening. Uh – well? Okay. I'll see what I can do.
Now this angle looking forward from the back on the driver-side isn't near as pretty as it was looking the other direction. Light reflection matters.
Back wall passenger-side. Yeah, I knew about this, but had forgotten to say anything until now. I have a couple of ideas.
So after squaring it up good and fit placing, I drilled my pilot holes for the new escape hatch opening. Look close you'll see them in the far corners.
Let's see what the lower walls are like.
Waste water vent driver-side.
City water inlet driver-side.
15 Amp electric inlet with metal label.
Water hook-up label.
Gravity feed water inlet, left front camper corner and reflector.
Right rear camper corner and reflector. I think that's some lint or a hair on the lens.
Left rear camper corner and reflector.
Right front camper corner and reflector.
Passenger-side cab-over side window.
Driver-side cab-over side window.
Front of dinette window passenger-side.
Rear of dinette window passenger-side.
Galley window driver-side.
Right-rear side marker.
Left-rear side marker. Must have hit something from the rear.
Right-front side marker. Notice it's position from the edge molding and compare it to the other side next.
Left-front side marker, back from the molding more than on the right side.
In addition to drilling pilot holes in the new escape hatch opening, I marked the new upper refrigerator vent opening in the same way. My smallest drill wouldn't fit in there at the correct angle so I used the Dremel tool to hold the bit. That was a lot easier to obtain the correct angle and to make the long reach from below. I also drilled a “stop-hole” in the 3.5” tear at the rear vent opening.
I'm saving the new cut outs lower down (water heater, utilities hook-ups, propane compartment, etc.) until later. As I attach the skin from top-center, downward on each side, I'll be pulling and fastening and therefore be able to mark the cut-outs more precisely.
Okay, let's prep this metal. We slid it to one side and DW helped me roll it under and then over, up-side-down on my new work-bench. A nice solid surface! Pity the knees.
Smiley - (DW's little yellow angel of a Jeep) you'll have to sleep outside for a few days. Think of it as “camping out”!
