The pictures I'm posting today are both my most recent, and from three days ago. That's not because I haven't done any work, or maybe I should say that's not because I haven't tried to move forward. No, it's more because the work from the past two days has been kind of disappointing. Nothing of value to take pictures of. If only my aluminum sheet metal were made of wood.
So thanks butcher, I needed that.
The work I'm posting today had it's own early disappointment, but then the day ended with a real satisfaction! And even so, the disappointment wasn't a big deal. I just regrouped and moved ahead without so much as a "discouraging word".
Here's what I mean.
While planning to place Reflectix over the structure (the past "quite awhile") I have wondered if it would adversely affect the circumference of the metal fit - and it did. I couldn't stretch it far enough to fit right, so the metal was slid to one side and the more rounded portion of the camper got slightly stripped.
The opposing interior space is right where the overhead cabinets are - except in the bunk where it is just the rounded ceiling/wall. So there's a little loss of R-value, a little more loss of reflectivity, but the needed loss of distance for the metal to fit.
And upon reflection (pun intended) I realized there is some radiant reflectivity of course via the foam inboard side, but also (and this was a new thought) from the back side of the metal itself!
So it was a minor setback, easily rectified, and I wasn't at all concerned with the results.
Here's more of the process for the other side.
Back up top I "tried that trick again". That is to say, after careful placement (close examination all around, especially at existing window openings where I had extremely minimal tolerances for perfection, regarding existing window screw holes in the sheet metal), I plopped a staple in three spots - both front and back at each center of the two roof openings. The three spots were in the low portion of the skin pattern.
Then using a metal clamp locking pliers and a ratchet strap connected to the under-grid, I carefully stretched the metal downward until I could balance the scary strength of the "pull" against the window opening alignments at the top, and placed a few staples before grabbing in a new spot and repeating.
This was very tricky and I had to use extreme caution to avoid tearing or damaging the metal anywhere, to get it placed in a balanced way, and to be quite frank - I'm not at all sure I did it right!
But, this upper part was the easiest, as soon discovered over the following two days, for which we will discretely not speak of for the moment.
Back up on top, here's how that badly crushed seam ended up looking from behind (and you cannot see this area from the ground, much less once it's on the truck - so I got that going for me - which is good).
And again, light matters, so it looks much better from the front.
The satisfying part was how strong it felt while climbing onto the roof. Not only was I able to lie down in this area, but I was able to kneel cautiously and there was no feel of weakness.
And this shot was taken while actually standing on the bunk floor in the escape hatch hole. You could feel a very slight give to the 1/4" plywood, but the one-by framing and foam filled cavities were quite apparent. And another concern (that of my body weight out at the far reaches of the bunk) had evaporated several days earlier, and the metal isn't even attached yet, doing it's own supportive role as a cantilever support.
Here's that crushed seam area again, but from a higher angle.
Here's how that tear by the rear roof vent ended up.
And one corner of the escape hatch hole.
Here's the upper fridge vent opening. Maybe you'll notice that top right staple straying from the pack. That's an example of "loss of concentration at the end of a long day" that I was talking about before. I did get the vent cover out and fortunately, the flange does cover the staple.
This area below the range vent opening was a really ugly groove. I had worked this on the floor. I guess it will still be visible, but it looks so much better than it did before.
The back portions of the camper had the under-wing grid to attach my ratchet strap. I had no such anchor point below the bunk. And the grab locations at the bunk side windows are too low to pull against a strap placed under the bunk over to the other side.
I devised a plan to move DW's car out, rotate Lil' Queeny and Lil' Willy each 90 degrees to face each other, and place Lil' Willy's front bumper under the bunk area for an anchor. However, it was late in the day, so that got scheduled for the next - you know, the first of two very discouraging days.
At this point I'm not exactly sure when you'll see me next. But I can promise you this - it won't be until I can skip in here and tell you just how awesome I am! Let's hope that's sooner than later.
