One of those "discovered" things I recently fixed was something I'd been aware of for a little while now, something I knew I needed to get to and rectify. That is to say, "too much metal" folded over from the passenger side-wall cab-over bunk area, under and stapled to, the roof above the cab. Again, that's the side above DW's door.
Because of the way I centered the metal on the camper, and cut the escape hatch opening, and then the way the metal stretched down and tight against the framing and around the window openings, I wasn't all that surprised to find excess metal folded onto the one side, but not on the other.
You may recall, quite some time ago, under "Structure & New Wood", while I was installing the new bunk floor, how the bottom edges of the cab-over side walls had an undesirable "visual". There was the appearance, and an actual physical condition, of a cab-over sag toward the front. That slight tilt was probably even one small factor to the difficulty I had getting the metal to fit the framing well!
But after 45+ years of perhaps "less than adequate framing support", that bunk had drooped a bit. I fixed the look by cutting off a slight amount of bottom edge to make that floor surface perpendicular to the camper-box front-wall. In doing so, I gained an excess-metal folding-factor that I had forgotten about.
And then on the day of the metal folding and fastening, I was a little frustrated, and a lot fatigued - pressing left palm inward against the metal, while tapping and forming with the hammer in my right hand, then setting down hammer without letting up pressure and picking up stapler, then carefully placing the staple-gun nose in just the right spot, and then lightly pulling trigger without too much force, which could bury the staple - location after location. That was second in "tiring" only to the recent hours of sanding.
At any rate, at the time, I didn't recognize the excess metal nor the staple placement along the edge (the fatigue thing). The end result was a metal edge that wasn't going to be satisfactorily covered by molding. My fix was to staple again, a row closer to the fold, then pull the other staples (that's really a pain) then lift the metal edge enough with a scraper blade, a little at a time, until the edge was raised enough to cut off. I started with a cut-off wheel on the Dremel tool and migrated to the tin snips, which worked much better.
Then while flattening the lifted and cut metal edge back down, I discovered the new row of staples was mostly loose! It appears many of them had tried to gain purchase in a "void". A "VOID?!" Wait what?
My "fix" hadn't resolved the entire problem, and this is a good example of how improper installation technique, or in-attention to detail or concentration, can cause problems to build one upon another, I think an all too common occurrence in the factory as well.
So here's how the errors had built up to get to the situation described above.
When I had put the bunk floor metal (above the truck cab) on the camper at the very beginning, we were learning the process (you may remember DW was helping). Not all the edges involved at that time were given the special treatment (as later with the window openings and camper corners, etc.) of hammering the edge down and around the framing corner when needed. This edge in question had metal overlapping the "floor to wall corner" of maybe 1/8". And it was kind of hard to see because of the Reflectix thickness.
Therefore, when it came time to fold the wall metal over it, and due to fatigue, and a physically demanding process, that side metal wasn't a real tight fit against the framing! I've noticed - since then - if there isn't a tight fit to "form" around (the bend of the metal), the bend becomes more rounded, and less sharp. And more rounded means more void between it and the framing, even though it feels firm.
The solution? Pull all those new staples - again. Granted, some were easy (in the void), but most were into enough bite that it just made the job very difficult. And this was more Moses work with the arms up from underneath :)
Eventually, I had the side-wall metal pulled away from the framing far enough to get a larger surfaced drift punch (I use an old solid front axle king-pin) up against that excess 1/8" of bunk floor metal, and with hammer in hand was able to form that edge over about 45 degrees. Then I brought some steel flat-stock in over that edge, and tapping against it through the outer side-wall metal, finished the first metal's firm fold against the framing.
Then it was a matter of pressing the side-wall metal back against the now firm framing surface, tapping the edge around into a sharper corner, and running my final row of staples into a good, solid wood framing.
With the excess metal already trimmed back, and a solid row of staples holding it in place, the difference in feel, and even a smoother (sharper corner) "look" was amazing! It actually helped the metal lay down nicer on this arguably "most difficult area" of the camper (as it relates to the visual smooth lay-down of the metal over the framing).
Here are some photos of the results.
I think I have found my camper molding. I'm working with a company to determine flexibility or form-ability for those rounded edges. But, the fact of the matter is most of my molding needs are straight runs.
The one surface is 1 1/8" while the other is 5/8". In fact, here are two links to get a visual.
Vintage Trailer SupplyTeardrop Trailer. Same stuff a little more than halfway down. Busted link for item.I figured if the profile is 1 1/8", I might have a 1" inside corner distance of coverage. Same thing on the 5/8", I might have 1/2". So I made this wooden jig to check my metal overlaps (and staple holes) all over the camper.
And used it like this.
Including a plan for how to run this stuff around the rounded roof edges, even if it ISN'T flexible enough, I calculate approximately $120 of this stuff to do the whole camper.
Here is an example of the original stuff - I think.
Teardrop Trailer.
Or perhaps this interior molding for a table edge (flexible, easier to form but easier to damage and mar) is the type of material originally used.
Vintage Trailer SupplyAt any rate, I think the wider stuff will add significantly to several favorable preferences...
- Better prevention of water infiltration
- Stronger, more durable edge treatment
- More stout look, indicating higher quality TC
- Replacement of fairly ugly original moldings with problematic holes and lots of dings.
And I get to avoid plastic, vinyl, and the more modern looking screw cover strips.
