2006 Hallmark Ute rotted wood repair
I'm going to start off my first post by saying I've been perusing this site for sometime, and have learned a lot...espcially lubing Happy Jacks. My wife and I have had this Hallmark Ute for a year....
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As you can see, I cut a few 2x4s to prop up the wings and keep them level. I'll confess an error I did.
After I pre-fit both side walls, I then set the back frame on to the floor. With the back frame set, the top did not line up with the tops of both side frames...it was too high. Because I really didn't have an original back frame to go back and grab a dimension (because it was rotted and crumbled to the floor), I did have the side frames. The dimensions on the new frames were perfect to the old.
So...I assume I screwed up the height of the rear frame, even though the overall height was the same as the walls. I cut the excess off.
With the rear frame back in place; now matching in height to the walls, I proceeded to clamp the walls to the rear wall. Now I had trouble with that. It appeared that the overall width...side frame to side frame, was wider than the rear frame. I was TEARING MY HAIR OUT. I walked away from the job and didn't return for a couple of days.
Well, as I went back out into my shop, I was doing a little sweeping up and picking up some tools. One piece of equipment I picked up was a level. Figuring on wasting more time before working on the walls, I thought I'd check how level my welder made my steel cart. It was right on the money, so was the floor of the camper.
I then laid the level on one of the wings...AHAAA! Both sides were tipped down. I then thought I would check how far the fabric sides would reach the side wall frames, The fabric came up short. I took a measurement at the bottom of the front wall frame, cut six 2x4s to this dimension, and wedged them under the wings...perfect.
In the picture that follows, you will see where I had cut the top from the rear frame, and then re-attached a piece to bring it back to the correct size. I felt like an idiot...
After I pre-fit both side walls, I then set the back frame on to the floor. With the back frame set, the top did not line up with the tops of both side frames...it was too high. Because I really didn't have an original back frame to go back and grab a dimension (because it was rotted and crumbled to the floor), I did have the side frames. The dimensions on the new frames were perfect to the old.
So...I assume I screwed up the height of the rear frame, even though the overall height was the same as the walls. I cut the excess off.
With the rear frame back in place; now matching in height to the walls, I proceeded to clamp the walls to the rear wall. Now I had trouble with that. It appeared that the overall width...side frame to side frame, was wider than the rear frame. I was TEARING MY HAIR OUT. I walked away from the job and didn't return for a couple of days.
Well, as I went back out into my shop, I was doing a little sweeping up and picking up some tools. One piece of equipment I picked up was a level. Figuring on wasting more time before working on the walls, I thought I'd check how level my welder made my steel cart. It was right on the money, so was the floor of the camper.
I then laid the level on one of the wings...AHAAA! Both sides were tipped down. I then thought I would check how far the fabric sides would reach the side wall frames, The fabric came up short. I took a measurement at the bottom of the front wall frame, cut six 2x4s to this dimension, and wedged them under the wings...perfect.
In the picture that follows, you will see where I had cut the top from the rear frame, and then re-attached a piece to bring it back to the correct size. I felt like an idiot...
