Thanks to all the help from my dad, the camping trailer rebuild is moving fast. We may not be finished with all the details by our June 16th camping trip, but I am sure the Santa Fe will be in usable condition by then.
Kimberly cut and installed the foam insulation. She was fighting the flu but just kept trooping right along until she had the rig tight as a drum. After the insulation was installed, all of the wiring was taped into place and blocks of wood were cut in above the back window to serve as anchors for the overhead cabinets. On each side of the back window there is a piece of lumber temporarily screwed in to act as a cleat when we force the ceiling panel into the curve.
The ceiling panels went up like a dream. We used 3M 'Spray 90' to make sure the sheets stay put. We chose a honey maple color and plan to face the cabinetry and furniture with black Formica. We are thinking of doing all of the hardware and window trim in nickel.
The order of operations for the past two days has been, make cardboard template, transfer to wall panel, glue everything up, and tack it into place.
Areas that will not be visible were covered in 3/16" Lauan paneling. It is like super thick interior door skins. It is cheaper and thicker than paneling and you don't have to worry about the finish wearing off in the storage areas.
Here comes a plug for the best tool on earth. This little vibrating wonder cuts through anything with precision. There are about a dozen different makers and seems like more brands of this tool pop up every day. This unit is the Harbor Freight and Tool (Chicago Electric) $40 model with some better quality cutting attachments purchased at Lowe's or Home Depot. The attachments seem to be universal. I broke a lot of bones and had at least a dozen casts in my youth and remember them using the same tool to remove my casts over 30 years ago. Why did it take so long to hit the home improvement industry!!! Anyway, all of the windows were cut into the panels after installation by following the frame. Most notches and adjustments were made in tight areas without removing the work. Get one today... hehe
We will leave you with a shot of the newly painted, albeit already dirty step. We saw some grip tape with a reflector strip hanging on an aisle at the home improvement store and decided it would probably save us from a bummed up shin some late, wet night. The step is like brandnew.
Until next time,
