The Roach Motel - Page 8

chev49 · 07-06-2012, 08:00 AM

Isuzu diesels can have problems as well... had to fix one wrecker...

ol trunt · 07-06-2012, 11:17 AM

'49, PM me the details please--I'd rather not learn the hard way. Thanks, Jack

roach711 · 07-15-2012, 05:37 PM

It's been a busy couple of weeks. All the little problems that showed up on our first trip have been fixed, I finished my storage/electrical closet, the ceiling has been carpeted and some of the oak trim is up. It's very satisfying to have some more bits finished.

Carpeting the ceiling was quite the adventure. I had asked a flooring contractor what was the best way to glue carpet to a ceiling and he just laughed and told me to bring a drop cloth and lots of rags. I used some light weight indoor/outdoor carpeting so it stuck to the adhesive quite willingly, but getting the damned adhesive up there in the first place was a study in frustration. By the time I got it all glued up I had adhesive drips all over the floor, on my clothes, on my skin and in my hair. Thankfully it was water based stuff and easy to clean up.

Here's the adhesive I used. It dries to a rubbery consistency.

The finished product. The break in the carpeting will be a wire chase between the two closets once they are installed.

This is the bedroom area. Some of the oak trim is up. It was so dry at our campsite on the 4th of july weekend that we couldn't set off our fireworks. We'll set them off next time we go up. This year our restrictive Michigan fireworks laws were repealed and now we can get the good stuff without trekking off to Ohio. This box isn't the good stuff BTW.

Here is the electrical closet. Batteries will live in the base and the Progressive Dynamics power center will go in the hole at the top.

Check out the profile at the back of the closet. I'll have to adjust it a bit now that the carpet is in. Those bus walls aren't even close to being straight.

I blinged up my stock light fixtures with a bit of oak.

lornaschinske · 07-15-2012, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roach711

... Here is the electrical closet. Batteries will live in the base and the Progressive Dynamics power center will go in the hole at the top....

Of course the batteries will be well vented to the outside because batteries can & will vent off dangerous fumes AND the battery area is well sealed preventing any of the gases from reaching the Progressive Dynamics panel box or any inverters/converters because the corrosive gases from batteries will eat up the interior electronics of these devices.

Don't want the newbies to read your build & not realize the safety precautions that are built in! I've run into many who did not know that you can't put an inverter in the same bay/box as a battery (even the "safe" ones) because the battery will "eat" the interiors of the electronic devices. Only things in a well ventilated battery box should be batteries and maybe a shunt and a big manual blade type shut off for the batteries.

ol trunt · 07-15-2012, 08:32 PM

The oak bling is a nice touch. Do you know the "R" value of the insulation you used? How did you attach it to the roof and walls? Jack

roach711 · 07-16-2012, 08:35 AM

The insulation is 3/4" polyisocyanurate and has an R value of 5.5 or 6 if memory serves. I used Liquid Nails for Marble and Granite countertops to glue it up but any polyurethane adhesive would have worked.

I had to brace the insulation up against the roof and walls overnight to give the adhesive time to set up.

Edit: The polyurethane adhesive was necessary because the insulation board has a foil face and a face that is plastic-like. I emailed tech support at Liquid Nails to get the right adhesive. If that failed down the road (literally) I'd have a real problem re-attaching it after everything else was installed.

roach711 · 07-16-2012, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lornaschinske

Of course the batteries will be well vented to the outside because batteries can & will vent off dangerous fumes AND the battery area is well sealed preventing any of the gases from reaching the Progressive Dynamics panel box or any inverters/converters because the corrosive gases from batteries will eat up the interior electronics of these devices.

Yup. Proper venting is the key to keeping batteries and electronics happy.

roach711 · 07-29-2012, 06:20 PM

Our steamy weather has blown out of here and I got a fair bit done this last week. The electrical/storage closet is in and most of the wiring is done. Even with all the fitting I had done previously, I had to scribe the cabinet to the wall and use my belt sander to get it just right. I miss nice, square walls. Six more cabinets to go!

The inside of the closet is an absolute nightmare of wiring at the moment. I ran out of cable ties and the wires all bolted and ran amok.

I also got some more carpeting glued up around the windows and three windows have their trim panels now. The panels are just 1/4" plywood with some hide of the endangered Nauga stapled on. Very expensive stuff but I know a guy downtown that will sell you some out of the back of his van.

The panels hide my funky window frames, especially the big one in the rear of the bus which looked like someone had attacked the inner clamp ring with a grinder and looked pretty forlorn.

The bathroom window got some FRP glued up and I made the inner frame out of PVC lumber. It will get one of those trim panels too, only this one will get the hide of an ALBINO Nauga. Massively rare but worth the cost.

ol trunt · 07-29-2012, 08:31 PM

Your project is sure comming together nicely. It's fun to see such high quality finish work. Did you use the same procedure to install the covering on the walls as you did on the ceiling? Jack

roach711 · 07-29-2012, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ol trunt

Did you use the same procedure to install the covering on the walls as you did on the ceiling? Jack

Yep, glued it up just like the ceiling. Only difference was that when doing the walls I didn't have the bloody glue slopped all over the place like I did when I was putting it on the ceiling. I think that the weight of the carpet I'm using is a big factor in having it stick without much support, if any. I bought a 12' x 17' roll of indoor/outdoor carpet and I'd guess the whole roll, including the cardboard tube, weighed maybe 30 pounds. It is nice stuff to work with and wraps around corners really well.

roach711 · 08-08-2012, 08:23 PM

Got the second closet built and installed. This time I scribed and fitted the side panels to the wall before assembling the closet and was rewarded with the thing sliding up tight to the wall first try.

Got all the wiring runs pulled but not terminated. DC wiring for the kitchen area runs from the electrical closet on the left, across the ceiling, through the closet on the right and into the area where the kitchen cabinet will go. There will be a curtain rod between the two closets for some bathroom privacy. Also got the smoke, monoxide and propane alarms installed.

The wiring closet need a bit of TLC. I know where it all goes, really, I do.

Here's my supervisor. He must be management 'cause he's always bugging me and doesn't help worth a damn. We thought it was pretty cool that he matches the captain's chair.

ol trunt · 08-08-2012, 10:00 PM

Love the cat--they rule!

Do as I say---not as I do! Both my '71 Chevy Suburban and my '59 Morris Minor woodie required complete re wiring and at the time I knew EXACTLY where every wire, fuse, relay and circuit was and how it worked. Why bother making a new detailed wiring diagram. It's been a year since I finished the last one and your comment "really, I know" got me thinking about those two projects--and I don't remember any of the particulars except that I spent hundreds of hours figuring them out in the first place.

God help me if I ever have to go back into those projects again! Photos and diagrams--do 'em both. I'll TRY heed my own advice as I get to the wiring in my '35 Chevy SKOOLIE!

roach711 · 08-09-2012, 08:46 AM

That's good advice.

I tried to keep my coach wiring simple just for that reason; everything's a home run back to the wiring closet. But now that you mention it I think I'll mark the device ends of the runs and draw up an electrical map. I won't need it because I never forget stuff

but it might be useful for the next guy.

Accordion · 08-09-2012, 10:14 AM

Great looking cabinets.

ol trunt · 08-09-2012, 10:25 AM

Yeah, You never forget stuff? Well it's your story so I guess you can tell it any way you want

roach711 · 08-09-2012, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accordion

Great looking cabinets.

Thanx, I swiped the idea from you. I used 3/4" oak plywood and made an three-sided box (front and two sides) then built in some permanent shelves to give some rigidity. I was careful to make them a press fit against the wall, ceiling and floor to give most of the stability then used 6 angle brackets attach them to the ceiling and wall and they're gratifyingly solid. It had been years since I'd bought furniture grade plywood and I was shocked at how thin the oak veneers were. Shocked I say!

It was made in the USA too so I can't carp about the chineese this time. I wanted something light and solid and (so far) these look to be doing the job. The cabinet work is pretty basic - I left the plywood edges showing and cut a 25 degree bevel on the door edges for finger grip instead of installing pulls. The sides are dadoed into the front and glued. Aside from the dados you could make these with a sabre saw.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ol trunt

Yeah, You never forget stuff? Well it's your story so I guess you can tell it any way you want

What were we talking about??

chev49 · 08-09-2012, 03:50 PM

Painless Wiring...

Accordion · 08-09-2012, 07:20 PM

It is great that I was able to inspire you to build your cabinets in such a manner. I did put a 1/4 inch roundover edge on all mine with a small router. I really do not mind the edge of the plywood. When using expensive plywood, the edge will not have any voids. If you have not stained your cabinets yet, you might take a sanding block to the edges just to soften them up a little.

To see the wood up against the carpeted ceiling makes me think that I was there to help you. Uncanny!

roach711 · 08-09-2012, 09:34 PM

I did give them a good going over with my random orbit sander before brushing on the polyurethane so the edges are nicely eased but not rounded over like yours. Frankly, the veneer is so thin that I was afraid I'd tear it out with the router. Besides, my garage is so chaotic with this project that I can't even get to my router table!

Every woodworking project that I've stained looked....wrong, so these days when I want a dark piece I use dark wood and a clear finish. Dark colors tend to make a space look smaller so in a small space like this I like light colors. I even considered using birch ply with a water based finish to get a nearly white look but I already had a good bit of oak plywood and some left over oil based poly so I went with the oak and oil finish throughout.

GreyEagle · 08-10-2012, 08:26 AM

Now is the time to label all those wires........... While you still know "really I do" where they all go........
get some masking tape and write on the tape then stick em on the wires....... just in case the "I really do" turns into an "ol ****"......
if not for you then do it for us for I have a bad case of CRS.....

NICE JOB!!!

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