Thomas Minotour Build

[AlphaHare]

Getting all creative. How do you plan to seal the new back door at the top of it?

I'll take a pic tomorrow - there's a structural part behind the skin, and it's in place to support a door flange just like the original. Stock gasket will work. I'll also be reusing the original upper gutter.

 

[AlphaHare]

The new door opening is framed with a square tube. Behind that, I've added a flat bar. Together they make a new flange pretty much like the original albeit a heavier gauge. I salvaged some of the hemmed trim and now it looks nearly stock. I'm going to reuse the original gasket until I need to replace it.

Haven't finalized the upper skin until I weld in the bed frame and figure out what I need to do to put an egress window in the back.

 

[AlphaHare]

Framed in the picture window that will be beside the dinette. 2" sq, 0.093" wall - stiff stuff to support the two bows I cut out. This is about 6 inches wider than my actual window to allow for final placement on the CL of the dinette table later.

 

[AlphaHare]

Got the outline of the bed frame in place along with one support post. The wall at the front of the bed is going to be a structural bulkhead. I'm putting two 50 gallon water tanks behind there in the corners on both sides. Front cross members welded into the chair rail and onto braces between the bows.

 

[AlphaHare]

Trial fit of the first skins upper and lower. I snapped a chalk line across the whole length so my panels will line up. Screwed a 2x4 to the wall through the rub rail screw holes and that's enough to support the panel in just about the right place for fitting and drilling. My panels were cut to my measurements and I had the upper skins cut and bent at the same place.

The upper shoulder skin really wants to spring away - it was obviously formed in place and not pre-bent to fit. I can't push hard enough to firmly hold it down while on the scaffold, so I came up with a way to clamp it down with the skin in place - I'll take a few pictures when I actually rivet it down.