RV Remodel 14

Now that the paneling is up and the ceiling has been painted.  We are going to start in the rear bedroom on the wardrobe and overhead cabinet.  I think that if we do all the upper cabinets first it will be easier to get to. 

Dear hubby has the patience of a saint to try to build with me.  I am a "plan out on paper" type person and Dear hubby is a "let's cut it and see how we like it" type.  I do think that I overthink it sometimes & after the crazy dream I had last night of the paint falling off the walls I am thinking I need to make sure the trailer is more ventilated while we are working in there!

Rear wardrobe frame started.

The kids helping out framing the rear wardrobe

Installing the upper cabinet frame over the bed

Framing done.  Now to add the facing piece, shelves and doors......

 

I'm getting pretty excited with how things are coming along.  I can't wait to work on trimming the windows and doors and making curtains and cushion covers!  Soon enough though.

 

Paint finally on the walls.  We chose a light bisque/beige/tan color so that we could stay neutral and add color with pillows and accessories.

 

I didn't paint where the cabinets would be going since no one will be seeing it anyways.

 

 

Boy F. put up all of our new light fixtures.  I had to buy a total of 12.  6-doubles and 6-singles.  They were easy to install and now we can work late into the night and still see!

 

Girl M. found a "safe" place to sit & listen to her ipod!

Finished for the evening.  Lights installed, A/C Cover installed & Walls painted, we are on a roll now!

 

Until next time....

 

Bonnie

 

RV Remodel 13

I am thinking we are at the half-way point now on the RV Remodel.  We are on the count down until Thanksgiving when we take the trailer to Alabama. 

That's only 59 days away!

 

We got ALOT done this weekend.  On Friday I primered the walls & ceiling with Kilz Oil Based Primer.  Make sure you use it in a well ventilated area or you'll start seeing dancing monkeys like I did!

 

The trailer is only 26-1/2 feet long and 6-1/2 feet tall.  I used almost the whole gallon of Kilz primer on it. 

 

Living area primered ready for paint & cabinets

Kitchen wall primered ready for paint

 

I am not sure what part of putting up the paneling was the hardest but the ceiling was NOT my favorite.  I think the panel piece by the water heater/bedroom/bathroom wall was the worst, Dear hubby thinks the panel piece on the right side of the living area was a nightmare.

 

The last piece of paneling to go up.  It was not an easy piece with 6 cutouts & working next to the power source.

 

Boy F. painted the air conditioner cover white.  It was smoker's yellow color.  We used the spray paint for plastic.  It turned nice & matches our white ceiling now.

 

Air Conditioner cover prior to paint

Air Conditioner cover painted to match ceiling

 

I painted the ceiling a semi-gloss white latex over two coats of Kilz primer.  I looks so clean and nice.  We still have to add the trim strips. 

 

This is what it looks like while we work late into the night.  Girl M. with the dogs laying on leftover insulation!

 

Boxing in the wheel well on the kitchen wall

Wheel well looking good.  Almost done with the last project of the night!

 

Until next time.....

 

 

Bonnie

 

 

 

 





RV Remodel 12

We will be professional rv remodelers when this is all over with!

We have decided that in place of Making Memories this remodel should be called "Nothing's Easy!"

Just when we think we have no more leaks we find another one!

When we had the A/C unit on, water was pouring from the ceiling vent from the black tank vent pipe hole, aka "stripper pole" hole.  Dear hubby got up on the roof and removed the A/C unit AGAIN (I think this makes the 3rd or 4th time) he thinks when they put on the new roof that the edge was covering the drain area......  Now that that is all fixed we were headed out to find some type of paneling for the walls & ceiling.

We should know by now that "Nothing's Easy" because we went on Friday to the Discount Mobile Home Parts Store we've been eager to go to but the paneling was the same price if not more than the paneling we looked at at Lowe's!  They did have alot of stuff there but all we bought was a window crank knob for $1!  So off to Lowe's we went.

 Off course, that Lowe's store didn't have enough of the paneling we wanted, but they were nice to call another location and confirm that they had plenty and off we go across two counties and 40 miles to the other Lowe's.  We got into a terrible rain storm and saw alot of destruction from a tornado that happened earlier last month during a tropical storm we had.

We showed up at the second Lowe's and they were so helpful loading the paneling with Dear hubby.  (I was tired by now).  We run through the drive through to grab a bite to eat and it's starts pouring!  Now it's one of those drive thru's that once you are in line you can not get out of because it's a wall on both sides!  What were we thinking?
After waiting in line for 20 minutes while it's pouring down raining on our paneling in the back of the truck I am almost in tears! 

We made it home without any other incidents except for all the rain and we layed a tarp over the paneling to keep it dry under the barn.  Now I know we live in Florida and it will rain even without clouds around but this was ridiculously hard out of nowhere rain. 

 

After we got home & dried off we went into the camper to triple check the leaks.  So far everything looked ready to go. 

 

Dear hubby asked me why we bought 40 sheets of paneling if by his calculations all we needed was 22?

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

Well, now we have enough to do the cabinets and the walls of the bathroom too!  I was just being overly prepared I guess.

 

First three sheets going up.  Wardrobe, pantry and start of kitchen wall.  So far not too hard.

Paneling piece in rear bedroom going up, little bit harder.  I think it took Dear hubby 5 cuts to get it to fit.

 

Paneling going up on right site of bedroom wall.

Kitchen wall finished and right side of living area.  Moved light switch.

 

It took Dear hubby and I most of the evening and into the late night to finish up the front of the trailer and two pieces on the left side front. 

I think that once you've worked all day on it and then ate dinner and drank a beer, our measuring wasn't so hot!

We restarted fresh on Sunday on it and luckily Boy T. came home after work and helped with the ceiling.  Boy F. is taking a break since it was 2pm and he just got out of bed!

I told Dear hubby it was starting to look like a coffin!

 

Guys admiring their handy work!

 

We started on the ceiling in the rear over the bed and realized we didn't have enough insulation.  So off Boy T went to get some for us.

 

Boy F. hasn't moved yet either!

Insulation going up over the rear bed area

 

Looking towards the rear

Rear bedroom

Looking towards the front living area.

Bojangles wants to know are we done yet!  Look at that face!

 

Dear hubby added additional lighting wires on the left side that will be in the pantry and the wardrobe closets.

Kitchen area with new paneling.

Kitchen area in the beginning

 

We had a pretty busy weekend.  I am sore & tired and glad to be back to work for a few days to get rested. 

 

Until next time.....

 

Bonnie

 

 

 

 

 

 

RV Remodel 11

 

It took longer than expected to find and fix all the leaks we had.  We thought the roof was fixed then once we pulled it out of the barn and it rained a few time we found one leak after another!  We decided to just redo the roof and Dear Hubby has an Uncle who has helped so much. 

 

 

New Roof

 

Once we got the roof finished we had to wait for it to rain again to make sure nothing leaks.  Luckily we live in Florida so it's only a day or so wait for a rainstorm to come.

 

The New Roof DOES NOT leak

Now the walls are weeping!

 

By now I am so frustrated that I can not even go out there and look anymore!  Luckily I have a very patient hubby that started with one window again and worked his way all the way around the outside of the trailer.  He caulked all the windows again since the first stuff we used was a total waste!  It just turned to Elmer's glue and washed off...... 

It said interior/exterior window and door, you would think it would have worked.

 

We think that the majority of the leak was coming from the rear side corner trim and then dripping down into the aluminum framing channel and when it filled up it would overflow and look like the walls were weeping. 

 

I am so glad that this phase is OVER!  I want to get back to working on it again. 

 Dear Hubby spray foam insulated the walls. (Which he got from his ever so helpful Uncle again!)  We really couldn't do this without him!

 

Foam insulated wall

Bathroom wall

 

We had just enough to do 3/4 of the trailer.  We are just going to use the leftover pink insulation on what was left. 

 

We are going Friday to find paneling for the walls and the ceiling.  I am thinking we are going to splurge on an air nail gun.  We can use it on the walls, ceilings, and the cabinets too.  ( I do love me some power tools!)

 

I am excited to be continuing on and so happy that the leak phase is OVER!  Once we get the paneling up we'll paint it white and begin on framing in the bathroom and the kitchen area wall with wardrobes and cabinets.

 

I found a futon with drawers under at Target a few weeks ago for only $99.  I  went ahead a got it since we are delayed a bit in the remodel.  It's going to be in the front area for Boy F to sleep on.  I also found flannel backed curtain panels at Target for $9 each.  I bought the longest ones I could find (84") so that I can cut and resew for all the curtains.

 

Wish us luck!

 

Until next time.....

 

Bonnie



RV Remodel 10

All the pictures I take seem to look alike right now.  We have done a lot of work on the trailer but not too much was picture worthy.  We finished resealing the last window.  The running lights have all been replaced.  Dear hubby re-installed the water heater & re-wired the electrical cord through the access door.  We are almost ready for a leak test.

Electrical box re-wired.

Dear hubby lifted the a/c unit out of the roof.  From all of the grunts and strains I heard it must have been pretty heavy!  There was a gasket under it but it was pretty smashed in a few areas so I think that is where our leak came from.  He scraped off the old gasket (didn't look easy!) and replaced with a new one.  Re-installed the a/c unit (didn't look easy!), then tried to remember how to re-assembly the parts (wasn't easy!). 

Removing A/C unit gasket

Dear hubby put ALL the aluminum window awnings back on the camper!

 I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won!I won! I won! I won!  Enough with my victory dance!  He still doesn't like them but I think they serve their purpose well in protecting the windows while traveling and while it's sitting on the property in Alabama when not in use.  Besides it will keep the interior fabric from fading from the sun.... I still won!

Ok, now back to the remodel.  We think we sealed all the spots/holes that leaked so Dear hubby backed it out of the barn for a leak test.  It was a pretty tight fit to get it out of the barn.  But he did a great job and we started the water test once he got it parked.

The only two places we could find were the bathroom window leaked at the top of the frame.  We removed the window and the frame flange was a little bent from the screw holes so it will get re-butyl taped and since it's a window without a window covering I am thinking an eyebrow above will help with the water running straight into the window frame and some silcon caulk too.

The other place that leaked was the center running light on the rear top.  A little silicon caulk and that should fix that problem.

Now we are waiting for an electrician friend to come today to re-wire the outlets.  The old ones were kinda scary looking.  He will also be adding three extra receptacles. Two for the TV's and one for a microwave above the refrigerator.

New electrical boxes, receptacles, & plates, hope I got the right stuff!

Here's a parting shot of the trailer.  I taped off the floor where we can see the layout.  Once the electrician is done we plan on doing one more leak test then off to buy insulation and paneling!  Wish us luck!

Until next time.....

Bonnie





RV Remodel 9

We are almost done with the windows.  Waiting for more butyl tape to arrive.  We try to do something everyday but some days it's like nothing will go right!

Looking down the side.  All these windows removed, washed & re-sealed!

Trying to find the screws for the front awning over the window.  Every screw head was rusted off and covered with caulk!  The trim was so brittle it would just shatter if you poked it.

One of the running lights on the front.  I do not know how I am going to get all that caulk off.  What a mess!

Boy F. helping me out.  He's telling me how he should "save" this for his Dad.....

Front window finally out! 

 Now we just have to clean all the old butyl tape off the window and the siding and wait for more to arrive.

I got the light loose and some of the caulk off but it took the paint off too! 

Dear hubby did a test on the running lights to see if they worked.  Of the 11 only 3 didn't work!  Good job now he's going back to work on them.

We removed the A/C unit from the trailer to see why it leaked there.  We found that there was no gasket under the unit on the roof!  Now were waiting for that to come in.

We're hoping that this weekend we'll have it ready for a leak test!  Dear hubby can't wait to get the trailer out of the barn.  He says it's too cramped.

Look at this!

It's the aluminum awning back on the camper! 

It's the only one though, he still doesn't want them on there, I've got to be a little more persuasive on the other three!

Until next time....

Bonnie

RV Remodel 8

Things are back on track now that we're back from our little vacation in St. Augustine.  We've missed working on the camper.  Dear hubby has to work six days this week so it will be a little slow going right now. 

He did get the top trim on the door side removed and sealed the top seam with eternabond tape.  This tape is wicked!  It's all hid behind the trim so you can't see the 4" wide black tape.  There were a lot of  EXTRA screw holes under that trim. 

Our next project was the rear window.  It took him a while to remove the aluminum window covering.  Not only were the screws stripped but the window frame was rotten and then the caulk was like cement! 

I was worried that if Dear hubby took off the Aluminum window covering that he would accidentally on purpose forget to put it back on...... we'll see!

Window covering off finally!  Now 35 screws to go!

Window almost out, prying away from concrete type caulk.

Window out!

Rotten window on top of window frame.

How am I going to get that caulk off?

Fixing the window frame.

I have to tell you about Butyl tape.  This stuff comes in a roll about 20' and is 1" wide.  It resembles gum.  Because we live in Florida and it's only about 110 degrees right now we have have to keep the butyl tape cool in the refrigerator.  Once we take it outside we have about 20 minutes until it starts to string like bubble gum.  We are up to about 10 rolls so far! 

Once Dear hubby removes the window, I scrape off all the old butyl tape from both the window itself and the aluminum siding around the window.  I use an old sock and Acetone to clean the area too.  Once all that is done I run and get the butyl tape from the house and apply it to the window frame.  It cuts pretty easy with scissors while it's cold.  It has a wax paper on the tape that once I apply I press down all the way around the frame then remove the paper backing. 

Dear hubby puts the window back into the frame and starts replacing all the screws. 

Window resealed and replaced!  We have two down and 5 more to go!  Wish us luck.

But where is the Aluminum window covering???????

You'll have to wait and see.....

Until next time.....

Bonnie