Getting some color

Another milestone for Francesca this week--one side painted!  Well, mostly anyway.  I spent the week preparing her streets ide for painting.  It's the side that doesn't have any holes or any other issues still needing to be taken care of.  I sanded; washed and dried; cleaned off old adhesives from near windows with acetone; wiped the whole side down with acetone; put painter's tape on all the edging.

It turned out that it was still too cool to paint--only 50 degrees, barely.  So I spent the rest of the day tearing out the fronts of the galley cabinets and taking measurements to re-do them and to build the new cabinet.  I have to figure out how many sheets of plywood/paneling I need to buy.  Man, they really did use junk wood for the cabinet frames--it looks like the stuff they make pallets out of!  I think I'll use something just a little better for the cabinet I'm building.

Today, I did the painting.  I painted my darker salmon peach first with a roller. 






Then I took a white sport sock inside out and ragged on the light peach over top.  Still not quite what I was trying to do. 



So I used a combination of my dark color with a little of the light peach together.  It looks AWESOME!  Kinda reminds me of Italy at Busch Gardens.  Francesca is looking good!
 

 

 I haven't decided yet about the bottom panel--to paint the same as the middle or to do a darker ragging?  I guess Francesca will tell me when she's decided what she wants.

 

A Taste of Sunshine

If you remember, back to July I had borrowed the carport from our Boy Scout troop to cover and protect Francesca.  I knew that they would need it back in time for their Feast in the Woods to use as their dining fly/kitchen space.  Silly me, I thought I'd have her all put back together by then!  I mean FIVE months--how could I NOT be done with her after all that time???  Yeah sure!

Friday morning, we went out to the backyard and disassembled the carport.  This was the first time since mid-July that Francesca was out in the wide open with the sun shining down on her--and she LOVED it!!  I think she was kind of sunbathing!  She looked a little strange to me out in the open like that...

However, the Boy Scout feast was a huge success with a very large turnout.  And the carport spent a couple of days being a dining fly in a different woods.

  And being a witness to a very special ceremony--a retirement ceremony for an American flag.

Sunday morning we woke up early and headed over to the campout to take the dining fly apart, bring it home, and turn it back into a carport for Francesca.  Everything is back to normal!!

Francesca's Gettin' Gorgeous!

Francesca now has all her interior paint done, the floor is done, the strips to cover the panel seams are on, and all the edges inside are caulked--AWESOME!!   She's looking like a real camper now!

I guess I'll be looking at redoing and building cabinets next.  So many decisions!  My galley cabinets--both lower and upper--are in reasonably solid shape and the doors and drawers are good.  However, I need to rework the one tall cabinet (which holds the fridge).  First off, I don't like the way previous owners sectioned it off to hold a larger fridge and the microwave.  It lost some storage space.  I want to add some storage space in there with maybe a smaller fridge and put the microwave elsewhere.  I tore up the panel facings on this cabinet so I need to replace them with some new plywood.  Also, I'm planning on building a new cabinet between the one tall cabinet and the dinette.  I'm trying to decide whether to make it a tall cabinet, a short cabinet, 24" wide or 36" wide.  Then there's the decision to paint all the cabinets or stain them...Time will tell!

I also realized that I have the cushions from the gaucho that I can use for my bed mattress.  It has 3 pieces, but I figure that I can take the foam out of the covers, top them with a mattress topper and make a cover for the whole thing.  That would save me the money of getting a nice thick pad which I haven't really been able to find yet.  More on this experiment later... 

Now to the inside!

I've gotten just about all the outside stuff done that I can for now so I'm heading inside for my favorite stuff--painting and decorating!!  I'm waiting until the late spring--after the pollen is over and done with--to paint Francesca's outside and turn her into a proper Tuscan Villa.  I figure this is the time to do some of the painting and laying floor tiles before the temperatures bottom out. 

I spent yesterday painting the Masonite panels with Kilz to prep them for paint.  Man, I don't know what hurts more--my neck, my back, my hips, or my hands!  You have to be a contortionist to paint this ceiling!  After two coats of Kilz, I stopped for the day.  It'll be good and dry by tomorrow...

Today I headed out with paints in hand--and rollers and brushes and trays and newspapers!  I decided to give the center panels (aka Masonite) the same beige that I painted the side walls.  However, I thought that the entire interior done in that might be too much.  As I'm coming up to the ceiling, I think "Hey, this center part would look nice just left white!  Kind of breaks up the whole thing a little and marks off the dining end and the sleeping end a little!"  Not real sure about this, but I can always paint over the white with the beige.  And I'll have strips covering the seams to add some interest.  It's all trial and error!

I rummage through the paints to see if I have anything white-ish that will work--everything was white white, the whitest whites!  I figure I can add some of my beige to the white and make a white that has the same color family as the rest of the walls.  It worked!!!  Okay, so I'm officially getting excited again! 

Door, Edge Strips, Campout, Oh My!!

Just baby steps right now, so I'm going to lump several things together.  November began with my brilliant idea to take apart the entry door--despite the fact that I've seen what others have found inside theirs.  It really wasn't as bad as it could be.  The door is filled with a honeycombed corrugated cardboard--most I've seen have large sheets of the stuff.  Most of it was disintegrated which is okay with me because I'm going to replace it with styrofoam anyway.  The door handle/lock is in good shape and works.  The window is a different type than the older models of Scotties and was not hard to remove or repair. Most of the wood framing was okay, but should really be replaced and this is where the problem comes in. The wood they use for the frame is 1-3/8" by 1-5/8"--and it doesn't exist anymore!  I'll have to come up with pieces glued together to make it right, but I decided the edge trim was more important to getting Francesca closed up so...

Before

After

 

I'm spending a few days cleaning up the edge trim strips that close up the top skins to the side skins.  Ted already spent a couple of days working on them, but I'm trying to make them shine!  One more day and I'll be done and ready to get them back on Francesca!!   The work is tedious and is really taking a toll on my hands--especially my right hand.  I think I'll get a manicure after this is all done!

I've had Francesca for almost 5 months now and I've been working on rebuilding her for 4 months almost non-stop.  I've done no camping since I started working on her, but have taken two RenFaire trips with our RV.  I REALLY miss just going out camping!!  Getting my Scotty camper was supposed to be for me to head out camping at a moment's notice.  The weather this week is so beautiful--warm days, sunshine, cool nights--just right for camping.  I couldn't take it anymore!!!  So I cleaned her up a little inside--put away tools and vacuumed the sawdust--and brought out my air mattress, a lantern, my heater, a radio, and all my blankets. 



  Last night Lucca puppy and I slept in the camper.  It was a little chilly even with the heater--the windows, door and vent aren't in yet.  But it wasn't too bad at about 41 degrees. I think Lucca is planning on taking over my bed! 

So I finally got to camp in my Tuscan House for the first time!!!    Man, I can't wait to get her roadworthy!  Just what I needed--some motivation!!

Francesca's got skin!

First off, the Maryland Ren Faire was AWESOME!  My son proposed to his wonderful girlfriend there--with all their friends and family in attendance.  Of course, she said YES!  And we had a wonderful day of running around playing pirates--I LOVE that part!  But all good things must come to an end and home again to work on my Tuscan girl, Francesca--yes, I've finally decided on a proper name for her!



The BIG MOMENT has finally arrived--Francesca is getting her skins back on!  All the framing is on and the foam is in place.  We got right back to work to get her covered up since winter is knocking on the door.  I scrubbed down all the skins, taking off all the stickers, etc., and making sure that all the old putty tape was off.  Thank goodness we had a few warm days!  Then one by one, each piece is put back on and stapled in place.  Everything is lining up pretty good.  We have a little extra space on the edges--I sure hope this doesn't mess us up when we go to put the edge strips on!  And more importantly, that it doesn't cause a leak problem further down the road! 

After

 

Before

 

The roof skin is a little stretched out in the spot where it had been sagging for so long.  I came up with the idea to slide some Reflectix (a silver coated bubble wrap insulation) in between the framing and the skin where it sags to lift it up a little.  With a few small pieces and moving them around just right, it seems to have made a really nice difference--not perfect, but acceptable.  Once we solved this problem, it was time to screw down the edges of the roof to the front and back skins.  I used putty tape--I guess I could have/should have used butyl tape--and 5/8" stainless steel screws with rubber backed washers.  Comes out looking pretty nice!

The final task for the week was to cut out the front and rear windows and the vent hole up on the roof.  Ted cut out the vent.  I tried my hand at using the saw to cut out the front window--a little shaky at first, but I did get better.  The hour got late and rain was in the forecast so we had to wrap her up without getting the rear window cut out.  That's the first thing that will get done when the rains pass...

I ended the day with Francesca looking more like a camper than she has in over 3 months!  It brought a tear to my eye to see her looking so good!

A Major Milestone!!

It's been a busy week!  I've been sick for all last week and felt just good enough to attend one night of my high school reunion so Sunday was the first day "back on the job."  Even though I'm still not 100%, I got a lot of work done.  In fact, we're ready to tackle the skins!!  Man, I NEVER thought I would see this day come!

I finished putting all the spacers in.  Up and down the ladder so many times!!  First you measure; then you cut one, take it up and check it out to make sure it fits right; back down and cut 2 more and up again to make sure they fit right; back down to drill holes and glue the 3 pieces together; up the ladder to install them!  I think I finally got over my fear of ladders/heights!!!



Next, got painted all the edges with Herculiner--a truck bed liner stuff.  We couldn't get the can open at first so Ted turned it upside down and used a can opener on it--hey, it worked!  That stuff is a real mess to work with, but I'm really hoping that it helps seal my camper up nice and watertight! 




Ted has spent days working on the aluminum skins--pulling out staples, hammering down the old holes from the original nails, and removing all the old putty tape.  I'm WAY too ADHD to sit and do that stuff!!  All that's left to do on the skins is to scrub them down real good.  Ted also finished all the wiring for the outside lights--the wiring was a mess to begin with, but he fought his way through it!


Today was the "Big Day"--I got all the foam insulation installed and duct taped into every empty space between the framings!  She looks really strange right now--all blue insulation sheets and silver duct tape--but she'll be warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and hopefully VERY dry!  And the insulation sheets add some rigidity to her structure.  WOW, I just can't believe it!!

Now for some time off--rain tomorrow and then a short trip to play pirate!  Next week, we'll clean the skins really good and start putting them on.  Keep your fingers crossed that it all fits back together again in the end!!  Could you even imagine if it didn't????  No, I won't think that way!!  And I can't wait to start working on her interior!

Spacers and Wiring

Ted's been busy re-doing the wiring for the running lights the past couple of days.  It amazing to see this rat's nest of wires just hanging all over the place turn into neatly soldered and shrink-tubed wiring all ready to fit through the holes in the skin!  It all looks very nice!




 My dog, Lucca, is really loving our working outside--she spends most of the day laying somewhere nearby keeping a watchful eye out for intruders, etc..

I've been cutting, gluing and attaching three 2" wide strips of 1/4" plywood for the spaces along the edges that are not covered by other framing.  This gives the aluminum skins and the edge strips something to attach to.

I still have the street side of the camper left, but that will have to wait until Sunday at least.  Between things going on--appointments, day trips, high school reunions (yeah, got that this weekend), and rainy weather--Sunday looks like the earliest I'll be able to get back to work.  I guess that's alright because my body just aches!!!  Why do I feel soooo old???

Covered and framed!

Sept. 29, 2011--I took the one tight panel off and cut a new one just a little smaller--VOILA, it worked!  I made sure to leave a little tiny bit of a space between the two panels and everything worked out just fine!  Oh, Happy Days!  So, it was on to putting the rest of the framing on the outside...

Oct. 4, 2011--It was my first time using the Kreg Jig to actually put the frames together--I'm pretty good at this!  However, it turned out that I had not cut my short connecting pieces square because the circular saw was so heavy and unstable.  When I put the frame all together, Ted showed me that the frame wasn't square.  The frames did fit, though, and I think it will all work out okay.  Ted constructed a "table" to help me cut straighter, but I think it was too late--I was already too insecure with that stupid saw!  I got more than a little reluctant to saw again after my questionable techniques so I handed over the saw to Ted...In fact, he's now in charge of all sawing boards and all drilling--because it turns out that I'm not too good at drilling holes either. 

Oct. 6, 2011--We tackled the front supports, including the plate that holds and supports the dining table.  This time Ted messed up and picked a different piece of plywood than the original one I had kept.  He felt it wasn't big enough and that it was too thin at 1/2" vs 3/4" like the rest of the wood framing.  It turned out that I was right and the changes were successfully made. The table fit just right! 

We also got the wood supports up for the front running lights.  We got a lot accomplished today!  Also learned that I've gotten over my fear of ladders! She's starting to look like a real camper now!

Oct. 7, 2011--Attached the rear running lights supports this morning.  In the afternoon, we added the final cross supports for two spots on the roof--never too much support.  Spent some time cleaning up the inside a little--too much stuff got accumulated in there and so much dirt!!  Tomorrow, we start making the strips to fill the edge gaps--Three 1/4" plywood strips glued together and cut to fit between the supports along the edges.  These will give the skins something to be screwed into.  Can't wait to do this...

Woodworking Time!

Now that my Tuscan house is all covered up, I've started on the process of making the frames that hold the front and rear windows and the roof vent.  Taking the advice of Nancy and others on the NSSO group, I purchased a neat little gadget called the Kreg Jig Jr.--they have a bigger, more expensive version, but this size was fine for me. 

Since I've never worked with such things as saws--at least the electric versions--or drills, I needed some initial practice time.  It really wasn't that hard--well, the jig wasn't hard to do.



Next came the sawing the 1x3s into 7 foot lengths and 15 inch lengths--with a circular saw, a pretty heavy circular saw.  Ted set a work area up for me on the front porch because of the rain.  I'm definitely having problems cutting a good straight, square line!  It's not so hard on a panel, but on a little 1x3...That problem reared it's ugly head when I went to put it all together!!

I got pretty good with the Kreg Jig.  I got the 2 window frames done pretty fast.  This is where my sawing problem showed up...Because the ends on my short pieces weren't cut square, they didn't fit correctly on the longer pieces and the openings ended up not being square and just a little larger than they should have been--by that stupid 1/8" again!  I sure hope this doesn't come back to bite me later!!

The last panel that I had cut for the ceiling was just a little too big and fit a little too tight between two other panels that were already on.  That panel is sagging.  We tried putting an oak support on the roof and stapling the panel to it, but all that happened was that the sagging panel pulled the oak down and bowed the oak!  I'm going to cut a new panel, take the original one off, and put the new one on.  Hopefully, this will solve the problem of the sagging panel!! 


ADDED NOTE:  Last night I was at a Boy Scout function where I ran into the man who sold me my poor, pitiful Scotty.  It took me most of the night to get up the nerve, but I finally confronted him on the condition of the camper.  He swears he didn't know, but Ted didn't believe him.  I'm not sure if he was telling the truth or not, but it did make me feel better to finally get it all off my chest, face to face with him.  I'll be emailing him the address for this blog so he can see just what I've gone through.  Yes, one day this will be a wonderful camper, but I was not looking for a project camper--I was looking for a camper to hook up and enjoy camping in right away.  I guess I can be proud of all that I have accomplished and all that I have learned along the way and still have to learn.  And my Tuscan house will be a gorgeous camper one day!!

It's Electric!

Ted finally finished the electrical wiring of my Tuscan House!  The only things left are the actual light fixtures which I have to find now.  He's got a beautiful fuse box with plenty of power capability--two 15s and two 20s for those of you with the knowledge.  It will handle just about any appliance configuration I come up with.

There are junction boxes in multiple places and enough outlets to make anyone happy!  So another step to completion has been finished!  However, there is still a lot to do before winter--the framing begins next week!

My Tuscan House Is Covered!!

Catching back up again.  The past week has been AWESOME!!!  Finally making some visible progress!  Sunday, Sept. 4th, we put on the first piece of back paneling--the beginning of closing up my Tuscan house and putting her back together again! 

Had to take some time off due to inclement weather--like ex-hurricane Lee causing some heavy rains.  I was pretty ready for a break anyway.

Saturday, Sept. 10th--Back to work!  I made up my mind to learn how to use power tools.  The power saw was first--how hard can it be?  Hey, I got this one covered!  My biggest "setback" is that I'm vertically challenged.  There are ways around that--I just have to climb up on the table to saw the sheets!  Ted may have cut the first panel, but I did all the rest!  

Next, there was the pneumatic staple gun.  That took some practice too--but I'm getting pretty darn good at it!  Today, we even dragged Paul in on the work--lift, carry, hold!  By the end of the day, we're all a little punchy...
...but, we did get the front panels on with no serious problems.  The front panels still need some paint, but she's looking like a real camper now!



Sunday, Sept. 11th--We finished putting all the panels from front to back on!  What a weekend!  Once again, we used Paul for all the times we needed someone tall, strong or just for the extra hands--good thing he works out!

  It took a while to figure out where we needed full sheets of Masonite and where we would need to place the shorter pieces.  In the end, it all worked out and my Tuscan house is all closed up again!  I can't believe we're finally at this stage! 

Moving right along...

I guess I have just a little "catch-up" to do.  August 25th, Hurricane Irene headed towards us.  My biggest worry was whether my little camper in her incomplete state would make it through a hurricane.  After all, she's basically just 2 walls on a frame at this point!  Not good when they're predicting sustaining winds of 80 mph!  Even if the winds don't hurt her, the rain could pool in her tarps and collapse her walls!  OH NO!!!!  So, Ted and I spent Thursday wrapping her all up nice and snug in 3 layers of tarps!  She looked like a Christmas present!  The good news--She held up like a champ!!  The tarps all stayed in place--how could they not when Ted did such a good job of tying them all up?  And she was totally dry inside--not a drop!  Much happiness!!!

Ted has been busy doing his parts--making a "box" under the bed to house the electric cord for my Tuscan Casa.  The front has a hinge so it can be accessed from the front of the bed area--that was my idea! 

He also started working on the electrical system (I'm TERRIFIED of working with electricity)--putting in the fusebox and running the appropriate wiring for my lights, appliances, and outlets.  I had to figure out where I wanted outlets and which appliances were going where.

In the past week, I've been dreaming, planning, measuring, sketching, window shopping online--getting myself up and motivated again after such a long break.  Of course like every ADHD person, I've been putting a certain amount of time on things that she won't be ready for until much later in the rebuild process.  But you have to dream, right? I've changed my idea for my curtains--using different material for the dinette area and the bedroom area.  I found the coolest little wooden hat racks that look like cordovan-colored shutters--and decided to do all the trim in the camper that color.  I was perusing the aisles at Lowe's and found MY piece of Formica laminate with a nice-sized crack in it--and got the $58 sheet for $20!!  BARGAIN!!!  Today I went into Tuesday Morning and found two little wrought iron "gates" to use outside of my Tuscan Casa--no self-respecting Tuscan home would be without wrought iron!

All in all, it's been a hell of a week!!