Blue Ridge Spirit, Bob and Lynn's 6x14 CT

[lrrowe]

Mine just went south earlier. I have no idea either what happened.

[lrrowe]

This may have been posted before, I am not sure. But I am going to give it serious consideration for a CT awning. I like the way it can cover 2 sides and gives you a covered access from side to back. The one issue for me may be it cannot reach forward enough to cover the side door.

http://www.familytentcamping.com/product/31100

[dustboy]

That awning is a clever thing. Would hate to see what happens when the wind gets ahold of it and pulls out any of the guy wires, but you'd probably have the same problem with any large awning.

[lrrowe]

Is there ever a perfect solution?

[lrrowe]

The weather is breaking and I am getting anxious to get going.
Here is the collection of all my parts ready to be installed. I think I have enough to keep me busy.
In addition to these parts, I have a large window to install also.



Now when looking at the water heater and power plug receptacle installation, I realized my first error. It seems that last fall when I was in a hurry to get ready for hunting season use, I drilled the power plug hole right above where the water heater exhaust will come out.



The tape is just a quick approximation of what I have to cut out for the water heater.

How many think I should not/cannot locate the receptacle right above the exhaust vent for the water heater? I for one think it is a bad idea. Therefore I must move the hole over about 16 inches and find a way to plug the hole.

I have considered a fake plug cover there, a fake water filler or just a piece of plastic or aluminum over it. Or I could raise the water heater up so that the square hole (12 x 12) consumes the round hole. Then I waste that amount of space under the heater. Hmmmm, what next?

[MtnDon]

I'd use a small piece of the material you cut out for the window to fashion a patch. Epoxy a block of wood on the inside face to give screws something to bite into. Or pop rivet with silicone.

The exhaust from the water heater is a bit hot; I would not want my cord & plug over the exhaust.

[lrrowe]

You don't think it will look too tacky?

[CGRotorhead]

It shouldnt look tacky at all if you go with the pop rivets. I would make the patch overlap the hole by atleast a 1/2"-1". Then have the line of rivets a 1/4"-3/8" from the edge of the patch. Put sme sealant under the skin of the the patch then run another bead around the outside of it and around the rivet holes. That's how I would do it to the skin of the aircraft to make sure that it's solid and water proof, so it should work on a trailer skin too.

[lrrowe]

Ok, you and MtnDon have me half convinced this would work. Another idea I have bee thinking about is a blank SS outlet cover.



I guess this cover offers a better edge profile but because of only two screws, it may not offer the best leak control. When I cut the heater cutout, I can experiment then.

Thanks for the thoughts guys.

[hankaye]

lrrowe, Howdy;

I'll agree with CGRotorhead, but modify it to include a circular piece
in the middle of the hole. You could make a "flush patch by placing the
larger bit on the inside and the circular (with a good coating of sealant
under it), filling the hole.
Here's a link to a basic repair;
http://www.wikihow.com/Repair-Minor-Air ... kin-Damage
This is a guide for you, instead of the clecos you can use a few screws
and nuts to hold it in place while you get a few rivets started.

hank

Ps. Here's a pic. of what I was referring to;
http://www.datwiki.net/page.php?id=3386 ... rching=yes

[lrrowe]

Hank, that sure is a lot of riveting. It seems over kill for me, but probably right for aircraft. But circular seems a little better then sq corners by eliminating potentially weaker corner points for water entry. Since I have plywood on the outside, SS screws might work just as well. And the plywood also allows for a plug of the same material for added strength.

Thanks for the idea which spurs other ideas.

[abqlloyd]

I guess I would check the clearance requirements in the specs. It might not be an issue. But assuming you want to patch it, just find a piece of aluminum, cut it larger with a good hole saw or even a square, and JB Weld it into place. I bet if you call the manufacturer they will give you the paint code.

[abqlloyd]

I'm looking at a replacement with seamless siding. They use a liquid welding process which sounds exactly like JB Weld. No screw holes in the siding.

[lrrowe]

Problem Solved

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. As I reviewed each one and then my own ideas, I went ahead with what I should have done first...that is to layout the parts in real time positioning. But I hope this discussion helps others who make mistakes in their aluminum cutting.

If I put foam or something under the water heater so as to include the hole, I only have to fill in 4 3/4 inch of what will be lost space under the water heater. Then I have about 17 inches left from the heater to the underside of the cabinet top. See the black mark right below the duct tape on the left. So I do not loose much height and still have enough room for my radiator and fan heater assembly. All is well.

Heater temporarily positioned


Resulting in this required cutout which eliminates the hole problem.

[lrrowe]

I hope I am back now with making some headway with my project. My wife made it through her heart surgery (repair mitral valve) last week. All work for the past few weeks has been on hold in preparation for this and her recovery. Of course I will be busy with making sure she is ok, but at least I will be home and ready to work.
Now I have to shake this bug I must have picked up in the hospital (gee go figure - get sick in a hospital).

I ordered my shower pan, did the research on my propane plumbing (thanks to you many posters on this topic) and have my materials for my subfloor heating project. So now to get the energy to start work.

I ordered this pan from Jazz Sales. The price was not that bad, but the shipping is high. Ugh.


As noted in another post I just made, I will run the drain straight through the floor into a 5 gal water tank. Showers will be of the "Navy" type.