Progress! Ceiling is in!

[shoeman]

My wife and i put the 1/8" birch ceiling in Weds. night, and I did most of the overhead wiring last night. All I have left to do there is install a dome light. The fan slotted right in, a roto-zip with a laminate trim bit made really fast work of cutting the ceiling out for it. I was impressed.
We have not yet found some reading lights for the forward wall we like, so I have run wiring to that section and left a few feet of it in between the studs. I figure if and when we find some lights I can cut a small hole behind one of them and fish the wires out to make the connections. I'll leave the fuse block end dis-connected until I do that, of course!
We plan on putting the outer skin on starting this Sunday, so I'm really nervous about having forgotten something I need to do before it goes on.
I've been so obsessed with just getting this thing done that I have not taken any photos in a couple of weeks, but i better before i button the roof up.
I aim to be camping in this thing on the 17th, so it's crunch time!

[planovet]

Good job! I will be at that stage soon. But remember the mantra...pictures, pictures, pictures.

[Miriam C.]

Yep you are a bit behind getting those pictures up. OH well just remember to mark where you have wires so you don't screw into one. Pictures are a great tool for remembering.

[S. Heisley]

You're moving right along! I can't wait to see some camping pics from that August 17 trip!

Keep up the good work!
Sharon

[shoeman]

Phew!! Busted my a** over the weekend with some help from my bride. Got the roof skin and one wall skin on today. .040" aluminum works easily enough. Did it with no substrate per Madjack's input. I made one boo-boo in cutting the panels o we wound up with two seams screwed and glued on the front, but it looks OK to me. I did most of the roof panels myself solo today. Being 6'6" has it's advantages when it comes to things like putting screws all the way across the top on a seam, I can reach well past the centerline from either side. Tomorrow I'll cut the second side out and get it aligned for install. I ended up using trim from the Teardrop Fix It shop and it goes on easily. His rivet-look screw nails go in quickly and look old-timey which I like. Grant's hurricane hinge is in place and is simple as heck to use.
So it's on more side skin then I start the hatch, hopefully in a couple of days. I took many photo's today but I'm too wiped out to post them.
Time for bed!

Geoff

[2bits]

I am looking forward to seeing how it looks now! !! You have done alot! so you say the angle trim from Teardrop Fix It went on pretty easy eh?

[shoeman]

I got the last wall skin on last night and started trimming the door openings.
I cheated a bit and let a friend in the mill work business cut the window openings in my doors for me to save time. I hope to have the doors completed and installed this weekend and tackle the hatch next, pulling a few late nights to do so I'd bet.
One mistake I made is using some of my roofline trim on the galley wall section. It looked good there and I thought I had enough to do that section, the roof, and still use the same trim on the hatch edges. But now I'm short about 3 ft. of the stuff on the forward end of the walls. I'll order another piece to finish that I guess, but if there is not enough time to get it here I may have to change my hatch trim plans and find a locally sourced alternative. I've seen a few guys here use flat stock there, which looks OK and is easy to get, it's just not my first choice.
I'm also scratching my head on how to attach the 3/4" x 1/4" corner trim from the Fixit shop to the hatch edge. It's not wide enough to allow screwing into an edge spar, which puts the holes over just the .125" birch ply and tin skin.
Any ideas?
And I know....pictures are coming. It's actually starting to look like a camper now!

[Dean_A]

I'm also scratching my head on how to attach the 3/4" x 1/4" corner trim from the Fixit shop to the hatch edge. It's not wide enough to allow screwing into an edge spar, which puts the holes over just the .125" birch ply and tin skin.
Any ideas?
And I know....pictures are coming. It's actually starting to look like a camper now!

Most folks use rivets to hold that piece on. You can use blind rivets (Pop rivets), but then you end up with a protruding part that needs to be covered up. I'm using a piece of insert molding along the galley hatch edge so I can cover up the protruding rivet with vinyl insert.
Another option is using solid rivets, but they are a little more work. You need a special tool to attach those. If you got a buddy whose building an airplane, he's got what you need.
Others have suggested using screw posts/chicago screws. If you go that route, use Loctite, as they tend to work their way apart pretty easily.
The key is getting something low-profile on the underside where the foam gasket attaches.

[2bits]

If you got a buddy whose building an airplane, he's got what you need.

How ironic is that I do, how often can one say that?

[shoeman]

Just about ready to roll! I put the license plate and light on last night along with the galley struts. We leave tomorrow for a week at our camp way downeast here in Maine. The galley is not fully finished, needs doors and final trim, but since we will not be cooking in it I'm leaving it alone until we return.
Tonight it's a final once over with the caulking gun, put the linoleum floor liner back in and then the mattress.
I towed it around the neighborhood last night and while I only hit 30mph it seemed to roll along just fine.
It needs some spiffy fenders for sure, otherwise I think it looks pretty good. The galley lid side gap is bigger than I like, so that may get rebuilt but it will work as is for a week I think.

[Dean_A]

It's looking really sharp! Nice work.
The galley lid side gap looks good from here!

[mechmagcn]

That looks great to me, congrats on getting it campable

[Juneaudave]

Beautiful is the word...That is so nice and the Benroy design really makes the package!!!

[cdfnchico]

Looks great to me...you've really been moving!

[mikeschn]

That looks really good.

Mike...