Making Progress!

We have made some progress over the last month!  The camper now has a sturdy structure.  The floor is completely tied in.  The skirting around the bottom is just about done. The wheel wells have been rebuilt. We added additional support off the frame in the back to reinforce the back corners of the camper...and, maybe most exciting of all, we dry fitted the siding on the drivers side of the camper!  It seems like ages ago since we backed out each rotten screw one by one, labeling each piece of siding as it came off, and cleaned it! It is looking more and more like home with each day we work on it! Loving this project!


Working on the Floor:

Bolting the floor to the frame!

Working on the skirting

The Wheel well looks Great!

 Another day working:

Prepping the side for the moister barrier.  Making sure everything is even!

Mom doing some clean up work! :) 

Getting ready to remove the screws from the last seem in the front!
They had to be backed out from inside and then turned the rest
of the way out from under the camper.

Starting work on the door frame...

working on the skirting on the curb side...

Finishing up the skirting!

The other Wheel Well all done!

 Exciting day! Moisture Barrier and Siding! :

Before the moister barrier...

First piece almost attached!

Making sure it is secure!

Getting ready to roll on the last section!

Almost done!

After the Moister Barrier is done!  Looks great all closed in!

Oscar had to come out and check the progress!

Making sure the siding is clean and ready to be fitted...

We have to goof off some... LOL! ;) 

It is all going on really well... I could not resist
helping in this stage even though I had the flu...
It was to exciting to miss out on and I think it would
make anyone smile to see the siding going back
on there home and dream!  

Well it is all dry fitted and it looks great!! 

A Few More Pictures from the Month!:

Measuring up!

Some window framing!

Make sure it is sturdy!

Dad found a new use for sleds!  One for his tools and
one for himself to stay dry climbing under the camper! :) 

Sealing up Seams!

So far this winter has proved to be challenging when it comes to working on the camper.  This past weekend we had a day of great weather with temps in the 40's and we took advantage of it.  We had one last roof rafter to tie in that was also where the tin roof met the aluminum siding.  This meant that it had to be butyl taped!  So with the sun shining we started to pull out the old getting ready to put the new in place.  After removing all of the rotting screws and pulling the nails we scraped off what was left of the old butyl tape.  Once the seam was clean we rolled out the new butyl tape and lined everything up.  In with the screws and now we have another nicely sealed seam... only about 50+ more to go LOL but whose counting!

Clearing away the tar stuff so we can get to the screws!

Grinding slots in the screw heads so we can get them out... those
trailer heads do not like to budge!

Mom checking out the progress and helping to pop out the dents :) 

The new butyl tape in place!

Now for the screws! Dad was braver than me... he trusted the roof...
The new rafters held up well. LOL!

In between working on the camper I worked on a quick painting of the progress! ;) 

Ants, Below Zero, and Happy New Year!

Well the Temperatures have not been the best for working outside on the camper but we have managed to get a few things done.  We have been working on some indoor projects like prepping the cross pieces for the siding to be mounted on and working on the door... Well the door was going to be an easy fix in the basement... The door is not the original one to the camper.  Someone had replaced it at some point with one that opens in the opposite direction of the original.  This created a problem with it bumping the outside light not allowing it to open all the way.  So our fix to this problem was to still use the same door just take it apart and reverse it so it opens in the right direction.  Sounds like a great project to do inside where the temperatures are not subzero, right!  Well, once we stared to pull the door apart, in the basement, ANTS started to fall out of it.... come to find out they were feasting on the doors structure...yuk!  So with, the only thing we had for spray, wasp killer we were in the basement spraying and stomping ANTS as they were falling out of the door.  We did not finish dismantling the door that night.  It went out the bulkhead to be left in the cold for the night before we finished pulling it apart outside the next day... Burrr.  There has been a lot of learning curves to this camper!  On New Years Day we worked outside on the camper and managed to get a lot of things done despite the cold.  We installed the cross pieces for the siding,  installed some of the metal plates to tie the old floor in with the new sections, and got some more of the carriage bolts in place.   Every little project that we complete on this camper it is one step closer to being a home.  Despite the challenges that we have faced I am loving working on it and making wonderful memories with my parents that will last a life time.

Prepping the cross braces for mounting the siding!
Love the Pocket hole jig!

Starting the door tear down...

The ants... I did not get a picture of the other end of the door but
it was worse!

The next day... can you see the pathways the ants
made in the styrofoam insulation?

cleaning up the door skins..

Installing the cross pieces!

Installing the metal plates!

Hold it.. Let me get a picture! :)

The drivers side is almost ready for siding! 

The metal plates...

and some of the carriage bolts!

Snow, New Wood, and Looks Like Home!

It has been a few weeks since I posted an update... We have been working on the camper!  The last of the new floor is in and we finished the studs on the driver side of the camper.  We also completed two of the crosspieces in the back of the camper and managed to get it butyl taped before it started to snow!  It is coming along but it is still on life support!  We still have to put the rest of the carriage bolts in the floor so we have to keep the snow cleared out from around and under the camper until this is done!  I loved how it looked with the work light on inside while the snow was falling... even though it is still just a shell at this point it looked so warm and inviting... it looked like home!

Glowing in the snow!

Measure first!

Keeping it on the level!

The frame all prepped and ready for the new floor!

Getting ready for the butyl tape!

 

One screw at a time or two screws at a time!

Yes! It is back together!

making the piece for the floor...

almost ready to put in!

All the new wood looks so nice and so sturdy!

Let is Snow!

The first carriage bolt is in!

tying the old in with the new.

Getting ready to wrap things up for the night...