Wow.I just found this thread.I deffinately want to follow it to the end. It's more interesring then a good book. I 'm going to put it in my favorite so I can refer back to it again.
I just found it too. Wow, what a great job you are doing of documenting the steps you are taking. I really appreciate your efforts. I'm in the process of redoing a 1959 Century camper and your post is encouraging. I'm still in the gutting, cutting and dumping phase here. I did manage to get my leaf springs, axle, and wheels off and am about ready to paint them. Mine is going rather slow, but I'm not in any hurry either. Please keep us posted on your progress. This is great.
2007 Kodiak 160 Hybrid
"The mountains are calling and I must go." John Muir My Blog
Thanks guys! Got a little time in burning the evening oil so I enlisted my son to help me launch a few ceiling panels onto the rafters. Rather than just show the accomplishments, I thought I'd show a simple way that I use for cutting openings in panels.
The opening that I'll show is a chase for the two electrical junction boxes and a place for the center light. It will later be covered by an aluminum plate/light fixture.
I use a circular saw set to the depth of the panel and carefully cut along my marked lines:
Here is the finished opening cut with the circular saw:
To finish the cut, I use a Japanese pull saw, a Dozuki. I could use just a utility knife but the Dozuki is a better tool for the job, it slices very fine.
The finished opening:
The opening in the ceiling:
I could have used a jigsaw to cut the openings but I would have to drill a starter hole, prop the workpiece over saw horses and clamp it because even my good Bosch jigsaw is going to catch once in a while and will shatter any small pieces of paneling. The circular saw makes easy work out of it.
The ceiling turned out to be one of those jobs that I was dreading needlessly. I think it took me three hours to cut and install almost all of the ceiling. I still have one small panel in the very back to get up there but was waiting to cut that and, with the offal of that cut, install the sloping back piece in the back wall, first. Efficiency of using materials is what I like to think is happening.
The ceiling looking forward:
The ceiling looking towards the rear:
The marks on the walls near the ceiling are my chalked layout marks, a straight line for the stud locations and a "v" for the rafter locations. I can use these to reference where I attach cabinets, shelves, and bunks, later. I also plan to add in some screws with finishing washers into the ceiling panels. My 1 1/4" brads are holding everything now but I'd hate to hit a bad road and open the door to find half of my ceiling loose.
Looks like the paneling is done, bet you're glad, I know I'll be when I'm done.
So what's the next step, building cabinets, bathroom walls? Btw how long is your camper? I can tell it's much bigger than mine, which is only 15' on the actual camper.
U.P. BLDR wrote: Looks like the paneling is done, bet you're glad, I know I'll be when I'm done.
So what's the next step, building cabinets, bathroom walls? Btw how long is your camper? I can tell it's much bigger than mine, which is only 15' on the actual camper.
We're running neck and neck on the paneling, Bro. I still have the bathroom walls and vaious partitions to skin, also any cupboard or shelving unit ends and such. It is a good feeling to get all the walls and ceiling done, though.
The Hilton is a 22' trailer but I measure 18' across the floor and 19'6" at it's longest interior dimension. I don't think it matters if it's >30', it would still be all squeezed up inside, lol. I was just out there brainstorming different areas and I'm trying to get every inch I can in certain areas. Bunks keep shrinking and doorways are getting smaller. What is the width of your bunks, if you don't mind? I was looking at a target width of 34-36" but that seems excessive when I actually put a piece of plywood of that size in the trailer. I'm OK with a 75" length but anything I can chop off the width would be a good thing. Mattress's and/or cushion size isn't an issue, I can make those to any size.
We're running neck and neck on the paneling, Bro. I still have the bathroom walls and vaious partitions to skin, also any cupboard or shelving unit ends and such. It is a good feeling to get all the walls and ceiling done, though.
The Hilton is a 22' trailer but I measure 18' across the floor and 19'6" at it's longest interior dimension. I don't think it matters if it's >30', it would still be all squeezed up inside, lol. I was just out there brainstorming different areas and I'm trying to get every inch I can in certain areas. Bunks keep shrinking and doorways are getting smaller. What is the width of your bunks, if you don't mind? I was looking at a target width of 34-36" but that seems excessive when I actually put a piece of plywood of that size in the trailer. I'm OK with a 75" length but anything I can chop off the width would be a good thing. Mattress's and/or cushion size isn't an issue, I can make those to any size.
I'm making my lower bunk (my bed) sized to accommodate a regular twin mattress, so roughly 76 x 40 or so. I've got a 90" x 48" space in back for the beds and even if I made my bed smaller that room would be useless for anything else. The upper bunk will be slightly smaller and I'll just use a foam mattress for that. I'll tell you what, since I put the bathroom back in this camper has gotten small! A couple buddies were just over and 3 of us in there was tight. But in the end it's just me using it and sometimes my son so no worries.
Thanks for the measurements. The two bunks in the Hilton will end up being whatever the size is when I get the wall up, I guess. Yeah, space is at a premium, a game of inches. I built the three walls that surround the shower stall and saw that I could recover about a half a square ft. so removed two of them to build an angle into the bath towel closet. The stall and stool, looking at the back wall:
The shelf space that got the angle:
The taped sticker on the shower stall that confirms the date of birth, 3-16-1971, the Hilton will be 51 this weekend!
I'm real happy with the way the vent garnishments turned out. This is the first piece of finish work and if the rest turns out as good, I'll be one happy camper!
Quote: The taped sticker on the shower stall that confirms the date of birth, 3-16-1971, the Hilton will be 51 this weekend!
OMG - freaked me out for a minute there... It's only 41 years old - quit trying to rush the years by!
BTW - love the green toilet!
Oops, too many numbers flying around inside a small area, sure, she's just middle aged, 41!
Hah, green, not my favorite color in bath fixtures but it's what I have. I don't think it's paintable, at least the inside, or I would be changing that but glad someone likes it.
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