Ok, I have learned that updating a blog takes a lot of effort. I'm way behind Andi in updating Facebook! After successfully navigating the floor installation by using shims to keep it in the correct position while we used temporary screws to hold it in place, we now get to flip it over and attached it permanently to the shell by filleting and applying fiberglass tape on the inside!
At this point we estimate the camper weighs about 300 pounds (including the mold frame). It isn't heavy, especially for two people, but it is a little awkward to grab onto. The mold frame makes it easy to rotate and flip on axis to get into hard spots and reduce "funny angles" while working. But how should we go about getting it right-side up?
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| "OK, guys: I like your work so far. Let me lay out the next step... |
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| ...Lay out some 2x4s where the camper will rest and then turn is over one side to lay rest right side up." |
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| "Wow, that was easy! I can't believe we spent an hour debating how to do a five minute task. Thanks, George!" |
After worrying about how the floor would support the weight of the camper and the stress on the screws, etc... it flipped over easily and we were laying down inside after crawling through a hole left in the rear. This hole will eventually be enclosed by a piece known as a transom, and entry will be through the doors. However, until we fiberglass the hull and cut the doors out, this is the only access point to the inside.
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| First time inside the camper! |
OK, so now we get to prep the inside. Lots of sanding and vacuuming to get all the dust off the floor. We are going to fillet the crease between the walls and floor with thickened wood-flour epoxy and overlay it with fiberglass soaked clear with regular epoxy. Let's go!
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| Great job! Now get on with it! |
Now for the filleting and fiberglass... After having completed so many of these seams, we are very confident in our abilities to fillet and fiberglass. However, this particular portion proved to be a harder job than we anticipated. To start, it was a little cramped with two people working inside the camper. Second, we mixed too much epoxy and tried to do it all in one step. By the time we were soaking the last of the fiberglass strips, the epoxy was gelling into a thick goo - not good to apply - and we were rushing to finish before it was unusable. Epoxy is created by mixing a resin and a hardener. Each of these by themselves is a runny liquid, but when combined and mixed they form a viscous glue that only has about 10-15 minutes before it hardens into a brick. We had to move quickly, and thankfully it was still liquid enough to get the job done.
Once the inside fiberglass was done we had to remove the outside screws. The entire floor assembly from placement until now was relatively painless. Each step was much easier than we anticipated. We ended up filling these holes with thickened epoxy.
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| The screws were taken out once the epoxy fillets hardened on the inside. Thickened epoxy, when hard, takes on similar characteristics to wood. The screws just came right out. |
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| All the wires holding the mold in place had to be snipped to release them from the shell. We have to snip them as close to the shell as possible to help sand them down flush with the outside. |
After removing all the screws that held the mold frame rigid, we pulled the mold slats and frame out in the reverse order they went together. Sorry, no pictures. It took both of us to pull them out and they collapsed onto the ground. We just didn't want them to fall onto the camper!
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| It's free!! |
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