HONEY ... renovation thread

[VanKitten]

We'll...I have been creating and piecing together a new headliner with a shelf.

I have been inventing this as I go along.   Using a roll of brown paper to creat each new pattern for each piece.    

I had a real slow day today, so I took some time to move this project along....

This is where it started:  


Once the old plastic was pulled down....


Started to put boards up to hold the new headliner....(sikaflex is awesome!)



Now I have the shelf in, and some of the new pieces in...putting up more brown paper models to get ready to transition to the ceiling itself.....   got this ready to cut today...

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Looks awesome!!

 

[VanKitten]

Not getting much done these days.    Mom has been having problems, so doctor visits have been taking up much of the time.

I spent a few hours beginning the ceiling.   The first ceiling panel is starts above the cab, and is partly in the cabinets....   the center is the ceiling plan.   Alternating the unfinished (clear coat urethane) with the cherry panels.     This is the beginning....

 

[VanKitten]

We'll, after a couple weeks of little to no work...finally had a few days in a row.

So..added the next bit to the ceiling.  (Have to stop the ceiling until the solar panels are mounted).  This pic was taken looking up from the drivers seat.   You can really start to see the way I envisioned it....


This is looking toward the front..




The plumbing is nearly done...then insulation




And I got the passive solar hotwater ready to mount on the roof... 
a bit of pipe wrestling and its ready to hook up....

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Yay! Big chunks accomplished!! Love the color variation on the wall!

 

[VanKitten]

Belinda...

It's the ceiling. It is just the way this website turns and changes the pics I post..they end up sideways...for some people...not all. Just an oddity of this forum. Bob sees my pics all sideways too. But, a lot of people can click on them, and the open in a new window right side up. Don't know why.

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Yup... I only opened the first one, should have opened the second because it's obvious there!!! Beautiful nonetheless!

 

[TMG51]

Hey! That passive solar heating using a large coil of black waterline is an idea I've had and discussed here but never seen implemented. I'll be curious to hear how it works for you.

 

[VanKitten]

Hey! That passive solar heating using a large coil of black waterline is an idea I've had and discussed here but never seen implemented. I'll be curious to hear how it works for you.

Oh..I thought I had such a clever idea....then I read about several people making such things to heat their swimming pools!     This was the idea I had...only four mounting points through the roof...and with quick release connections...it should be easy to take down and replace the pipes (or the whole board when it rots) without having to mess with the brackets going through the roof.    Of course...re-sealing them will be necessary from time to time.   To slow down the rotting of the board....it is completely coated in a thick layer of Sparr. UV protection. So it will be a race...which surcomes to the intense SW sun first...pipe or board.

I measured this out...it holds 3 gallons.   From experience I know that the water in the full sun will be hot enough to scald...3 gallons mixed with enough cold water for washing be will plenty enough for my needs.      

I have a water line with a ball valve to open to pump water up from either the fresh water tank or RV park water (if hooked up).   Coming back down, it is just gravity fed directly the either the shower or the hot water in the galley.

 

[Cammalu]

I can't wait to see it all done


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[VanKitten]

I'll begin to turn my attention back to the build after this wickedly hot weather breaks!

Meanwhile....

I had the solar panels installed...and the passive hot water installed and connected.  



I cannot claim credit.   I do not "do" height.  Paid someone to do it

 

[AbuelaLoca]

How exciting to have the solar done!! Did you discuss "passive hot water" somewhere? I don't remember that and don't know what it is.

 

[VanKitten]

Belinda...

It nothing more than black pipe up on the roof. You know how the water stillin your garden hose is scorching hot if you leave the hose in the sun with the spray nozzle turn off? Hot enough to give you a real burn. Well..same thing. I coiled the black Hose as tight as I could and built a frame to keep it in place. Then..had a plumber connect it to the pipes below. Cold water up from the pump..hot water down through gravity feed.

This one I built holds about 3 gallons. More than enough when you consider that water is hot enough to burn.

Yeah..no sun, no hot water. But, not a big deal. If I go a couple days without hot water..no big deal. If I have more than a couple days without sun...then I didn't move soon enough.

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Very cool! Thanks for the explanation! Sounds like something I could be very interested in doing!!!!

 

[highdesertranger]

very nice. I am curious about the water heater, did you incorporate some kind of anti-freeze drain/bypass? highdesertranger

 

[VanKitten]

It has a drain, and shut off valve. I have all of it located in the wall between the galley and the bath. Once the final wall is up, I'll put a cabinet door as an access hatch for it.

I'll take a pix of the pipe assembly now, I will be closing the wall in the next week (if the weather cools down enough to work).

 

[bkrunaway]

That passive water heater is a great idea! Excited to hear how it goes once you're on the road.  

 

[VanKitten]

Here is the shutoff valves.    A cabinet door will give me access here...


This is the bath side of that wall.    The pipe attachments for the passive hot water are shown here's too.

 

[rvpopeye]

Tidy lookin' piece of work right there ^^^^
Good job !
Enjoy the results ! know you will be a happy camper with that.
And
Every time you use it you will feel even better knowin' it's free !

 

[AbuelaLoca]

I agree, very tidy!!