Mothra Metamorphosis

[Gary68]

correction,you will be houseless you are working on your home right now,if it comes down to it just get some thick visqueen and some lath,should get you through a texas winter but i wouldnt take it on the interstate though

 

[GrantRobertson]

correction,you will be houseless you are working on your home right now,if it comes down to it just get some thick visqueen and some lath,should get you through a texas winter but i wouldnt take it on the interstate though

Technically, I have met the legal and sociological definition of "homeless" for over two years. You folks can make up all the definitions you want. I'm tired of arguing about it again and again.

 

[GrantRobertson]

Do you have an extra set of hands to help you with this?

As with almost everything else in my life... I'm going it alone.

I've gotten so used to doing everything by myself that I almost wouldn't know what to do with an extra pair of hands. The few times I do get help, I usually wish I didn't have it. Heck, you can't trust most people to hold a ladder, let alone the other end of a board.

My big problem now is that my vision is going. So finding screw slots is getting harder and harder. I have to mark darker cut lines. And, after my cataract surgery, my depth perception is off, so judging a square cut is harder. This makes things take a lot longer.

 

[GrantRobertson]

is the rusty steel tubing exposed in the roof to see how bad it is (photos???)

As I said, large chunks in roof beams are completely rusted away. All roof was torn off and PO screwed furring strips to the sides of the beams, then slapped plywood on top. At this point, the plywood is holding up the "beams."

Not gonna use steel beams. Done arguing about it.

 

[GrantRobertson]

, but perhaps we'd just waste time arguing over the best way to proceed

A good leader also knows how to let others be in charge.

 

[GrantRobertson]

Things always take so much longer than they should. I just spent all day chasing down the correct signal flasher for my current car. Turns out there isn't one, exactly... It is part of the emergency flasher switch and cost me $135. (2001 Bonneville) But not having the signals work would have knocked even more off the sale value of the car.

The intertubes and auto parts stores could not agree on anything to do with this thing, do I eventually went to a dealer.

I am so glad I am going back to an older vehicle.

 

[GrantRobertson]

I hate being up against the clock and possibly forced to take shortcuts which might come back later to bite me in the ass.

I am maki,g design decisions based on my current situation. In the end, I am convinced I will have a very high quality build. I'm getting kinda tired of every one of my design decisions being characterized as a poor-quality shortcut. I don't have the time do argue with naysayers over every detail.

So far, since explaining my roof build plans, I have had like two good suggestions, one part of one question answered, and page after page of naysaying. I'm kinda sick of it.

 

[Sabatical]

It sounds like your blood pressure could use a break from all these well intentioned folks trying to make your project easier based on different perspectives. Don't let it get under your skin though. Most folks are fixers and you did come to a forum asking questions, so just like any other family atmosphere, you get a zillion suggestions. At the end of the day we all just want to see you succeed Grant.

 

[SoulRaven]

Why use 3-5/8" Galvanized Steel Wall Framing Studs at $5.20 each fastened with stainless steel pop rivets when you can use untreated knot filled dimensional lumber with carbon steel nails/screws?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbrande...ized-Steel-Wall-Framing-Stud-726330/202836663

 

[highdesertranger]

x-2 on what Sabatical said. Grant we are only trying to help. but since you don't want my opinion and frankly seem a little pissed off of me even giving it. I will bow out of this discussion. highdesertranger

 

[LoupGarou]

Focus and finish....focus and finish.

 

[GotSmart]

X3.  Happy building

 

[Gary68]

grants just under a lot of stress right now,no need to turn away

if your going 2x4 they have these type of doohickies for the corners,dont know if they use them in texas but here in earthquake land they are a must


http://www.mudsupply.com/Simpson-Strong-Tie-Connectors-s/1880.htm

home depot should have a nice selection

 

[GrantRobertson]

grants just under a lot of stress right now,no need to turn away

if your going 2x4 they have these type of doohickies for the corners,dont know if they use them in texas but here in earthquake land they are a must


http://www.mudsupply.com/Simpson-Strong-Tie-Connectors-s/1880.htm

home depot should have a nice selection

Yup. This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about earlier. Specifically this kind of thing. They have them at the Lowe's where I used to work.

What I'm now thinking about doing is putting the, previously mentioned, large plywood rectangle on the odd joist-stud intersections and putting the above steel plates on the even intersections. This will put 32" between the plywood rectangles which is just about right for cabinets.

 

[GrantRobertson]

Picked up the flasher/emergency-switch assembly for the car. Yup. That fixed the problem. I have done without flashers for so long, it actually feels luxurious to have them.

 

[GrantRobertson]

On the way home, I stopped by Lowe's for some of that Black Jack stuff. Man, they have a whole line of products. Got some elastomeric patch and some seam reinforcement. Also picked up the aluminized coating. Though. I am now thinking of trading it in for the white, elastomeric coating, for $20 more. I'm thinking DiCor will adhere to the elastomeric better. It also won't look as bad if (when) I drip some down the sides.

I found some pressure treated, 1/2" plywood for $25 a sheet. The OSB was half that. However, considering how few sheets I need, the extra cost will be minimal. So I will go ahead and go with the treated plywood. I think it will be a bit of overkill, but that overkill is only gonna cost me an extra $75, so I might as well go for it.

I'm still planning to put some foam up on top and shape it into a gentle curve.

Used some self-drilling screws to hold down some cheap bathroom panel to cover the holes left by the fridge and water heater. Yeah, that steel frame, on the sides, may be in better shape than I feared. I had to use a drill bit to predrill some of those holes. Though, I still haven't had time to tear out some of that wall to see what is really there. I'm sure it varies from decent to worthless.

Gotta do some more work on my car tomorrow. I want to get it ready to sell soon.

Just did some cursory research on some EPDM. It will cost me less than $400 for a 60 mil sheet big enough to drape my RV like a tablecloth. I was afraid it would cost over $1000.

 

[travlinman and wife]

Grant go to lowes web site and read the reviews on all all of these products. aluminized fiber foof coating is all you will need if you dont have holes bigger than a dime. penholes are no problem. it will also fill cracks just put it on a little thicker. make sure it is silver and has fiber in it and is to be applied with a brush. this will last about 3 years. I got 5 on my house. the silver will reflect the suns rays.

 

[rvpopeye]

Grant
Sounds like you're getting into the groove now.
One step at a time and it will be livable before you know it.
Whatever you end up with , I'm sure it will be more rugged than the majority of RVs are !

 

[masterplumber]

Grant, something just came to the front of my old grey matter. I remember a house being built nearby about 9 - 10 years ago. It was steel framed - not the cheap partition wall thin stud, but structural probably similar to what your coach is probably made of. When the house was 2/3s done they had to tear it down and start over. Law suits were involved, metallurgy experts, etc... Turns out at the time much of that stuff was recycled metal from China. it was severely rusted just from the humidity in the air - which is extremely minimal in Colorado's very dry climate. But not all of it rusted. So my long drawn out point is, your roof beams could be totally rusted out, but hopefully your walls won't be as bad. I couldn't figure out why your roof was so bad - even if it leaked like a sieve. Usually on a rig it's the bottom pieces that rust the fastest due to the road salts in winter. It's just so hard to find good cheap Chinese crap these days!

 

[Gary68]

once again oregon vs texas but here if i go on craigslist and search for sale all,camping,i come across at least a few people dumping their camping gear cheap,heaters,stoves,sleeping bags,whatever