Now I Get To Start Over! Remodeling our 1976 Alfa Travel Trailer

[OldEdBrady]

ALL projects--in process or just imagined--are now on indefinite hold.

I have two sick females in the house.  And I thought this week might give me a chance to at least work on that left side leak.

Ah, well.  Things should improve eventually.

[OldEdBrady]

Ty is down to the sniffle & red nose stage, so she's getting better.  SWMBO is doing somewhat better, too.  Now if I can just get the old woman to do what she's supposed to instead of what she THINKS she's supposed to!

So, yesterday, I started working on fixing some of my fixes.  The first project doesn't look any better, so I'll need to figure out a fix for the fix of the fix.   

[Froggy1936]

Sounds like your in a fix of trying to fix something in need of a fixing.  Frank

[OldEdBrady]

Yesterday I started fixing the repair of my prior fix.  But, to do it right this time, it's going to be a long process.  So I merely got started.

Now, today, it's too cold to do anything.  It was 20 when I got up, and headed to 0 for a "high" for the day.  Tomorrow won't be any better.  They're claiming we might get up to freezing by Saturday.

So, I have NO idea what I'll do.  Maybe clean up some of the mess I've made inside.  But I keep doing that, and then making a new mess worse than the one I cleaned.   

[OldEdBrady]

The weather types had it wrong again.  It got all the way up to 14.  I was going to get the pool ready for the weekend.  But, they say it's supposed to get cold for the next  couple of days.  I really don't know whether to trust them, but I guess I'll wait.

Hey!  At 14, it's STILL 64 degrees warmer than the mother-in-law's heart!

[OldEdBrady]

Yesterday, the (new) furnace in the Alfa quit working.  I pulled it out (something I did NOT want to do) and checked the wiring.  All OK.  At least, I thought so.

And, this all happened, of course, at the start of the Deep Freeze of 2011.

I pulled the wiring apart, checked connections, etc.  (Blew about 4 fuses, too.)_

Then I had something I had to do other than with the Alfa, so last night I didn't get to enjoy the warmth and the foreign newscast I watch every night

So, today, still freezing, I took out the oil-filled heater and turned it on.  Several hours later, it was only warm enough to shorten the cold mist from my breath.

BNut, I kept at it.  Pulled the propane line.  Pulled the entire furnace out.  Nothing I could find was the problem.

So, I put the furnace back together and--just for the fun of it--started up the thermostat.  Blower on.

Still no fire, though, because I had the propane unhooked.

So, I put it all where it belonged, doped the propane connection and put it back together, turned on the propane, and it fired right up.  What the?

Well, it was running, so I moved the furnace back where it belonged and fastened it down. 

Went to the thermostat, and set it again.  Running again. I then fastened the thermostat to the wall..

It quit running!

Bad thermo?  Nope.  Just fastened too tightly to the wall.  With everything still in operating position, as I started removing the thing, the furnace cut in again.

So, I put some stuff on the screw to hold the thing away from the wall.  Fastened her down as far as it would go, and it works!

So, tonight, I saw my news shows (although they were a bit disappointing--everyone could only talk about Egypt--which is fine, but other things are going on, too.).

Anyway, problem solved.

[OldEdBrady]

I left out a couple of details on the thermostat. 

It was not a situation where the wires were imvolved at all.  There are only two wires to the thing, and they run through the 'stat body and fasten on the front.

The problem was the control. It extends slightly in back, and was rubbing on the wall.  When I first installed it, I found that it wouldn't stay on a specific setting when it was cold.  After warming up the trailer, though I could set it where I wished.

I merely thought it was the internal wires being too cold and stiff.  Nope.  the control against the wall was preventing it from setting where it should have been.  Why it would set after warming up the place a bit, I have no idea.  THAT is the reason I thought it was the cold.

Anyway, now I can just set it and forget it.

New subject.  Propane regulator.

The regulator I installed is automatic changeover (as I stated in an earlier post).  But, once it changed over, how would I know?  After all, there was now an empty tank.

There is an indicator built into the regulator, but, with the cover I have on the tanks, it was almost impossible to see unless I wanted to remove the cover every day (and THAT is a difficult task!).

So, I purchased a remote indicator that sits just inside the trailer door.  This thing runs on two AA batteries.  A single wire (actually. two wires inside  a single cover) runs from the device to the regulator.  The built-in indicator has a cap on it.  I removed the cap, put in the part for the new device, tested it according to instructions, and put everything  back.  Now, when the thing switches, a small light comes on to show me that it's time to fill a tank.  Saves a lot of unwanted surprises.

[OldEdBrady]

Today, while in the trailer with Class C King, one of the propane tanks ran dry.  OK.  No problem.  The regulator automatically switches to the other tank.

Worked as advertised.

AND, most unbelievable of all, the indicator I put on the thing actually started flashing to let me know one of the tanks was empty!  Hard to believe that something worked as advertised!

I knew I couldn't fill it immediately, so I popped out a battery.  Probably could have let it go, since it draws such low current.  (Maybe next time I'll test that).

A bit later, took the tank, had it filled, and remounted.  Put the indicator back, and it was "silent"/dark.  Wow!

So, for those interested:  The regulator is a Marshall 254.  The indicator is made by Marshall, specifically for that regulator.  Locally, that's the only 100% match on the two items I could find.  total cost was less that $100  (maybe less than $80, but I can't recall exactly).

[Oz]

Hey Ed, That empty tank indicator system sounds like a very nice upgrade.  Could you post the basic info on it as a Member Article say, under... product reviews for the time being?  I think I might make an article section just for upgrade stuff and then move it there.  We have tons of upgrade items I know could be added to it.

[OldEdBrady]

I can do that.  Also, I checked the catalog this a.m. and can now give you exact LIST prices.

The 254 regulator is listed at $41.99.  The changeover indicator is listed at $37.79.  Naturally, sales tax, discounts, etc., all affect these prices.

[OldEdBrady]

I'm totally upset/ p.o.'d at how the front awning/rock guard turned out.  So, I'm re-doing it.  I have NO idea whether I'll do any better on it, but, after fighting with that rear hatch and finally making it work (kinda), I'm determined to fix the front.

Maybe I'll screw it up again, but I can't do much worse than I did the first time.  (I hope.)

[4winds]

Were it not for our screw-ups we'd have no ups at all.

[OldEdBrady]

There is a folding dorr between the sleeping area and the kitchen area in the Alfa.  I've been looking for a replacement, since the one there now has seen better centuries.

Everywhere I go, they have 36" wide doors.  But that won't work.  I need about 6-7 inches more than that.  Even my RV supplier is in the 36" mode.

I suppose I could build a very small false walll to compensate, but I'd rather not.  So I keep looking... Hm?

[4winds]

Just a thought, would it be possible to add 3 inches to each side of one of the doors to make it work?

[OldEdBrady]

With these types of doors, there is no way.  And, for the wall addition, it can only be done on one side.  On the other there is a small closet and the door would not open if I added anything there.

BUT, the mattresses etend off the bunks about an inch on each side.  In addition, the bed platforms extend a bit further on each side.  So, adding the inches on one side wouldn't cut down the entrance space.  It's just a matter of my putting in the small wall projection.

After all, I'm not an expert ANYTHING.   

[JDxeper]

Could you replace it with a heavy curtain or drape on a track like the Winnes have?

[Froggy1936]

Oh Oh   He said the bad word     

[OldEdBrady]

I COULD use drapes (NEVER THE "C" WORD!!), but prefer the folding door.  If I go to drapes, then I'd have to wait about 6 months while SWMBO tried to figure out what color.  With the door, there are two choices, and two only.  That should only take a month.   

[OldEdBrady]

So, today, I started building the wall extension.  Not a lot of problem once I decided what to do.  However...

To find PRECISELY what I needed for room, I had to hang the door.  So, I put in the top bar (yeah; I bought one without SWMBO's input, so it'll probably be the wrong color of tyhe two) and checked to see exactly what I needed.

I found wood for the front and back parts of the wall (front in the kitchen area, back in the bedroom).  Then, spacing.  Turns out, 1x2s worked just fine for that.

I stained the boards for the outside.  The color isn't exact, but as close as I could get.  Put them in with the spacing.  Then I moved the tie-back connections since I don't want the door bouncing around when we're underway.

The tiebacks wouldn't work quite right, so, in the bedroom area I put in a little extension (stained, of course) and fixed that up.  At the moment, since it isn't finished, it appears the extension would be in the way.  But, once it's finished, it won't be.

Tomorrow, I have to put a "face" on the extension and then get the door fastened to the wall.  Also, I need to put in a bit of moulding to make it look a bit better.

So far, so good.  I wonder just what I've done wrong so far?   Hm?

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Ed,
For heating there at homebase: Get yourself an Extend-A-Stay system hookup and have the local propane company set you up with tank and standard refill service.  That way you do not have to keep swapping/refilling tanks.  Additionally, the refill charge should be much cheaper that way.  That is exactly what the Extend-A-Stay product was designed for.

Dave

[OldEdBrady]

I finished the door project.  I even got a couple of before/after photos.  I'll post them when I finally get them on the computer and resized.  The "after" are not truly "after."  They were before I put in the final moulding this evening.  But the main idea is there.

Sure looks different from that 30+-year-old door that was there!

And brighter.

[newellkev]

GO Ed GO 

[OldEdBrady]

I've tested the ability of the propane indicator to maintain the charge in the batteries.

Last night, the regulator switched tanks, and the alert light went on.  I just left it.

Today (kinda late in the a.m.) I removed the empty tank.  The light was still going.  So, I moved the manual switch from the empty tank side to the full tank side.  Then the light went out.  Had the tank filled, put it in, and turned it on.  It's not supplying now, of course, but I need only wait until the second tank is empty to see whether it will work.

It appears that, when a tank is empty, moving the manual switch turns the light off.  Had I known that last night, I would have done it then.

But, final test will be when the regulator switches again.  That could be about a week.

[OldEdBrady]

I decided I didn't like the job I had doen on the front awning/rock guard.  So, I decided to change it.  It isn't finished.  I still have to put in the center panel, but I have the panel ready to go, as shown

[Arberg0]

Now that looks real cool and if i may say a one of a kind sir very neat


arberg0