So overall today was quite successful in the RV mod world. I was up early which, if you know me, is quite an accomplishment in itself. But, I knew there was work to be done. On the schedule was the new cam locks I got, a desk to fabricate (the Steel Part anyhow) and battery wiring to do. The desk was the main focus, with other items filling in the cracks while I couldn't help.
Cam Locks
So I decided that the last thing I want is to need keys to get into the belly of beast, not to mention that there are really probably 2 key types in the RV world (CH751 and CR128 or something). So I'd wandered around the net (maybe I found them at the RV show?) and found combi-cam locks. I wasn't sure they'd fit (measure carefully) and the offset that my manufacturer used was different than I could buy - but go for it, right? Installation wasn't too
bad (just take the old one's out and push the new ones into the same space) but like I said, the offset was a little short. I'd come this far, so I just thought I'd bend em a bit. I couldn't use the manufacturer offsets because the square on the back was too large - wouldn't turn. Anyway - the bending worked great. I don't need keys, the compartments are more secure and in my opinion actually easier to operate. I'm interested to see how they do when we're actually on the road, but I'm feeling pretty good about it...
Batteries
Time to finish up the wiring for the batteries and put the tops on the boxes. Turns out this was much tougher than I thought. I ended up needing to go get 2 gauge cable at Lowe's because the auto cables I could get were too short to be run right. It amazes me how much cable was required for my battery setup. The bending and the placing also turned out to be a little difficult - that house 2 gauge copper is much bigger than the auto stuff (the wires inside the cable, not the nominal ID) I think the House that I had used 12 ga. and the auto stuff, along with having a more flexible casing, uses 18 or 20.
Building the Desk
What a task, but I was confident that Adam could get all that worked out. He seemed so happy to be welding, and since its something I know nothing about, I was happy for the help - very happy. I built the top of the desk out of foamboard so that we could measure and make it all work right. Turns out that may have been the most important thing I did in this project. Building the top allowed us to lay out the desk right on it, so that we were absolutely sure the structure would work.
The top was offset back from the sides and front 2 inches, with the top being cut very creatively. Pictures (right) tell a lot about the build. We had a little trouble with the measurements at one point (How did that extra 1/4 inch get in there?) but with the top we were able to figure out the problem.
The legs were a little more of a problem - how do you know what height is right? We put it at a couple of different levels, and finally came up with something that works pretty well. On the bottom we welded extra pieces under to support the legs a bit better - and it seems to work very well.
After Adam finished the frame (endcaps and all) came time to clean and paint. I hate underestimating what that takes, and had to run to the store in the middle of the paintjob. Adam painted wheels at the same time, and it had a whole paint-booth feel to it. After the primer (2 coats) I went with the textured paint that I so very much like (a brown speckle). I think the final result came out very nice.
Next Steps
I still need to install the desk and put a top on it. I know that it seems pretty easy and straight-forward, but my guess is that, as usual, it'll be much more work than I was expecting. I'm hopeful to finish it in the next week or so, and we'll see how those pictures look :)
I also need to put in the battery manager and double check the fluid levels in the batteries. All work still to be done. I need a couple of extra days a week :)
Cam Locks
So I decided that the last thing I want is to need keys to get into the belly of beast, not to mention that there are really probably 2 key types in the RV world (CH751 and CR128 or something). So I'd wandered around the net (maybe I found them at the RV show?) and found combi-cam locks. I wasn't sure they'd fit (measure carefully) and the offset that my manufacturer used was different than I could buy - but go for it, right? Installation wasn't too
bad (just take the old one's out and push the new ones into the same space) but like I said, the offset was a little short. I'd come this far, so I just thought I'd bend em a bit. I couldn't use the manufacturer offsets because the square on the back was too large - wouldn't turn. Anyway - the bending worked great. I don't need keys, the compartments are more secure and in my opinion actually easier to operate. I'm interested to see how they do when we're actually on the road, but I'm feeling pretty good about it...Batteries
Time to finish up the wiring for the batteries and put the tops on the boxes. Turns out this was much tougher than I thought. I ended up needing to go get 2 gauge cable at Lowe's because the auto cables I could get were too short to be run right. It amazes me how much cable was required for my battery setup. The bending and the placing also turned out to be a little difficult - that house 2 gauge copper is much bigger than the auto stuff (the wires inside the cable, not the nominal ID) I think the House that I had used 12 ga. and the auto stuff, along with having a more flexible casing, uses 18 or 20.
Building the Desk
What a task, but I was confident that Adam could get all that worked out. He seemed so happy to be welding, and since its something I know nothing about, I was happy for the help - very happy. I built the top of the desk out of foamboard so that we could measure and make it all work right. Turns out that may have been the most important thing I did in this project. Building the top allowed us to lay out the desk right on it, so that we were absolutely sure the structure would work.
The top was offset back from the sides and front 2 inches, with the top being cut very creatively. Pictures (right) tell a lot about the build. We had a little trouble with the measurements at one point (How did that extra 1/4 inch get in there?) but with the top we were able to figure out the problem.
The legs were a little more of a problem - how do you know what height is right? We put it at a couple of different levels, and finally came up with something that works pretty well. On the bottom we welded extra pieces under to support the legs a bit better - and it seems to work very well.
After Adam finished the frame (endcaps and all) came time to clean and paint. I hate underestimating what that takes, and had to run to the store in the middle of the paintjob. Adam painted wheels at the same time, and it had a whole paint-booth feel to it. After the primer (2 coats) I went with the textured paint that I so very much like (a brown speckle). I think the final result came out very nice.
Next Steps
I still need to install the desk and put a top on it. I know that it seems pretty easy and straight-forward, but my guess is that, as usual, it'll be much more work than I was expecting. I'm hopeful to finish it in the next week or so, and we'll see how those pictures look :)
I also need to put in the battery manager and double check the fluid levels in the batteries. All work still to be done. I need a couple of extra days a week :)
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