mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Nov 18, 2016 11:00:25 GMT -8
Rearranging the propane copper tubing plumbing. Removing twists, bends and kinks. Plumbing straight lines with elbows instead of bends so the tubing will drop straight through the floor for the heater and the stove top. The inside of the copper tubing, from what I can see of it, looks clean and healthy. Pulled the old trailer light wiring. Will use an extension cord for the three main wires and two separate wires for the ground and also the trailer brakes. I did not even know that this thing had trailer brakes until I got it inside and stripped down.
Ground lugs are installed and all the lights and the trailer plug will be grounded to those. The old wiring was really a mess. There was this big adapter, a 7 way I think, as big as it is, can not get the plug pulled from it. Then there is an adapter harness plugged into that with the smaller 6 round connector which fits all of My vehicles. That's the way it came when the camper was given to Me.
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mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Nov 18, 2016 11:29:15 GMT -8
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Post by vikx on Nov 18, 2016 21:37:52 GMT -8
Rearranging the propane copper tubing plumbing. Removing twists, bends and kinks. Plumbing straight lines with elbows instead of bends so the tubing will drop straight through the floor for the heater and the stove top. The inside of the copper tubing, from what I can see of it, looks clean and healthy. Pulled the old trailer light wiring. Will use an extension cord for the three main wires and two separate wires for the ground and also the trailer brakes. I did not even know that this thing had trailer brakes until I got it inside and stripped down.
Ground lugs are installed and all the lights and the trailer plug will be grounded to those. The old wiring was really a mess. There was this big adapter, a 7 way I think, as big as it is, can not get the plug pulled from it. Then there is an adapter harness plugged into that with the smaller 6 round connector which fits all of My vehicles. That's the way it came when the camper was given to Me. Sounds like you are moving right along! I used to use the 6 way plugs when we had horses. All the horse trailers were 6 way, then suddenly a big change in them. (bigger system?) Anyway, took a few days to switch them all out to my "new" to me truck...
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mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Nov 18, 2016 22:51:37 GMT -8
Rearranging the propane copper tubing plumbing. Removing twists, bends and kinks. Plumbing straight lines with elbows instead of bends so the tubing will drop straight through the floor for the heater and the stove top. The inside of the copper tubing, from what I can see of it, looks clean and healthy. Pulled the old trailer light wiring. Will use an extension cord for the three main wires and two separate wires for the ground and also the trailer brakes. I did not even know that this thing had trailer brakes until I got it inside and stripped down.
Ground lugs are installed and all the lights and the trailer plug will be grounded to those. The old wiring was really a mess. There was this big adapter, a 7 way I think, as big as it is, can not get the plug pulled from it. Then there is an adapter harness plugged into that with the smaller 6 round connector which fits all of My vehicles. That's the way it came when the camper was given to Me. Sounds like you are moving right along! I used to use the 6 way plugs when we had horses. All the horse trailers were 6 way, then suddenly a big change in them. (bigger system?) Anyway, took a few days to switch them all out to my "new" to me truck... I was introduced to the 6 way plugs years ago and just sort of got stuck on using them. My tandem utility trailer had the 6 way on it when I got it so I needed to not change anything. Now this camper had some odd looking sort of a conglermation on it that I know not if it is a 6 or a seven, with the worn and torn adapter harness, it had the 6 way on it and so it fit My pickups too. Now then, a few months back I got this 2000 K3500 Chevrolet and it has the 7 terminal plug. Before I went to Lewistown to get it, the guy I bought it from asked what plug My trailer has, and so He gave to me a 7 to a 6 adapter. I thought that was a good deal. LOL I pulled over the utility trailer with my K1500 GMC then after receiving the K3500, switched rigs and loaded the K1500 onto the trailer and came home. When the wiring is finished on the camper, it too will have the 6 terminal plug. I guess I am just stuck there. LOL Even though I know that the 7s are of a heavier duty build.
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mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Nov 19, 2016 16:27:31 GMT -8
Okay, finally feels like I am getting somewhere with this wiring thing. Grounds are all in and fastened down to the grounding lugs. IMG_2856 by Martin Draper, on Flickr Tail light repair on a roll. LOL IMG_2857 by Martin Draper, on Flickr And while I was in the garage doing all of that, the wifey too was very busy, washing clothes and bedding, cleaning house AAAAAND, baking cooookies. LOL IMG_2855 by Martin Draper, on Flickr
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mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Nov 19, 2016 16:37:54 GMT -8
OH YES, I almost forgot. I had another chance to use that J-B Plastic weld/Bondo stuff. I`m really liking that stuff. Someone had put a counter sink screw into the lens for the one tail light, the taper on under the screws head spread and split this lens. I gout out that J-B stuff, mixed a small amount then sort of spread apart the crack as far as I could, forced the glue into the narrowere part of the crack, smeared it onto the wider portions of each side then tried to tape it to hold until the glue set, no way tha tape would hold so I did. I sat there for about 45 minutes holding the lens in position. Sure saved Me some money and a search looking for another one of these lenses. Not easy to come by as I had already sort of looked around for one. IMG_2858 by Martin Draper, on Flickr
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mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Nov 19, 2016 17:01:58 GMT -8
I was going to Tyvek the underneath of the floor, the belly pan. A friend that I frequently go fishing with stopped by. He said He had a full gallon of oil base paint. Turns out it is suppose to be some sort of a waterproof stain, looks more like thick paint to Me. My son came over and helped Me set the floor structure back onto the frame, bottom side up. I then set about painting the underbelly. This paint, or whatever it is, went on heavy using a roller. I`ll apply another coat in an hour or two. I`m not going to Tyvek the underside now. Another coat and I think the paint stuff will add about a 1/4 inch of protection. LOL The lighting makes the stuff look more brown than what it is, the color actually looks like a barn red. Shadows makes it look like streaks. Honest, there are no streaks. LOL IMG_2859 by Martin Draper, on Flickr
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hairba11
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Post by hairba11 on Nov 20, 2016 19:08:02 GMT -8
Floor is looking good. I really lucked out with my fiberglass time capsule.
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mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Nov 20, 2016 19:43:42 GMT -8
Floor is looking good. I really lucked out with my fiberglass time capsule. That is one for sure way to avoid rotting wood.
That paint has still not dried. I turned up the heat in the garudge a few notches and cranked on the ceiling fan to full blast. The first coat was heavy, the second coat several hours later was even heavier, it might take several days for that oil base paint to dry. The odor in the garudge was atrocious so I opened several windows. Odor is now gone. Smells much better.
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mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Nov 21, 2016 19:24:55 GMT -8
Paint is still drying, getting almost close enough to being dry so that I can pull the floor assembly from off the trailer, flip it over and shove it back onto te trailer. To pass some time today, besides taking all three cats to the vet for their annual maintenance, I worked on the tail light lamps some more. reolaced some of the bulb sockets hardware and then pig tailed color code wires. I drilled a hole through the backing, used a not and screw and attached the grounding wire. No second guessing if this system is getting a good ground. it then will attach to the grounfing lug I welded to the back of the trailer frame. I did not want to make a big and ugly splice with four wires running into it so i used one of these terminal connector blocks. After the photo-op I used a smallish sheet metal screw and anchored it to the tail light backing plate. All wires are to color code once out of the lamp plate. IMG_2861 by Martin Draper, on Flickr
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Post by vikx on Nov 21, 2016 22:25:54 GMT -8
I like the little terminal connector, a very neat and clean idea. I always try to do connections in the light body; so easy to inspect and repair... Be sure to move the wires off the bulbs to prevent melting insulation. Wonder how I know that??
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mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Nov 22, 2016 5:16:25 GMT -8
I like the little terminal connector, a very neat and clean idea. I always try to do connections in the light body; so easy to inspect and repair... Be sure to move the wires off the bulbs to prevent melting insulation. Wonder how I know that?? I got that from RadioShack. It is called a European-Style Terminal Strip, no part number on it though. YUP, wires moved away from bulbs. I also tin the wires with solder and apply a smear of corrosion preventive before pushing them into the terminal strip. I sometimes will mount one of these inside the hitch rails and run the wires from the trailer light plug into it. Then if I ever would need to change the plug to hitch wires, it makes it quite easy. Now, one problem with the lights mounting plate. Someone before Me had used an odd assortment of screws and stripped out the holes to hold on the lens. Mighty thin aluminum. I have an oxy/acetylene torch, also some aluminum arc welding rod. This rod is designed to use with an D/C welder. All I have is an old A/C welder so, I knock off some of the flux that is on the rod, not all of it, then fire up the torch and use the aluminum rod like it was brazing rod. Works very well. I have done quite a few repairs using this method. The only problem with aluminum is, when heating it and the aluminum turns to an ashy grey color, at that moment the puddle is ready to fall out. To prevent this, I place the aluminum in a piece of fairly heavy steel to absorb some of the heat from the back side. That prevents the aluminum from falling out of the puddle and makes for a fine looking weld. It is claimed that aluminum the thickness of an aluminum can be welded using this rod. I am not at that skill level but I guess I`ll be close if I can make a weld around these stripped out holes to thicken the metal enough to make the screws hold. LOL
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mrmarty51
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Post by mrmarty51 on Nov 22, 2016 5:19:09 GMT -8
One more thing about wiring. There a several grades of automotive wire. The one I always specify is the wire that the insulation does not get stiff and brittle when it gets cold. Always remains pliable and flexible even at 20 below.
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Post by vikx on Nov 22, 2016 12:27:56 GMT -8
"AUTOMOTIVE PRIMARY WIRE" is recommended for 12 volt wiring in trailer. Do not substitute THHN stranded wire.
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hairba11
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Post by hairba11 on Nov 22, 2016 17:18:30 GMT -8
Before hitting the really thin aluminum with an arc check this out www.durafix.comLike aluminum brazing rod. Works with a torch. Not too hard to work with. I've seen it used a lot for making scale roll cages for radio control rock bouncers. Those take some pretty hard hits.
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