The new S&S and Red Repair/Restore/Upgrade Thread..part II

[mountainkowboy]

This is how it all started years ago.....1st Thread

Now that we have it back we will finish what we started. Today I started with Red's paint. Since it sat for almost 3 years in the side yard, the paint was pretty bad and he was pink. I scrubbed it down and got most of the oxidation off before leaving Oregon. It has been 100+ here lately so I haven't really got to anything till today. I managed to get on bed side and dually fender cleaned, rubbed out, and waxed today. He has some age scars on him but it is 28 years old.



We cleaned out the TC and brainstormed on the upgrades, and have decided to do a flip-n-fold in place of the dinette first. More to come.

[mountainkowboy]

Alas the complex is giving me grief for it being parked here while I work on it. I already have a storage space, so it'll go there for a few weeks to placate them...something about 14 days or such.

I used 0000 steel wool on all the glass today on Red to get all the sputs off from storage. Then I decided to see if I could figure out why one of my drawers always sticks. I found a split 1x1 along with staples pulled out and the wall was separated from the framing about 3/8 of an inch under the stove. That was right under where there was a GIANT roof top carrier was mounted when I got it, most likely was overloaded. I took a screw jack and a few 2x4's and slowly pushed the wall back up to where it should be and added some 3" screws into the framing in place of the staples that were used and added another frame piece sistering the split one, again using 2" and 3" screws instead of staples. Pulled the jack out and the sag is gone and all the drawers seem to work better.

[mountainkowboy]

Today I dove into the fresh water tank drain that doesn't work, I was going to drain it the other day and when I opened the valve...nothing. I did notice when I was in Oregon picking it up that the valve was open, probably was open the whole time...2+ years. So I drained the tank with the water pump and the system drains with the LR corner of the truck high to make the water go to that corner. S&S in their wisdom made the drain serviceable.....YEAH!!! Pulled it apart at the tanks and took my little 12v Viar and blew the line out...DANG there were ALOT of bugs in the line. Reassemble, add water, test...working as designed. 😉

[mountainkowboy]

SidecarFlip wrote:

Chuck..

I use the trailer I haul my quads on as my camper mover. I take off the rails that hold the quads and set the camper right on the trailer frame and then jockey the trailer and camper around with a quad. With the camper on the quad trailer, it fits in our garage nicely. I keep the TC in one side and the truck in the other side in the winter, protected and out of the weather. Things (camper and truck) last longer that way.

Looked at a couple roll around frames but I'm on gravel so I need the tires and wheels, hard casters don't work on gravel. Biggest issue I have is getting the camper on the trailer in the garage straight (I cannot see around the camper when moving it with the quad) so I have my wife as my second set of eyes. We (she) is getting pretty good at directing me in. Been doing it a couple years like that.

I plan to make the dolly out of 4x4's and use 1200lb casters, 2 fixed and 2 swivel. I have another set of base brackets for the towbar for the Honda from when we had the Moho. I'll mount them on the dolly and I can move it with the Ranger...;).

[SidecarFlip]

mountainkowboy wrote:
Finished the drivers side today....it's in BAD SHAPE paint wise, but at least its not pink anymore! Have decided to paint it white upper and the original red on the lower, the split being the belt line right below the door handles.

I think I'll wait till after Quartzsite in January to do anything major to either. We've always wanted to see it but just haven't been able to get there for some reason or another. I need to make new upright support poles for my carport to make it wide enough for the S&S to fit and be able to move around it while working on it. I made a deal with the park to pour us a new concrete driveway 12' wide when I'm done with the supports. Then I can made a dolly for the TC and it can be stored and worked on in my driveway.

Chuck..

I use the trailer I haul my quads on as my camper mover. I take off the rails that hold the quads and set the camper right on the trailer frame and then jockey the trailer and camper around with a quad. With the camper on the quad trailer, it fits in our garage nicely. I keep the TC in one side and the truck in the other side in the winter, protected and out of the weather. Things (camper and truck) last longer that way.

Looked at a couple roll around frames but I'm on gravel so I need the tires and wheels, hard casters don't work on gravel. Biggest issue I have is getting the camper on the trailer in the garage straight (I cannot see around the camper when moving it with the quad) so I have my wife as my second set of eyes. We (she) is getting pretty good at directing me in. Been doing it a couple years like that.

[mountainkowboy]

Finished the drivers side today....it's in BAD SHAPE paint wise, but at least its not pink anymore! Have decided to paint it white upper and the original red on the lower, the split being the belt line right below the door handles.

I think I'll wait till after Quartzsite in January to do anything major to either. We've always wanted to see it but just haven't been able to get there for some reason or another. I need to make new upright support poles for my carport to make it wide enough for the S&S to fit and be able to move around it while working on it. I made a deal with the park to pour us a new concrete driveway 12' wide when I'm done with the supports. Then I can made a dolly for the TC and it can be stored and worked on in my driveway.

[mountainkowboy]

Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli wrote:

mountainkowboy wrote:
We're planning on removing the oven and replace it with just a cook top since we haven't used the oven ever. That would free up some room for the second battery along with a little weight. Doing the research on the mod now...will be doing ALOT of looking and measuring tomorrow.

I couldn't do without my oven. I've done prime rib, chicken, bread, cake, pie, to name a few in the oven. Makes good storage for cooking items too...

Don't forget the pizza. Scratch built and store bought...

We carry a Dutch oven and we use a toaster oven when we have AC power.

[jaycocreek]

This winter (if I can), I'm considering removing the toilet and black tank and converting to a Thetford casette toilet. So much easier to deal with, not that I use it all that much, but my wife does.

I am doing the same before hunting season..Two nuts and a plug for the water line to get the toilet out, then I can put one of my porta potti's in it's place for the freezing(below zero) temps hunting season brings.

Much much easier to keep un-frozen and broken.

[SidecarFlip]

I had the cooktop / oven combo in my Lance and never used it either. Was just a place to store pots and pans. When we got the new unit I made sure there was no oven. Amy and I, when we need an oven, use the dutch oven we have in a bed of coals on the fire.

This winter (if I can), I'm considering removing the toilet and black tank and converting to a Thetford casette toilet. So much easier to deal with, not that I use it all that much, but my wife does.

[jaycocreek]

mountainkowboy wrote:
We're planning on removing the oven and replace it with just a cook top since we haven't used the oven ever. That would free up some room for the second battery along with a little weight. Doing the research on the mod now...will be doing ALOT of looking and measuring tomorrow.

Sidecars quote belongs here.." You do what you gotta do"..I fall into the, we need and use the oven quite often but I see how the space it takes up could benefit extra battery power..I am seeing more new units without ovens than I ever used too..

Camping in the back of a pickup has it's gives and takes to make it work for each campers needs.

[Camper_Jeff___K]

mountainkowboy wrote:
We're planning on removing the oven and replace it with just a cook top since we haven't used the oven ever. That would free up some room for the second battery along with a little weight. Doing the research on the mod now...will be doing ALOT of looking and measuring tomorrow.

I couldn't do without my oven. I've done prime rib, chicken, bread, cake, pie, to name a few in the oven. Makes good storage for cooking items too...

Don't forget the pizza. Scratch built and store bought...

[mountainkowboy]

We're planning on removing the oven and replace it with just a cook top since we haven't used the oven ever. That would free up some room for the second battery along with a little weight. Doing the research on the mod now...will be doing ALOT of looking and measuring tomorrow.

[SidecarFlip]

jaycocreek wrote:

I want to replace my single 12 volt with 2 6 volts, but I would need to replace the battery box.

I also want to have more battery longevity but my box opening will only take a group 27 barely..It came with a group 24..My solution was to put another group 27 in the wheel well in a battery box.Self vented in the wheel well...As redneck as it seems,it works for me..

You do what you got to do. I just happened to have the room under the step up. Thought about one of those chassis mounted ones that E-trailer sells but checking it would be a royal PITA.

[jaycocreek]

I want to replace my single 12 volt with 2 6 volts, but I would need to replace the battery box.

I also want to have more battery longevity but my box opening will only take a group 27 barely..It came with a group 24..My solution was to put another group 27 in the wheel well in a battery box.Self vented in the wheel well...As redneck as it seems,it works for me..

[SidecarFlip]

Chuck..

I run a pair of 12 volt Interstate deep cycle batteries but my unit came with a single plastic battery box, so I built a double battery box from 3/4" BC plywood and used closed cell adhesive foam to seal the edges and on the top and the top is secured with cam lock latches I got from Lowes. Mine is external vented so I cut the plastic vents off the plastic battery box and affixed them to the wood one. Works well and I was able to custom tailor the box to fit in with the 1500 watt inverter and all the other 'stuff' under the front step up to the bunk.

Amy and I took it up north this last weekend, for the weekend, hard to get away with farming all the time. Got my usual 19mpg combined 2 lane and e-way driving. I don't drive fast, 55 on the 2 lane (where permitted) and usually 62 to 65 on the slab. Rain going up but nice otherwise. Nice get away, we needed it.