EarthRoamer XV-JP "Northwest Edition"

[Heifer Boy]

This week the glass for the roof windows (12"x40") came in and the glass was removed from the RV window frames... I made a cut-out jig for the glass to fit into the plywood roof, now I just need to do it...

I'm interested to see how you are going to fit the glass to your roof without a frame. I've seen flush glass windows on boats before and it always looks good. Much tidier and more modern looking than having a frame. Make sure you detail the process for us.

HB

 

[PaulJensen]

I'm not too picky about plywood... This 1/2" is the $31 cabinet grade stuff at Home Depot...
Lately Baltic Birch plies seem brittle with fracturing glue... Used to be more resilient...

 

[PaulJensen]

15 - Roof Window

Forever I have loved roof windows... Old Land Rovers, VW busses, Old Land Cruisers, even school busses... Classic...

(above) Via eBay I found a pair of these... Cheap... Shipping and glass delivered was under $100...
Here, you can see the dented frame that was on both... The exterior hold-in trim has been removed and the glass is loose... The glass is 1/8" smoked tempered... What do you see in the glass reflection...???... Not planned but cool...

(above) Using the loose glass as a template, a tracing was made on the plywood... The cut lines were moved in about 1/2" and the corner cut-out was tracing a quart of paint... Close enough... Tablesaw the straight line, Jigsaw the curves, then Bondo... Sanding made the template inner edge good for a trim router with a router base fixed guide bushing... Again, close enough... Finally, the temple is pin nailed in position to the roof...

(above) Two trips around with the trim router...

(above) Wishing fingers were suction cups...

(above) The other side... Next, fiberglass tape around both edges, two coats of brush-on epoxy to fill the plywood edge, then router the opening again with the trim router, same bit, larger collar bushing... Trying to make a fiberglass edge...

More later...

 

[screwball48]

Those side windows will give a more open feeling to the cabin.

 

[Jr_Explorer]

...The bulk of the bad caulking was on the vertical connections... To my knowledge, there never has been any mechanical bond between the vertical cabin and the body, only adhesives...Less than solid...

(above) On the verticals, self tapping screws with big washers were installed, pulling the body to the cabin and setting the height of the cabin to the body... Without those, the cabin would continue to dip forward, keeping the propane locker panel from fitting...

Is there a concern that by attaching the front of the shell to the vertical you will now transfer body torque loads into the shell and crack it at those self tapping screw locations? Maybe thats why they left it as a "soft joint".

 

[PaulJensen]

Is there a concern that by attaching the front of the shell to the vertical you will now transfer body torque loads into the shell and crack it at those self tapping screw locations? Maybe thats why they left it as a "soft joint".

Hmmm...???... Let me think about that...???...

 

[PaulJensen]

16 - Window Prep...

(above) Day Job...

(above) Window prep...The roof cabin edge has to be waterproof... Painting plywood ain't good enough... So, the opening is taped with packing tape (plastic) then fiberglassed on the other side... The plastic releases clean...

(above) Taped and ready for glass, on the other side...

(above) 2" fiberglass tape with epoxy resin...

(above) Wet-out...

(above) Both sides, goes fast...

(above) Fins...

(above) Flipped over, the epoxy / glass edge gets Bondo... Then sanded flat, then fiberglass tape and epoxy...

(above) Kitchen basics...

(above) Most of the decisions have been made...

(above) Basically, it's all there... Taking shape...

 

[ripperj]

Very nice progress/workmanship.
I love the sunburst fin.
I was glad to see the stair step counter top, I will have to do similar but opposite(stove high) on my Alaskan, now I can pretend it's normal
Keep it up!, thanks for taking the time to post

Keith
Sent from my Passport

 

[GR8ADV]

Good lineage.

 

[Jeep or Tacoma]

wow this is like an instruction manual. it is awesome you ought to write a book on it > Very Cool!!

 

[Haf-E]

Saw this in the "spotted" thread and thought it should be mentioned here since it reminds me of the boards you build.

 

[PaulJensen]

Saw this in the "spotted" thread and thought it should be mentioned here since it reminds me of the boards you build.

That took some time... Good work...

 

[PaulJensen]

16 - Redwood Ceiling

(above) The ceiling will be redwood... From Jeffro, a collector and connector of wood... He gave me a dozen, 3x8x14' railroad water tank, barrel staves... Clear, old growth California Redwood, cut at least 100 years ago... Milled straight with a bead and cove, keyed together and steel rod bolted tight to make the tank... Amazing that was all that was done... With the help of Ted Marshall, another wood board geek, most of the wood was resawed on his big bandsaw... We both now have a lot of 5" and 7" slats ready to be planed... All 14 feet long...

Above...Planed wood strips for the ceiling are taped together, ready to be flipped over to be fiberglassed... Just like the surfboards...

(above) The bad side is the inside...

(above) 4oz. plain fiberglass cloth...

(above) Resin has been poured and a preliminary spread has started... Flood the cloth, smear it around...

(above) Try to make it smooth when you are done... Pretty simple...

(above) The next day, flipped over and un-taped...

(above) Back to the windows... Ready to router the opening for the final time...

(above) The collar bearing had a spacer around it to make the template and bit stay unchanged so when the final cut was done, the window edge is non wood...Still needs sanding and another couple coats of thin epoxy before setting the glass...

 

[thebigblue]

Saw this in the "spotted" thread and thought it should be mentioned here since it reminds me of the boards you build.

The mounting of the piano hinge is annoying - apart from that it´s nice

 

[thebigblue]

Above...Planed wood strips for the ceiling are taped together, ready to be flipped over to be fiberglassed... Just like the surfboards...

(above) Resin has been poured and a preliminary spread has started... Flood the cloth, smear it around...

Paul, would you recommend epoxy resin, or will polyester do the job?