Kenskill style build in Delavan, WI (Now Cub Modern)

[Mr. Lahey]

I never had the top fastened down yet. So doing a mod was no big deal. As a matter of fact it's already done. I even took it a step further by using the KISS principle to it's best level. As I looked at it further it dawned on me why even have the counter top over the cooler? If cut and hinge the counter, I still would need to clear off that section when I wanted to raise the cooler lid. So why bother with all the work. Why not just place whatever I need to right on the lid of the cooler? Use the cooler lid for extra counter surface when needed.

So I ended up cutting the counter top as planned. I then fabbed a new end panel for the cabinet. So now the counter ends right at the start of the cooler bay. It went together like a champ. Plus it looks good too. It's going to be much more functional this way. The cooler opens 90% of the way before a lift strut interferes. So great access to the cooler now. Plus I still have just short of 40 inches of counter top width left. Plenty of room to food prep and cook on with either the BBQ, or Coleman stove on the counter too.

As an additional bonus I remembered I had a nice sized piece of polished stainless in my odd's and end's stash. It's just a tad short of the space. Leaves a bit over an inch or so border of counter around it. I still like how it looks. It also has a bit of "patina" to it. It's got some scratches and so forth from it's previous life. Nothing horrible. Just looks like it's seen some use. I had wanted that look of the metal counter tops in old teardrops. This hit's that nail right on the head.

I'll get a pic up at some point. Headed out there now to get back at it. Have to knock it off at 2pm today. Other stuff to do.

[Mr. Lahey]

Lunch break photo post, because photo's are fun.

First up a couple shots of the new shortened counter top. I was trial fitting my salvaged piece of stainless on the counter a half way cleaning it up a bit.

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Progress shot of rear cabinets, dividers and so forth. The inside upper spar across goes right to the top surface of camper. I plan to do my inner ceiling panel in 3 sections. from this spar back for 1 section. From this spar forward for section 2.

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[Mr. Lahey]

3 photo's max per post, so part 2

Started working on final fitting the sliding A/C to the hatch and it's cabinet. As the first photo shows the unit clears the hatch opening by fractions of an inch. It's like that at all four corners. Second photo shows why I think I'm going to mount the hatch to open down instead of up. You can see that when opening up it lays on top of the unit almost level. It also blocks a whole series of cooling slots across top of A/C. Another bigger worry is that it won't take much to collect rain water. Possible even head the rain water run off into the camper if I'm on uneven or sloped camp site. Opening the hatch downward eliminates all that. Worst case I can see is it may end up resting an edge on the camper fender when they are installed.

What do you guy's think? Best to open it down?

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breb-Your galley look's top notch. Like the sink and all your color choices. I get what you mean about working from a plan or print too. Trying to put it all on paper first, before you know all the variables would be very tough. So I chose the design as you build method. Or as FLW put it " Form follows function". Until you know where everything will be placed, what size it is, what you want it to do, and so forth how do you decide it's form?

I'm kind of seeing it like I'm building a prototype. Once completed, then drawing or plans could be made from it. Another handy thing to know that you talked about is the sequence of the build. It's real easy to screw yourself up and create extra work by being out of sequence when building. Don't ask me how I know that.

[breb]

Mr. Lahey I guess my vote would be in a down position. I think it would be a possible catch for water on a rain day and possibly funnel the water inward. You probably could latch in a up position but it seems that down would work with less hassle. You are amazing to have that stainless steel sheet stock waiting in advance and it fits this build. looks good, easy to care for and low maintenance. You have plenty of counter space and as you said the cooler top can be utilized. I just returned from our activities and a social call on the parents. So needless to say to late for me to start anything on the TD today. Have you started any wiring yet?

[working on it]

I wouldn't worry as much about water influx from above your A/C unit, as I would from all-around it. One of the reasons I decided not to build my A/C system as a slide-in was that I could never completely seal out insect or water intrusion without stuffing the gaps with re-usable closed-cell foam strips, of 1" square size or so (which would've worked for me, but was just another step in the A/C hook-up process, that I wanted to eliminate). I've used remnants of such foam (usually from packing crates, or discarded gun-cases), for years to seal gaps in older car bodies that I was working on, until a more permanent fix was done. So I suggest using that type of strips of closed-cell foam (not adhesive-backed) to keep out water intrusion on all sides...after that, your hatch can be fixed in either the raised-up (provided that the top vents have sufficient airflow), or laid-down position.

[Mr. Lahey]

breb-no wiring yet. Really trying to get last of any gluing, staining, and finishing work in before the season shuts me down. I hope to get it to the point that it's completed except for it's outer plywood skin before it's cold. I think I could do some wiring work in the colder months with some portable heat sources. If I can I'd like to have the wires done before the start of next season. Then I could ply cover and canvas it and be 95% ready to go.

working on-yep that's my plan, to slide out the A/C and foam stuff the gaps. I think it work fine for me.

[breb]

A major coup today! the accomplishment was the customizing of a drain for the sink. Yeah it sounds minor but that was a process. Revamping a typical bathroom drain into something workable. So I felt like I achieved some forward progress. I need now to channel that drain back in that compartment and through the floor. That particular compartment contains 3 elements to deal with . The sink/drain , the battery and the water supply/pump. There are water lines too contented with,
drain and feeder lines. The battery will have cables out going to supply the power panel, there is just a lot going on there. So sometimes I end up staring at it for awhile until I go bug eyed. I'm guessing you had some of that when you were dealing with the struts. I now think my carriage for the 5 gal water bottle won't work because of the width constraints between battery and water bottle. To bad I had that finished over the winter and had enough coats of varnish on it to make it look like glass over wood. I can feel the time whittling away.

[Mr. Lahey]

Sounds like you had a win some lose some kind of day there. Yes, I have had my share too.

I had a less than half hearted day out there yesterday. Just a hot and extreme humid uncomfortable day. Fans were on high, it was still uncomfortable.
Will try again today. Hope to make some progress.

[breb]

It was a plumbing day which meant acquiring different connections and the mounting of the pump itself. I decided that I will not use the carriage I already built and am in the process now of building another tray that will support the jug at the right angle for use in that compartment. Also reversing the jug a 180 degrees from initial plan. By doing this I will pick up some additional room .This plays with the width of the battery in that compartment. Are you installing a battery in your build and
if so what location are you using?

[Mr. Lahey]

My battery is going here.

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I knew I was going to have a lot of gear out back, and wanted to add some weight to the tongue to counter balance things. Using a group 24 deep cycle battery. Got a real nice strong yet budget plastic battery hold down for a boat.

Fair amount of progress today. Still cutting and gluing little sticks and blocks to my cabinets. Getting close to finished. I will never build cabinets this way again. I thought I would save time by not building a traditional face frame and doors. Instead I'm gluing and stapling bits and pieces of wood where needed to support, stiffen, or attach too. They are coming out just fine. I got the vintage look I wanted. Just too much screwing around to get there.

[breb]

Your battery is neatly stored and weight forward. That is another question I have. I would really like to know where I'm at with the weight at this point. It won't effect the way I build but would like to know. I am back to the small details that need to be taken care of. I need to order some thing's to carry on and haven't gotten around to it. The hatch hinge for one and the converter panel for the second item. I finished my new tray for the water jug and move back in the interior and wired my first 120v AC outlet and combo 12v receptacle , usb charge and 12v digital monitor. Another look at your fretwork from behind , very cool. A couple of things to get started on this morning may be the flooring in the galley area and the slide out tray for the cooler fridge. Do you know what kinda of insulation your using for the ceiling ? Are you Incorporating any type of tongue box in your build?

[Mr. Lahey]

Well your water jug do over came out just fine. The cabin wiring is top notch too. Keep rollin. I just got home from work. Going to change and head out to the shop.

I wanted a super minimal and clean look outside. So no tongue box, propane bottle, spare tire, nothing out front. I had to steal 1.5 inches of cabin floor space to get the battery, mattress, and ice chest inside the camper and in line front to back in the 10' overall length. I'm relying on some mattress "squish" if needed to fit it all in. I think I'm okay as I have measured a few mattresses and they usually are not a full 80" long.

Going to insulate with the same 1" foil faced foam I have in the walls. Plus stuff in some house type fiberglass batt insulation underneath the foam as well.

Headed out now to start gluing up the FLW cabinet filler panel. Lots of little blocks to glue and clamp together.

[breb]

Well slide out tray is made for 12v fridge. Counter top back splash panels are made and finished. They are split into 2 sections and both pc's cover a false wall that houses wiring and a terminal block. These false compartments will make wiring the panel a little easier for me than trying to stuff everything behind the converter itself. Both panels are held in place with some screws and can be easily removed. I started to wire the pump this afternoon but i need a switch and I don't have my converter panel yet. I also made a mockup of a section of wall and hatch. I have a bag full of sample trim from vintage technologies so I was testing some different trims on the mockup . I have a little situation with the wall thickness being 1.5 inch's thick and coming up with trim and seal package that will work. I believe I'ts just a matter of tweaking a few things to come up with something. I figured your deep into your build or took a vacation to get away from it for awhile. Must have been a lot of block's to glue up.

[Mr. Lahey]

I have been away for a long weekend and the teardrop sat idle. Plus what I have been working on are lot's of time consuming little details. Should be ready to stain/finish from the inside upper cabinets, to galley, and hatch inside this weekend. Will also be taking the hatch off this weekend. I have some details to deal with on it too. Will also be easier to stain/finish it on it's back on my work table.

In other exciting news I was IN a tornado Monday night. Not close too or nearby but IN a tornado. I had just got off the interstate in my town coming home from the weekend. Stopped at a fast food drive thru to pick up a snack. Sitting there in line and there was a huge wind gust. I thought it was a storm front passing so I cracked open the windows on the truck, wanted to see if the air got a lot colder. Just as I did there was a huge pressure drop. Popped both my ears, and rattled the truck windows as the air sucked out of the truck. Then the wind just kept blowing harder and harder and harder. All kinds of stuff flying by in the air.

The wind started to shake my truck side to side HARD. I don't think I got up on 2 wheels but it was violent. Then as fast as it happened it stopped. Don't think the whole thing took 60-90 seconds. It got calm. I pulled out of line and drove home. Found out that it got classified as an E-0 tornado. Smallest kind. Sure could have fooled me. It traveled west of me down a side street. At one point it shook all the walnuts off a black walnut tree and fired them like bullets through the windows, on a house across the street.

Got a grainy pic off the web from a traffic cam at the interstate intersection at the time this happened. You can see the funnel on west side of bridge. Pic is on east side of interstate. I was on the west side of the interstate at the fast food joint.

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[Staryder61]

Tornado, now that's an event you'll remember. Glad you are alright, and it didn't cause a lot of damage, like some do. They are amazing , yet can be so destructive. Over the years I have seen several up close, when we lived in Indy. Had one lift the back of a fire truck I was driving, turned it around and set it back down in the other direction. That day we had three that went through our area with in minutes of each other. No one hurt, though, some houses and small buildings didn't make it through them.