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The long running job is now done and I
would like to share what went down. First, I was involved on a day by day
basis with the contractor. He is a Austrian who uses his entire family as
the work force. They all knew their parts and did them with
quality.
During the job we removed over 600 pounds
of weight from the coach. The biggest reduction was the A/C, which we
ended up cutting up to remove. It was replaced with a Fantastic Fan Create
a Breeze which is doing a great job evacuating the summer heat. I was
pleasantly surprised to find that the wall covering was intact under the
interior shroud of the A/C. All it took was a little Simple Green and some
Stainless Steel wool and it came clean like new. I have one round exhaust
hole to patch and would appreciate any good ideas for how to blend to the stock
wall covering.
I removed the old vinyl asbestos tile
myself a while back. I also removed the old Suburban Furnace as well as a
second furnace that was in the bathroom floor.
After shopping around and looking at
everything from cork to parquet I chose Armstrong's textured commercial tile
called "Safety Zone". It was expensive at $2 per square foot but well
worth it. It is easy to clean and very comfy to walk
on.
The bathroom plumbing was a mess.
We could never get the Aqua Magic to stop leaking. The connection to the
head was so buried that the entire unit would have had to be removed to get to
it SO I made a decision to go around all that old plumbing. We put in a
new Wand that can hold high pressure and an in-line valve just in case.
From now on the way I flush my toilet is to step on the pedal and use the
wand. I like this minimal technique.
The shower unit had broken rosettes and
no plumbing supply around or on-line had a clue. I posted to VAC list
and got no answer SO I went shopping for a replacement at a big professional
plumbing supplier called Ferguson's.
They found an Alson's unit, the 1050 BX
which looks like an exact replacement but there was an issue which took
fabrication. The threaded plumbing was 3/4" and we had to use a brass
reducer to 1/2". BTW, this was a 3 1/2" fixture.
The bathroom sink was also self
destructing. It was a four inch fixture which was easier to find. I
bought a higher laundry type swivel faucet at Home Depot for $24. It was
all metal and fit right in. I paid for the two bathroom fixtures over and
above the HUD contract.
My favorite improvement on this project
was the addition of the Precision Temp RV-500 on demand water heater with flush
mount to match the A/S exterior. It fit in easily and once we sorted out
some electrical issues worked perfectly. I can now take showers for as
long as I want :)
So that's it. Now I am on to home
decorating with new window coverings and custom upholstery. This 1966
Safari will keep me busy for years to come. New pictures coming
soon.
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