Renovating Sköldpaddan – 1977 Grandby Interior Build

[JaSAn]

[SIZE=14pt]Renovating [/SIZE][SIZE=14pt]Sk[/SIZE][SIZE=14pt]öldpaddan[/SIZE]

EPISODE IV: REFRIGERATOR CABINET AND THRESHOLD

This is where my lack of experience finally snuck up and bit me. Up until the refrigerator cabinet, all the construction was straightforward. I was building it in place using flat slabs, temporarily held with picture frame clamps, screwed together with angle brackets; simple construction that was easy to hold at right angles. Refrigerator cabinet would not go together square. I am using the back and left sidewalls as two of my sides. If I leveled the top, the sides weren’t square, square the walls, walls aren’t vertical, push walls vertical, top not level. After disassembling and reassembling a number of times, it is kind of, sort of OK. Front wall is not quite vertical and the corner angles are not quite 90°. I’ll live with it for now (trim strips can cover a multitude of errors) and in the future I will be upgrading the refrigerator, so will rebuild the cabinet (in the garage, keeping everything square, adding shims and trim strips to fit to the camper).



I designed the cabinet with 3” of space around the refrigerator that I stuffed with Formular and Isopoly for ~R15. I replaced the rattling tin face on the door with 1/8” plywood that matches the woodwork.

While the refrigerator cabinet kabuki was going on, I was taking my frustrations out on the threshold, which was really beat up. The bottom of the doorframe is not well supported; it deforms and stretches when stepped on. I first straightened the horizontal part, found a piece of wood that fit tight between the frame and bottom doorframe for support. The vertical back that holds the inside weather stripping was of course stretched and wavy. After about five hours of heating, shrinking, hammer and dolly work I got things pretty straight. Didn’t want to do that again so I found a high aluminum threshold at Menards to protect it. Two angles hold it on top of the bottom frame rail. The mating crease might be a dirt catcher, but so far it has worked well: threshold is still straight (and I have stepped on it a lot).

 

[Happyjax]

I am enjoying this thread. Great work there JaSan.

 

[JaSAn]

[SIZE=14pt]Renovating [/SIZE][SIZE=14pt]Sk[/SIZE][SIZE=14pt]öldpaddan[/SIZE]

EPISODE V: KITCHEN CABINET

After my frustrations with the refrigerator cabinet, I decided to build the kitchen cabinet on my workbench where I can keep everything nice and square. I left this cabinet for last because it is the most complicated. It has a drawer and two cabinet doors. Keeping with my ‘when in doubt, build it stout’ mantra, it is bombproof. Built out of ½” plywood, with 4” gussets in all corners, wall attaching plates across the back; it is way overbuilt, but remained square when attached to the camper. It has one drawer in it, done just to learn how to do drawers. I found ‘soft close’ drawer slides at Home Depot that have enough initial opening resistance that the drawer doesn’t open while driving. The initial resistance also necessitated a drawer handle (I was originally going to only do finger grooves in the drawer and door edges). The doors for the cupboards are held closed by heavy-duty magnetic latches that seem to be working well. I am not averse to adding a second or third magnetic latch if necessary, but so far (in five months of driving) none of the doors have opened. It doesn't show on any of the pictures; I have a 1/4" lip on the front edge of the shelf inserts to keep things from hitting the door.



I was going to build my own countertops but I found an 8’ salvage pre-made top with a damaged end for less than ½ price. The one good end was finished and went above the refrigerator. The countertop on the kitchen cabinet has an unfinished end facing the front and just painted black; could finish later. The removed backsplash was saved for possible later use.

 

[JaSAn]

[SIZE=14pt]Renovating [/SIZE][SIZE=14pt]Sk[/SIZE][SIZE=14pt]öldpaddan[/SIZE]

EPISODE VI: TABLE & TRIP REPORT

For a table, I have designed a swing arm mount but have yet to source the parts. That ‘might’ get done sometime this summer. For use outside, I repurposed the tripod from the ‘On Stage’ speaker stand. The center post is schedule 80 plastic conduit, which flexes too much, so it will get replaced. The 20 x 28” tabletop is ¾” plywood with Formica top to match the countertop. The table threads onto the tripod with standard threaded pipe fitting bits found at HD. I am temporarily using the table with tripod inside. It works OK but it is a little high (36” height for outside). Tabletop is stored on the cab-over, tripod stored under the bed.



Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to drive to North Carolina with my brother-in-law to visit with my niece and her husband. The only significance to the trip is that this is the first time I have taken an extended trip with the camper on the truck (1600 miles). Sköldpaddan acted as a moving van, so there was no camping on the trip (if careful, one can pack a lot of stuff in there). Truck handled the camper very well. Glad I went with a ¾ ton.

I decided on this trip to do a little experimenting with gas mileage. My truck is a 2012 Ram 2500 4x4 with a 5.7L hemi and auto. Tests were freeway driving between gas stops and on cruise (no stops in between).

At 55 mph: 15.6 mpg (1 fill – uncomfortable when everyone else is going 70)
At 60 mph: 14.3 mpg (1 fill out, outlier on Virginia gas tossed)
At 65 mph: 12.6 mpg (1 fill out, 1 fill back)
At 70 mph: 11.9 mpg (1 fill out, 1 fill back)

Notes:
Went about 300 miles between fills.
No adjustments made for elevation changes.
Got 1.5 mpg better gas milage on Virginia gas (no corn squeezins?). Not included in above data.
Chicago driving is crazy! I was driving in a 55 MPH zone, in the right lane, at 70 to 75 MPH of pure defensive driving. I would have been run over by everyone (including HP) at 55.
A 15-20 MPH quartering/headwind cost me about 1 mpg on way home.
I average 12.5 mpg driving around home with camper on truck (combination freeway and stop-and-go).

 

[Colorado CJ]

Great thread. Its giving me some ideas on the floor plan I'm planning on my Keystone build.

I need to find a fridge.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Great thread. Its giving me some ideas on the floor plan I'm planning on my Keystone build.

I need to find a fridge.

I don't know your Keystone floor plan, but have you considered something like an Engel in lieu of a typical refrigerator. If I were to buy again, I would certainly consider a refrigerator/ice box delete option and ask for a cabinet instead. Putting the Engel or other similar refrigerator freezer at the left front of the drivers side (I have a space there). They are both AC and DC, so you have some flexibility.

In a recent post Jay (chnlisle) mentioned that he is an Engel dealer. I am tempted to get one for additional freezer capacity in the Grandby, and for use on my CDory.

 

[So Cal Adventurer]

This is awesome and definitely giving me some great ideas!

Thank you!

 

[MountainSufi]

Wow! What a DIYer labor of love!

For everyone, "Sköldpaddan" is Swedish for "turtle".