Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Topic: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit. (Read 6606 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #50 – March 08, 2015, 11:00:27 am

Exactly.

I wanted to clarify that the shades on the front was SUSAN's project. She did the whole thing, I only tightened a single screw that she needed an inch or two more to get to. The thing that speaks loudest of her handyperson skilz is that she stopped and asked for help because she didn't want to burr the screw head. :-)

Still need to nail down where water is coming in and showing up at the curb side very back corner of the bus at the bottom. FOT did a leak test, but it might not have shown if the water is getting in from somewhere in the engine compartment area. I also suspect the air scoop vent type trim back at the end cap joint.

Today's projects will probably include installing the new kitchen faucet.

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #51 – March 08, 2015, 11:06:09 am

Thanks! The encouragement is good and helpful - it's a bit harrowing having all this done ALL AT ONCE! We know it will be worth it, but it's all so surreal at times - a dream forEVER finally coming to fruition.

The roller shades we purchased at Lowe's, off the shelf. They're Bali and they can be custom cut so you can get just the overlap you want. The whole project took me about 2 hours (including cleanup), working mostly by myself. The hardest part was the gymnastics required to drill the holes for the brackets over the driver's side! You have to literally straddle the hump of the dash to get to it, but then again, I'm exceptionally short so it's probably just a *me* issue.

Thanks again for the kind words - it really helps!

Susan

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #52 – March 08, 2015, 11:41:07 am

Actually, I've just realized a potentially grave tactical error on may part.

I don't *like* getting up early. I certainly can, and do when needed, but it's not my preference being a natural night owl.

Now Susan (who always gets up before me) has a remote that can be used for squishing me in the bed. Repeatedly. Ugh. Ugh.

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #53 – March 08, 2015, 06:51:26 pm

This is really really cool. This is the kind of thing I would be doing 100% so it is incredibly exciting for me to watch your progress. I hope to meet you guys some day and see the coach in person! I am curious what happened in the back corner of the bedroom? Looks like some water got on the floor once upon a time.

Have you talked with them about reducing the height of the engine hump at all? I wonder if that would be possible. What I'd like I think is to raise the floor beside the hump, reduce the height of the hump an then I have carte blanche back there. You wouldn't be able to stand upright but you sit on an office desk right?

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #54 – March 08, 2015, 07:44:56 pm

Here's the somewhat outdated plans for the rear: http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?action=media;sa=album;in=402

We're not doing the raised floor right now, and instead of the louvered doors on the sides, we'll have 2 sets of 2 doors, top and bottom. Top is hanging gear, bottom is adjustable shelves. In the middle of the engine hump is a console (like in a car between the seats) that will open to provide file storage, and when closed will make a back for the two bench seats that face outwards toward flip up tables mounted on the sides of the bus. Make sense?

We'd love to meet you too! Whereabouts are you guys?

Susan (posting under James' account because children stole my computer)

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #55 – March 09, 2015, 11:06:11 am

UGH. Leaking window = $1400. Thankfully they had the same window in stock (a rarity, apparently) so I'm taking that as my "good luck" for today and we've asked them to find no more expensive repairs this week, so we should be good from here on out.

Susan (posting again from James' account)

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #56 – March 09, 2015, 03:09:31 pm

Enjoying your posts and progress.

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #57 – March 09, 2015, 04:06:22 pm

I don't actually think I get it but I will when you guys make more progress back there I'm sure.

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #58 – March 09, 2015, 05:35:25 pm

Well, to make a long story short, we will sit on the hump on two short upholstered bench seats, each facing opposite sides of the bus and have flip up desks there on the sidewalls for our laptops. On the back wall, there will be a 55" wide desk surface over the hump (between the two new upright cabinets pictured earlier in this thread) and a shelf up above it with space for a monitor/screen above that. Between the two bench seats, toward the front of the engine hump, will be a console like that in a car that will serve as additional storage (files) and a mutual back to the two benches on either side. Clear as mud, right?

Susan

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #59 – March 10, 2015, 12:12:52 am

No, that makes perfect sense now actually. A very clever use of the available space. I would have trouble giving up my typical rolling office chair though. I attached a window into my madness

The rest of the rv is a lot cleaner! Just got a new chair since my ikea one was madly uncomfortable. The new one has aeron style mesh.

Your setup is going to look really cool though. Very mission control style.

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #60 – March 10, 2015, 11:53:40 am

Shelf and desk! Carpet should come in on the truck today, so we might see that in place tomorrow.

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #61 – March 10, 2015, 06:47:57 pm

VISUAL PROGRESS!! So excited!

Susan

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #62 – March 10, 2015, 07:15:13 pm

Nice, now I see how the "office" works with the East/West bed

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #63 – March 10, 2015, 10:23:32 pm

Very cool. I'm very interested to see the final product on the office. It's such a great use of the space.

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #64 – March 11, 2015, 10:59:04 am

Thanks! It'll be a lot easier to see once the bench seats are in with the "console" (a lot like the center storage area between the front seats in an SUV etc) to provide the backrest. We'll probably wait to install the flip up desks later as those are pretty easy DIY projects. :-)

It's great seeing it all starting to come together. Still a lot of parts of the project to go, but it's great to see some of the key quality of life changes coming to fruition.

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #65 – March 11, 2015, 09:11:26 pm

Great to see the plan coming together.

And I learned a very import thing from your photos. We have the wall mounted lamps and have never thought to use them as my much needed hat racks! Now I know what to do, and where to hang the hats.

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #66 – March 11, 2015, 09:51:09 pm

Oh, cool! Those are our kids' hats. Two tweens and too many fedoras. lol

Migraine tonight

so no new pics, but things were a little slow in reno today. Mostly planning and widgeting. We did pick up some track lighting components at Lowes to put over the office area and we have that and a couple other little projects for this weekend.

Oh, and our air system is holding pressure! Woo-hoo - no more phantom step cover!

Susan

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #67 – March 13, 2015, 12:05:39 am

We have lights and electrical in the bunk area in the front of the rig and maybe we'll get a final product tomorrow? We're hopeful. Larry's work is meticulous and beautiful. In the rear, we have a sealed engine compartment now (turns out, it never sealed right) and a smooth surface on the hump, ready for carpet install. The overhead cabinet was trimmed and adjusted and is ready now for the new wall to be installed between the bedroom and bathroom (no pics of that today). We put in a new motorized vent fan in the bedroom which would have otherwise been ventless after the new wall goes in. Oh - we also got our cord port installed on the desktop - love it!

Susan

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #68 – March 13, 2015, 09:32:54 am

They're making our wall! Steel uprights will frame the door, which will be 30" wide and will sweep the base. The wall will have two layers of the sound deadening "elephant hide" that they use around the engine and generator squeezed between two 1/4" panels. Foretravel manufactures their own single-piece door jamb that keeps the whole thing square. I'll get pictures later. I'm not sure we're going to get a whole wall today, but they're laying out the pieces!

Susan

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #69 – March 15, 2015, 01:55:47 pm

We've added a few touches this weekend - LED track lighting on the 110 overhead and a converted the 110 outlet to an outlet and switch. We put up a couple of hooks for plants (not the most beautiful, but functional for now). Tigger polished up the brass piece we picked up from Habitat for Humanity here in Nac which will serve as not only a conduit for elec for the array to be positioned below, but will also provide some ventilation for the unit. We put up the closet rods and the interior shelves are sort of in place. Wood Doctor is my friend.

We're working on a couple other projects today and hope to finish up this hump with carpet, benches and a console this week. One flip up desk has a chance of getting made. Thanks for indulging me in sharing our pics!

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #70 – March 16, 2015, 06:01:07 am

Wow this is starting to really come together.

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #71 – March 16, 2015, 09:01:24 pm

Quote from: Steve – March 15, 2015, 09:40:14 pm

Starting to look like something now

Quote from: John S – March 16, 2015, 06:01:07 am

Wow this is starting to really come together.

It's the plants.

Today we got some more work on framing for the new wall, the face frame for the cabinets on the bathroom side, and new wiring to extend the Intellitec into the bedroom (now 9 1/2" further aft). There were several other big reno jobs in the bays today so we didn't get too far in visible progress, but I know Larry was working on the front panel of the bunk. Hope to have that done by week's end!

Susan

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #72 – March 25, 2015, 11:11:39 pm

Ok, finally an update! Here's the bedroom/office mostly complete. We have a new wall between the bathroom and bedroom, and a slot for a small ironing board in between. There is a new 8" wide cabinet on the other side of the bathroom behind the new door that will give the kids some additional clothing storage NOT IN OUR ROOM.

We installed a lighted mirror in there this afternoon also. Tomorrow we should see the final stages of the office area - 2 18"x27" bench seats and a 15" tall 'console' in between that will not only support the front edge of the desk, but will serve as some necessary storage for files and office supplies. It will have the same bench top as the two seats, but will lift open like the console in a car. Should make more sense when we have some pics...

Susan

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #73 – March 25, 2015, 11:50:42 pm

NICE!!!!

what's an "iron"?

:-)

Re: Heading to FOT for Shadow Beast's major renovation and service visit.

Reply #74 – March 26, 2015, 12:05:52 am

I had the pleasure of meetng the whole family and to get a tour of the remodel in progress. Wow to them for their design and their patience to live in their coach as it does come together.

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