Steampunk RV

Posted By Dan on July 4, 2010

I have from the beginning planned on working on Pertie in three general stages.

The first stage is simply to get her running and safe to drive.  The man who sold her to me made good on his promise and repaired wherever I found faults during the first 90 days.  As a result stage one flew by fairly quickly with only one fault found, that being the brakes on the rear axle, and with the addition of a new set of pads and cylinders she came online instantly.  Pertie has passed the first stage with flying colors.

The second was simply to make her livable.  Not pretty, not polished, not even really Steampunk, just livable.  Well I am happy to say that she is close to completion of stage  two!  I have removed all the water damaged interior, stripped out all the 110 AC wiring , all the 12v DC wiring and replaced them all with shiny new (and used) equipment.   I have built cabinets, closets, beds, dinette set, bench, wired up the new 110 and 12 volt systems,.  The shower was ruined and useless but the remaining parts were fine.  All that remains of stage two are a very few inexpensive additions and a clean water system.   I am going to save the flooring for last as to not damage it with the tools I have been dragging in and out of her.

So the projects remaining to complete stage two:

• Finish up the paneling. (VERY little left, mostly just trim)
• Install doors on the closet (I already have them, just need to screw them in)
• Install the flooring (I already have everything just waiting until the very last)
• Propane Gas system (I have not started on this yet but should not be a chore)
• Reinstall the clean water system (I only need to buy a shower stall and shower faucet)

So I am getting pretty excited!

But of course Murphy had to have his due.

I was recently hurt, having torn the bicep in my left arm and requiring surgery to repair it.   I had lots of leave time (8 weeks) and was not too worried about it.  Turns out running back and forth to the doctor, surgeon and physical therapist and paying my share of the bills has completely drained what savings I had.

Even worse, I have run out of leave and I have been told by the physical therapist that she will not release me for work for a minimum of three more weeks.  So when I return to work and work two weeks and wait the week for the paycheck to process, it will be a MONTH AND A HALF with no money at ALL.

So no more money for Pertie, and I gotta find a way to keep the kids fed and the lights on!

So here I stand with Pertie almost finished with the basic rebuild and I have to come to a screeching blood spattering stop.

Aaaarrrrrggggghhhh……

(and not in the happy fun pirate way)

Category: Blathering, Finished Work | No Comments »
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Posted By Dan on June 26, 2010

Today I am forced to work piecemeal, I have run out of money to spend on Pertie so I am running around doing what I can without spending any money.

Today was Electrical.  While not being able to install any outlets, I was able to run the wiring for all the 110 AC outlets and air conditioners.  Foolishly I bought the outlets but forgot to purchase the junction boxes to mount them in, or the plate covers, so I had to stop there.    The junction box for the exterior outlet was corroded and the seal worthless as well so I will need an exterior weather proof junction box and cover for that as well.

I had finished the installing almost all of the paneling, but had the foresight to pre-plan the electrical layout (Yes, I know I should have ran the power first, I just did not have all the parts  I needed at the time.)

I still need to run the 12vDC wiring but it should be a lot easier.   Again I do not have the outlets or lighting but I will at least have it ready for when I am able to afford them.  I also have to build a battery box to house the “House” batteries.

Most of the hammer swinging is over.  Of the major work to make it livable there is little left. What remains is the electrical system, testing the propane to see if that works (I sure hope so!) and installing the floor.

The floor is going to look great! It is a hardwood, snap in flooring, light in color.

Once that is complete,  I can start to work on making her “pretty”.

It is storming right now so I have come inside.

It needs to stop, I have work to do!

Category: Blathering, Finished Work, Planned Work | 2 Comments »
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Posted By Dan on June 23, 2010

For the last few days, my son Lionel and I have been working on Pertie.

We have finished stripping away the last few scraps of her old life and bringing the girl back into shape.  We have installed the bases for the Long Bench, the Dinette Set and Master Cabin.  None of these pieces are finished or upholstered, only the wooden bases are built.  The closet walls are up and the cabinet bases are set in place.  No pictures yet but each day that passes get us closer to launch day!

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Posted By Dan on June 20, 2010

Pertie continues to grow into a beautiful gal!

Today she has grown by leaps and bounds!

Pertie's First Drink

Interior paneling, great news with the electrical system, generator and air conditioner and new furniture are just a few of ways she has grown today.

So to honor her for her amazing growth today, I decided that tonight was the perfect opportunity to christen her.

We decided to wait until dark to christen her so the kids could light off their fireworks at the same time.

With a backdrop of the kids fireworks I gave her a drink of one of Dublin’s Finest, Guinness Draft.  Why a dark beer?  Pertie is a gritty adventurer and explorer with dirt under her fingernails and a fire in her belly, not a “proper lady” of  exquisite breeding and distinction.

Pertie takes a drink of one of Dublin's Finest!

I am totally convicted with the notion that Pertie and I are bound for great things and exciting places.

More work needs to be done on her, and even though it will be a while before she is outfitted with all the final bits of Steampunk finery, she has shown me she has great bones.

Category: Blathering, Finished Work | 3 Comments »
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Posted By Dan on June 19, 2010

Remodeling has  finally begun in earnest!

To start with, I have finally chosen a name for the RV!  With the help of a talented Steampunk artist by the name of Lady “C” I have chosen the name “Pertinacious Seeker” or “Perti” for short.

As if naming her unleashed a tidal wave of creative energy, with the help of family and friends I have accomplished quite a bit!

Dara the kids and I were able to, despite a bum left arm, strip the master cabin, panel the master cabin and hallway and build most of the wardrobe.  In addition, I was able to strip the existing electrical system because of a short and several places with vibration damage.  I tested and hot wired both air conditioning units with their control systems and even though they are 15 years old, both units are working perfectly!

A good friend of mine, an auto mechanic, has tested the Onan 7000 watt generator and found that it will run just fine with a new fuel pump.  As an added bonus, he is going to provide it in trade!

So all in all an awesome day!

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Posted By Dan on June 12, 2010

I awoke this morning and again remembered that I have still yet to find a name for my Steampunk RV.  After four months of brain slogging, self abuse and careful pained research I had still failed to find a name for her.  At least I had decided that the RV was a she.

I had done the unthinkable and fell into calling her “The Beast”, a terrible thing to do indeed.  Especially for me, I am totally convinced in the power of words.  There is real power in what you name something.  Not just in the superstitious conviction that something terrible will materialize, but more importantly, words color your own perceptions of the named.  Call something trash and you will treat it like trash.  But name it a treasure and it will become so.

I had posted on different sites, harassed friends and family asking for help to no avail until late tonight when I confessed my sin to a very talented Browncoat artist, “Lady Catherine”.  We set about to create a temporary name so I could stop calling the RV “the Beast”.  My goal was simply to find a more suitable nickname, but freed from the pressure of trying to find that perfect name, the answer lept into being within moments.

Like I said before, names convey meanings. I wanted something that meant unstoppable.  Pertinacious is defined as perversely stubborn, tenacious and unshakable!  How cool is that?  So Pertinacious Seeker would be a resolutely unstoppable searcher.

Pertie promises to be a faithful guide and companion.  My arm is healing, albit slowly and I cannot wait until I am able to return to working on her.

Category: Blathering, Finished Work | 2 Comments »
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Posted By Dan on June 4, 2010

After some expert help (Thanks Matt!) I have a safer, cheaper, more efficient system designed for the Beast.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you “Draft Electrical System v 2.0″!

Click image for embiggened version!

Category: Planned Work | 1 Comment »
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Posted By Dan on June 4, 2010

While not an electrician, I think that what I have devised below will work for the Beast.  My plan is to get it approved by an electrician locally.  If any of you have any suggestions or warning please do so in the comment section below.

When I was designing this system I quickly came to the conclusion that a manual charging system would be best in my situation.  By requiring the smart charger to be manually unplugged from one source and plugged into another it reduces the chance of cross connections or other mishaps.

Click image for full sized goodness!

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Posted By Dan on June 2, 2010

I have a quest.

I say “quest” because I  have discovered that it has been far more difficult than I could have possibly imagined.

It did not start out that way.   I thought to myself, “I’ll spend about an hour and choose the best one.”

But it would seem that names are powerful things, and refuse to be taken lightly.  She has rejected many attempts to name her and so she remains “The Beast”.

the requirements for the name are simple.

• “Steampunky”: it has to reflect the “style” of Steampunk.
• I want it to express exploration and Intellectual Discovery.
• Be feminine.

Despite the outward simplicity, finding a name worthy of her has so far proven impossible.

Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated!

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Posted By Dan on June 2, 2010

Logo

What good is a Chariot without a coat of arms?

This is going to be a super sized “bumper sticker” (about 6 feet wide) for the back

The inscription reads “Endless Exploration” and Knowledge is Power”

Category: Blathering, Planned Work | 2 Comments »
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