After leaving Geoff we took the trailer to a local axles & brakes shop to get the bearings and brakes serviced. Unfortunately it turned out that we needed completely new axles and these had to be custom made on East Coast. So on 4th March 2021, after another 4 weeks and considerable $$$ we were ready to take the trailer to Half Moon Bay for our DIY restoration work.
The main items that we are going to tackle by ourselves are:
Thorough systems test as we have never seen these work yet
Electrics - 12V DC and AC
Gas - Test out Fridge & Gas Stove Top
Plumbing including Hot Water heater
Install Oven/Microwave
Waterproofing everywhere which also means that 8 windows completely serviced
Install Solar
Custom Mattress
New self contained Laveo Toilet which does not need black water tank
Replace all 12V and 110V lights & fittings
Paint bathroom
Restoring the Windows turned out to be a huge job with Jo taking the lead. The original rubber seals were from 1957 and so each window needed to be completely disassembled, cleaned and rebult.
The solar was more of a fun project as this is a totally new system that enhances the existing electrics. After a few explorations of different options I realized that one of James's friends, Matt, had installed Solar a few times on his Vans. Matt's advise was great and after a few iterations on equipment/wiring we came up with this diagram which I then bought the kit, assembled and tested at home in January.
During April, Peter installed the Solar inside the trailer and panels on the roof. To prevent panels overheating Peter used sheets of corrugated plastic with custom clamps and eternibond to avoid having to drill holes through the roof.
The mattress project was an interesting one - like cutting a giant 100lb cheesecake with a carving knife. After quite of bit of checking and double checking the post cut mattress fitted snugly in the space. Also as the photos show - the hydraulic lifts work well so that we can store stuff underneath bed.
Aftare painting the bathroom we plan to go on a test trip to Ventura beach and Joshua tree. It will be great to get on the road on 8th May.
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