Reconstructing the Frame

After about a week we've rebuilt the frame to replace all of the old rotted frame that we tore out. It's slow-going due to the fact that we're having to replace wood for which we had no pattern (it had all turned to dust, so we had to re-measure and re-cut everything). We started with the wood piece that went from the passenger side door to the wheel well, then continued with the front side of the door (replacing a metal square tube that had completely rusted out) and then continuing with all of the cab-over framing.

I chose to use poplar for the framing since it is marginally better than the white wood that we replaced. Instead of using framing that is 1.25 x 0.75 inches, we used 1.5 x 0.75. This will add a little more weight, but it will be much stronger. The poplar was $5.50 for an eight-foot piece (pine was about $3.50).

The old joints were held together with glue and staples. We used Liquid Nails Heavy Duty and roofing discs (little 1" circles of metal) stapled into both pieces of wood. This allowed for a little more stability in the joints.

For exterior surfaces we used 3M 5200 caulking. From what I read online this stuff is the gold standard for caulking. It's a marine caulking that sets when it gets wet, takes 48 hours to be tack-free, and then cures in a week. It's supposed to be nearly impossible to remove without some pretty hazardous chemicals. I'm not planning on ever tearing this apart again, so I figured we'd use the best stuff available. (It was $15.99 a tube at West Marine. I could not find it at Lowe's or Home Depot.) The fiberglass is glued to the wood using gorilla glue.

The next step will be cutting the foam and luan paneling to fit and then clamping it all together until it dries. After that we'll build the bunk and that should finish up this project.