Wiley Windows

Been a while since the last update. Work on the caravan has been happening though.

I thought making windows would simple. A couple of weeks. Easy. No surprise it didn't turn out that way.

My first window didn't get finished. The timber I used was too heavy. After looking at using aluminium, I settled for three ply at a bad time. At the two nearest hardware stores three ply was out of stock and on back order. I waited for orders, but no three ply. Tired of waiting I recycled cupboards and boxes.

I settled on four windows all in landscape mode. The door has a A6 sized (105 x 149 mm) window, just to see out before I open the door. The front would have an A4 (210 x 297mm). And the sides would have an A3 (297 x 420 mm). I'm not certain on the A4 window. It may change to an A3 in the future. But at the time, I didn't have enough three ply to make it larger anyway. Also, I decided to just get it done. Improvements can happen in the future.

Different colors for the different recycled wood.

Wiley Windows are what I wanted. I liked all the options they provided. They can be full open, partially open, even when raining, fit block out screens and mossie screens.

Weights while gluing the front edging on

The three ply was not marine grade, so I coated it with epoxy to waterproof it. At the time, the weather was cold. So cold that the epoxy was like peanut paste and wouldn't pour from the containers. When it warmed up a bit, it would flow, but found that the low temps, the set time was extended by a lot. Unless the surface was flat, it slumped off, or set on the way to slumping off. I was also surprised to find the wood soaked up the epoxy. It took multiple coats to get a layer of epoxy on.

The idea was that a piece of perspex A4 or A3 would fit in the window. A small error. I was 3mm off on one dimension for each window. I think it was the kerf on the saw on the wrong side of the marking line. Didn't pick it up until I went to fit the perspex. But okay in the end as can cut down the perspex to fit.

Cutting the holes in the cabin was a bit nerve wracking. I used the perspex sheets to mark with so that they would be level compared to the roof line. I marked out around the perspex and cut the laminate with a utility knife. I peeled it off, then drilled a large hole in the four corners. Used a hacksaw to cut roughly between the holes. Then I used the hot knife to smooth cut close to the marked edges.

Did you pick up my mistake in that list of steps? The windows are larger than the perspex. Back to marking out the difference onto the walls, cut the laminate off, cut the foam with the hot knife again. Now the windows fit.

Windows in the cabin.

Epoxy isn't UV resistance, so needed painting. Black on the outside, white inside.

Painted waiting for the cabin to be ready.

Windows aren't installed yet, as the cabin interior needs to be laminated.

PMF (Poor Man's Fibreglass) Time

It was time to attach the roof to the walls, and then start the laminating. 

I removed the cabin from the chassis. Checked it all over and filled any gaps or holes. I used a foaming polyurethane glue. Using a plastic spatula to spread it into and over any holes, then tape over with masking tape. Without the tape, it was sometimes too bubbled to give a smooth look when sanded. As it was setting, pressed with the spatula to pop the bubbles and force into the gap/hole. After it set, removed the tape and sanded it smooth. 

After all the gaps had been filled, it was flipped it on its roof. I wanted to start from the base and work towards the roof, so any seams would overlap downwards when it is upright. I cut the fabric to fit the base. It overlaps 90mm on all sides. I marked the edges to help line up the fabric when replacing it over the paint. 

Was happy and a bit miffed to find the fabric is 1140mm wide. I had in my head that it was 1000mm wide. That's great as less seams needed.    The side laminate is one piece of fabric wrapped from the back, down the side, across the front, down the second side to the back. Over five metres.  I'll have to cut 10mm off all of it.  Miffed, as when I lowered the roof, the height from the bottom of the floor to the top of roof is 1130mm.  I'd have made the roof 10mm higher if I'd known.

I had decided to just use paint to attach the fabric.  Applied paint on the foam, press the fabric into the paint.  I put a plastic bag over one hand to smooth the fabric. The plastic slides. The other hand, I could grab and stretch the fabric to help pull out any wrinkles. Another coat of paint was immediately applied over the top to wet the fabric fully.  It was important to get the fabric saturated, else it didn't stick well to the foam. 

I had a few bubbles appear after it had dried. To fix them, I used a pin and punctured the bubbles. Keep pricking the bubbles to make a lot of holes. Can't have to many holes. Some of the bubbles deflated with this. But if they didn't, I smoothed them flat and apply more paint over the top. They stayed down after that.  

Everything went pretty good. Only worry for me was that the fabric was soaking up the paint. 

Finally I flipped the cabin on the base and to laminate the roof. And this is where I stuffed up. For reasons that escape me now, I decided to use Titebond 2 rather than paint. Big mistake. It was harder to apply. It was tacky and the plastic bag trick didn't work. I had to pull the fabric tight. At the end, it looked good wet, but as it started to dry a lot of bubbles started to show. Then the weather turned to rain, and humidity was high for two weeks. The glue didn't want to dry fully. It was staying tacky. I read about using an electric iron, but lacking this, I boiled a saucepan of water and used that. I put baking paper down first and sat the saucepan of boiling water on top. The good news was that the tacky glue hardened after it cooled. Bad news was the the flat looking bubbles actually bubbled upwards. So many bubbles. Some returned to flat when cool, some didn't.  What would happen in the sun? I didn't want to find out. And it looked terrible.

I peeled the fabric and glue off. Need to pull it in a peeling motion. Filled in any patches that needed it and sanded the roof again. Now I'm waiting for more fine weather to redo the roof fabric layer with paint. 

Gluing the roof on 

Used straps and weights

Fabric ready on the base

Applying the paint

Smooth it with hand in a plastic bag

Base all attached

Fabric and paint on the side 

Side all attached

Marking the roof fabric 

Flat bubbles on the roof

Bubbles getting worse

Removing the roof fabric