Juno's Back!! And she now has a "face"

[Dawn Michelle]

I am so ecstatic to report that I picked up Juno from the mechanic's last Thursday and she and I had our virgin trip together.  It was definitely a happy honeymoon.  Do you know I signed the papers on her in October and this was the first time I actually was behind the wheel on the road??!  Rick didn't get her here until January and then she sat in the yard until I could get the roof sealed, and finally the mechanic took pity on me and came and got her because of the stall on idle issue.  I was really worried about stalling her out and it's horrendous traffic between here and there.

First let me just say, she sounds like a new engine.  My guy talked me into just replacing the carburetor - same thing, an Edelbrock, but it has a warranty.  He showed me when he made the first house call how the adjustment screws weren't making much of a difference and with the other issue and money I'd spent trying to get it tuned up, I decided not to just throw any more good money after bad.  

Now she works just like she should - a couple of pumps, starts before I even finish turning the keys and catches, idles high until I bring her back down and just smooth as silk.  And no trying to stall from a stop.

He also found and fixed a manifold leak (a plate that had come loose) and she is much quieter.  He gave her a thumbs up, said she ran great for her age.  No more gas smells either.

We are hoping the transmission service he did will solve the tranny oil leak - he found someone tried to seal up the pan with silicone.  He removed all that and completely cleaned it, new gasket, new fluid, etc.

Oil also serviced.  Front end tight and all brakes and bearings good.  Adjusted timing, checked all my fluids and all good on power steering, brake, radiator, etc.  

So, still have an oil leak we're chasing (if it's rear main he'll have to send me to a shop that can but the rig on a lift), and I want to fix the shifter display (yeah, drove about five blocks before I realized I was in 2nd) and I'm going to start taking her out after the madness of the 4th is over so see what else might shake out.  I know my outside tires look good but I want to take it to the tire shop to check the inside ones and I think the spare is old.  Also, I need to face the dump problem.

I really should do this myself, but the squeamish part of me says, no go let the professionals do it.  What I have is a black tank with contents (thanks to the PO) and a gray tank with a broken t-handle.  I just don't know what I'm going to find when I go to unscrew the cap - will sewage spill out?  Is my hose any good? Will I be able to pry open the gray?  Do I really want to flush it all and change out the gate valves myself (remember I have a toolbox on the back so in addition to the unknowns, I have to crawl under two feet and be on my hands and knees to even screw the hose on...)?  Or do I hit my fast dwindling budget and just ante up for someone else to do the dirty work?????

In the meantime continued with the inside curtains - over the next few days will be finishing the valance and the last of the curtains.  And, I'm also tackling an electrical issue which I posted my questions in discussions.  These aren't great photos but gives you an idea of some of what is going on:

Curtains I took out to measure before hemming:

And these are the curtains for between cab and camper - may not work with those dinette curtains but I already had this from thrift and liked it, so going to pull it all together and see how it works before I dismiss it:

I made a tieback in the dinette upholstery fabric and added velcro to be able to pull over into that space on the right.  Chair on the right is getting reupholstered in a dark purple velvet duvet cover that was on its last legs.  I know, bright and a little crazy.  The loft curtains are blue with a simple white retro pattern.  

I really do think it will all pull together in the end.  If not, well, that's half the fun, right? The only unknown is that black and white pattern and being too busy with the dinette curtains.

My to do list is still huge:

Pull out refrigerator, burp and if that doesn't solve my issue figure out what the heck I am going to do.

Sewer issue, and once that is resolved, for now, just add some grease to the bowl valve and see if I can keep water in the bowl.

Chase the rot in the front (I'm almost positive it's an old leak but better safe than sorry - that's not going to be fun to remove all that wood and replace, and while at it reseat and seal the front window.

Get the ladder installed.

Add a vent hood to the front vent and or replace the vent.  I just dicored the darn thing and gave it a new seal, but the replacement crank won't pull the vent cover down quite enough to seal it and water comes in when it rains.  To old to find parts for according to ventline, so should just replace whole assembly.

Fix the 12v accessory plug - and add plugs

Get my house battery back in (maybe sooner rather than later) and wire the monitor into the dash

Tear out carpeting, replace with vinyl plank flooring and go ahead and change the flange on the toilet while I'm at it.

Wire in the garmin backup camera

Hook in both wireless and wifi systems

Paint all the cabinet doors and pulls, replace one broken door panel.

Some sort of kitchen backsplash (smart tiles most likely)

Paint over the bath wallpaper and paint walls in there (not a fan of wood look paneling)

Add a door to bath cabinet - you can't put anything in the front doors because the plumbing is in the way but behind the trap there is space.

Add doors to the medicine cabinet.

Replace kitchen sink basins.

Replace kitchen and bath faucets - the first to get a higher clearance so I can fill a teapot and the second because the shower diverter doesn't work.

Paint the shower pan

Add some smart tiles to the bath

Replace awning and window awning fabric (my handy man decided it was beyond his abilities after watching youtube video so still not sure if we're going to try to attempt this ourselves or pay the pros).

Replace lots of trim on outside around different doors and bays, doublecheck seals on all my lights.

Plumb in water heater with a bypass and test.

Give the exterior a good sealing and figure out what to do about the trim - try to remove?  Paint over it with rustoleum?  Change the color?

Put in a solar system...

Actually some of this is going to be second season stuff along with things like adding sensors back to the water tank.  I don't need that for black or gray (right, the nose knows?) but fresh it would be nice to know when running low.  Sensors are there but someone clipped the wires...

Boy I'm exhausted just thinking about it all.  Going to be interesting to see how much I can get done over the next month and a half...and how much ends up being put off.  Obviously a lot of this can be done later after I'm already on the road.

Oh, one last image - my mom, who is an artist in addition to all her other talents, created the banner for the blog I'm going to start - isn't it cool?????  Juno now has a face!  I love that it's a little retro - kind of like a 70s album cover, and a little hide and seek to look for all of the elements in it. Plus it has a nod to the ocean, the forest and the road.  I thought she did a fabulous job....

[Dawn Michelle]

Thanks Terry - not going to be using the shower as a shower this summber, but will post photos when I'm ready to tackle that situation. 

And Rich - wow, how philosophical.  I liked the hide and seek but hadn't thought deeper :-)

[Rich Thomas]

Nice banner Dawn, your mom is truly talented, I like that you can glance at it and not notice what is in plain sight. Funny,but in a way it is sort of a reminder to stop and look around see what is right in front of us. 

[Terry H]

Sorry, all, for some reason cannot get out of an either top - posting or higher posting situation here.

Dawn, my pan and shower walls are acrylic. I had no breaks anywhere so no repair needed. I am very happy with the look and durability of the Tremco Rust paint after 3+ years.

As for  your 'enclosed gel' situation or anything similar under your shower pan? I would be very tempted to investigate further.

Does not read as a normal condition. Actually sounds somewhat scary.

[Dawn Michelle]

Thanks for the well wishes Lakota and Terry, and also all the great suggestions!  The idea about the ladder mount is most excellent.  

What was your shower pan made out of?  I may replace mine - there is a bit broken off - it's like it's plastic with some sort of weird plastic enclosed gel under it???  Don't laugh but I thought of silicone breast implants!  

Of course finding the right size replacement for anything this old I'm finding to be the difficulty hence the idea of painting it and sealing that bit in with some fiberglass or something - wouldn't be so obvious. 

[Lakota Wolf]

Happy late B-Day Dawn,,,, I was like wow on the artwork also... Retro,70's 80's albumn cover like. Glad your project is coming along fairly smooth,, Staying busy is the key to NOT getting old.Thanx for the update.

[Terry H]

Congratulations Dawn, and happy 51! Wish I could remember mine.

A few suggestions re your to do list if you don't mind.

Get the ladder installed

When I removed my never used roof rack and sealed the numerous associated holes I also removed the ladder from the roof. I put down a strip of 1/8 aluminum, 4" x 24", properly sealed and riveted to the roof. Ladder was fastened to it and sealed. Easy seals to inspect and great for weight transfer.

Tear out carpeting, replace with vinyl plank flooring and go ahead and change the flange on the toilet while I'm at it.

Glad to hear you are considering vinyl plank over laminate. One plumbing leak or serious spill will make you happy you did.

If you are changing out your toilet flange it will likely come with a seal. Use it - it is your first line of defence.

Add a vent hood to the front vent and or replace the vent.  I just dicored the darn thing and gave it a new seal, but the replacement crank won't pull the vent cover down quite enough to seal it and water comes in when it rains.  To old to find parts for according to ventline, so should just replace whole assembly.

If you decide to replace the assembly consider a Fantastic Fan. Lower end model has 3 speeds and both intake and exhaust. The exhaust is particularly good when cooking. Think rice, pasta even coffee and condensation. Your range hood fan will not cope completely. If you replace an existing fan keep the motor and blades. They will likely fit your range fan should replacement be required.

Paint the shower pan

Approx. 3 years ago I painted my shower stall and pan. Cleaned it well, then again with TSP, then scuffed the acrylic, TSP again. I used Tremclad white with a 3" roller. 2 coats. For the pan and the corner 'soap/shampoo shelves I added some non-slip grit to the paint. Works great, no Ducks needed on the pan. 3 years later, still looks fine.

Hope something here helps or gives you alternatives to consider.

Terry

[Dawn Michelle]

Thanks, I will pass on the kudos!  Just thrilled with it.  I have many fond early memories of accompanying her to art classes as a kid.  The smell of wet clay is still a favorite.  If anyone is interested, or just interested in art, this is her site: http://www.rkrgraphics.com/

Haha MK - I'm exhausted thinking just what there is to do!  I wish someone would pay me to do this so I could focus on it fulltime :-)

Thanks Russ - yes, feeling pretty stoked!  I hope to do a video before the fall sets in to share.

[M K Wilkie]

I'm once again exhausted just reading about your progress. Glad you tackled the mechanical problems. So important. You probably know that you tires should have stamps with the week and year of manufacture. Best not to go by looks. We replaced our four. Peace of mind but $$$
Your mom is an amazing artist! I love what she did for you. It's amazing!!!

[Russell E Johnson]

That is one cool face for Juno and your blog. Glad the excursion went so well.