We found lots of visible progress at this week’s camper check, which will be explained with the photos below. However, the best news is that they have another big project coming in next week, so we MUST bring the camper home on Wednesday of the coming week. There will be a punch list of things that aren’t yet done which will be completed when we take it back sometime during the last two weeks of November, but this will give us a couple of weeks of having constant access to it so we can get done with some of the non-Koops’ jobs, like electric/water/gas, wood facing for the cabinets, and ordering of the mattress and bench cushions.
The first thing we noticed as we walked into the bay was that the top rail has been installed on the passenger side, and the driver side is on the roof and ready to be installed. The rail adds about 5” of height to the rig, but it will provide both visible and physical protection for the solar panels and the skylights/vents.
This is a closeup of the installed rail on the roof. The rectangular panels are removable because the inside needs to be accessible for solar panel wires, the vent from the composting toilet, and running lights which will be installed on the outside, along with the wiring for those lights which will run through the rail.
The front of the rail, where it tapers down on the nose of the camper.
The back door, which is covered with the heavy duty aluminum on the inside, just like the outside skin. We will be installing racks inside this door, so it needs a little extra strength. You can also see how the back of the rail is vented.
The slats for the shower stall have been made, but are not yet fixed in place. This photo is looking into the bathroom from the kitchen.
Closeup of the bathroom floor slats, not yet fixed in place. The drain pan is under the slats
With the installation of the battery box in the foreground, the bench is now complete. We will put a table in the corner of the bench. We had been thinking about making it convertible for a extra bed if needed, but after seeing it, sitting on it, and trying to stretch out, we don’t think there’s enough room for a bed for a normal sized adult.
This box will hold the two lithium iron batteries (each 200ah) which will provide off-grid power. The box is big enough that we could add a third battery if it is necessary, as well as a battery charger if we are charging from shore power. Because the batteries are heavy and we want to be able to slide them into the box on the floor, rather than dropping them in, the lid is hinged to open both the front and the top of the box.
Water tanks are completed and installed. Each is about 35 gallons. The bracket in the middle will keep them from sliding, and the handles on the sides allow them to be lifted out. Despite being stainless steel, they’re light enough that I don’t have any trouble moving them by myself.
The bedroom closets are finished on both sides. These will be faced with wood. The two uprights will have vertical doors which open near the window, and the longer cabinet on the bottom will have a top door so it will open like a trunk. We are keeping the sides near the bed smooth so we don’t have any interference when we fold the mattress when we aren’t using the bed
The cabinets are mirror images of each other. The back plate on this one has a hole to allow access to the cabinet/“headboard” which will be in the rounded nose, and which obviously has yet to be built. This will be done after the bed slides are installed on the floor of the cabover, which should be done by Wednesday. The cabinet in the next picture will be installed along the roofline next to the tall cabinet.
This small cabinet will be installed near the ceiling in the corner between the entry door and the passenger side bedroom cabinets, over the dining area window. It will be used for the components of the electrical system. The metal bar on the top is made to serve as a center pole for the doors, but will be removable with a few bolts so there will be room to work in the closet.