Cutting Holes

I woke up yesterday morning to thunder and rain. First worthwhile rain in our neighborhood since we got home. The best part was the thermometer was reading 69 degrees. It was time to get the garage doors cracked and the fan going to take advantage of the cool weather.

Using blue tape, I outlined holes that I needed to cut in the trailer. The one above the porch light is for an exhaust fan for the stove. The lower set is for the new door latch.

As usual, my preferred tool for cutting holes in molded fiberglass is my small router fitted with a 1/4" straight carbide tip. On the Scamp it takes a depth of about 1/8" to cut through the fiberglass structure.

The skin usually stays in place even though the cut is completed.

The Reflextix (r) insulation layer is installed with spray contact cement at the Scamp factory. That cement is what conveniently holds the structural skin in place until you peel it gently away.

A razor knife will cut through the remainder of the Reflectix and then it can be peeled away, exposing the back side of the the "rat fur."

I use a scissor to cut through the rat fur layer. It seems to cut easier that way than with a razor knife.

Needless to say, I was making a bunch of noise, but Turk was happy to stay in his favorite spot in the loft where he could watch out the window.

Cutting the notch in the door frame for the new striker plate was a bit more challenging since there wasn't a flat surface for the router. I ended up using it like an overgrown Dremel tool.

The cutout for the new latch was a two step process. The main portion was cut from the outside. It took three passes of increasing depth to cut through the door structure. Once the main piece was cut out, clearance for the latch bolt was routed out from the inside of the door.

With the holes cut, I headed off to the RV parts store for a tube of Dicor sealant, and then stopped by a used truck dealer with a measuring tape on my way to the hardware store for more bits and pieces.

One owner, low miles, and it would fit the trailer, but BJ's still on her trip and I'm smart enough to wait, I think...