Hallie's Summer, Fall, and Winter 2013

Hello from Hallie on Vashon Island,

It is winter here, freezing cold and sometimes sunny. Since the summer's last post I've accomplished quite a bit. My last post showed how most of the exterior was complete. 

This pic shows the unfinished exterior before we moved out of the O Space warehouse.

This is the stage layed out in the new summer location... 

...where I added the legs and leg frames.

This is a picture from inside of the dance room, looking out.

Dancer friends admiring the staging options! The side walls are open, the back is not.

Since then, the rains proved to me that I was NOT finished with the exterior.  Last summer I installed the plexiglass windows but the aluminum window frame seemed to leak. After moving Foxy (a fourth time), most of the fall was spent trouble shooting, sealing, then removing sealing and re-sealing the window frame. I resolved this leakage with rubber/aluminum flashing strips. I am waiting for the next heavy rain to see what happens... so far, so good.

The front windows, before plexiglass is installed.

After plexi was installed. Even with all this caulking above above the frame...

...there was lots of water leakage. Notice the discoloration above the frame.

The fix with eyebrow rubber strips above the window frame. (sorry about fuzzy lens)

Other leaking collected in a few spots near the hinges inside the dance room. Sarah warned me to super-weather-proof every crack and crevice. After all the flashing was installed last summer, the only leaky gaps were in the top corners of the stage walls and, well, every inch of the lower stage wall edgesI designed and ordered aluminum flashing for these areas, fashioned to be removable by using latches and gaskets. As with most problems on this project, each section's gap is unique. This means I have to custom order gasket/tubing for each one. Gaskets are expensive, so I have to wait until I can afford it. So the gasket project is temporarily on hold.

Flashing duct taped in place until I intall gaskets.

The duct taped flashing for one of four upper corners.

You fans of DIY will love to hate the story of my beloved door.  In my last post I showed how I removed the RV door and put it into Foxy the MPD. The next step was just as fun: tiling the door exterior with PBR cans. I've wanted to do something with recycled cans since EcoDance started three winters ago!

 

The door's final 2 steps: to cover both sides with plexiglass. The door needs some sheer strength, so the plexi provides it. But, alas, a brisk windstorm blew the door off Roxy's hinges before I could pick up my plexi order. I am glad to see this happen with Roxy safely parked, rather than by watchibg it fly away from the rearview mirror on the highway. And then salt to the wound: I picked up the plexi but it was too wide. Arg! I must go back to Tacoma (everything is two hours away when you live on an island, thus the Arg!).

The flashing project and the door project are on hold. So, I started demolishing the parts RV. I have no experience with propane appliances and DC electrics; I avoided the demo project up to this point. EcoDance continually teaches that there is nothing like action to teach you what you need to know. As it turns out, removing a stove, electrics, a breaker box, a sink, a water heater, a water pump, a water tank, and plumbing is doable. I still need help moving the fridge/freezer (which wont seem to budge) but everything else has been removed! This project makes me value my decision to buy a parts rv and cart it around with me for a year. The propane/DC/AC fridge-freezer alone is worth more than than I paid for the RV. All those parts add up, and I'd say I saved at least $1000 by transferring the old (but in good condition) stuff to Roxy. Eventually I can sell the RVas a flatbed frame, and maybe fund the cabinets, appliance, plumbing and electric installation project that is coming up. Guess what that means? After three years, I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 Over and out from my current location! -Hallie