89 Provan Tiger Rebuild

[AstroWill]

Though the window is a pretty cheap way in if you happen to find yourself locked out. If you do it right you only have to replace the plastic around the window and not the glass. Unfortunately I know this from experience, and I just so happened to be across the street from a Camping World, it was old and brittle in need of replacement, and they had it in stock :) Or you can just make sure you don't leave the keys inside and tell your SO that you will be right back and they decide to get out and lock the doors anyway while leaving the keys in the ignition.

[TOMINVEGAS]

Hello, thank you for your kind comments. The door has 4 screws at the bottom which keeps the door together. Once removed, the door frame pulls apart for easy access. Aside from the better build and abandoning the window which made everything much stronger, I used a little PL adhesive but only on the wood. PL is a resin based glue that will stick to odd surfaces. (Wood, fiberglass, metal) DO NOT USE Liquid Nails anywhere on your RV

[WoodButcher]

Nice work Tom.

Just an observation for you, for whatever reason PL Premium doesn't like aluminum. I use it for lots of goodies, it expands slightly while curing and hardens like a rock.
When I first built the rack on my white van I found the square stock vibrated on the highway. I taped a 1" x 1" aluminum angle on the leading edge and found that it reduced the noise greatly so I filled the angle with PL and taped it in place till it hardened. After about six months the aluminum came off leaving the wedge of PL behind it. It stood up to the ratchet straps when I transported lumber so I painted it the same color as the steel and it has been in place since '01.
click the pic, and you can zoom-


What did you use to keep the FRP in place? just the channel around the door? I used it walls and ceiling inside my work van and used contact cement to 1/4" ply w/ sheet metal screws to the ribs. A while ago I had to get into the wall behind the slider so I had that section out. I didn't notice any delamination but I didn't look for it either.

[TOMINVEGAS]

TIGER GT TO XL CONVERSION WRAP AND INSULATION

The project is coming along nicely. The roof has been attached at all points using the 3/4" tappers I mentioned previously. Now that the roof is secured, it's time to cover the outside with plastic and ram board. The plastic is optional. Just wrap the outside and tape the plastic anyway you can.

Home depot has a great material called Ram Board. It is a floor and wall protection board but it also makes for a really great construction material. A 100' X 38" roll is about $60. Cut in half, it fits perfectly outside to wrap the roof conversion with zero waste.




The Ram Board will strengthen between the pickets and prevent the flashing from being pushed between them as you drive at freeway speeds. I will also use it to line the ceiling before I install the new headliner material. I want a nice clean flat surface. This is light and very cost effective.




You will want to attach it with 1/2" lath tapping screws. Just enough to hold it in place. I bought a 1/8" thick X 3/4" wide X 36 yard, roll of double sided tape on eBay for $8.99. WAY CHEAP! When it arrives, I will add vertical strips about 4" apart. This will hold the flashing in place while I shoot down the upper and lower trim. It will also prevent the flashing from flapping at freeway speeds.

Next I insulated the interior with a 1"x4'X8' sheet of Styrofoam wallboard.





That opening in the rear is for the window A/C which saved me almost $450 by not going with a rooftop unit. I also won't have the additional wind drag.

More to come!

[TOMINVEGAS]

TIGER BERTH

The berth is covered with chip board from the factory. Almost as bad a press board which is sawdust and glue. Chip board is wood chips and glue. As soon as water hits it, it's all over. This time I used 3/4" DX plywood. Then I removed the outside trim, and the 1/2" screws underneath the plastic trim.





I predrilled holes and shot in 2 1/2" screws all the way around the perimeter. Now it will support the weight of two large adults and stand up much better to water!



Examine the earlier photos in this thread and you will see what water and neglect will do. Thanks to all for your suggestions and comments!

[TOMINVEGAS]

Sorry for the delay.
I cut the sheet metal to fit then drilled a few small holes around the perimeter of the door (With the sheet metal in place). I used a taper bit to taper the holes in the sheet metal and then put in small tapered wood screws to hold the metal. (Do this BY HAND) I did this on both sides and then cut the FRP sheet PVC and slid the whole thing into the frame. Then I painted it!

The trick to this is to make sure that the wood framing is not too thick as not to leave room for the sheet metal and PVC. With this build, my door is very sturdy and looks very nice. I almost died when I saw what these doors cost online!

[WoodButcher]

Nice Tom, how's that Ram board react with water? At work I often need to protect new deck board while building a room or roof above. Will it hold up a couple weeks outside w/o turning to mush and coloring the new deck? currently I use heavy plastic w/ ply over top. 5-6 bux a lineal foot I can't afford damage.

[TOMINVEGAS]

Water and cardboard (any cardboard) is probably a bad mix. It does say that it's liquid resistant but that is for small spills and tipped over coffee. The cardboard is pretty dense and it's made to walk and drive on. I have had mine exposed for 5 days now and it's holding up very well but we don't much humidity here in Las Vegas. I'm waiting for my double sided tape to show up before I can close it up! Holiday shipping hell!

[TOMINVEGAS]

CARGO

Hey all, it's that time again. Sorry for the delay but I've been ordering stuff! This is my solution for the cargo carrier. It's pretty typical with the exception of the cargo box. I looked around on Craigslist and found a great solution over those cheap plastic cargo boxes. I bought a very sturdy diamond plated aluminum locking toolbox!




I was able to use tapping screws and shot it down to the cargo carrier rack that I bought on sale at Harbor Freight for $39. (Very difficult to steal or break into) I paid $70 for the box, not a bad deal at all!

I will mount my 850 watt generator inside to really kill the noise and also mount an additional propane tank with a crossover valve. When one tank runs dry, I can switch over to the undercarriage tank and trade the empty for a refill! That's 14 gallons or 60 pounds on tap. You can pick up a used tank on CL for about $10-$15.

[HotWire]

Awesome work!

[TOMINVEGAS]

TIGER GT TO XL CONVERSION... CONT... AGAIN

READ THIS ENTIRE ARTICLE BEFORE ATTEMPTING THIS

I finally got my sticky tape and went right to work. Use a liberal amount of lath screws to secure the ram board to the pickets. Every other 2 should work.

Make sure that the rooftop edge is NOT COVERED with ram board. Cut off any excess with a razor knife. Next, roll out a line of double sided tape along the edge. Be sure to cover any gaps if you have a break in the tape. Cut your wrap long. You will want a little overhang at the back.




The idea is to stick the metal wrap to the ram board but you want the top an bottom to stick directly to the roof at the top and bottom of the RV. This way, you will have a WATER TIGHT SEAL. Then, when you put the top and bottom trim back on, you'll have screws about every 4 inches holding everything down. The ram board will insulate and also prevent the aluminum wrap from pushing between the pickets. This is especially important at the front where the wind resistance will be at freeway speeds.

IMPORTANT:

Once you have your wrap in place, remove as many screws as you can from the aluminum. The tape will hold everything in place while you attach the top and bottom trim. There will be plenty of screws!




DO NOT PEEL THE TAPE YET!

Start in the center. Measure and mark the center of the roof and the center of the wrap. DO THE SIDES FIRST. Position the wrap lining up your marks. You will have the wrap rolled on either side so it's pretty easy to set it up. try to get the wrap straight along the roof line and shoot a tapper into the top at your mark. (This is for the ONE MAN INSTALL) With two people it's a no brainer.

Then roll out the back side and align it with the top edge of the roof and shoot in a screw at the top. Now you should have something like photo 4. With a razor knife, cut the peel on the tape as close to the center screw as possible and peel all the tape from the center to the front. Roll out the wrap staring in the center and pressing as you go toward the front. Shoot a screw at the top edge.

Now you can go to the back and remove that screw. Roll the wrap back to the center and do the same thing. Cut the peel off backing as close to the center screw, then roll toward the back. Do both sides first leaving a couple of inches at the back. Put some tape on the back right at the edges (2 lines is better than one) peel it and then bend the wrap around the back corner and stick it to the tape.

Then do the back and again at the edges, put some tape and stick it. Put 5 screws in starting in the center and work your way up and down. That will seal those corners.

Now do the front. We want the wrap to overlap the sides to prevent the wind from getting underneath and ripping it off.

With 2 people this is MUCH FRIGGEN EASIER! Peel the tape then put one person on each end. Line up the top edge, pull it tight GENTLY, THIS STUFF WILL TAKE OFF YOUR FINGERS! and slowly roll it down from top to bottom. DONE.



Now, I need to go to Walmart and buy a butt load of grey spray primer to etch the wrap. Then I can paint when it's not 40 degrees outside! I'll post photos of the finished wrap soon. Now I can run all the wiring for the lights, backup camera, speakers, and solar.

Coming Soon! Headliner!

[TOMINVEGAS]

When you're finished, you should have something like what is in the photos. Once you have your wrap stuck to the tape and the screws removed, it flattens out. Gently put the bottom trim in place and again, starting at the center, shoot the screws working back, then to the front.



This is the finished wrap with the bottom trim in place.

These are stages of progress.




I did this by myself. Sorry about the explanation but it requires a bit of ingenuity to do solo. Two people will take a lot of the work out of this installation. Once it's painted, run a THIN bead of silicone along the top of the bottom trim where it meets the wrap. It should already be water sealed but it won't hurt. You can do the same for the top. VIOLA!

[TOMINVEGAS]

WRAP THE WRAP

I forgot to mention, instead of painting, take the RV to a car wrap shop and have them wrap the top from the bottom trim to just over the roof. It will help smooth out the appearance and even more so if you have them print something jiggy on the wrap. It will be much easier than painting and the heavier wrap materials are good for 7 years or more. You also get the added weather seal for free!

Also, notice on the passenger side, I finished painting all the gold stripes and the battery door is back on with a shiny new lock! Now that I have a XL, I can build cabinets all around. Stay tuned for that one because I have a really cool idea!

[TOMINVEGAS]

I elected to pass on windows. If I'm sleeping, I don't want the sun pouring in. After all, I'M ON VACATION! I don't have to deal with curtains either. I can always add windows later but I also wanted to CUT DOWN ON THE WEIGHT! Glass is heavy!

There is still plenty of circulation with the other windows open and I have the roof vents with fans. Better still, now that I have an XL, I have an AIR CONDITIONER that fits perfectly and it didn't cost a fortune. Truth be told, Craigslist, 8000 BTU, new for $40!

[beneng_jr]

I'd be curious to see some photos of the finished interior! I just picked up an 88 GT and am considering an interior remodel.

[AstroWill]

For sale? https://lasvegas.craigslist.org/rvs/5789856704.html


Nevermind, it's been removed, probably sold.

[TOMINVEGAS]

NEARLY FINISHED AND IT'S FOR SALE. COMPLETELY RESTORED.

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/rvs/5984383017.html

Everyone pretty much lost interest in the posts so I just kept on working. If you follow the link, there are 24 more photos. The Tiger is completely restored with 291 miles on a fresh drive train. See the CL post.

[TOMINVEGAS]

PROVAN XL TOP

I called Provan asking about a fiberglass XL top for the Astro. I was told that the top current used will not fit the Astro. They we're going to check and see if the original mold was still in their warehouse to make one. I never heard back.

I am very pleased with my top solution. It's very strong. It was cheap to build and I was able to shoot all of my cabinets into the steel pickets every 6 inches. Those cabinets aren't going anywhere. Check out the Tiger for sale post!

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/rvs/5984383017.html

[AstroWill]

What did you do for the rear lights?

[RaftTiger]

I wouldn't mind seeing some more finished photos. The CL post isn't quite finished.