First, Dad dropped the fuel tank to inspect it, along with the fuel line that runs from the tank to the engine. Dad feared rust damage, but it turned out that there was only some light surface rust on it, the tank is in very good shape. So Dad simply sprayed it with a good coat of antirust paint.
The fuel line was also in good shape, no significant rust, wich is rather surprising since all the brake lines had to be replaced last year due to rust. Dad used a wire brush on the metal line and painted it with antirust paint.
Freshly repainted fuel line let to dry under the sun:
The 60 gallons (272 liters) fuel tank is attached under the Blue Whale with metal straps bolted on the frame. Here an impact wrench is used to remove the old rusted straps.
Dad made new straps to replace the old ones:
Travcos have an outside storage compartment in the left rear, abeam the fuel tank. The bottom of this storage compartment was rusted out and required some repairs.
Access to the rusted part was made easier with the fuel tank removed. So before installing the tank back he fixed the storage compartment. Some metal sheet cutting, a bit of sealant and a lot of metal screws. A good cleanup and some antirust paint, and another repair will be done.
Also before putting the fuel tank back, Dad repainted the rear underside of the vehicle with antirust paint (the front part was done last fall). An air coating gun was used to spray the paint.
Dad finally reinstalled the tank and the fuel lines, wich wasn't as easy as it sounds since the fuel tank wasn't completely empty and was quite heavy.
Inside the vehicle Dad begun working on the dashboard.
The top of the dashboard was made with a piece of thick plywood, covered with foam and "faux leather". Since the vehicle has been plagued with water leaks for a long time, all that water was sucked up by the foam and the plywood was totally rotten out.
Also the small air vents on top for windshield defrost where broken.
Dad cut a new plywood piece, preserved with a good wood stain, and stapled on a new foam. The broken vents will be replaced with new larger ones that Dad found on a GM van at the junkyard. All is left is to cut and install the new "leatherette", wich will be gray, to match the new seats, armrests and carpet.
On the curb side, the dashboard was in pretty bad shape. Dad cut, stained and varnished a piece of thin oak finish plywood, that should look pretty good once installed.
On the driver's side, the dashboard, wich is made of two panels, is made of a black plastic trim that has all the opennings for the various gauges and switches. Over time the plastic trim broke and cracked. Dad managed to reglue the parts and save the plastic trim.
When I took the pictures, everything was ready to reinstall.
Dad will have a lot of work to do over the next few days to get the Blue Whale ready for the first camping trip of 2008. Just like last June, we have a family camp out in Stoneham, a few kilometers north of Quebec City. We should be a group of 7 families, relatives and friends, camping together from June 21st to 25th.
Dad has to reinstall the dashboard and all that has been dismantled in the front of the Whale (seats, armrests, doghouse, etc), change the engine oil, take off the winter shelter in wich the motorhome still sits, perform a general check of the various systems, get it out of the driveway (the compacted gravel driveway I was talking about last week is not done yet) and finally load the camping stuff. It's probably going to be a race against the clock to get the Whale ready, just like last year!
Next week I should be able to post a few pictures of the repaired dashboard and of the Whale in Stoneham.
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