Easter, part 1

Back for 4 days, more or less uninterrupted so I have high hopes!

Quite rainy on day 1, so I stay inside and try to sort out more of the timber framework. First some good news, I thought my centre rail repair last time was a bit dodgy but inside in the rain it is perfectly dry! Also all round the new panel and reinstated window is dry, maybe I can do this!
Make quite a lot of progress, but its not very interesting stuff. I hack out some of the ply below the roof on the leaky side, install framework around the window on one side, and generally tidy up.

Day 2.
Good weather, so I arrive early after a stop at the hardware store to get a handful of stainless steel screws and a suitable drill bit for the awning rail (to be done with aluminium J section). I am following ideas from the 1973 Bedford campervan restoration blog that I have given a link to. I ordered quite a wide J though, www.aluminiumwarehouse.co.uk, as my edge is not very neat. The idea is the edging will be a feature.
First I strip all the duct tape off both sides and clean off the residue - white spirit then meths. The get to work with my hammer and chisel to get the overlap right and secure with plenty of nails on the vertical.

On the leaky side, and despite my best efforts to lower the ceiling now the ply is out of the way, there is about a mtere length where there is no overlap. I use plenty of nails on both sides to make the best of it.

All round I fill an old nail holes with Isopon 38 (car body sealer).
Oh, I had a chat with a passing caravanner, and he reckoned 'you know what you're doing!'
Now for the fun bit. I rough out how far the first 4m run of aluminium will go, prepare 2 holes, and insert foam backer rod (to hopefully stop the J collapsing when I press it round the bends).

Stood vertically the excess foam wafts around in the wind and looks kind of eerie in the fading light, I wish I'd videod it.

My original plan was to use narrow (18mm) mastic roll and beef up on the vertical wirh tube stuff, but I go for the standard (32mm) to ensure it covers all. I had to beef up the wood at the bottom of this side due to rot, I end up overlapping the aluminium more which changes the shap a bit ( not much). My first fix is close to the rail above the window, then I go for the bend. It goes OK but does collapse a bit... I can't undo the bend, the seal is still good, but not quite as pretty as I hoped. I think this is because the J profile I am bending is quite big (18mm wide), and it is a bit cold. I will be more careful with the next one. The fix along the roof goes well, but not quite so easy down the front, where I forced the aluminium overlap. It's getting dark, will have to quit, but it will be OK I think!