Installing LED lights, raceway, and wires.
Let there be light! I hooked them up to a Vexilar battery for testing.
I also decided to scrap the old roof vent and buy a new one. I bought one of the vents with a fan in it. It has 3 speeds and sounds like a small airplane at top speed. It really moves air. I think I'll be glad I bought this come summer.
The old power supply was rated for 4A. All the LED lights together draw a little bit less than 1A, and the fan draws 3A at full speed. This was a little too close to the limit of the power supply for me, and besides it is 30 years old and probably not all that efficient anyway. I decided to bite the bullet and upgrade the power supply too. I bought a WFCO 8712-P that is good for 12A of 12V and has two slots for 110V circuit breakers. This should be plenty for me. I also had a double 12V socket laying around so I decided to wire that in as well. They may come in handy for charging phones/gps stuff/etc. when not hooked up to AC power.
Wiring up the new power supply.
New power supply installed, minus the cover. I also put in a couple 12V plugs for phone chargers and stuff if needed.
After fastening down the countertops to the cabinets, my wife and I originally planned to paint the cabinets to hide the deteriorating contact paper. I had concerns about the paint only being bonded to the contact paper, which was already failing, and peeling off. We picked up some wall paneling from the hardware store and made new faces for the cabinets. It is supposed to look like bamboo. To make the skins, I just cut the paneling into strips and stapled them on. This way, the grain runs vertical for the stiles and horizontal for the rails just like standard kitchen cabinets. I'm pleased with the way they turned out. I like the light color and I think it will work well with the darker floor (not yet installed) and countertops. Later this summer, when I have access to a router & table, I'm going to make some new drawer fronts and doors.
Installing the new cabinet skins.
Fridge side cabinet
Stove side cabinet.
Things are really coming together. It's looking less and less like a chopped up trailer and more like a camper. I have ordered sheet metal panels for the roof from a local fabricator that should be done soon. The floor and canvas still need to be installed, and I think I will skin all the fake wood 'walls' with something else, but I'm most excited at the prospect of being able to get this out of my garage and have room again! Until next time, thanks for reading!
