Today I cut in a few switches and sockets in panels D3 and P1. (D for Driver side, P for Passenger side; numbered fore to aft).
The first step is measuring, scribing and re-measuring, including a 1/16″ tolerance on all sides of the switch’s recessed body. The next step is drilling some 3/8″ corner holes to allow the blade to enter. The tape protects the aluminum from scratches caused by any gritty shavings under the jigsaw’s shoe.
These JR Products dimmer switches stupidly require a notch for the wiring. A better design would have the wiring come straight out the back. I haven’t wired the switches up yet because they were supposed to be white but they’re actually beige, and don’t match the other white trim. So I’m replacing them with black ones.
Here’s the result, with the face plate snapped in place and two Blue Sea Systems sockets mounted below, in 1-1/8″ holes cut with a hole saw. The top socket is dual USB ports. The bottom socket is a standard 12V cigarette-lighter type, which can be used for a variety of auto accessories. These fixtures aren’t wired yet. I’m waiting to remove that wall panel and insulate the cavity before connecting these cables and sealing the window up tight.
Today was sunny and dry, so I installed the last branding elements on both sides. This “scenario.org” die-cut text is 36 inches long. Signs Now produced it (after some ridiculous communication problems), but I found their vinyl to be inferior to the stripes I bought from VViViD up in Canada. It’s thinner and doesn’t have any air-release capability, so the slightest air bubble is impossible to remove and when you hit it with a heat gun it just melts and deforms. Not impressed.
And lastly today, I cut some rigid foam insulation and Velcro’d it up in to the T7 cavity. I had planned to use a 2″ thick piece on top and a matching 1″ piece on bottom, but there’s only room for another 1/2″ piece and I don’t think it’s worth the trouble. Two inches yields R-13.1, so that’ll have to do for the roof. The 1/2″ gap will accommodate various cables nicely. In the case of panel T7, that means the two aft speaker cables, which I’ll run tomorrow.And by the way, my new dehumidifier appears to be working! It has a 22-ounce reservoir for extracted water, and it was about 25% full by noon today. I had inspected the ceiling cavities by hand at about 9 AM and they were all condensation-free except for the area closest to the forward vent — which was the coldest, least-insulated area.
So my plan for Sunday is to insulate the entire ceiling so I can finalize the wiring up there and re-install the ceiling panels. I’ll keep the space heater and dehumidifier running and keep my fingers crossed that there are no actual leaks in the roof.