new air conditioner for brunnhilde - part 4

This is my initial rough sketch of the modifications to be made to Brunnhilde's high top fiber shells.

I took a piece of 14-gauge aluminum I have on hand to assess the optimum thickness of stock to use for the project.

 I came across this mini colander while grocery shopping and I bought it for Isolde

most often rare finds like this cannot be found if you go specifically look for them; a lot of my rare finds came from impulse purchases

 this is where the 14/2 orange Romex cable from the generator ends

while waiting for the weather to cooperate for the removal of the Kerstner air conditioner I perform more dimensional checks for the installation of the Mach 8 Cub

 checking the potential interference with the small bath vent cover

 checking for potential compound curves of the high top surface

 fortunately there is no pronounce compound curves

verifying once more time the order of the exit and return air ports of the Mach 8 Cub WRT to the Westfalia air distribution cabinet topology - fortune smiles at me as they are compatible since the Mach 8 Cub will be install backwards; what this means is no complex air plenum is required to reversed the order of the two ports

there should not be interference problem with the bath vent cover

 the forecast is very soggy, with only a small window on Thursday to remove the Kerstner

it took me a bit of effort to round up my block and tackle implements; i also found a suitable oak tree in my neighborhood and the owner is gracious to let me use it

here is the preliminary sketch of the modifications to be made to the high top to reduce the opening from 15.25"x 23" to 14"x14" but there is already a flaw in the design

while the existing roof cutout for the air conditioner is 15.25" x 23" compared to the 14"x14" required by the Mach 8 Cub, I found this challenge; the square mounting bracket outer dimension is about 1/2" too large to fit; the solution would have to be grind-to-fit; this one measurement that I missed in my preliminary planning

at the mean time the high pressure propane hose for Isolde arrived with my first Lodge mild steel skillet

side by side with a French counterpart; I really like the French pan but I thought I would give the Lodge a try after seeing them used in cooking shows; the Lodge is constructed with thicker (12 gauge vs 14) steel and cheaper too

you get what you pay for; the French skillet is much more pleasant to use and feel very balance in the hand while the Lodge feel awkward and heavy because of the narrower handle that is also too horizontal; additionally the French one handle is longer given the same pan diameter

this hose looked wrong upon visual inspection - it looks nothing like what I order but the part number on the package is definitely correct; at the mean time the price on Amazon has gone up nearly 100% since I ordered mine; I have notice across the board price increase on many items that I recently purchased there; I wounder if Amazon now begins to show Wall Street it can make money instead of  just unbridled growth

it turns out some lowlife order this and replace the content with the low pressure natural hose kit he has no use; I have now have to wait another 8 days for Amazon to send me an unadulterated replacement

test set up of a 4:1 purchase system; I think this rope is too short however; I estimate the weight of the Kerstner to be about 75% to 100% heavier than the Mach 8 Cub (87 lb); which gives 152 lb to 174 lb

hosting strap attached and ready - strangely there are only two host anchors so I infer they are more the less at the fore and aft balance point; I would likely tie rope to the front and the back to prevent the rocking motions during the hoisting process

these two thick 12Vdc cable are to be pushed through into the cabin

note to self - don't remember to remove the coaxial cable

This morning I started to prepare for the removal. I made sure all the hoses, wire harness, and cables are separated. I removed the 6 allen head bolts holding the AC down onto the roof anchors. I tried to break it free from pushing up the evaporator assembly from the inside but no luck. Apparently there is good amount of caulking or adhesive sealant around the raised shroud and the air conditioner.

I tried to raise the front end of the unit from the big sunroof with more leverage and even that didn't help. I now wish I have try to do this in the summer heat as the caulking/sealant would be easier to break free instead of in a 60s day like today. I also thought to myself, I should have done more bench press as trying to break loose the AC from the cabin requires a lot of upper body strength.

Feeble man can overcome weighty challenges with his mind. I managed to ply loose the sealant/caulking with a plywood with a generous piece of wood as fulcrum, by divide and conquer a small segment at a time. I slid in ceder shims in the process and the bound is now broken.

Once the 6 hex bolts been removed there are six 1/4" size holes the rain water can get in. There is no going back now. To Troy or bust today, by hook or by crook.

2015.10.29 Update:
The grisly deed is done. All went without a hitch, with military campaign precision. The oak branch Bob chosen was just perfect without being too high or too low. We align Brunnhilde until the center of of the two hoist anchors was right under the block and tackle. The whole process took less than 15 minutes. With Bob the executioner still hoisting Mr. Kerstner on the gallows 15 feet up in the air I drove Brunnhilde out of harm's way. We summarily lower the lifeless offender and the swift justice was done.

The location of the two anchors were quite well center on the fore and aft weight distribution of the AC. I had to put on may be 2 lbs of weight on the front to make it even.

With the Kerstner out of the way I can see exactly what I am dealing with on the roof top. I kept the raised plastic frame at the opening for now as it is easier to put a couple layer of polyethylene sheets to defend against the Oregon rain with the raised dams.