The worst place to build an RV

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

I'm still not following why Doug's plane isn't in Texas and I've given up trying to figure it out -- it sounds like it's an inside joke of some sort -- but the fragmented messaging got me thinking -- Where's the worst place to build an RV? Where does a builder face the biggest challenge?

I've decided the worst place is Minnesota and/or the upper Midwest.

It's true, of course, that there are hotter places -- the desert southwest and Texas, for example. There might even be colder places.

But I can't imagine a place that has such extremes.

Last night I was out at the hangar working on the false floors, which-- of course -- requires lots of "under the panel" crawling.



Dewpoints are at record levels here. The temperature is in the 90s and there's no air under that panel. I have to bring three changes of clothing to the hangar every time I go there. The other night I fired up the compressor just to blow air on me to try to dry off between fittings. When I walk into the hangar under the not sun to open the door, I immediately flash back to scenes from Cool Hand Luke. "What we have, heeyuh, is a failyah ta communicate." It's a horrible, horrible experience, not far removed from the 2 minutes you spend in the PortaPotties at Oshkosh.

Meanwhile, in about four months, I'll be dressed in long underway, flannel jeans, sweatshirts, parka, and rabbit hat.... running between the part I'm working on, and the small propane heater in the unheated T-hangar to thaw my fingers out.

We might not be the best builders. But we're the toughest!

Bring on winter!

[scard]

Bob, you know all us Texans are slowly shaking our heads with a chuckle as we read this . You haven't lived until you've done a condition inspection in mid July in a T-hangar in Texas. Gee, I think I've heard someone say something similar about camping at Oshkosh!

[terrykohler]

Bob:
I did final assembly of my 9A in an open hangar in Michigan between October and February. One of my "assistants" actually caught himself on fire (he was wearing a snowmobile suit) by standing too close to the salamander. Had to keep telling myself that the real benefit of of this approach was "no bugs". Yup, even an insect has enough brains to stay out of the cold.
Terry, CFI
RV-9A N323TP

[Paul Thomas]

Originally Posted by scard

Bob, you know all us Texans are slowly shaking our heads with a chuckle as we read this . You haven't lived until you've done a condition inspection in mid July in a T-hangar in Texas. Gee, I think I've heard someone say something similar about camping at Oshkosh!

Unless you've done it in south FL in August

[C-GRVT]

I am building in Ottawa, Canada. Temperature extremes from -30/-40 (pretty much the same in fahrenheit or celsius) to +80/90 fahrenheit and humid.
The challenge was brought home early on when I carefully constructed a perfect jig (remember when those were needed?) to build the horizontal stab, and realized a week later that the 4x4 wooden horizontal beam on which I had carefully drawn a straight line to lay out the spar was no longer straight - a frozen solid 4x4 beam pulled from a snow bank in a lumber yard in January in Ottawa will change shape and dimension as it thaws in a garage. (and global warming is a bad thing?)
I marvel at the capacity of some builders to build in coat and gloves in the winter, and steaming heat in the summer. As passionate as I am about my project, life is too short, and the project too long for that.
Amortize the time and effort of insulation, a window air conditioner (installed through the wall if necesary) and a smallish heater over 2000 hours over a number of years of building, compare the cost to what you will have into the project in the end, and creating a comfortable year round work space becomes easy to justify.
I fellow I know with a large, awkward space to build created his environment with a wood stove and plastic sheeting for walls.
We don't need to suffer!
Bill Brooks
Ottawa, Canada
RV-6A finishing kit

[Rupester]

Yesterday here in central IL, the temp was 96 and the dewpoint 82F . Never in my entire life in the Midwest do I recall dewpoints over 80F. We all know that DPTs over 70F are uncomfortable, but > 80F ?!?!?! I can't even slough off with simple stuff like priming/painting baffles - the heat and humidity are above mfgr's recommendations. My garage shop is well insulated and holds dry bulb in a decent range, but with this kind of humidity, its THICK out there.

[DeltaRomeo]

Originally Posted by Bob Collins

I'm still not following why Doug's plane isn't in Texas and I've given up trying to figure it out -- it sounds like it's an inside joke of some sort --

Nothing more complex than Garmin needing my plane for 8 full days and me only wanting to stay at OSH for 4.

My decision tree:

• Plan A:
  Paul / Louise deliver Flash to my front door.
  
• Plan B:
  I fly to KMSP commercial,
  then wait two hours and get on another flight to Madison,
  then get a rental car and drive 1.5 hours to OSH,
  then stay in a hotel overnight,
  then take the rental car back and find my plane,
  then fly it 5-hours back home.

[rbibb]

It was 105 in DC area a couple weeks back with 40 some percent humidity. You'd walk outside in teh shade and struggle to breath. Light breeze would kick up and it felt like sitting under a hair dryer.

At least in my time in Dallas it was very dry by comparison. The locals would complain about the humdity and the traffic but I'd say you ain't seen nothing like DC. Must be all the hot air coming from the Capital....the traffic - well that is another story best left untold lest some LA types start playing "mine's bigger".

[CNEJR]

is Crosby, TX Dunham Field. I worked on my 6 everyday in hangar with 12 ft tin ceilings, no breeze, generally was about 100 outside, 110 inside. I had to drive a 100 miles a day to do this. In the winter you had to slop down a mud field a 1000 ft from your car. All this with very little help which was the reason I located there in the first place.

When I moved to Conroe (kcxo) life began a new. Made lots of great friends, finished my plane, lots of help, learned to fly it. I just recently built a new hangar there. Life is good. Moral of this story is "Don't ever stick your project in a H*ll hole, you will probably not finish it.

[wellsheit]

Heat index in N. Alabama has been in the mid 100's the past week. Plus the humidity, as always, is maxed out. Its like trying to breath pea soup.