Installing Tank Heaters and Insulation, Part 3a2

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It was here that the "REAL" fun started. (Sarcasm here.)

One of my stated goals was to insulate the areas around the tanks and Pex water lines. Lying beneath the underbelly of the Alpine, my next DIY challenge was evident. How can I protect the Lippert slide rails from the insulation? I knew that the toothed rail of the slide rail would sooner or later become entangled in the fiberglass insulation and that a huge problem would follow! The solution was actually very easy . . . off to Home Depot! The slide rails are 3" (7.5cm) in height. At HD, I found plastic house rain gutter that was 4" (10cm) deep! A couple of packages of long, wide cable straps, and back to the underbelly! I had to cut the gutter about 1" (2.5cm) shorter than the width of the slide rails so I could wedge it into place between the I-beams. This is actually OK as the inner rail with the toothed gear is approximately 12" (30cm) shorter than the outer U-shaped outer rail. I put a long, wide cable strap across the upper part of the rail and around the gutter, cinched it together loosely, and cut off the excess strap – one of these at both ends of the gutter. (Rail_cover.jpg) I pushed the gutter all the way to the end of the "working part" of the slide. I positioned a wide cable strap on the U-shaped outer rail itself opposite the "working end, cinched it as tight as I could, and cut off all but about 4" (10cm) of the excess. In fact, I positioned a second tie next to this one in the same manner. These two straps on the U-shaped rail will hold the gutter in place and keep it from sliding to expose the geared teeth to the insulation. (See the FW_heater.jpg, the strapped gutter is to the right of the Fresh Water tank with one cable strap visible.) The slide rail for the port side of the Alpine was forward of the Fresh Water tank while the slide rail for the starboard side was aft of this tank. Both were treated to the "gutter treatment".

About 1' (30cm) and 4' (1.2m) aft of the Fresh Water tank were cross-members between the two I-beams. The rear living area heat ducts passed through these cross-members. (Aft_of_FW.jpg)

Ron