Tile Fireplace. - Montana Owners Club

Wrenchtraveller · 08-07-2006, 06:06 PM

Here is a picture of my dimplex fireplace that I tiled around yesterday. It is not grouted yet and I thought this might show the tile pattern better in a picture. The brass frame around the electric insert is called schlutter and comes in different colors. It covers the edges of ceramic tile . The total ceramic tile weight is just under 20 pounds and the Dimplex weighs 34 pounds so this renovation adds only 54 pounds to my Montana. Actually less because I removed two cupboard doors. On edit I just remembered the wooden framing the tile is bonded to probably weighs the same as the doors. The flash takes away the realistic licking flames and this fireplace is real cozy .

I have pics of the steps I did to make this conversion and let me know if you want to see these.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f7...tures10088.jpg

Don & Donna
Vancouver Island
2005 Ford F350 V10 Lariat CC 4x4 LB SRW 11200 GVWR
2006 Montana 2955RL

click on the little pic to see a big pic

fulltimedreamer · 08-07-2006, 06:27 PM

Great modification!!! Looks really nice. When all the other folks with fire places see this, their gonna want one too!

Lamar & Debbie
Cumming,GA

Our Website
http://www.geocities.com/fulltimedreamer2004

'03 Mountaineer TT 335 RLBS
'03 F250 Crew Cab Lariat 7.3 PSD

"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

harleyrider · 08-08-2006, 01:12 AM

Don

Great job on the fire place.I like the tile look.

2004.5 Dodge Ram 3500 SLT Quad Cab 4x4-auto-48re
2001(bought new in March of 2004) montana 3280RL triple slide
Prodigy brake controller
color back up camera(from rvcams.com)
reese 16K slider
tire pressure monitoring system
line-x spray in bed liner
roll&lock bed cover
Yamaha generator with boost control

Ozz · 08-08-2006, 01:41 AM

Don,
Very nice looking, a neat job.
You are quite a craftsman.
Ozz

'07 3400RL 2nd RTU
2 Golf Cart batteries 1500 watt inverter
Honda 2000 Generator, 2nd one and twinning kit coming
Maytag's with 220 Dryer
Stationary domed Sat. dish
LCD 12 Volt Amp gauge
LCD Tank Monitor
3 added 120 volt outlets
On Board Air; 12 Volt Viair 450C compressor
2006 Ford PSD 4x4 Off Road Lariat
Hadley Air Horns
Truck inverter with 110 volts for laptop
Color Backup Camera
Awning lock

CountryGuy · 08-08-2006, 01:44 AM

ELEGANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Al & Carol Stevens Tipton, Mi.
Retired - Traveling with 4 Yorkies
Our Camping Rig History
Montana Improvements and Travel Reports
Our take on RV ownership, "Ya better be handy with your hands and handy with your cash."
2004 3295RK
2003 GMC 3500 Allison/8.1
PullRite 15.5K Super 5th
Line-X
JackRabbit tonneau cover
Bilstein shocks
Isolator Pin Box

Every day spent on earth is a blessing, every day spent in our Montana is a day blessed twice.

Broome101 · 08-08-2006, 02:01 AM

Looks great, good job.

Broome101
2005 F350 PSD,SRW,CC,LB, King Ranch, 4x4
2005 3685FL
http://www.picturetrail.com/broome101

Wrenchtraveller · 08-08-2006, 02:29 AM

Thanks for the compliments. I am a certified Bricklayer but I have done a lot of tile work as well. I even had my own part time masonry business but that was in the 80s when things were so slow in construction. Now that things are booming and there is money in it, I am getting too old for big jobs but I love to putter around on little stuff. My MK101 brick and tile saw is almost 20 years old but it still is one of the finest masonry tools made but at 100 pounds it is a little too big to take with me. When I retire I think I will get one of the new lightweight saws and do the odd little job while I travel because I do enjoy it.
I pull wrenches for a living now but it is not quite as satisfying as building things.

Don & Donna
Vancouver Island
2005 Ford F350 V10 Lariat CC 4x4 LB SRW 11200 GVWR
2006 Montana 2955RL

click on the little pic to see a big pic

sreigle · 08-08-2006, 08:12 AM

Beautiful job, Don!

See another Montana or Mountaineer on the road? Flash lights twice, it might be one of us!
Steve Reigle (pronounced Regal)
Fulltiming since 3/21/03
'03 3295RK
'05 Ford F250 SD Lariat CC SB 6.0L PSD/TS FX4 4x4

Our RV Travels (now Firefox-compatible)

txkrumm · 08-08-2006, 11:50 AM

Love it! Good work!

Steve and Tara Krumm
2004 GMC 4X4 Duramax Allison
2003 Montana 3655 FL

bsmeaton · 08-08-2006, 12:09 PM

Looks great! Hmmmmm, gets me thinking!

By the way, what is the wood grille on your bottom step? Is that part of the fireplace or factory Montana?

2003 2955RL - 5.5KW Gen - great for the lake!
New '06 F350 Stroker towmoter in July - love the new trans shift and integrated brake controller.
'95 SeaRay 200BR named Dam-It - occassional tow buddy

I ain't as good as I once was - but I'm as good once as I always was - Toby Keith

Brad & Dory

Wrenchtraveller · 08-08-2006, 02:32 PM

Brad and Dory, that wooden grill is the factory cold air return for the furnace. It also has the
12 volt convertor in beside the furnace so I installed an air filter behind this grill and I change it out every two weeks on the road so I don't slow down the air flow. It had a fair amount of dust on it as we travel with a Standard Scnauzer and his dog, a Doberman Pincer.

The SS wanted his own dog so two years ago we got him a female Doberman puppie. They are the best of friends and the SS was so gentle with his pup but now when they play it is flat out but a 45 pound SS can hold his own with a 70 pound Dobie and it is a hoot to watch these two.
PS, wow, what a beautiful rig you have there.

Don & Donna
Vancouver Island
2005 Ford F350 V10 Lariat CC 4x4 LB SRW 11200 GVWR
2006 Montana 2955RL

click on the little pic to see a big pic

bsmeaton · 08-08-2006, 02:44 PM

The grille caught my eye as ours doesn't have it. Our '03 has the return under the fridge. I thought you had figured a way to blow heat from the fireplace.

I'll bet those two pooches are a sight to see as playmates! I'd love another scnauzer some day.

I was also noticing what good taste you had in picking the color of your truck, "Dark Stone" isn't it? (color of my new one)

Wrenchtraveller · 08-08-2006, 03:34 PM

The color of my truck is actually True Blue over Arizona Beige but in the picture it does look Dark Stone . You guys have great taste , I can tell. You own a Montana. The nice thing about Montana ownership is going into RVs that cost twice as much and finding them so much less pleasing to the eye. I would love to meet the Montana interior decorators. They have great taste too.

Don & Donna
Vancouver Island
2005 Ford F350 V10 Lariat CC 4x4 LB SRW 11200 GVWR
2006 Montana 2955RL

click on the little pic to see a big pic

bsmeaton · 08-08-2006, 03:58 PM

You are right about that - We actually had money down on a Cardinal. The outside was pretty with gel coat, but I hated the interior. It looked like a trailer. My daughter dragged us up to Montana and one look at the wood and interior colors and it was sold. We had such a hard time anyway, trying to fit a reasonable floor plan into a limited length so we could pull the boat. Most were bunkhouses in that length. We got much more than we had hoped for.

Wrenchtraveller · 08-08-2006, 04:23 PM

It sounds like you two have a very special daughter. That's wonderful and of all the things we do in our lives, having children is the most devine. I love my 2 kids and thank my wife all the time for twisting my arm a little. We were married for 14 years before we had kids and I loved being a DINK ( dual income no kids ) She wanted kids and informed me she was having kids with me or without me so I got on board........... so to speak. She quit work, we had our daughter and our son and life has been good. The kids took after their mom and are wonderful. Take care.

Don & Donna
Vancouver Island
2005 Ford F350 V10 Lariat CC 4x4 LB SRW 11200 GVWR
2006 Montana 2955RL

click on the little pic to see a big pic

Parrothead · 08-08-2006, 05:44 PM

Don,
I'm really glad the kids took after their mother. LOL
happy trails............................

Sue and Ed Rowe
Hemet California

2005 3400RL

2006 GMC 3500 Dually, D/A, Crew Cab, Long Bed

Wrenchtraveller · 08-09-2006, 02:01 AM

Thanks Sue and Ed, I like Jimmy Buffet too and I like real trains. I was a brakeman 30 years ago on a locomotive in a mill yard and 3 months ago I rode on the Amtrak from Seattle down to LA.
Liked it except for the 4 dollar a can beer. Next trip I will bring my own. Take care.

Don & Donna
Vancouver Island
2005 Ford F350 V10 Lariat CC 4x4 LB SRW 11200 GVWR
2006 Montana 2955RL

click on the little pic to see a big pic

Lije Baley · 08-09-2006, 06:06 AM

Don,
That looks fabulous! The black really works well. Is there a front mesh or glass to your fireplace? I'm about a week behind you in installation of our fireplace. Was thinking of wood trim, but now that I see yours...
Thanks for sharing pictures and info.
Mariana

Bill and Mariana McCamy
'05 F-250 Lariat 6L PSD
'05 2955RL
Woodland, CA

Wrenchtraveller · 08-09-2006, 07:02 AM

Thank you Mariana, I have not grouted it yet and I am going to use a non sanded charcoal grout. The fireplace has a mirror behind the logs and looks very realistic. I find myself staring at it the way we all do at real fire and I think we all go back to primordal times when we look at fire. I hope I spelled "primordal" right and I first learned of this phrase when I took a Tibetan Monk's class on meditation.
I am at work now and have only limited time so tonight I will email some pics of the rough in and construction.
I know from your PMs that you are an experienced tile setter and I am sure you will have no problem. I used black trim on the outside corners because I was not sure what two brass frames would have looked like. My wife and my daughter have the real decorating taste in my family and I used their advice on this project which is the biggest reason it looks so well.
Take care and we will talk to you later, Don.

Don & Donna
Vancouver Island
2005 Ford F350 V10 Lariat CC 4x4 LB SRW 11200 GVWR
2006 Montana 2955RL

click on the little pic to see a big pic

You may also like: