Monday, February 9, 2015

I Are Smart!

Hi everyone, long time no post! I've been doing important things like rearranging "Airstream" letters.
...depending on the day.
And on to other news- the windows are progressing, slowly (very slowly) but surely. The tinting looks awesome! 12 down, 5 to go, including the door window which is going to be a whole 'nother project.
Glamour shot!
That marine sealant is where it's at! 
Now my poor trailer had a bit of a scar on the back that was covered with an ugly patch, so we called up the famous Inland Andy and picked up the new curved panel and hauled it in my little warrior car (it fit through the trunk and over the fold down seats- hiiiiyahh!) and left it for a nice sunny day. Just kidding. It was the day after a massive downpour that had brought mass amounts of rain and wind that smashed my little car's tail light (aww) and to be followed by an equally wet day the day after. Perfect time to disassemble the whole back of the trailer! Here it goes!
Out with the old, in with the new.
Please don't rain....
Pretty please don't rain!
Dry fit before Tempro caulking and drilling holes.
All cleco'd up.
Final verdict: this was easy! Well not *easy* per se but it the process went with a lot less fuss than I had anticipated. Granted, it did pour on us for about ten minutes... oops. We also found that most of the rivets spun when we started drilling them out. This means they weren't secured tightly, which means water will enter sooner or later. It's beginning to get to the point where all rivets, especially roof rivets, are going to be replaced because of paranoia... I mean logical (completely rational) leak prevention. I swear I felt a drop...

If you're looking at a trailer to buy that has damage on these panels, be advised that these curved rear panels are all complex curves- you will have to special order them since a flat sheet will not work. If you already have it and are looking to replace the panels, the steps are pretty simple. Take out all the rivets on the panel, remove the window frame (bummer, but you really have to) and slide in the new panel under the two sheets that overlap it. Make sure you have plenty of overlap so your rivets will securely go through both layers and don't worry if there is some extra on the window side. We trimmed it off and it looked great afterwards. It's nice to have two people for working on the outside and monitoring the inside with the braces and gently nudging it to meet the curve. If you have some experience with a rivet gun and sheet metal, you got this!

On another note, a few months back some long-time family friends and vintage Airstream owners gave Trouble a special present! It's a city water hookup. In simple terms, if there is a hose bib where the trailer is parked, you can use a special drinking hose (don't use a garden hose! They leach chemicals, especially when out in the sun) and hook it up here. This is the alternative to using your freshwater tank and water pump to generate pressure for your system. When you turn on the tap, the house's water pressure sends the water through the pipes.  This handy gadget also is a pressure regulator, so if there is way too much water pressure it will take care of it so you don't have busted hoses leaking in your trailer. Such an improvement from having it next to the dump valve... ick! Now it's up off the ground and located close to where the water heater will be.
What a nice surprise!
Some exciting electrical updates are on their way as well. *Spoiler alert* The LED lights look awesome! But that's for next time! Happy travels, or happy renovations as the case may be!

3 comments:

  1. I love posts like this. They help me stress less about potential repairs that may be needed in the future on my 1970 Sovereign Intl. What I learn is that most issues can be fixed with a little determination. Thanks for sharing. Your work looks great!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! Yes, determination, patience, and savings. I enjoyed your blog as well. Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Great work! A small word of caution; the new segment is a different alloy than the original was. The Famous Inland Andy does not tell people this. Most never find out until they begin polishing.

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