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HiHoAgRV · 01-22-2011, 02:19 PM

Kitchen mockup is pretty much done. That's a lot of small pieces of wood!

I may get some 5/8 ply and make a top just for kicks...

Time to move on to the next piece...

HiHoAgRV · 02-05-2011, 05:05 PM

Last night we had a light dusting of snow, but the sun was out so I decided to work on the exterior stuff today.

1st item of business was to tryout my new rivit remover to make the ceiling sheet metal managable. It is 2 pieces, each 4 ft wide and buck riveted down the middle...today it was to become 2 seperate pieces...the only tough part was dealing with all the latex paint...it was actually thick enough to clog the drill bit...I finally got the parts hung on the fence with some of the other pieces...

Then it was time to pull off the AC unit...it went much easier that I expected...actually a 1 man job if ya got the right stuff...30 year old ski rope is required...

the rest of the day was spent drilling out shell-to-c-channel rivets. I removed ALL of the wheel well rivets, then I used the fancy rivet driller to center drill each rivet head. The rivet tool tends to clog so then I used a standard drill bit to remove every other rivet in the floor c-channel. Slightly over 300 rivets drilled out today...120+ left to go before the Full Monty...

I really like the no-ac look

VIKING · 02-06-2011, 04:35 AM

Thats going to be a sweet interior. I love the fifties trailers with the rounded cabinets. Not so much in Airstreams, but in Spartan Manors and some others they were used extensively. It really adds character to the cabinetry.

I also didn't like the roof AC idea at all. I don't care if that's the only place an RV engineer can figure out where to put them, they're ugly and they look worse on an Airstream than on most white boxes. I installed a small window unit on a slide-out tray in my Safari and I'm really happy with the way it works. It's possible to get smaller units then they make for rooftop mounting also, so I sized one for my little trailer that's only about 18-1/2" wide and 15" tall and it works great. I can cool the interior on an 85-90 degree day parked in the sun, down to 64 degrees.
A few other cool things about it, I can run it on a single Honda 2ooo generator with power to spare, and I can replace it with a new one for $200 at Gnome Depot, or a used one for $50 off of Craigslist. Try that with a rooftop model. Oh, it has a remote control also, so I never have to get out of bed to mess with it.
Best to you,

Rich the Viking

utee94 · 02-06-2011, 06:26 AM

Ah, this all looks so familiar. Very nice work, keep it up!

-Marcus

HiHoAgRV · 02-06-2011, 04:41 PM

In one of the early posts I noted that the front flooring had been replaced but not done properly. Here is a photo of why it's so important to properly bolt the floor to the c channel...with the shell only slightly lifted...the c channel is free to slide right off the flooring!

Anyway...today Dolly got seperated...300+ rivits drilled...with some help from our sponsors! ...those 6 'hidden' rivets were an evil trick played by the factory

Lothlorian · 02-06-2011, 07:02 PM

Holy Cow! You have been really moving along on your trailer. Looks like you are doing a great job.

Brian

Lance M · 02-06-2011, 07:25 PM

Nice work Vernon. Some great tricks you have up your sleeve.

nmbosa · 02-06-2011, 08:42 PM

Congratulations! That is a big step. Keep up the good work.

Norm

HiHoAgRV · 02-11-2011, 05:46 PM

Guess what happens in the morning...
Dolly's top is almost off...

All that is left is to disconnect the umbillical just below the floor and lift the front 4".

NicheVintage · 02-12-2011, 12:25 PM

What a great picture.

HiHoAgRV · 02-12-2011, 02:41 PM

I guess this can be called 'productive'...

I finished the shell jacking this morning...hooked the Jeep to the floor...and drove away! I did stop by the garbage can and dispose of the last 8' of floor...exposing two passengers in the belly pan...

Anyone need these things? (last photo...)

ALANSD · 02-12-2011, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VIKING

. I installed a small window unit on a slide-out tray in my Safari and I'm really happy with the way it works. It's possible to get smaller units then they make for rooftop mounting also, so I sized one for my little trailer that's only about 18-1/2" wide and 15" tall and it works great. I can cool the interior on an 85-90 degree day parked in the sun, down to 64 degrees.
A few other cool things about it, I can run it on a single Honda 2ooo generator with power to spare, and I can replace it with a new one for $200 at Gnome Depot, or a used one for $50 off of Craigslist. Try that with a rooftop model. Oh, it has a remote control also, so I never have to get out of bed to mess with it.
Best to you,

Rich the Viking

how about a photo of how that is set up? I am looking to do the same on my 66. I saw one install that was pretty cool. Thanks

HiHoAgRV · 02-13-2011, 03:24 PM

Busy weekend...This camper is one of the years that has the belly pan wrapped up, behind the exterior skin and rolled over the c-channel...I guess there is no way of pulling the belly pan without pulling the shell!

The front pieces of ply came off real easy...no bolts into the c-channel...exposing the biggest rat nest I have ever seen

...carcass count ended at 3 rats...

Silverfoxrae · 02-13-2011, 03:44 PM

Wow. I just recently realized that there were different ways of doing the bellypan. I had been following a few restoration threads and then I started another and the 'stream was put together differently!
Rae

via~ AIR Forums App.

HiHoAgRV · 02-13-2011, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silverfoxrae

Wow. I just recently realized that there were different ways of doing the bellypan. I had been following a few restoration threads and then I started another and the 'stream was put together differently!
Rae

via~ AIR Forums App.

On my '91...the channel is shaped like the below sketch...the plywood fits between the sections...it's important that the channel not collapse or the wood won't go back in!

For the '63...nothing wraps around the plywood...just an upward facing c bolted on top...

HiHoAgRV · 02-13-2011, 06:39 PM

Oh yeah...how about this...
The week that I make the trailer un-towable...is the same week that I can offically Tow it!

Klatawa · 02-13-2011, 07:59 PM

Wonderful job! Pretty scary to take the shell off the frame. We did ours with the shell on, but we live in rainy Washington so it gave us some shelter from the elements.
Looking forward to following your progress.

VIKING · 02-14-2011, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALANSD

how about a photo of how that is set up? I am looking to do the same on my 66. I saw one install that was pretty cool. Thanks

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f427...a-c-71140.html

Hi Alansd,
Post 13 of this thread has some pics for you. I heard about this from The Vap first, but I never saw pictures of it.
I found an AC that fit behind my old furnace shroud, so it's invisible when closed.

Cheers,
Rich the Viking

Aage · 02-14-2011, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HiHoAgRV

On my '91...the channel is shaped like the below sketch...the plywood fits between the sections...it's important that the channel not collapse or the wood won't go back in!

For the '63...nothing wraps around the plywood...just an upward facing c bolted on top...

Thanks for posting those pictures of the channel, HiHo. Makes it much clearer!

You know, when you think of it, the end stuff should have been called a "U" channel!

HiHoAgRV · 02-26-2011, 12:26 PM

I can't say I'm making progress because we finally decided to stay home...we hauled the 34' to a local campground last night and spent the night...

I decided to come home and work on Dolly this morning...

Off comes the belly pan...pulling the front axle up on ramps shows the shape of the axles...they are locked in place...

just a few rivits, the corner jack bolts and some gas line screws....flop, down comes the pan...

I may pull the rear axle this afternoon...Hello, Axis? now I start spending money...