Hopefully, all he will NEED to do for me at this point is pack the wheel bearings and fix the brakes up. (BTW, it's one electic and one hydraulic brake on the '63s, correct?) Maybe I should have him put on some new Goodyear Marathon tires too.?. Although I plan on it sitting at my place for awhile for remodeling. So maybe it should sit on old tires. HEY, what is the best surface for these trailers to sit on? I was thinking of making a spot with sand and brick, any suggestions?
We '63-ers need to stay together. I understand parts need to be custom made for us, that they are no longer manufactured. : (
Richard; I'm in Durham NC!!!
The electric/hydraulic setup was an option for a while, ours has 4 wheel electric, so that was one less potential issue.
I am planning on using our trailer while we fix it up, so we went with Marathons right away. If you are going to just tow the trailer home, and leave it sit for a while to work on it, you can still find the original 7.00x15LT tires to go under it. Where we bought our tires, they had 4 there, for a few dollars less than Marathons. They weere an off-brand, however, and warranty would have been a problem.
The "best" surface to store your trailer on is either gravel, weed-free, or asphalt. If you store on gravel, make sure you keep the weeds down, as the grass will trap moisture under the trailer, and cause the aluminum belly pan to corrode.
Since our pressurized galvanized water tank leaks (suprise, suprise), I am planning on removing it, and installing an on-demand system, with a non-presssurized plastic tank for the water. Sooo, how do I hook up city water to the trailer, and how do I keep the water tank from filling and overflowing? Do I need to put an internal pressure regulator somewhere in the system, or can I just continue to use the external one I have always used at the campgrounds?
The pump is of course a 12v unit, which brings me to my next question. Does anyone know where the fuses are for the 12v system? I have looked pretty thoroughly around where the battery is, and can find nothing. I have also looked in the front storage compartment where I and several others thought they would be, and did not find them there, either. They are not in the exterior storage compartment, nor are they in the closet with the circuit breakers.
The water inlet issue is the easy part of your questions. The water inlet should tap into a water line after the pump output. The pump has the check valve in it to stop the water from flowing back into the tank. This inlet can be anywhere on the cold water side of the plumbing but should be before the cold water inlet to the water heater for pressure balancing.
The pressure regulator is a personal preference. Airstream is one of the few that have an internal one from what I read.
On the fuse issue..... best guess, there is no 12 volt distribution panel so there are no fuses.
__________________ Brett G WBCCI #5501 AIR # 49
Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something. -- Plato
Logic is the one way you can go wrong with confidence - Charles E. Kettering
5-The previous owner (not Richard) installed 120v lights where the 12v lights go.
Are you sure about this? Our trailer is doubled wired. All the lamps have two bulbs--one that is 120v, one that is 12v. I know this is also done on 62s, so that might be what you have (or if the lamps are newer replacements, you can probably fish out 12v wiring from the walls).
It's actually a pretty good system, the wiring on ours is nicely done with plastic covered wire--we really couldn't see any reason to change it, except to add a GFI.
Mary
__________________
Mary Dotson, WBCCI/WDCU #9026
Our Airstream reconstruction adventure continues! Read the details at Tales of the Toaster
...Sooo, how do I hook up city water to the trailer, and how do I keep the water tank from filling and overflowing? Do I need to put an internal pressure regulator somewhere in the system, or can I just continue to use the external one I have always used at the campgrounds?...
Terry,
Brett already covered your plumbing questions quite well, but I thought a couple of pix might help. This image:
shows what Airstream used in 1967. The checkvalve is important for when you are using your potable water tank. If the CV was not there, and the hose end was not capped, water would go everywhere. BTW, they also make regulators with the check valve built in. Oh, and don't forget the Over Pressure Relief valve if you do not already have one.
My Overlander has a "One Stop Service Center" accessible via an access door above the bumper. While inconvenient by today's standards, the only complaint I have is that it is tough to stick both the shore power & shore water lines through the small access hole at the bottom of the door.
The attached thumbnail gives you an idea of how shore water is connected to the plumbing.
Hope this helps (I don't have a clue about the fuses ),
Tom
Are you sure about this? Our trailer is doubled wired. All the lamps have two bulbs--one that is 120v, one that is 12v. I know this is also done on 62s, so that might be what you have (or if the lamps are newer replacements, you can probably fish out 12v wiring from the walls).
It's actually a pretty good system, the wiring on ours is nicely done with plastic covered wire--we really couldn't see any reason to change it, except to add a GFI.
Mary
Mary, yes, I am sure there are 120v bulbs in place of the 12v ones, they are cleary marked "60w 120v". 12v lights are available with the same base as the standard household bulbs. I am guessing the 12v system is intact, it just has the wrong voltage bulbs installed throughout the trailer. I still can't find any fuses for the low-voltage system. I really don't want my new trailer doing its own little version of three mile island when I am out in the boonies. If there are no fuses, I think I will put SOMETHING in the line to protect the system, even if it is only a 20 amp automotive glass fuse, in the + lead into the trailer.
Terry Have you checked all the secret compartments????
I was in a 64 GlobeTrotter and looking in their closet beside the bath there was a panel that you could remove and you had to be houdini to access it but wow there was the electrical stuff - the battery access door on the outside was fairly far away from that spot too - so you had to have 4' long arms.
Airstream must have employed gremlins in the early years
Have you looked behind the toilet, way in back of bath vanity, under beds pull out drawers or unscrew bed boards by wheel wells - it could be anywhere - but it should be there - unless of course it was removed and the PO only had a need for the 120V system???
__________________ Streaming in the spirit of Exploration... "To go places and do things that have never
been done before-that's what living is all about." - M. Collins
Terry Have you checked all the secret compartments????
Have you looked behind the toilet, way in back of bath vanity, under beds pull out drawers or unscrew bed boards by wheel wells - it could be anywhere - but it should be there - unless of course it was removed and the PO only had a need for the 120V system???
I have even checked in the black water tank, no fuses there, either. No spot where it looked like there were even any fuses at one time. I guess I will have to get creative. Hello, Napa? I need...
Our Astrodome cover was gone when we got the trailer, and the cranks are non-operable, so I decided rather than spend a couple of hunderd dollars for a replacement Astrodome, I would take a piece of plexiglass, and some stainless steel screws, and build a skylight. Here is a photo or two of how it looks now.
Check out the west marine for a small distribution block. They are comparably priced and will be available in a current style blade fuse configuration vs having to go glass fused like much of the aftermarket automotive.
__________________ Brett G WBCCI #5501 AIR # 49
Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something. -- Plato
Logic is the one way you can go wrong with confidence - Charles E. Kettering
Those of you who are very observant, may have noticed a huge patch towards the street side rear, where the water heater used to be. Why the PO removed it in the first place, is anybody's guess, as he didn't replace it, and didn't even have the water lines blocked off to use cold water.
So, while Marie was trying to scrape up tiles off the floor, I decided to remove the huge patch and see how much I would have to repair, to repair the repair. Umm...
Anyway, I removed about 45 rivets, and 50+ screws, and found a only slightly larger than normal hole in the side of the trailer. Any ideas on how to patch, without replacing the whole panel, and having it look acceptable?
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If there are no fuses, I think I will put SOMETHING in the line to protect the system, even if it is only a 20 amp automotive glass fuse, in the + lead into the trailer.
. No spot where it looked like there were even any fuses at one time. I guess I will have to get creative. Hello, Napa? I need...
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