N2batr = intubater: Full time Anesthesiologist/Dad, part time flyfisherman and airstream restorer. I'm off later today to Alaska for a weeks flyfishing!! Yeah!! I'll pickup your thread on my return. Ed
I love fly fishing, did a lot of it in South Mississippi, off the coast, and bit in Scotland, a bit in Ohio (Mad River, north of Dayton). I've heard fishing is amazing in the Mississippi Sound and bayous after Katrina, lots of speckled trout and redfish coming in. Need to get back down there after the Trade Wind is buttoned up all nice and neat.
Indiana is not so great, especially when I read that the state and most municipalities use the streams and rivers as the overflow plan for high water for the sewer systems. That happens, anyway, in high water, accidentally, but intentionally???
To be perfectly honest with you I never use them. I back drill all my new holes from the inside. Picking up holes on a new sheet using the old is a good way, but on flat sheets only. On replacing the channel, I drilled pilot (#40) holes first in order to center them in the channel, then installed the new skin and back drilled them through the channel from the inside. After all is drilled then come back and step up the holes to final size from the outside. No matter how many clecos you have you will always be 25 short. To back drill the channel holes you will need an off set or "dog bone" drill attachment Brown Tool - Cart: 1121812 Brown Tool - Cart: 1121813
To be perfectly honest with you I never use them. I back drill all my new holes from the inside. Picking up holes on a new sheet using the old is a good way, but on flat sheets only. On replacing the channel, I drilled pilot (#40) holes first in order to center them in the channel, then installed the new skin and back drilled them through the channel from the inside. After all is drilled then come back and step up the holes to final size from the outside. No matter how many clecos you have you will always be 25 short. To back drill the channel holes you will need an off set or "dog bone" drill attachment Brown Tool - Cart: 1121812 Brown Tool - Cart: 1121813
Would it also be possible to just mark the location of the channel holes from the backside, take the panel off and then drill the smaller hole with the panel off?
I am curious - did you ever get a chance to read my post #71 in this thread regarding fabric interior walls?
I did have a couple of other thoughts about how to create somewhat more temporary fabric interior partitions. It occurred to me that you could make a wall panel for something like between the bedroom and the rest of the trailer by making a large fabric panel with a pocket hem sewn around the edges into which you could insert a flexible rod that would have enough springyness to hold the wall panel tight to the inner wall. I had speculated that some sort of fiberglass rod like what is used for modern tent poles could work. Maybe even the fiberglass rods that are used on bicycles for mounting a flag could work. The trick would be to get the wall panel shape just right - or maybe to use a type of fabric that has some strechyness to it. If you were to use something like expandable shower curtain rods on either side of the door opening (also in a sewn pocket) you could perhaps then make a door that is like a tent door with an overlapping flap.
I appreciate your ideas on the flexible interior partitions. Yes, I agree that materials available would lend well to durable yet portable solutions. Just in case, I'm going to hang on to the pieces I have removed from the interior. The pocket door is the best idea since sliced bread, in my opinion, generally, but it was such a pain to remove.
I saved the aluminum pieces that held the compartment bulkheads to use for templates. The spring-tension rods are a great idea, like those beach shades that pop out into shape when you release them from the storage pouch.
For our use, the privacy that we could get for shower and toilet, maybe even separate spaces for those, and for the back bedroom would be the best use of something flexible.
I'm going to give a lot more attention to this in July. Life is going to get crazy in September with a job that entails a lot of daily drive time and overnight on-call. I might be Airstreaming a few times a month. Then we have Colts season ramping up with tailgating.
Woo-hoo! Keep those good brainstorms coming. I'll keep you posted.
Anne
Quote:
Originally Posted by malconium
Anne,
I am curious - did you ever get a chance to read my post #71 in this thread regarding fabric interior walls?
I did have a couple of other thoughts about how to create somewhat more temporary fabric interior partitions. It occurred to me that you could make a wall panel for something like between the bedroom and the rest of the trailer by making a large fabric panel with a pocket hem sewn around the edges into which you could insert a flexible rod that would have enough springyness to hold the wall panel tight to the inner wall. I had speculated that some sort of fiberglass rod like what is used for modern tent poles could work. Maybe even the fiberglass rods that are used on bicycles for mounting a flag could work. The trick would be to get the wall panel shape just right - or maybe to use a type of fabric that has some strechyness to it. If you were to use something like expandable shower curtain rods on either side of the door opening (also in a sewn pocket) you could perhaps then make a door that is like a tent door with an overlapping flap.
I am relieved to discover that the black tank is in good shape. The valve is leaking, that's all. I'll be able to replace that easily from local or, at the farthest, Elkhart suppliers. Elkhart is like the center of the RV universe, at least in the Midwest, I am finding.
Where to locate the tank permanently is a challenge that I have to wait for until our outing next weekend.
For the coming weekend camping trip, I want to build a temporary set-up (well tested and driven around town for a while) with the tank in a water-tight pan on top of the floor, with a surround and riser. It's going to take a while to move the renovations forward to relocate the tank at or closer to the axles or forward, especially if I wait to learn welding enough to work with adapting the frame safely.
Any ideas, or any concerns about this temporary idea?
Photos show the broken bracket for securing the ground wire from the electrical box to the frame.
The floor was so rotten, I could not tell how the bracket was layered to make the connection to the frame. Rear end separation created the hole in the floor/U-channel. The bracket was sitting on the frame, but that could be because it was the only thing not turned to compost.
I'm ready to start bolting the floor in after the POR-15 arrives, but meanwhile, there are some connections worrying me.
Should the bracket be bolted directly to the frame, right from the box?
Should there be some kind of non-conducting material between the bracket and the U-channel and skins?
Is having it bolted to a nut that connects to the frame the point of grounding it?
If I move the box to the side, eventually, can the ground wire be bolted anywhere on the frame?
It should be fine to attach the ground connection anywhere on the frame. There is also no need to insulate the body and channel from the frame. In fact you want it to all be connected together electrically. If I recall correcly some of the 12 volt items may connect their ground side directly to the body - but I am not sure if I am remembering that correctly.
I buttoned up the Trade Wind "good enough" and we went to McCormick's Creek SP for a long weekend. We had no running water and no toilet but we managed. Having AC was great, since weather was off and on hot and humid. Overall, a beautiful weekend, though, with about 20 good friends and lots of kids.
I spotted another Airstream, but forgot my camera. The end caps were painted dark blue, almost purple, with same color highlights on the vent covers on the roof. Maybe a Colts tribute?
Long trip coming up in July, so I'm back to work on relocating the toilet/black tank/shower/ and installing new PEX water system.
Need Info: Companies that Recondition Catalytic Heaters (propane)
I am looking for contact info on companies that recondition or refurbish catalytic heaters. I could not start the one in my Trade Wind, so I decided to take it out to continue other interior repairs and work on the upholstery.
I hope while I have it out, I could send it to someone to recondition it. The cost of new replacement is pretty steep.
I could put it on eBay, I suppose, but it would be nice to find out if it could simply be repaired.
In my Trade Wind, the catalytic heater is attached to the end of one of the front twin beds, by the door. I have sealed off the gas line, but I have also considered moving the heater to a different location within the trailer.
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but we managed. Having AC was great, since weather was off and on hot and humid. Overall, a beautiful weekend, though, with about 20 good friends and lots of kids.
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