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LI Pets · 11-10-2006, 04:36 AM

I have the prodex and yes if can be used all around.

I'm using some in my basement of my house. It is R-14.

The 2024 T3 is what to use outside on the shell.

The 5000 is on the belly pans etc

You can buy it perhaps in your home town not have shipping costs and there is a online place can't think of the name tight now ..... too early in morning

sequoiacoast · 11-10-2006, 08:22 AM

2024-T3 alclad .032: exterior skin www.wicksaircraft.com .

Banana wrap & belly pan: 5052-H32 .025: www.metalsupermarkets.com
(there's 3 in CA: Hayward, Redwood City, Santa Clara)

The cheapest I could find were these sources. I called ahead to metal supermarkets and they had my order ready to go. It comes in 4' wide sheets (by 12' ?) They cut mine into 5 & 7 foot chunks. I didn't replace all of my belly, so I ran the alum. with the 4' width from tongue to bumper. I also don't have shears.. so I wanted to do the least amount of snipping. I still haven't finished covering the black tank. I want to be sure it doesn't leak after water hook-ups are checked.

Anyway, I remember hunting down the best prices.. and these are what I ended up with. The exterior isn't cheap with shipping.. so order more than you need. Or maybe being down there you can find a source: airplanes

- we barely have an airport- so---.

pinkflamingoes · 11-10-2006, 12:51 PM

Thanks Lipets, I'm going to buy a roll, because we tore out all the stinky old yellow asbestos and are planning to tear out the rest from the top panels later on.

Sequoia, I called the metalsupermarkets around here and they were really helpful, but all of the possibilities I could use for the belly pan (our exterior is fine) were something they needed to outsource. I guess that particular store doesn't get many requests for that aluminum. I told him three different types I could use and he suggested I keep shopping around. I can vouch for their good customer service though. Airparts or Aircraft Spruce is the way to go it looks like. I think they're cheaper even with shipping to my location.

Condoluminum · 11-14-2006, 02:44 PM

Ingrid-

The four digit codes are alloy numbers for different mixes or recipes of aluminum... The 2000 series (2024, etc) are primarily alloyed with copper and aluminum. The 5000 series (5051) are mostly mixed with magnesium. The 6000 series include magnesium and silicon. The other items mixed in affect corrosion, weldability, hardness and forming strength..

The next series of codes are either heat treating or hardening codes.. Each describe a particular method of cooking or treating chemically to soften or harden the metal after it is rolled into a sheet.

Finally, there are cladding (Al-clad) or anodizing (chemical coating like plating to cover surface) or clearcoating (painted or applied to surface and baked) designed to protect the surface...

Airstream's engineers can define the right stuff for panels and belly, making your job easier to just find good cheap source for right alloy and treatment and thickness..

John McG

>> Dad spent 45 years at Alcoa, including helping aircraft designers like Jack Northrop and Mustang teams do their thing during WW II in LA... We could recite the Hall Process to convert bauxite to aluminum by third grade...

pinkflamingoes · 11-14-2006, 11:38 PM

Thanks John, that actually made sense. I do plan to call and let the vendor tell me what's best, but I hate not knowing nothing about what I'm talking about when I call. We're in progress limbo until we get back from Thanksgiving vacation, but in the meantime I like to learn as much as I can about the next step. Your trailer got home OK?

Now I know who to go to for my aluminum questions. Got any tequila questions?

pinkflamingoes · 12-31-2006, 03:35 PM

I suppose I should at least check in with my thread fans and let them know how things are going.

The last time I posted we were heading off to Washington State for Thanksgiving, and here it is New Year's Eve. Boom! That was fast.

Progress has been made but not on the trailer. We have a fixer-upper house which is just about "done" being fixxer-uppered. We aren't doing anything fancy, but we've been in our humble abode for 10 years now, and our house is finally rot-free and there are new, working devices like toilets, ovens, showers, etc. throughout. It doesn't leak, has heat, plumbing, and electricity everywhere we need it. And it's painted, at least on the inside.

Two years ago, we decided to gut the front bathroom and slap an "out of order" sign on the door instead of leave it in its stinky state. We had people coming over for a big party and it was so disgusting I felt it was better for everyone, given the smell from the toilet that had leaked and rotted the floorfor years before we bought the house. It stayed gutted with the sign on the door until two weeks ago. My daughter wanted a sleepover for her 8th birthday, and I happily stated "Oh we can't! No front bathroom" since I'm not the Mom who loves sleepovers. So my husband asked me if he remodeled tha bathroom, could we have the sleepover? I said yes, knowing he couldn't do it in 10 days, with Christmas coming up and a weeklong trip out of state. I was wrong! He finished it, with the exception of shower walls and a couple of cabinets. We had the sleepover, did our shopping, went on vacation for a week, and had Christmas.

We have a fence to replace and some minor details (like cabinets and shower walls) to finish in the house, but the big stuff is pretty much done and now I can start putting money towards the Airstream. I don't want to bug Jeff quite yet about doing a shell-off, but it's coming...I have some shopping and saving to do, and then we're off!

sequoiacoast · 01-01-2007, 10:35 AM

Thanks for the update! It's amazing what the pressure of incoming guests or a daughter's dream can do to motivate our over-worked husbands!! I got mine to finish painting and trimming out our daughter's room for Christmas- sort of a HGTV thing- I think they have a lot of off-camera back-up!!

Did you get anything airstream related for Christmas? Happy new year and shell-offing....!!!

pinkflamingoes · 01-01-2007, 03:58 PM

Hey! Nice to know someone cares about my ranting...yep, I got the Nick and Nora sheetset from my Mom and a friend, and a promise to sew them into sheets for the AS. I also got a garage cleanup and the driveway spotless, one of those things that sometimes gets me into preparation mode for working on the trailer. I really like the idea of focusing on one thing.

Happy New Year!

TinShack · 01-01-2007, 06:37 PM

Great Ingrid. I would love to see your AS rolling for a summer or fall rally. Do you think that's a possibility? San Antonio beckons...

Condoluminum · 01-02-2007, 02:23 PM

Ingrid-

Thanks for update... It does seem a lot like it was just October, and we're pulling down Christmas lights today...

Even getting things off Jeff's To Do List is progress towards having him available for shell off thing, and floor/wall/cabinet rebuilds... Glad house is "nearly finished" (I think many of us are in similar state of home-ownership..) and hope weather cooperates for spring... Did you solve shower pan/tub problem? That may be something worth looking in RV salvage places for, if plumbing lines up, or Lowe's/Home Depot sell fiberglass units you could cut to fit...

Condo worked well as backup kitchen/overflow refrigerator for holidays, and we'll test the new tires on trip to 29 Palms next week... Dianne found some new Airstream/Santa placemats and dish towels for Christmas, so we're decorated for the holidays...

I finished reading Wally's 1961 book written as he was completing the Capetown to Cairo event... He was trully unflappable, and after reading of all the mechanical mayhem and broken trailers and trucks and logistical crises, I'll never get upset about a flat tire again...

John McG

pinkflamingoes · 01-02-2007, 08:21 PM

I think that is a good idea, shooting for San Antonio with a trailer, even if we end up bringing tents also, and the trailer is just a towable shell. It is a possibility, and even if I just have to tell myself that to get a bunch of work done, that's what I'll do. That rally was just too fun to miss this year.

I know that Jeff was preoccupied with the house over the trailer, and feels good that he got it done. I've never been the one to stress out about an unfinished house, at least not to the degree that other homeowners that we've seen. Partially because we were able to buy this house for a grand total of five dollars down, right before prices skyrocketed. I've always wanted to travel rather than buy fancy things (sports and computer equipment are the exception to that rule), but that bathroom was definitely a priority and I'll be danged if he didn't finish it for Amelia's 8th. I should tell her to ask for a party in the Airstream!

Have fun in 29 Palms for me!

pinkflamingoes · 02-04-2007, 03:31 PM

I posted a classified for a window part today. Here's what I need, three of them:

windowcrankassy on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

And just so it's not considered a double post or a post in the wrong place, I'll tell you about some progress. I traded PM's with Kevbo on this forum and I'm going to clean an aluminum window part later on. With a rag.

uwe · 02-04-2007, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinkflamingoes

I posted a classified for a window part today. Here's what I need, three of them:

windowcrankassy on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

And just so it's not considered a double post or a post in the wrong place, I'll tell you about some progress. I traded PM's with Kevbo on this forum and I'm going to clean an aluminum window part later on. With a rag.

There'sone on ebay
eBay Motors: Vintage AIRSTREAM window latch -mid 60's RARE (item 220076765240 end time Feb-04-07 19:37:34 PST)

pinkflamingoes · 02-04-2007, 05:45 PM

Uwe thanks for finding that for me. The price is up to over $30 and I need three. I have all that I need of that part except for the screw device in the middle. I think I might just try to make one myself out of a thick screw or something, my neighbor is a retired machinist, maybe he can make something for me. I can't afford those!

ingrid

pinkflamingoes · 02-04-2007, 10:38 PM

I solved my window crank assembly problem.

I had soaked the center screws with the rotating sphere on it in Naval Jelly three times, once even overnight, and they wouldn't budge, frozen completely. Jeff is stronger than I am and he got them working again. Some things I'm just not strong enough to do. The winning bid of $42 for one of these on ebay got me motivated to ask for help. Now I can close the last window and finish the last one. I think the one in the picture is one of the three that were frozen up. Looks much better now.

BIGED52 · 02-04-2007, 10:59 PM

Ingrid, Glad you got them all working. How did you do on re-installing the vista view? Ed

pinkflamingoes · 02-05-2007, 12:06 PM

Hi Ed; I'm cleaning up the aluminum pieces that brace in the window today, and then it goes back in. I'll post pics!

BIGED52 · 02-05-2007, 01:20 PM

I am just wondering if those non opening Vista View windows used tape at all originally. Since they have the gray gasket on them, and don't open, they might have only used Sikaflex221 or Vulkem to seal the glass into the gasket. Check around the other one you haven't disturbed yet and see if you can tell if there is black tape between the gray gasket and the glass. If not you will save yourself a lot of work and maybe some aggravation trying to get the gasket on over the tape on the edges of the glass. I would go look at mine but the wind chill is about -20 degrees outside right now at 2:15 P.M. and "brother it's cold outside"! Hope this helps... let me know. Ed

Condoluminum · 02-05-2007, 01:26 PM

Ingrid-

Congrats on getting windows done... I'm thinking you should change signature to "Pink Tortoise" as in "slow and steady gets the job done..."
Glad to hear you're coming to visit us at Russian River... Not sure if you went to RV show in Pleasanton, but they had some interesting one piece fiberglass shower enclosures, including curved doors that are large and looked pretty solid in some of the fifth wheel units.

pinkflamingoes · 02-05-2007, 06:37 PM

I looked; I think you're right. I don't see tape anywhere, but there is a gasket underneath the brackets where it meets the inner window frame.

Still haven't gotten to cleaning the brackets though. Maybe tomorrow.

I'll look into those when the time comes Condo! I waited just long enough for curved windows to be purchased aftermarket through VTS...maybe they'll have bathroom units by the time I get to that point.

Later...

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIGED52

I am just wondering if those non opening Vista View windows used tape at all originally. Since they have the gray gasket on them, and don't open, they might have only used Sikaflex221 or Vulkem to seal the glass into the gasket. Check around the other one you haven't disturbed yet and see if you can tell if there is black tape between the gray gasket and the glass. If not you will save yourself a lot of work and maybe some aggravation trying to get the gasket on over the tape on the edges of the glass. I would go look at mine but the wind chill is about -20 degrees outside right now at 2:15 P.M. and "brother it's cold outside"! Hope this helps... let me know. Ed