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NorCal Bambi · 06-17-2006, 09:30 PM

Some raw aluminum finish would be great. I don't know what an Airmark is. I do some research. You've make me curios. Here is another thought. I've been studying those Zolatone samples you lent me. They have an metal Zolatone finishes. One looks similar to a sand blasted aluminum. That looks interesting to me. What do you think. Do you think I'd be drummed out of the forum?
Don

uwe · 06-17-2006, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorCal Bambi

Some raw aluminum finish would be great. I don't know what an Airmark is. I do some research. You've make me curios. Here is another thought. I've been studying those Zolatone samples you lent me. They have an metal Zolatone finishes. One looks similar to a sand blasted aluminum. That looks interesting to me. What do you think. Do you think I'd be drummed out of the forum?
Don

Not by me.....
I am not sure if this particular finish is exterior grade. But that would make an excellent interior look for a retro/modern interior, no?

NorCal Bambi · 06-17-2006, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uwe

Not by me.....
I am not sure if this particular finish is exterior grade. But that would make an excellent interior look for a retro/modern interior, no?

Yes, I've been thinking about that for the 55FC.
Don

CaddyGrn · 06-17-2006, 09:41 PM

I am beginning to become attracted to the Airstream Pattern Baldness on the outside of our Bambi... I am fond of my "middle aged" man... besides if we fiddle with polishing we will never go camping...

NorCal Bambi · 06-17-2006, 09:48 PM

Uwe, What have you done about door weather stripping. I have the material for Vintage trailer supply. I tried first putting in on the door. That was wrong. The door would not close. I looked at the 55FC and the molding is on the body door opening. I'm com fused. Where does the material go. And what should be used. Is there a picture here of what you have done?
Don

uwe · 06-18-2006, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorCal Bambi

Uwe, What have you done about door weather stripping. I have the material for Vintage trailer supply. I tried first putting in on the door. That was wrong. The door would not close. I looked at the 55FC and the molding is on the body door opening. I'm com fused. Where does the material go. And what should be used. Is there a picture here of what you have done?
Don

Don,
I was unable to make any of the 1963 specific gasket material work. What ended up fitting the best was the door gasket from my 1971 TradeWind.
The 71 uses the same gasket for the door, window, and access hatches. This is the material I used: http://www.inlandrv.com/parts/005s-gasket.jpg
Their item number is 45295. I applied it to the inside of the lip of the door jamb, with the flaps facing to the center of the door void.
I am waiting for this rubber to take a set, so I can run a second gasket around the door edge, close tot he door's frame, effectively forming a double seal.
I tried every other available gasket for this trailer, from both InlandRV and Vintagetrailersupply, and could not close the door after gasket installation. That was frustrating, cleaning off a whole tube of 3M weatherstrip adhesive TWICE.

3Ms75Argosy · 06-18-2006, 10:40 AM

but I really like the polish job so far that you've done. Here's a pic from "Trailer Works" of a satin type finsh... apparently with some sort of "floride" type polish. I wonder if he used toothpaste with a edge buffer in one direction only? I do like the end result here too... sort of like raw aluminum.
http://www.trailerworks.biz/FritzFlyingCloud.html

If I may... do you put the rouge on the metal frames (does it just wipe on ... is it a soft stick?) and then slowly buff it off? Sounds easy! Hah! I know! My face and arms were black after my first go around on the Argosy. I'm going to try it again this week (if the weather holds up ok).
How about using RTV (engine gasket sealent) for the miters of the weatherstripping? I'd experiment OFF the trailer first though!

Marc

uwe · 06-18-2006, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3Ms75Argosy

but I really like the polish job so far that you've done. Here's a pic from "Trailer Works" of a satin type finsh... apparently with some sort of "floride" type polish. I wonder if he used toothpaste with a edge buffer in one direction only? I do like the end result here too... sort of like raw aluminum.
http://www.trailerworks.biz/FritzFlyingCloud.html

If I may... do you put the rouge on the metal frames (does it just wipe on ... is it a soft stick?) and then slowly buff it off? Sounds easy! Hah! I know! My face and arms were black after my first go around on the Argosy. I'm going to try it again this week (if the weather holds up ok).
How about using RTV (engine gasket sealent) for the miters of the weatherstripping? I'd experiment OFF the trailer first though!

Marc

Hi Marc,

The rouge coms ina bar, or a cylindrical stick. You abrade wom of it onto the spinning wheel, and then hit the meata with it, nice and easy. Sewn cotton buffs worked well for me. I got them from Caswellplating.com Order them by Arbor size. It actually is quite easy. I used the same system on problem areas of the skin, and for cutting in arund the window frames etc.
Aircraft get polished similar to this, the Airmark buffer is not much more than a really wide and tricked out buffing wheel.
I will try grey RTV for the rubber miters, or perhaps weather strip adhesive.

wkerfoot · 06-19-2006, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uwe

While on the subject of Windows and associated hardware.....I went to visit my local small box hardware store ( True Value) Friday afternoon, all my screens in hand. My objective was to find a place to install new screening in the existing frames, and have noe of the more corrodet screen frames reproduced. So they took the order, and had me pre-pay about $ 11.00 per screen, which I thought was ok. Come to find out, that's not re-screening, that's an entirely new screen, made to the exact specs of the old ones! Yay!
So now I am getting all new screens, for less than $ 80.00
Small box local hardware stores ROCK!
Thanks, Bill Kerfoot, for the referral!

Uwe,

Glad it worked out for you. Just returned from Lake San Antonio, my god it was hot.

Bill

ankornuta · 06-20-2006, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wkerfoot

Uwe,

Glad it worked out for you. Just returned from Lake San Antonio, my god it was hot.

Bill

You oughta come out to Phoenix if you want to see hot!

uwe · 06-20-2006, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ankornuta

You oughta come out to Phoenix if you want to see hot!

I think the hottest I've been in a while was a few weeks ago, riding my motorcycle back from Las Vegas to Orange County. The stretch between Baker and Barstow just about did me in. Had to wear my leathers just to stay cool. Ok, enough heat talk....summer's not even really here yet.

NorCal Bambi · 06-26-2006, 07:03 AM

How is the polish job coming? Is it as hot where you are. Even here in Northern CA at 2700 feet its been 108. A whole new understanding for the Airstream nick name of toaster. I have several thermometers on my trailer. Outside skin 120, in between the skins. 105. inside the trailer 94. These temps have varied but these numbers are general. What do you think?
Don

uwe · 06-26-2006, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorCal Bambi

How is the polish job coming? Is it as hot where you are. Even here in Northern CA at 2700 feet its been 108. A whole new understanding for the Airstream nick name of toaster. I have several thermometers on my trailer. Outside skin 120, in between the skins. 105. inside the trailer 94. These temps have varied but these numbers are general. What do you think?
Don

The polish job is going well, although slowly. Cyclo polishing takes a quite a bit of time, and is very tedious, as far as contamination is concerned. Everything has to be surgically clean to avoid cyclo swirls. I am trying to get the top to the window line and the segments done before our 4th of July outing next Friday.
Lynn ( Cloud55) is working on the upholstery right now, so we might even have a place to sit by the dinette.
Airstreams do get hot inside. We camped in Baja in June a few years back, and it got very hot. However, it's still a shady place to escapt to when it's 115 outside. The windows on my 71 were fantastic - open all of them and it's a nice breeze going through thte trailer. Kept us comfortable, anyways. That is where an awning really helps.
Visiting white box onwer's trailers in teh heat of summer has revealed that their's feels just as hot.
It got to the high 90's here yesterday, with mucho humidity. I think it's thehumidity that makes me miserable.

uwe · 07-04-2006, 05:38 PM

Ready to go, fridge cooled and stocked, water tanks full, spirits high!

uwe · 07-04-2006, 05:50 PM

We arrived Friday night, after 9:00 PM. It felt balmy- usually a bad sign for the desert climate of Temecula. It ususally means hot days to follow, and so it was. 100+ for 2 days, with nights in the high 70's. Fortunately, we had a shady site, until about 3:00PM, when the sun hit it broadside.....
The polish job looks much better in teh pictures than it does in real life. It still needs to be finished with the cyclo. But alrady, it sort of disappears in nature, reflecting everything around it. Neat.

uwe · 07-04-2006, 05:54 PM

My a/c system really worked well, keeping the trailer cool in 100+ degree heat. ( supposedly 104F)
There was hardly any condensation dripping out, the heat was so dry. But it kept us comfy and cool, even though only one of the vents was working. I give this high hope once both output ducts are blowing cold air.
Here some pictures of the outside vent open, the WD handle doubling as a lid stay.
At night, keeping the two Fantastic Vents on low speed kept us nice and comfy.

uwe · 07-04-2006, 05:56 PM

and they will come and sleep in it....
Our cat Trouble, all comfy and cool cuddling with Didi's feet....

uwe · 07-04-2006, 06:04 PM

I am experiencing a very strange problem with my hot water circuit.
I get warm water at best, not hot, out of all the hot water faucets. With the city hose connected, it's cool water, just a few degrees warmer than the cold water. I have checked my plumbing runs over and over, and can't find a point where it would be crossed or otherwise messed up....
Here's what I got:
Basically, the pump and city water feed the cold water side. This run feeds all the faucets, the toilet and the water heater bottom "cold" side. Just before the water heater inlet, there's a one way valve connected, to prevent hot water from siphoning back through the cold faucets.
The hot water run originates at the top of the water heater, and feeds the hot water side of the faucets only. No secrets, no brain surgery, right?
So why on earth am I not getting a decent shower?....It's as if the water heater was internally by-passed or something like that.
Now, if I turn the pump off, and turn the city water off, I get hot ( nice and hot) water out of the hot faucet in the galley, until the pressure is gone. Turn the pump on, and it's cool water again. The temperature fluctuates a little as the pump cycles. Cool to a little warmer back to cool etc.
Good thing it was blistering hot all weekend, and a coo-ish shower actually felt nice.
Any Ideas?

**azflycaster** · 07-04-2006, 06:41 PM

Uwe,
Wow that 63 looks great! Did your TW shine up that well?
About your hot (not hot) water problem. Water at the hot taps has to go through the water heater or does it? Do you have any kind of mixing valve some where in the trailer to limit the temperture of the hot water? Also are all of your faucets two handle or one? Maybe under pressure water is passing from the cold to the hot at one of these.

The water problem on my TW was alot easier then this to figure out. It worked fine when pumped from the tank, but backwards (hot / cold) when on city water. The city water was connected to a hot water line. What made it really easy to figure out was the PO told me!

uwe · 07-04-2006, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azflycaster

Uwe,
Wow that 63 looks great! Did your TW shine up that well?
About your hot (not hot) water problem. Water at the hot taps has to go through the water heater or does it? Do you have any kind of mixing valve some where in the trailer to limit the temperture of the hot water? Also are all of your faucets two handle or one? Maybe under pressure water is passing from the cold to the hot at one of these.

The water problem on my TW was alot easier then this to figure out. It worked fine when pumped from the tank, but backwards (hot / cold) when on city water. The city water was connected to a hot water line. What made it really easy to figure out was the PO told me!

I never polishd the TradeWind - it looked good just cleaned and Walbernized, even though it had some cler coat problems.
All my faucets are 2-handle faucets. I am stumed by this phenomena, and have double checked my work 11 times..how's that for excessive-compulsive.