The 23D thread

[RFP]

Originally Posted by Troutboy

Rob, nice work as always. You are a true craftsman.

How do you install the laminate? Does it come with a glue backing?

Thanks, "Trout!"

I just do it the old fashioned way... contact cement applied with a foam roller. I've done it this way for decades and it works every time. Of course, it gets easier the more you do. I must admit to envying factory production where the adhesive is 'automatically' applied... spraying, etc.

[GMFL]

Rob,
Your table design should receive an award 🥇. Your attention to detail (obsessive compulsive disorder)
Puts your craftsmanship in a class all its own! The Lord has truely blessed you with......[something].....that's for sure.
P.S.
NICE WORK!
You should be very proud. That table is a masterpiece.

[Boog]

Hey Rob, great work! I don’t have your talents, but I do have the ability to take a simple 30-minute task and turn it into an all-day project. Here’s one that I completed yesterday - I noticed a little dirt at the opening of my refrigerator burner tube, so I decided to investigate... it was packed full of mud dauber nest. There are only three screws that need to be removed in order to disassemble the burner. I’ll have to make some temporary screens to keep those buggers out while it’s not being used.

[GMFL]

Look what showed up yesterday. Plan to get them installed before our trip to the beach next week. I'll post a detailed thread on the process. Thank Rich for the photos.
I'll try to do as good of a job as Rich did with his thread on his lift kit install
Thanks

[Troutboy]

Wow Boog! How did they get in? Don't you have screens on the two vent panels? Now I have this urge to go check mine....

[Troutboy]

Nice Ronnie! You will do great with it. Good luck and remember the golden rule " think hard about how long it will take, then multiply by 3"! That works for me now....... errr wait. That's what the wife does when I tell her how long a job will take....

[PKI]

Someone suggested a flee collar in the compartment to discourage residence. About time to change to a new one. Pat

[dolson]

Fan shelf

[dolson]

Sorry wrong forum

[RFP]

Well, this little folding table project is nearing completion. Only the final finish needs to be applied to the table tops' edges, and install the hinges.

It works perfectly. And everything that I built is solid and everything works perfectly... as good as I had hoped.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

However, there is a "wiggly-ness" problem that I anticipated but it's more pronounced that I expected, and certainly more than I'm willing to "let be."

Simply stated, the Airstream wall flexes too much. My table attaches to this wall approximately twice as far below the front window as the factory table. Of course, the farther from the inherent sturdiness of the window underlying structure, the more flex. Dang.

Certainly, the factory Wiggled" a bit, although I can't remember just how much. But I'm thinking that because of where the attachment is made, my table is probably "twice as wiggly" (no way to quantify that).

I will solve this, but right now, I don't know how. I need to step back from this sucker for a couple of days, Maybe an anti-wiggle scheme will miraculously pop into what's-left-of-my-mind.

I need to find a photo of the structure under the interior skin of the front end cap.

In the meantime, Sunday is our 57th anniversary, and I'm working to finalize getting my construction team ready to go to Panama in a month (our church is building a church and clinic in Santiago, Panama).

Have a great weekend, everybody... I sure hope somebody's out in their Airstream!

Rob

[RFP]

Originally Posted by dolson

Sorry wrong forum

Wrong Forum or not, it's still a good mod... well done!

Rob

[Troutboy]

Rob. By a sheet of 1/8 inch aluminum, cut it to length to span two ribs, cut it to width of the table/wall attachment plate, and then screw it to two ribs. It will remove all wiggle...

Also, Happy Anniversary!

[GMFL]

Got the awnings installed today. 5hr 45 min was the total time of the project. I will post a detailed description of the install later. For now. Nite nite

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by RFP

. . .
However, there is a "wiggly-ness" problem that I anticipated but it's more pronounced that I expected, and certainly more than I'm willing to "let be."

Simply stated, the Airstream wall flexes too much. My table attaches to this wall approximately twice as far below the front window as the factory table. Of course, the farther from the inherent sturdiness of the window underlying structure, the more flex. Dang.

Certainly, the factory Wiggled" a bit, although I can't remember just how much. But I'm thinking that because of where the attachment is made, my table is probably "twice as wiggly" (no way to quantify that).

I will solve this, but right now, I don't know how. I need to step back from this sucker for a couple of days, Maybe an anti-wiggle scheme will miraculously pop into what's-left-of-my-mind.
. . .

This flex in the whole set up is why I asked early on about the possibility of lowering the new table to its "bed" position for road action, just to be clear. Especially in the extended position for a full table, side-to-side road action will whip the end of the table around, and challenge the fasteners at the wall. [edit -- especially with all the new added weight at the far end of the new "pendulum" table.]

Of course, not many of us have probably ever sat in a trailer to witness road action like this, but the forces are profound IMO.

The recent suggestion of adding an aluminum mounting board will help, by spreading the load to two ribs, but the fasteners for the entire set up will all be subject to loosening by vibration over time, unless one can get an aircraft nylon insert nut behind the ribs. Or maybe a few rivets at each end, very well placed and installed just right.

The "right" solution unfortunately is to lower the table to become a bed while on the road. Airstream has many decades of design input on the effect of road action on dinette table tops, and the design signs all lead to one conservative destination IMO.
[ De . . . sign . . . ? ]

Nice looking work. Happy anniversary and have a great trip!

Cheers,

Peter

PS -- Post #153 -- click on arrow to go to that part of this thread:

Originally Posted by OTRA15

For rough roads, stowing the dinette top down as a bed platform is recommended to avoid damage, due to the table in the raised position being subjected to fairly extreme-road-motion-induced action. A number of posts in various threads about other models have raised this issue, as lowering the table can be a pain to do. In our FC20 we drop the table routinely for all towing, as a conservative measure. We also use the dinette a lot as a bed, so the transition is an easy one.

I would be concerned that your new set up, with the slides now added into the mix, will be more vulnerable to road action causing damage. So I would recommend that you have a very secure way of locking the new top against the interior of the trailer.

Rough road action is not just up and down. It can also be pretty extreme side-to-side on the horizontal plane. Swerving the rig to avoid a collision, or a pothole in the road, etc., . . . you know that sort of thing.
. . .

[OTRA15]

PS the front interior skin is probably a compound curve where the table mounts. Very slight but still compound IMO. A new mounting plate of flat aluminum stock runs the risk of dimpling the skin at its outer corners when it is snugged up tight to the ribs, kind of like Bandaids can leave a rash.

[RFP]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

PS the front interior skin is probably a compound curve where the table mounts. Very slight but still compound IMO. A new mounting plate of flat aluminum stock runs the risk of dimpling the skin at its outer corners when it is snugged up tight to the ribs, kind of like Bandaids can leave a rash.

Yep, I know all that

[dolson]

Originally Posted by GMFL

Got the awnings installed today. 5hr 45 min was the total time of the project. I will post a detailed description of the install later. For now. Nite nite

Is it possible to mount window awning to the already present awning rail at the roof line? I would prefer not to have to add another rail. My 23 does not have vista windows. Obviously would have to modify the arms to fit the roof curve.

[GMFL]

Originally Posted by dolson

Is it possible to mount window awning to the already present awning rail at the roof line? I would prefer not to have to add another rail. My 23 does not have vista windows. Obviously would have to modify the arms to fit the roof curve.

I do not think so......
Here is why. Soooo. Airstream uses the "awning rail" as a roof curb on both sides of the trailer, more like a gutter to prevent water from running down the entire side of the trailer. The street side awing mounted to this higher rail is not long enough and if mounted there it would not shade the side windows at all.
I guess you could purchase a 2nd curb side "main" awning and mount that one to the street side of your trailer.
But...... if both awnings were deployed and a strong headwind came through it would not be an AIRSTREAM it would be an........
Drum roll....... Please.........
AIRPLANE

[Troutboy]

Originally Posted by GMFL

Got the awnings installed today. 5hr 45 min was the total time of the project. I will post a detailed description of the install later. For now. Nite nite

Awesome!! Congrats and you will love it. Keeps her much cooler!! Nice job Ronnie. You saved a time of $$$

[GMFL]

Here is a link to my Zip Dee awning installation guide.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f442...ml#post1964587