We spent quite a bit of time over the holiday weekend replacing all the damaged plumbing. We ended up just cutting out the damaged copper piping and then replacing it with new copper piping. Everything went smoothly until we tested it with water and discovered the water heater has a leak. Our next steps are to figure out how to remove the damaged water heater and where to find a suitable replacement unless someone thinks the original water heater can be repaired.
We spent all day Sunday pulling out the old water heater along with measuring and prepping for the new water heater.
The first photograph shows the original water heater half hanging out the access door -- what a beast! We were never able to get the heater out the access door. We ended up cutting off all the protruding parts and pipes and then we flipped it on its side and pulled it out through the closet.
The second photograph shows what the new 6-gallon Suburban hot water heater looks like in place. What a size difference!
The third photograph shows the original access door and vent on the trailer which we wanted to keep to preserve the original look of the trailer. Luckily we were able to find a new replacement water heater with venting that lined up perfectly with the venting location in the access door.
Question: In the first and second photos, you can see remnants of what looks like plumbers putty on the skin of the Airstream where the border for the access door goes. The border is made out of aluminum too. My question is what should we use between the Airstream and the door border when we go to put it all back together again?
Question: In the first and second photos, you can see remnants of what looks like plumbers putty on the skin of the Airstream where the border for the access door goes. The border is made out of aluminum too. My question is what should we use between the Airstream and the door border when we go to put it all back together again?
I think you're going to find that it is butyl tape, just like on the old AC pan I just pulled off. As for how to seal a new panel, which you're going to do, when you put that border in, see this thread post and I recommend using the steps for sealing the roof panel.
Here is a good example of how nothing is as simple as it seems in the world of "Airstream renovation"! We spent a good 8 hours last weekend fashioning a frame in the Bambi II to hold the new hot water heater. The only requirement we had was that we wanted to re-use the original hot water heater access panels and chimney so the Bambi II would look unchanged from the outside. After multiple trips to Home Depot and lots of trial and error measuring, cutting, and dry fitting, we finally finished the frame work.
I spent the weekend removing the old tiles in preparation for laying new Marmoleum tiles. As usual, the chore took longer than I had anticipated. The good news is the plywood floor is intact without any punky sections. I ended up removing the two gaucho's and part of the bathroom walls in order to remove the tiles that were previously laid underneath the furniture. Additionally, having the furniture removed will help with laying the new tile as I will have to do less cuts (i.e., the tiles will be laid so the furniture sits on top of the tiles. I was also able to remove the tiles from underneath the refrigerator and the kitchen sink cabinet without removing anything. There is just enough room to slip the new tile underneath those items because the new tile is the same height as the original tile.
Related questions:
1) Does anyone know if the linoleum used in the '64 Bambi II's contain asbestos?
2) What is the best means to remove the old black asphalt-like adhesive from the floor?
3) How smooth does the surface need to be for laying new tile? Does the adhesive help to fill any small nooks and crannies?
Yuki....That's looking great! You've got a real gem!! Hope your definately wearing some sort of respirator pulling up those tiles...pulled tiles out of my grandparents early 60's house and they were asbestos tiles..be careful how you discard them also...can get in trouble for improperly disposing of them.
If you were putting down a pergo type laminate, a good quality underlayment would prob cover most of the uneveness. Maybe a belt sander would do the trick to help you smooth it out...I have one sitting around if you want to borrow it.
First time I've looked at your thread. Your Bambi II looks really great. I guess I'll have to polish our Bambi. Somethings are just meant to be. We are in the process of getting a new axle for ours at the moment. After the Silver Falls, Or trip I re checked the axle and found the the right side had collapsed. I was unable to put my little finger between the swing arm and the stop on the frame. I don't want to damage our trailer after all the work. I would like to see more pictures of the interior of you trailer, if you have the time.
Don
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