Bambi II Saved from Recycler!

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by PA BAMBI II

Becky- how did you repaint your Airstream and data plate tags? They look great! Mine are very faded...but I am not sure how to refinish them. Help!

Also- would you like to rent your rivet gun to me when I get going??

Mine had running lights on both end caps...attached with steel sheet metal screws with standard slots. All spacing looks pretty standard/even.

Your old Bambi is looking GREAT!!! Ben

I took the data plate tags off the trailer & painted them by hand. (PITA, by the way) Then I coated it with mega coats of clear coat. The name tags on the front & back I took off & taped them off & spray painted them. I clear coated those too. I used Rustoleum Gloss Royal Blue. Make sure, if you clear coat them, that your paint is absolutely positively dry! I was in a hurry (as usual) and clear coated too soon & the paint all shriveled. I had to strip the data plate & do it over again.

I can rent you my rivet gun when I'm finished. I assume you mean the buck riveter. I have the bucking bar to go with it. I also had a roller made for rolling out dents. My skin had a few that were tuff to get out. It's like the one that Aerowood (I think that's his name) has. I can rent you that too if you need it.

I'm working on getting my running lights waterproofed. They don't sit right & have large spaces where water can just run through like a river. I'm using the suggestion of a member (to Ben, actually) to use cork for a gasket. Seems to be working out pretty well.

I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

[Antique Pedaler]

Instead of cork for running light gaskets I recycled a bicycle inner tube. For the tail lights I used some of the bead molding from VTS I have on hand. Both worked well.

[Becky B.]

My running lights sat really high on the top & bottom (especially the bottom) of the lens due to the curve of the end caps.


So, I used some cork as a gasket, since the distance between the bottom of the lens & the trailer was significant. I really lubed up the lights with dioelectrical grease because they already were showing signs of corrosion!


My DH & son, Paul, wired up my running lights the other day. My son works on semis, so he's pretty experienced with wiring tail lights. When they made the frame, they ran a wire through it to the rear of the frame specifically for the running lights. They split the front lights on their own system, so trouble shooting in the future will be easier (hopefully there won't be ANY of that!)

I'm all set to do the interior insulation, except for one really irritating thing. LEAKS! I've sealed the inside & hoped to not have to seal the outside, but that was a pipe dream. I've finished all the seams & am trying to track down a couple more leaks. Maybe by tomorrow I'll have found them all.....(I've said that sooooo many times! FRUSTRATING!)

[Darkspeed]

It's looking really good!

[HiHoAgRV]

Awesum progress. I formed the lens base to fit the end cap and also have some 'gaps' to the lens.

Cork, huh?

Leaks? Gee...we don't have leaks!...I will be very careful where I place my sleeping roll this weekend on our Big First Outing

[Darkspeed]

Are your lenses glass or plastic? The above Idea of shaping sounds good.

[Becky B.]

Mine are plastic. I did try to shape them on a belt sander, but still didn't get close enough for a good seal. I think that after we test the lights one more time today, I'm going to put a light seal of - gasp - silicone around the edges. That'll keep it dry till the bulbs die!

[Becky B.]

Well, I have condensation in my cork gasketed lights...... Think I'll line the top of the cork with some roofing rubber as a gasket. I'll be back with reports on that someday!

I spent more time today trying to track down leaks. I made my own pressurized leak detector with a big fan & a vacuum blowing up the hole that's in the bottom for the bathroom plumbing. I found a few leaks above the windows, but not at the top of the rain rails. They were in the line where the screws that hold the windows in place go. I just sealed all of them. Speaking of windows. The rails on the top are engineered so dumb! I had to bend the rail to get the screw that holds the window in place out. (when I rebuilt the windows) So I also had to bend them back. Of course, it's not perfect. You'd think they could have come up with a better way to hold them in place.
Bent:


Bent back into place (kinda)

[Becky B.]

I've been trying to track down leaks for what seems like weeks now!! I thought, since I sealed the interior, that I would have caught all the leaks without having to seal the exterior. WRONG! So, I decided to seal the exterior & take care of all the leaks. WRONG! I think I have to go around every single rivet with sikaflex or tempro. The problem is, I've sealed the interior seams. So, if a rivet is leaking, I can't see it because it runs down the rib, from who knows where, and ends up on the floor. AAAHHH!!! I'm exasperated & want to jump up & down & scream. Just venting.........

[HiHoAgRV]

Leaks are bad...one of my leaks is a rivet...and it FILLED a cup last night.

What do you think of making a round hole in maskin tape and using it to seal each rivet with Tempro?

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by HiHoAgRV

Leaks are bad...one of my leaks is a rivet...and it FILLED a cup last night.

What do you think of making a round hole in maskin tape and using it to seal each rivet with Tempro?

My '86 Sovereign had a million leaks too. I just took the Tempro & swirled it with my finger around the rivets & cleaned them up with Mineral Spirits. It worked. I just am so fed up with these leaks. I guess I have to bit the bullet & just go after all the rivets. I'm cherry picking them now & that's not working for me! I worked all afternoon to try & find these leaks. I think, by trying to stop things up inside, that the water just works its way out somewhere else. I'm so ready to move on to insulating, but I can't till I find these stinkin' leaks My leaks certainly don't fill a cup....they're very tiny & seep just a little. A cup is a TON! By the way, were you deer hunting?

[HiHoAgRV]

Originally Posted by beckybillrae

... By the way, were you deer hunting?

deer...leak...hunting. Neither one is a sure thing, huh?

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by HiHoAgRV

deer...leak...hunting. Neither one is a sure thing, huh?

no wonder you were in such a hurry to get your interior walls in.....I know, I'm married to a hunter....the hunting trip supersedes all else! (all the menfolk are out hunting pheasant in SD or ND (not sure which) right now) I'm so far behind now!!!

[HiHoAgRV]

Originally Posted by beckybillrae

no wonder you were in such a hurry to get your interior walls in.....I know, I'm married to a hunter....the hunting trip supersedes all else! (all the menfolk are out hunting pheasant in SD or ND (not sure which) right now) I'm so far behind now!!!

It's been 2007 since I was able to tow into the camp, I was really looking forward to it...of course it rained BUCKETS last night...

We stay on a bluff 40' above the river....

My pal has a new-2-him '74 tradewind....and want's to commit at least 20 hours to makin' it perfect...

So...what's the down side to NOT sealin' the bullit clearance lights?...lots of grease?

[Becky B.]

20 hours...perfect? Good luck!
Lots of grease...that's the ticket! (at least I hope so, since mine are swimming in it!)
Glad you're above the river. Good luck w/the deer. My DH & sons hunt those as well!

[Shacksman]

Originally Posted by HiHoAgRV

Leaks are bad...one of my leaks is a rivet...and it FILLED a cup last night.

What do you think of making a round hole in maskin tape and using it to seal each rivet with Tempro?

Another way to seal rivets. Get a spray can of exterior lacquer, spray the rivet and wipe off the surface. The lacquer will soak in around the rivet and seal it.

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by Shacksman

Another way to seal rivets. Get a spray can of exterior lacquer, spray the rivet and wipe off the surface. The lacquer will soak in around the rivet and seal it.

Is exterior lacquer the same thing as clear coat? How long does it hold up?

[Becky B.]

I have FINALLY tracked down all my leaks. A couple were where I sealed, but for whatever reason (dirt behind the caulk, mostly) they didn't seal well. So, I could move on to insulating. I chose Prodex again. I used it previously in my Sovereign's belly pan rehab project & could definitely tell the difference when I ran my air conditioner. I've finished one layer so far. Tedious, but mindless work! I'd hate to do a 31 footer! So, here's the obligatory pictures.....

The Front:



The Rear:

[HiHoAgRV]

That looks GREAT! Taping the Prodex turned out to be my least favorite part of the entire rebuild to-date...

Tonight I was installing interior skins...it's 36 degrees outside...one small cube heater in Dolly and I was sweating! Prodex is working great so far...

[PA BAMBI II]

[QUOTE=beckybillrae;1080860]I I chose Prodex again.

Where does one get this Prodex? Looks more fun to work with than fiberglass...

I wish I could get to work on my Bambi II! Perhaps this Winter I can finish gutting it. I am at the point where I am going to have to get the shower drain out. I'll have to read your history on how to do that.

Ben