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Overlander & Sea · 01-03-2010, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goransons

Was back rereading my thread and had originally planned to strip paint before installing the plywood. But didn't... Biggest mistake to date!! I wish I could have done what insideout did and apply stripper then pressure wash it out. The scraping, sanding etc over my head is a real pain. At least the bottom 4 feet is all new metal, and inside all the cabinets the original zolatone was not painted, so just sanding there.

Scott,

Thank you for posting this information. I've just changed my plans for my '63 Globetrotter. Zolatone stripping first, plywood floor replacement second. Good luck with the black tank.

tallytwo1994 · 01-03-2010, 10:40 AM

You might find those leaks by using a hair dryer and something like a piece of crepe paper. One person, on the outside, holds the dryer and moves it along various potential leak spots. The other person, on the inside, holds the crepe paper and moves it to the same locations. When the crepe paper blows you've found a leak. This works to find air leaks in a house, don't see why it won't work for a trailer.

Carol

goransons · 01-03-2010, 05:51 PM

Finally, done with the chemical stripper!!

Finished the last of the major paint stripping. The remaining paint will be sanded and/or feathered out with a DA once I get another chance to get to work on it (today is the end of our winter break, back to the real world tomorrow). End caps will get scuffed.

Waiting on the plywood to finish drying out, still has that wet look, even with a fan going and no water from mother nature and no left over water on the trailer. Hoping over the next couple days it will dry out real well and I can get a better idea on whether the leaks are resolved or not.

I figure I have a few hours of sanding, lots of rivets yet to drill out, clean around and reinstall. Also need to remove all the window lifters (that will be replaced) and start the final cleaning of all the sanding dust, dirt, debris, grease etc so I can start masking.

My plan is (weather permitting) to shoot before the end of the month.

I also figured a solution for the missing trim on the fiberglass refrigerator scoop, a carefully placed beat of vulkem not only seals the chamber from leaking exhaust into the interior but also creates that nice radius edge the trim once did. Once covered in Zolatone I think it will blend in nice.

I feel like I haven't made much progress over the last few weeks, but know these are the not so rewarding steps that I'm sure I'll feel better about the day after the zolatone is on.

Also really hope I've resolved the leaks in the back, but need everything to really dry out before I can know for sure.

Frank's Trailer Works · 01-03-2010, 07:01 PM

a word of caution... When it is cold outside and you heat the interior, the inner skin will sweat. It often is not very well seen. Just about any heat source will create the condensation because the aluminum is cold. That condensation will hamper the adhesion of the primer and then the zolatone.

goransons · 01-03-2010, 07:19 PM

That's a good point Frank. When we're not under a cold snap, its not uncommon for us to get up into the 50's this time of year, and its my plan to shoot for one of those type of days. Not the case right now with all the snow out there melting but we also have very low humidity... Not the case today. 27 degrees, 93% humidity, would not be good today.

66Overlander · 01-03-2010, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goransons

I also figured a solution for the missing trim on the fiberglass refrigerator scoop, a carefully placed beat of vulkem not only seals the chamber from leaking exhaust into the interior but also creates that nice radius edge the trim once did. Once covered in Zolatone I think it will blend in nice.

Scott,
My first concern would be the Vulkem shrinking over time, which could upset the Zolatone. At least I have observed Vulkem receeding (due to shrinking or erosion?) over a multi-year period on the exterior of our Airstreams, where it is exposed to weather and UV. I wonder if that would or would not occur in a more protected interior location. I truly do not know the answer.

Also, how well do you think Zolatone will adhere to fresh Vulkem? It seems to remain tacky for weeks if not months (at least the non-fast cure version does) at summer temperatures, maybe longer in the cold. Maybe a pre-test for adhesion would be in order.

Mind you, I am not trying to talk you out of your plan, just trying to make sure you have thought through all of the pertinent questions before shooting Zolatone. Good Luck!

P.S. One other option could be to switch from metal trim to the rubberized cove or round cabinet welt (which could be installed after Zolatone, but it would have to be secured to the trailer wall, not the scoop) like the ones shown at the bottom of this VTS page:
More Interior Items

goransons · 01-03-2010, 10:40 PM

Joe you bring up a good point. I figured it would be 2-3 weeks before I was even ready to entertain spraying the trailer and had figured it would cure in that time. The trailer is kept heated so I can work comfortably in a t-shirt.

I had remembered (maybe incorrectly) vulkem being painted over when shops were painting airstream exteriors and I am using an epoxy primer. Vulkem, it is Trempro 636 to be more specific, but I may touch base with our local paint shop and see if they have a sealer that would do a better job in this application, scrape that out tomorrow before it really cures, clean it up with some xylol and replace it with something different. I'll see what I can find out on my lunch tomorrow.

They may have something better. Thanks for the thought on it.

goransons · 01-04-2010, 06:54 PM

well I came home at lunch, mostly because we had mixed rain and snow, and tons of it, like being in a carwash and I wanted to see if I had fixed the leaks or not.

NOT

Water dripping from the top of the rear window frame. More expected over night I dried the skin just above the WBCCI numbers and taped a piece of plastic over the rear window area to see if the leaks are coming from this area or higher up.

Ironically I also discovered in the same storm that the front window has the same problem. I'm wondering if maybe its coming in the miter of the corner of the window frame to skin, just about the only thing not sealed like crazy.

On a more positive note, I also received 2 DVD's from the daughter of the Tolles and a bunch of copies of newspaper articles, and caravan paperwork.

Here are a few photos. I've asked Mary if she can make me a copy of the actual images, everything I have is in DVD format as a slide show. I used a freeware program to extract a few photos in the meantime to give you an idea, so you'll have to pardon the freeware text across the middle.

First 3 photos are of a broken down 8671 with a broken axle and a crew hard at work

goransons · 01-04-2010, 07:02 PM

For those that have read the book about the caravan and have read about the accident that destroyed the Davis trailer. Here are a few photos of the event.
(WARNING THESE ARE DISTURBING)

BTW, whether I register the software and try to extract every picture or I get all of them as files, copies of everything are going to Joe (Overlander66) and I plan to put most of the photos up for viewing. Some 900+ of them. Mari, their daughter has scanned them all from her mother's slides.

goransons · 01-04-2010, 07:10 PM

Good Bye Afghanistan

66Overlander · 01-04-2010, 09:30 PM

Scott,
Those teaser photos (slides) are AWESOME!!!! You must be stoked!

I know I can't wait to see the rest.

goransons · 01-04-2010, 10:10 PM

Here's a few more:

1. Mary Tolle hosting
2. Iran
3. On double barge (yikes)

Blue Pearl · 01-04-2010, 10:44 PM

Scott, those pictures are priceless, did you call in sick for the rest of the day. The Oregon units Aug rally is at a drive-in theater RV park. Would you like to show those pictures on the big screen?

Gypsy Jo · 01-04-2010, 10:44 PM

Those are great pics.
I have also been chasing leaks. I have been using a garden hose{ when not frozen}to find leaks.Running the water on suspected spots.
Jo

goransons · 01-07-2010, 07:16 PM

I did some more research, and after some more thought I decided that it wasn't worth the risk on the vulkem shrinking or curing incorrectly due to the zolatone (or vice versa) and cleaned it out of the seam.

I talked to the auto body supply shop here in town and they suggested a 3M seam sealer, used commonly in the auto body industry and designed to be used under automotive finishes quite regularly.

Expensive stuff, just under $20 for a single tube but it sure lays out well.

I think it will look great, and will also help keep that vent area airtight, be flexible but not so flexible to allow issues to arise with the paint over top.

Yesterday did some more work resealing a few windows, a few areas I discovered leaked (minimally) around the jelousie window frame, and around the rear window area. More wet weather expected this weekend so hopefully I'll find I made progress. Too cold today to get those hose out and try, high of 29 degrees outside.

This weekend out comes the DA sander to finish the interior prep.

3Ms75Argosy · 01-08-2010, 01:45 PM

Scott... those pics are awesome! So... what DID happen to the Davis trailer... I haven't read about the caravan... must of been some sort of big truck? Seems like the frame is still pullable..... yikes, that musta been scary!

Didn't see too much of the black tank contents fortunately!
Marc

goransons · 01-08-2010, 03:22 PM

Can't wait for the new CD with the individual files to come through, there are several hundred photos I couldn't access with the program. Here's the excerpt from the book:

".... Since our early morning escape from Calcutta, we had successfully out-maneuvered Indian truck drivers. When they roared toward us on roads one-and-a-half lanes wid, we ignominiously retreated onto the cobblestoned shoulder no matter how jarring he consequences. Our luck ran out on the modern highway from agra to New Delhi. Perhaps having a who lane to ourselves made us complacent. A truck rounded a curve and darted into the wrong lane, slamming into Glenn and Vera Davis' trailer. Itsheared it in half, scattering the trailer's contents and kept right on going. Fran Hall, who was following the avises, chased the Indian on his motorcycle. When he finally caught him, the truck driver shrugged his shoulders, as if to say it was fate, not Fran, that had caught him. He meekly backed up to the scene of the accident, where police charged him with reckless driving."

It later notes that the Davis's truck was not damaged and had a camper in the back of the truck and they continued the caravan truck only.

flyfshr · 01-08-2010, 03:46 PM

Man, those are great photos even with the type over the top. So how are you converting the DVD images to individual pictures that you're getting on a CD?

This is great stuff.

Brad
FF

BTW - still working on the ATW caravan emblem with a few sources. Stay tuned...

goransons · 01-08-2010, 04:01 PM

the original DVD's she sent were done like a filmstrip, in VOB files. The program listed in the red text, takes a snapshot every interval you set (say one per second). The problem with the program is that is only works on files up to a certain size (around 100 MB) and some of the VOB files were 250+ MB and the program can't read it. Mari is sending me a CD with the scans as individual files, because believe it or not, the photos in the DVD format were reduced in quality significantly for file size and screen size.

Thats great (on the emblems...) Might be interested to know that all the trucks appear to have them on one of their doors...

flyfshr · 01-08-2010, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goransons

Might be interested to know that all the trucks appear to have them on one of their doors...

Looks like it says across the top

WALLY BYAM CARAVAN

and across the bottom

AROUND THE WORLD

with the familiar rendering of Wally in his beret in front of the globe with latitude and longitude lines on it. This could be recreated as well.

Brad
FF