Lets see where did I leave off......"female tinkering" I think it was.
Tinker be not and honker down. Unlike some real lucky folk out there restoring their vintage beauties in beautiful weather and amazing garages rigged to the nines......we have come to the realization that we have way more challenges than just the Vintage trailer restoration
With a really really really long and cold back side of winter we lost over a month and a half in comparison to our last GT restoration.
Unfortunately I have a date with some pretty neat women and that date is coming far too quick. So I had to sit the Hubster down and do some serious prioriZing.
1. I need to get there - in any condition But first before anymore rivets sheer and the shell starts falling off down the road new running gear is in order. She came with a 3200# 12" hubs and brakes - which was a bit odd - we wanted the bigger brakes but that meant a special order - and of course we never have enough time. Knowing that we were adding a few extra items we decided another 600# capacity would do just fine. So we went with the 4000# It meant that the axle bar would be slightly bigger and have a higher mounting bracket.
The choices we had....
a) $1100 +shipping from you know where
b) $400 + $150 shipping & labour for the install - Shocks mounts incl as well as a 1600 mile round trip opposite direction
and then there was c) the route we chose....$337 for a complete torsion axle identical to the previous axle we had made for the 69. Tied in the pickup trip with some serious shopping at RVS and a micro Rivette Rush to pick up a bonus find here at the forums - a perfect 1993 Dometic Fridge I had shipped from California. Took 3 days $200 in gas - with over
1500.00 in parts coming back with us at a value of over $3000 - so our savings was huge and paid for our gas 4 times over - along with a real treat we got to travel with Happer Campers and if you think we can powershop you should see them!!!
So the axle story.....$160 for the old shocks to be cut off cleaned up and remounted onto the new axle by a local fellow who has been a welder for 30+ years with GM and now has is own business.
Small hiccup - it is known that most I repeat most vintage axles on the Aristreams have the mounting bracket facing forward and also a high profile - hmmm not the GT 63 - as it turns out she had the long portion facing to the front and her mounting bracket was flush with the bar. You can see the difference in the pictures below.
The good thing is that new holes had to be drilled anyway - and we were able to use the rear hole.
It did give Peter a bit of a start though as he placed the axle with the brackets facing they way they should - and then saw the problem - the wheel is way too far forward and the torsion arms are facing the wrong way!
Turned it around did a bit of cutting on the bar flange for the beafier axle to fit and we have a perfect fit.
She is riding about 3 inches higher than when we picked her up with a negative up angle. She should come down about an inch or so once all the interior is replaced.
all in all we are very please and can immediately tell the difference jumping around inside.
It has been a while but here is a pick of her profile when we picked her up - same wheels and tires......
2. I prefer not to have to sleep on the floor with an umberella! So the leaks have to get under control.
Someone cut us another break making the leak search pretty easy
.....Back window - ha no glass - big leak. With new gasket from VTS (what a breeze that stuff is for the windows what a perfect fit!!!!!) Why anyone would waist their time with silicone when a 5 minute job with brand new gasket would do the trick - is beyond me.
......Rear Vent - no fan and big source for roof leak - coming from a woman what a silly set up that is. Why they did not make a flange that sat on the roof line rather than between and fill a crack with vulkem - is hmm shall we say....okay lets not say.... Did the plant tour last week and picked up a new fantastic vent to replace leaky vent. I want to make a point that this company has customer service SECOND TO NONE!!!! Thanks for the tour guys and all the help and extra parts we came away with
......another no brainer with locating a leak new skylight to replace hmmm where the *&^% did the other one go, okay to fill a big fat gaping hole that had nothing there but open sky. I tossed this idea around a bit - replace with another fan, or the fancy replicas from VTS. But then I thought what do I like about camping if I can ever get there - star gazing - what do I like about a trailer - open and bright. Result - clear lexan fixed dome skylight flush mount to the roof and trimmed out to the ceiling. Will fab a fancy ceiling blind if it gets too hot - but the new FV should take care of that in a 15'X7' area real quick. There is lots of windows and the door has the cool screen door in door that will provide lots of air flow.
....and one last leak - that is coming from the drip cap above the front window presumably where the original window guard was mounted and re-mounted and mounted again and again. So that is a temporary fix with some parbon until I can get to that job of taking down and re-riveting a new guard on and sealing her up nicely.
3. Rotting wood smell and &^%$ awful walls.
......inspect the floor and replace rotted bits - all the while through late spring I have been keeping all fingers and toes crossed as to the level of floor rot. PS. for those not in the know - you will never know until you get the guts out and check the edges where the c-channel is - that is where the coach is tied together. This means taking some of the interior panels off where you have suspicion. A good test is to hack away at the floor with a screw driver and see if it goes through anywhere. If it does you can bet the carriage bolts will be rusted and that section needs replacing.
(Okay if I had bags of money oodles of time, car hoists up the ying yang and 3 husbands with a huge big heated shop I may have demanded a whole new floor
) But realistically she is good and solid 90% keeping in mind too that they only used 5/8's inch ply - someone in the Airstream God's palace was looking down on LadyBug! All of the oldies have issues, some worse than others. Her big sis next door will need at least 50% of her floor replaced BUT the LB is in need of a tuck in the front and a tuck in the back and a lift at the side. Windows being the culprit in the front and back and the fridge compartment door being the culprit at the side.
Will be treating the floor with a Rot Doctor equivilant to stiffen some of the top ply back up and seal her up as well as seal up the floor from the old tile residue that contains asbestos. I was lucky there too not too much work as most of the tiles were gone. Had some glue to heat gun off and the rest is good and stuck. Then new floor will be lap jointed and spliced for added strength. She will be ready for her new laminet flooring hopefully next week sometime.
......Walls are hmm after a wicked cleaning are just too messy and damaged to look real nice. I am not into the Zolatone re-do, but the existing paint will make for a great base. I have decided to go with a "Grass Cloth" paint technique - to give the interior some lines and stretch her out a bit.
Safety is the last bit I can manage to get done before the RSSR. So all new marker lights, breakaway switch and chains should compliment the new tires, wheels and axle just nicely.
The 63 GT is a very simple design for the plumbing, propane and electrics - with most of it running on the floor behind cabinets and closets, in the skirt of the tub etc. Should make for some easy lessons for me from the Hubster if he has any patience left by then
Stay tuned for the gallery of new parts.....almost like going to a fashion show