My repair day 3/9/02

[1985air345]

THE BELOW IS BORING TO MOST BUT NOT TO YOU CLASSIC MOTORHOME NUTS!

Changed the oil and made much less mess than the first time. Oil is still real black. It may take a few more oil changes to remove the lack of care of the previous owners. I also changed the air filter even though it really didn't need it.

I worked on the hose reel to get the new hose on. I couldn't get the bolts off the bottom of the compartment. I still can't see any way to accomplish this without taking off the compartment bottom.

Armed with my new dump valve from Andy at Inland, I removed the gray water valve. The pipe is attached via PVC cement. Instead of using the new valve, I completely took apart the old one and gave it a thorough cleaning. Only the rivits that hold the arm are missing. I'll get two stainless steel screws for that. I had the wife fill the gray water tank with the garden hose. No leakage at the valve or into the dump tubes.

My Sunday work involves removing the batteries, cleaning the batteries, cleaning the compartment, removing rust, painting with rust primer.

The hose reel is still unresolved. I think I'm ready for professional assistance.

[PeterH-79MH]

Yes, Fred, i can relate.
If you do it yourself, you know its done right.
It's a real good way to get to know your coach and establish a relationship. They reward you when you take it on the road.
You mentioned your oil being black. If you still have the old oil, see if it smells like gasoline.
You maybe running to rich.
I spent all day shaving the last 300 rivets. I am happy to be finished with that part.
I also have been hunting down and caulking cracks around vents and finished the other day recaulking all the windows. I use the 3M blue tape for caulking. I never cared much for those smeared on caulk lines around windows. Using 2 pieces of tape
1/16- 1/8 apart makes for a clean caulk line.
Don't give up on the hose reel!

[thenewkid64]

Not only do you know it is done right but it gives you alot of insight into how your coach works and what the engineers at Airstream were thinking when they did what they did.

I spent my day building and laminating a new kitchen countertop, as well as fabricating a laminate backsplash to go where there had been a mirror in the kitchen.

2 reasons to do this. One I have to get rid of the limegreen(my wife calls it fishbelly green) laminate in the coach. Second the prior owner took out the stove and put a rube goldberg patch in it's place.

all I can say is what a diffrence

I wanted to post pictures but my digital camera is taking them in a format (to big, size, and high res)that will not allow me to post.

Brett

[ALANSD]

What kind of camera do you use? There should be a main menu that will allow you to crank res back to 2.0 mgpixels or below, but even if not when if you load the photos in your computer then go to Image composer( or MS Publisher,or Photo shop or even MS word if its a recent version, load up the photo, right click on it go to properties, OR go to wherever it allows you to resize. I usually resize it by clicking resize in pixels, not inches, then make it 500 or less.
Lastly be sure to save as a jpg even if it will tell you that it may not be the best format. I sometimes save the photos twice, one smaller for net posts.
Hope this helps. I do a lot of this stuff on 2 different formats(mac and windows) also 3 different cameras, a kodak,panasonic and an Olympus. Work related....
Fred- I find that real work stuff very self satisfying...even though getting the grease off the hands is a challenge sometimes. Yesterday I cleaned my carburetor, and then tongue oiled my small parquet entry way cover over the batteries,cleaned my generator, then tried again to figure out what ladder I have that will get me on the roof safely. I saw an image on webshots of a guy with a bendable ladder( I have one as well) with the 45 degree angle aimed onto the roof. I will try that, after figuring out how to pad the arms of the ladder so it doesn't leave 2 dents.

[PeterH-79MH]

Alan, use duck tape to fasten a 2x4 or 1x4 to the end of the ladder. Make it longer than the witdh of 2 vertical rivet lines, then pad it with some cloth.

[Airstream402001]

Alan....

I too have had trouble with the hose reel. I had the hose extended, and couldn"t get it to retract. I just continued to pull and release the hose, and it finally retracted. My manual gives no information on the problem.
My solution is to attach another water hose to the retracted one and forget about the reel. Works for me.
The manual does give detailed instructions on taking the reel apart and putting it back together.

Cliff in Indiana

[1985air345]

I did remove the batteries and discovered that one of them had split (hence the stain at my storage facility). It must have happened during one of our rare 15 degree nights in North Florida. I cleaned the bottom with a wire brush and vacuumed well. I then applied a think coat of Rustoleum primer for 'heavy rust'. I let it dry for a few hours and then replaced just the auto battery. The two coach batteries were scheduled/due for replacement. They are still sitting in my garage. Neither of them indicated deep cycle. Um....

I took the time to replace more screws with the stainless steel ones I purchased.

The gray water valve is still holding tight. I bought some small bolts to replace the rivits in the gray water connecting rod that connected to the valve.

Drove her back to storage.

[Airstream402001]

Sorry Alan, I should have directed my reply to Fred.
Cliff

[1985air345]

Cliff,

I do have the original paperwork for the hose reel. If you bolted it to your garage wall, you'd be in great shape. One of my problems is that ours are in a tiny little hard to access space.

My hose was the original hose had broke in multiple places. The female end is protected by the reel hub. I have crafted a 6" section to be installed first. The little 6" section will poke out of the hub. I will then be able to switch out hoses in the future.