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mikmilr · 09-06-2008, 07:23 PM

My 64 tradewind also has 12-2 wire for the lights and fans. I believe it to be original but my trailer had the original univolt which was an AC transformer instead of a converter which might explain the wire. when i'm wiring 12 volt I like to use speaker wire because the power and ground are together in the same run. 12 gauge speaker wire can be had from partsexpress.com and others.
Good luck, Mike

AgPnut · 09-06-2008, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goransons

...3/4 of a mile from our house (not even turns to make) right in the middle of downtown we stopped at a stop light and went to move forward, drove a few feet and heard rubber skidding. We quickly discovered and had confirmed by a fellow motorist that we had a locked up tire on the front drivers side...

Hi, I'm new to the forum. I have just had a similar problem with mine, which I finished taking care of today.

Just bought my first A-S one week ago--a 1965 Overlander. I had the same problem you did, except it was the front passenger-side tire. After making the 110-mile trip from Socorro NM to my home last week just fine, the wheel locked on the way to the DMV for tags and registration. Wore right through the tire!

In my case, it turned out it was the brakes--the hub and bearings were fine. Removing the electric brakes did the trick. Now for tires! Anyone know what causes the brake to lock up like this?

goransons · 09-06-2008, 10:29 PM

Well being an electrical system you really only have a few options. Either you have an electrical short, something is wired incorrectly or simply the mechanical parts etc bound up somehow. If it were only one that did it, I'd likely guess when you opened it up there were pieces loose? Lucky that tire didn't catch fire, that was our worry just getting about a 1/4 mile to a place we could turn off and stop (were in a downtown district when ours did it, no parking spots)

AgPnut · 09-07-2008, 09:30 AM

Thanks for the info!

There was in fact a loose piece that fell out. It appeared to be a mechanical spreader--an adjustable bolt with two pronged barrel nuts at each end, about 3" overall.

Definitely not electrical--all the wires were cut or chewed just inside the hubs. This girl's in rough shape!

I removed that brake completely and will do the same its sister ont he same axle (this involves pushing out the lug bolts, which hold the brake to the hub, and then pressing them back into the hub again). The brakes look alright, but a bit corroded and worn. So rehabing the brakes goes on the list. I have some pictures of the assembly as I removed it from the axle--I'll post them shortly.

Are there any good books out there on maintaining this type of brakes.

goransons · 09-07-2008, 10:02 AM

I'm guess you had a spring break or something. I'd replace the entire assembly with all new. Check out inlandrv.com, also read his article about axles and if they are bad. Our 69 had bad axles and needed to be replaced, and we'll have to replace the ones on our 66 too. When we order the new axles we'll order them with new backing plates/drums etc and shocks.

AgPnut · 09-08-2008, 12:51 PM

No spring break...just memorial day weekend. I finally acted on a long time urge to get an A-A. Basically, my girlfriend and I will be making about 6 trips to Colorado over the next year and I decided why spend $2500 on up for hotel fees (and still worry about what to do with the pets) when I could spend that on a trailer instead. Truthfully, it will be much more and in the beginning (now) not much more than camping in an aluminum tent--albeit with plumbing.

So, today I broke down and ordered entire new axle/brake assemblies and shocks. There's some sticker shock, but I'm sure I'll be glad I did. I'll be starting a thread on this first-timer's Airstream Odyssey tonight.

-JP

goransons · 10-13-2008, 05:07 PM

FINALLY! I actually had a couple hours of daylight that not only was I home, but the weather was nice. Got started on replacing the small panel under the window next to the door (where the Overlander plate etc goes). At some point major damage was done to this panel while attempting to break into the trailer (holes punched in the skin from a crowbar or large screwdriver). Got the panel cut and about half the rivets in, data plates back in place. Hope to finish putting the rest in tomorrow and shave them, wow it already looks so much better. Will get pictures up tomorrow when I finish the panel. It wasn't a lot of progress, but felt good to get away from work and do something productive. Here's the panel before the repair.

goransons · 10-30-2008, 05:53 PM

Managed to get away today and take a day off and just work on the trailer. Difficult situation in that the weather is turning and I have no storage for interior parts, which gets really difficult when you're dealing with a gutted trailer and stacks of interior pieces. I decided to redo the mechanicals on the curb side (kitchen sink side) since the majority of the electrical needs were on that side of the trailer. I finished pulling all the ceiling and curb side wiring. Also put in new fiberglass insulation where the bottom panel goes in, and reinstalled that, and started the mid panel.

Need to drop the rear end cap and insulate there, then I can finish installing all the interior sheet metail on that side. Once that is done I can reinstall the tub section which other than some finish work has been repaired (had a 28" saw cut down the back from the PO starting to cut the tub in half to get it out of the trailer easier).

While the end cap is back down for insulation, I'm thinking of taking the "AIRSTREAM" letters off and polishing then reinstalling, save a lot of detail work that way.

Cabinets of course will come back out, have some new wood put in, others sanded and refinished, new door skins (original latch hardware etc) later in the project. Hope this weekend I can post pictures of that side all buttoned up, so I can rearrange things and start pulling street side wiring. I think we'll end up preping, priming and painting the interior sheet metal, since even with simple green and other degreasers etc it just isn't coming clean enough. I suppose the pictures still make the interior look horrible, but wow it looks better than it did yesterday!

hampstead38 · 11-05-2008, 11:18 AM

I'm with you on the storage issue. I have the inside of the '67 on the inside of my microshop. We have two options. I take over our underused basement for storage (which my wife wouldn't mind too much) or I rent some storage nearby. Either way, it makes no sense to have renovated my microshop only to lose its use due to cabinet storage.

goransons · 11-12-2008, 06:40 PM

Well as you probably know the direction of this restoration has now switched to preparing it for Rob's Bee project. This last week I finished all insulation (wiring already done) and have all but one front corner panel reinstalled.

Today I removed the entry door, removed the interior skin, insulation etc, and had the cracks in the frame welded, installed fresh insulation, and rettached, adjusted the hinge side, and installed new weatherstrip.

This weekend, weather permitting, new tires, checking out brakes, bearings etc and patching a few no longer needed openings such as refrigerator vent, sewer vents etc.

One way or another she's just about ready for the trip to Northern California, better than she's been for many years, with a solid floor and electrical systems, some new glass, and lots of hours of cleaning.

A list of remaining interior parts up for grabs as well as some pictures of the "finished" product coming in a few weeks.