Our 1986 32' Excella Rehab -- from rear bedroom to bunkhouse with two bedrooms

[KAYAKAMPERS]

Katie, I think you secretly have about 3 husbands named Rob....or Rob is one of triplet brothers...all named the same. You both are pretty awesome. We can't wait to see it again!

[KyMonarch]

Wow! Will Rob be available for hire once this project is done?

[ALANSD]

see you guys in SC this weekend.. Gonna be fun.

[Skatiero]

It's true: Rob is the one-man cavalry! He does more in one day than most guys can do in a week. Honestly, he is the energizer bunny. His work ethic paired with his extensive knowledge and his overall positive energy make him the only guy I'd want to be marooned on a desert island with. (BOTH of my parents say that!) I am firmly convinced that Rob can do anything. And will. But yes, he's available to work on other peoples' airstreams again -- AFTER this one is closer to being finished! I will take more photos after work and post them.

[Skatiero]

I didn't take many pictures this weekend, we were too busy! More after school.

[ALANSD]

you aren't polishing it now are you? That's way too much work

[Skatiero]

Alan, Rob polished the entire trailer to a mirror finish while I was at school today. Just kidding! No, he's just cleaning it up some.

[Skatiero]

Here area some progress shots. Still lots more to do. First bunk is in! Our bed is finished, too!

[ALANSD]

Originally Posted by Skatiero

Alan, Rob polished the entire trailer to a mirror finish while I was at school today. Just kidding! No, he's just cleaning it up some.

I bet he could have done that..but let me tell you from experience its the maintenance that is the killer

[Short563]

It is fun to watch your progress. It also keeps me excited about starting my own project some day!

[KAYAKAMPERS]

I feel like I am watching an episode of This Old House and Rob is Norm. Well done and so fast! You both deserve a lot of credit.

[Skatiero]

Well, I did not finish in time but we are coming anyway! We just need to finish a few beds in the back and some miscellaneous outside as well as polish but we are so ready to be at Alumilina. Yesterday was a crazy day filled with many repairs. Some expected some not. I was soaking the tanks in hydrochloric acid for a few days to loosen build up and guess what broke? Yep the dump valve for the gray. So I cut open the pan, ran for parts and replaced everything from the tanks out
. Oh yeah, and after getting acid in my cuts on my hands and splashing it on my face I got the tanks emptied. After doing that I will be using the geo method to maintain the tanks. 😁I'm showing a photo of what I removed and after I replaced it. I put in the new style hose fitting so we are up to date. I wasn't expecting that but they were working hard. Also, I found a gas leak near the furnace and fixed that. I wanted to build beds but I had to prioritize. I bought a new friction sway bar and made some adjustments to the hitch and after substitute teaching this morning I came back and pulled it out front. I have to put the Airstream emblems on the front and back and then we are ready to pack and go. Man do I need a break. Whew let's go!!

[KAYAKAMPERS]

Wow! I expect you to snooze in that new bed all weekend just to recuperate!

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[Skatiero]

Wish you were coming with us, Chris! Even thought we still have five more single bunks to build this week, we already already have beds for six people-- two in our front bed, two more on the sofa pulled out and two in the single beds already built. Grandma is sleeping in one of the singles this weekend. so the two bottom curbside bunks are finished. We have a million more unfinished projects to do. It's so much fun to get to camp in it, even if it is unfinished. I forgot to take a photo last night after I got the mattresses cut down to size and installed! This photo is before finishing the back curb bunk. Katie

[KAYAKAMPERS]

Nice, I hope you are not getting too much rain.

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[KAYAKAMPERS]

Guys, we need to make a run to the Top and let ( once called
Old Moldy ) her come full circle again. What a difference it is now than that day when you first saw her. Let's make a weekend date up their soon.

[byjaffe]

She looks wonderful, its very exciting to watch your progress. Could you tell me the details of the dishwasher and where you ordered it from? And what process did you use to strip and clean the outside?

Thanks

[Skatiero]

We have not updated this thread but have certainly made a lot more progress on the trailer! We took her to Alumalina in South Carolina our first trip-- just Rob and his mother Alice and me. The trailer was very unfinished and at that point we had only our bed and two of the lower rear bunks in. It was a great rally except that I got a horrible virus and spent 24 hours of the rally throwing up. We saw lots of good friends and even had the bittersweet opportunity to hang out in our beloved former Airstream with our friends the new owners. They are wonderful people and I have to admit she looks even better with their decorations than with ours-- and she gave us continued resolve to finish this one! It was fun to show other people all of our progress in the "new" one even in its raw state.

The following week we built bunks and took the kids to High Falls state park with some dear friends. We quickly figured out that the top bunks were too high, so we (Rob) lowered them this week to get ready for Springstream in Hiawassee this weekend. The kids loved all of the bunks except the top two rear ones which ran into the bulkhead too much and felt too crowded. Moving them down solved that problem, thank goodness. Now we have seven very comfortable beds in the back for the kids, the pullout sofa for grandma and other guests, and and our full bed in the front.

Bunks: we built the bunks with a hickory face frame stained to match the rest of the hickory cabinetry. The lower bunks have 3-form (architectural resin) sliding doors in a pattern called "structured bamboo" just like the 9' gaucho. In line with our "green" remodel we used pre-finished tongue-and-groove bamboo for the bed bases for all of the bunks, and it works beautifully. Strong, light, environmentally friendly, and gorgeous! The rest of the top bunk frames are oak-- with the bed rails being hickory. We made three removable bed guards for the top bunks out of more reclaimed 3-form, this time in blue. We will add lighting to all of the 3-form doors at some point. We added 12-volt LED reading lights at each bunk. The wall between the two sets of curbside bunks has an aluminum face on the front side and a hickory face on the rear side to match the adjacent bathroom wall. That wall houses the thermostat, an electric receptacle (outlet), a heat vent, and the main vacuum outlet. (there is also a vac pan in the baseboard under the kitchen sink.) We also need more curtains! Rob mounted an aluminum bar across each of the side windows over the bunks to protect the screens.

Rob reinstalled the accordion door to the bunkroom and we added some throw rugs. Still need to mount the bunkroom television and the carbon monoxide detector. Outside we replaced the center front rockguard, remounted the segment protectors, stripped, painted, sanded, and clear coated all of the badges and emblems, replaced some lights with LEDs and some lenses, replaced some of the striping, and did some awning repair. Rob repaired and painted the lp tank cover. Rob had already replaced the wheels and tires etc. We still need to do more awning repair since some of the stitching has dry-rotted. We will take more photos this weekend at Hiawassee, but here are some progress shots. We added some lamps and it is starting to feel like home!!!

[Skatiero]

Forgot to mention that we had to move the speakers up into the endcap.

[Skatiero]

A few more exterior shots. I'll add more interior shots while camping.