Congrats on your project. It will give you many meaningful hours of wedded bliss! (Or something like it!)
I meant to chime in last week but never got around to it.
Gas Lines- Leave 'em alone. You won't see them once everything is back in place and they'll be there if you ever need them. We're going camping next weekend in North Georgia and I'm glad we have a new Suburban NT 30 to keep us warm! (And it wouldn't be possible without gas)
End Caps- They can be repaired with fiberglass from the back side. I removed my rear one and repaired a 10" crack with glass cloth and resin on the back (scuffed it up first) and filled the crack in the front with some marine epoxy , painted it, and it hardly shows at all.
Bunks- There are different ways to do them but I think my last attempt was my best for both functionality and weight reduction. So far, they have worked out really well.
Painting walls - Many choose to do so, we've been really pleased with the original vinyl. It cleans easily and seems durable. Once you paint it, you're stuck. Curtains can offset and accent the otherwise drab vinyl.
I won't go into axles or floor replacement at this point...
But Dennis is right about sucking it up, spending the big bucks, and doing it right the first time!
Thanks for the tips about the endcaps. We were at a loss as to what to do about those. We were trying to come up with different ideas to cover or replace it. We'll probably give your method a shot.
When I decided I wanted bunkbeds, I checked out some of the threads wher you talked about them and checked out your pics. We are actually planning to use yours as a guide when we build ours.
As for the paint, I just feel like having a fresh look.
Thanks for the comments!
__________________
We may be getting in way over our heads, but oh well we will sink or swim.
My vote is to leave the propane, too. In my mind, the whole purpose of a travel trailer is to have "flexibility". Take that out, and you lose a whole bunch of it. I know, you're planning on keeping it for the long run, but consider: things change. life happens. you never know what might come around the corner, and you find yourself wanting to sell this expensive trailer...you don't want it to be so super-customized that no one else would want it.
Its really hard to make electricity. Its really easy to make fire.
My trailer has the original water heater, and lighting it is nothing like you describe. Hold the button, light the match, and "poof"...pilot is lit. count to 15, let go of the button, turn it to "on", and it lights. every time. I think the pilot blew out in high winds one time in 5 years. If yours doesn't work this easy, there's something wrong with it. And the new ones...you don't even have to go outside. just push a button.
fridge: electric takes alot of energy. fridge + a/c in the summer will overload the original circuitry in the trailer...you won't be able to do anything else without re-wiring the trailer, and using 50amp hookups, which aren't as common as the standard 30 amps. A gas fridge keeps things cold when you're driving. It is also built to handle being bounced around, while the little dorm-sized electric fridges are not. I know, lots of people have switched to electric fridges, but again, its limiting.
furnace: that, I can see eliminating. It makes heat from gas, but it uses so much electricity to spread it around, you essentially can't use it for any length of time without hookups, unless you've got an uber-boondocker package to go with it. (some combination of generator/solar panels/big battery banks).
Painting the interior does seem to work just fine. I have a 1973 31' unit. I used BIN shelac based primer (Kills would work well too) followed by a quality interior paint. I used something a little less than semi gloss and think maybe I would have liked the semi-gloss a little better. I picked a soft gray and intend to use bright primary colors as accents. Oh - I did scrub the interior skins thoroughly before I painted.
I have a favor to ask of you all. We are having some trouble with our private messages and emails coming from this site. If anyone has a moment, will you send me a private message or try to email me through this site? Just a "hi" or "test" would be really wonderful! I am hoping I can figure out what is wrong!
By the way, thanks for all the recent comments and tips. I have been away on business for a couple of days and just got back tonight. Can't wait to get back to work on the Airstream!
-Christi
__________________
We may be getting in way over our heads, but oh well we will sink or swim.
There should not be any above-floor gas lines other than those that go nearly directly vertical to the appliances. Gas lines are fastened to the underbelly of the trailer to prevent gas build-up inside the trailer in case of leak. I think the copper tube you referred to earlier was a water line. Darol
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