Let the 1973 games begin

[drach123]

My husband and I are starting our renovation project on our newly acquired land yacht - 31' sovereign international. We have high hopes and a whole lot of questions. We just finished up with the easy work - general interior and exterior cleaning and carpet removal.















Our next immediate steps are: 1. carefully document and remove all interior infrastructures (we want to reuse as much as we can) 2. strip the vinyl off the interior walls to bare aluminum. Any helpful hints and tips on removing the interior (kitchen, rear bath, closets, ect..) and stripping the inside are beyond welcome. We would love to hear from folks who have been there and done that! More pics and questions as we proceed!

[Blue Pearl]

Welcome to Airstream renovation, a love story.
Start to remove the vinyl behind the refrigerator first, you may change your mind. This is not an easy job and the aluminum is not the quality of the aluminum that is used on the new Airstreams. Check the treads on removing the vinyl wallcovering.
Have Fun!

[aquinob]

Welcome aboard and good luck. Get plenty of 1/8 and 3/16 inch drill bits to drill rivets. Take lots of pictures along the way. I'd go easy on the pressure washer, it can drive water in where it normally doesnt go and these trailers have enough problems with leaks already. You can check my blog for work I've done. If the axles havent been replaced, factor that in. At 40 years old, they are long overdue.

[drach123]

Originally Posted by Blue Pearl

Welcome to Airstream renovation, a love story.
Start to remove the vinyl behind the refrigerator first, you may change your mind. This is not an easy job and the aluminum is not the quality of the aluminum that is used on the new Airstreams. Check the treads on removing the vinyl wallcovering.
Have Fun!

Thanks Blue Pearl - I have a good idea thanks to the other threads for stripping the vinyl. I am really committed to the process as leaving it as would not be the most exciting option to me. Welcome to the airstream labor of love story indeed!!

[drach123]

Originally Posted by aquinob

Welcome aboard and good luck. Get plenty of 1/8 and 3/16 inch drill bits to drill rivets. Take lots of pictures along the way. I'd go easy on the pressure washer, it can drive water in where it normally doesnt go and these trailers have enough problems with leaks already. You can check my blog for work I've done. If the axles havent been replaced, factor that in. At 40 years old, they are long overdue.

Thanks!! We've already got extra bits in hand. We used the pressure washer knowingly as we are going to tear this while thing apart - we will not use it in the future moving forward to avoid the water leaking issue. The axles haven't been replaced but I know the trailer mostly sat in one spot, when the local mechanic put new tires on it, the breaks were in fantastic condition and so were the bearings... Now that being said - how do I determine if the axels
Need replacing? Is that something that you do because of age or actual non-working condition of the axle?

Also - where can I find your blog at?
Thanks!

[RM66caravel]

Because your axles are torc flex (rubber core) they only last 10 to 15 years with frequent use 10 years if little to no use. When it comes to drill bits plenty for your trailer would be about thirty or so! We have a caravel and used over 17 bits taking it apart. Good luck we will be following your progress.
Cliff

[drach123]

Originally Posted by RM66caravel

Because your axles are torc flex (rubber core) they only last 10 to 15 years with frequent use 10 years if little to no use. When it comes to drill bits plenty for your trailer would be about thirty or so! We have a caravel and used over 17 bits taking it apart. Good luck we will be following your progress.
Cliff

Thanks Cliff, we will look into replacing the axels and load up on a couple more bits - I think we have about 10 to get us started but I'll order some more so we don't run out.

[drach123]

We got the inside cleaned up as best we could before we started taking the inside apart. We used a product called krud kutter and it was like the magic cleaning fairy came to visit. The only spot that it didn't work very well on was the bath tub. We aren't planning on reusing the tub so I didn't spend much time trying to deep clean it with the product. It's crazy how dirty it still is after all the cleaning we did. The work continues but so does our excitement!!

[drach123]

So after a long vaca from our renovations we are back in full force. We are almost done with the removal of all the interior walls, dividers, and appliances. It's amazing how carefully thought out the designers were when they put this beauty together back in 1973. We just found the sliding board under the stove that gives your more work space in the kitchen - genius!!

We will hopefully finish up taking apart the rear bath and dealing with getting the kitchen area disconnected from all the pipes and hoses. Only one really good photo from today, hopefully more tomorrow.

[drach123]

Just got back from a cold and somewhat slow night At the airstream. It was 18 degrees outside and we attempted to strip the vinyl of the interior walls. What we thought was turning out to be an epic fail ended up being a small victory resulting in hope! We painted on the jasco paint and epoxy remover only to find that nothing was happening. Then we layered it on really thick in one spot and waited a bit longer and while we didn't see any bubbling take place we were able to begin to scrape off some larger sections and make some progress. Can anyone tell me if the cold temperature was the main culprit in slowing the stripping down or was it the thickness of the stripper? Here is a pic of the small start of our big project.

[supergg]

I have used Jasco and it does seem to not work as well in the cold. From all that I have read about it, people seem to have mixed results. Sometimes its a cake walk and sometimes it is a battle to the very end. For me, it was not a quick task. It took a lot of work and several rounds of Jasco. Best of luck on finishing yours.

[Colin H]

Originally Posted by drach123

Just got back from a cold and somewhat slow night At the airstream. It was 18 degrees outside and we attempted to strip the vinyl of the interior walls. What we thought was turning out to be an epic fail ended up being a small victory resulting in hope! We painted on the jasco paint and epoxy remover only to find that nothing was happening. Then we layered it on really thick in one spot and waited a bit longer and while we didn't see any bubbling take place we were able to begin to scrape off some larger sections and make some progress. Can anyone tell me if the cold temperature was the main culprit in slowing the stripping down or was it the thickness of the stripper? Here is a pic of the small start of our big project.


Attachment 200739

Why don't you just remove the interior skins, it'll be much easier, plus you'll get the opportunity to replace the insulation, upgrade wiring, seam seal the interior of the exterior skin. Or better yet, use the original skins as patterns & just fab new ones.
Colin

[drach123]

Originally Posted by Colin H

Why don't you just remove the interior skins, it'll be much easier, plus you'll get the opportunity to replace the insulation, upgrade wiring, seam seal the interior of the exterior skin. Or better yet, use the original skins as patterns & just fab new ones.
Colin

So we came to the same conclusion over dinner tonight. We are going to move forward to insulation and wiring by taking the interior walls out and storing them to use later. We will still have to decide if we will try and strip them after they are out or if we will use them as templates for new aluminum inside. What kind if experience do you need and/or special tools to fabricate new interior walls out of aluminum? It seems like a pretty intimidating task!!?? Any thoughts?

[Colin H]

Originally Posted by drach123

So we came to the same conclusion over dinner tonight. We are going to move forward to insulation and wiring by taking the interior walls out and storing them to use later. We will still have to decide if we will try and strip them after they are out or if we will use them as templates for new aluminum inside. What kind if experience do you need and/or special tools to fabricate new interior walls out of aluminum? It seems like a pretty intimidating task!!?? Any thoughts?

Great to hear, you won't regret this decision.
You'll need lots of 1/8" drill bits (I use "double end" bits available at Fastenal), clecos & cleco pliers (available from Vintage Trailer Supply), tin snips & an electric shear (you can get a cheap one at Harbor Freight for about $28). It might appear daunting, but it's really not that tough.
Colin

[RM66caravel]

I must agree the template idea and screw the stripping you will save money buying the new aluminum cause beer is getting more expensive and stripping those walls will make for some seriously assisted reevaluation! Yes sir we will be looking for those pictures and remember band aids cause you are going to bleed, cuss break bits and repeat ending in the swearing at the rivet gods "I will win" after which you have a beer or coffee or what have you then put on another band aid and load a fresh bit then start again!
Yes you may cuss at me
Cliff

[drach123]

Originally Posted by Colin H

Great to hear, you won't regret this decision.
You'll need lots of 1/8" drill bits (I use "double end" bits available at Fastenal), clecos & cleco pliers (available from Vintage Trailer Supply), tin snips & an electric shear (you can get a cheap one at Harbor Freight for about $28). It might appear daunting, but it's really not that tough.
Colin

This is good info - still the idea of creating a new interior out of new aluminum seems pretty intimidating which is why we are keeping our options open at this time. We spent the day labeling the inside of the airstream with a wax crayon and also created a paper diagram complete with a key so that if we choose to reuse the existing panels we can do so with ease. Then we were able to drill out most of the rivets so tomorrow we should be able to take the interior walls off and get at the insulation. We had a couple extra set of hands and drills so the drilling of the rivets went pretty fast. Looking forward to tomorrow to see the inside come off.

Any other options/thoughts/links/how tos/threads about creating new interior skins out of aluminum?

[drach123]

Originally Posted by RM66caravel

I must agree the template idea and screw the stripping you will save money buying the new aluminum cause beer is getting more expensive and stripping those walls will make for some seriously assisted reevaluation! Yes sir we will be looking for those pictures and remember band aids cause you are going to bleed, cuss break bits and repeat ending in the swearing at the rivet gods "I will win" after which you have a beer or coffee or what have you then put on another band aid and load a fresh bit then start again!
Yes you may cuss at me
Cliff

My husband and I had a good laugh after reading this after a long days work on the airstream. we are excited that you are following along as its so fun to hear from someone who has spent time in the trenches so to speak!! I cracked a cold one tonight and celebrated our first victory against the rivets gods.

[jbib]

I would like to add my 2 cents worth, and it's worth every penny. I chose to create new walls in my 82 Excella. I bought new aluminum which allowed me to move the outlets from" in your face" to out of your way, below the countertops. You might be able to get by, by carefully measuring and only replacing the aluminum in the visible sections. I replaced everything up to the curve, most of which is hidden. I replaced the wiring and outllets with 12 gauge wire because the entire trailer was wired with 14 gauge wire yet had 20 amp breakers. Probably the previous owner, but check and verify (14 gauge is fine for 15 amp but if you have a 20amp breaker you should have 12 gauge wire.)

[drach123]

Originally Posted by jbib

I would like to add my 2 cents worth, and it's worth every penny. I chose to create new walls in my 82 Excella. I bought new aluminum which allowed me to move the outlets from" in your face" to out of your way, below the countertops. You might be able to get by, by carefully measuring and only replacing the aluminum in the visible sections. I replaced everything up to the curve, most of which is hidden. I replaced the wiring and outllets with 12 gauge wire because the entire trailer was wired with 14 gauge wire yet had 20 amp breakers. Probably the previous owner, but check and verify (14 gauge is fine for 15 amp but if you have a 20amp breaker you should have 12 gauge wire.)

Another big day of work put in at the airstream. We got to take out all of the interior panels and to. My surprise they all ended up being long and flat (for some reason I thought they would be curved). This makes it seem way more possible to use the old panels as templates for the new ones. This way we can reconfigure the floor plan and have holes for outlets and wires where we want them to be (thanks knob for the insight). I think we will keep and reuse the fiberglass curved endcaps as those seem pretty tricky to recreate. We will be replacing all the wiring and insulation. We are also going to move the rear bath to the center over the wheels. It was super fun to get all the panels off.

Next task is to cut out the floor and get into the belly. Then we are gonna have a plumber and electrician out to help us with all that work (that is for sure above our pay grade).

Keep the comments/thoughts/ideas/helpful hints coming our way. Here are couple fun pics from the day

[RM66caravel]

I thought you were going to drop the belly pan? Maybe that was someone else it is not that I am old and forgetful but the grand daughter for some reason decided to let the beagle share in thanksgiving with turkey!!! (beagle turkey farts will blow your mind and clear your stomach) ! At any rate if you are cutting up the floor and redoing the plumbing it may be easier to drop the belly pan. Others have far more experience than I but I think that it would be like changing the spark plugs in a car without raising the hood! Can be done but not by me! You are doing a great job keep up the great work your motivation is inspiring!
Cliff