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Old 04-13-2015, 08:11 AM   #21
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1986 25' Sovereign
Cincinnati , Ohio
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 98
frscott
When we got the damage report from the factory on the work to be done, and the cost, I had to take a deep breath. The labor is the thing that skyrocketed it all. Not having either the experience or confidence that I could do a great job, we bit the bullet and gave the factory a green light on the essentials. We are doing the work ourselves on new floor, painting the interior, including the shower which there is no replacement apparently, and getting new counters courtesy of Home Depot. My wife took all the drapes out and we hope to order from Home Depot pull down shades. I don't know how I will secure them so they don't hang out from the windows but.....
I retire in three weeks and we are committed to volunteering at a U.S. Historic site on Lake Tahoe in mid-July. So, we have a lot to do in a short amount of time.
Did you put in LED lights in yours? Any other updates? I would be very interested in hearing your experiences.
Steve
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Old 04-14-2015, 12:33 AM   #22
astrocaver
 
1986 25' Sovereign
Denver , Colorado
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 43
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Most blinds are held in place by the curtains. In my side bath that blind has a bail handle that hooks, also my back window. I just took out a bad stick-on tile floor which continued to open up gaps in the heat. I got a pergo type plank floor to replace it, but first I have to put down some 6 mil plastic to cover up the sticky mastic. I have replaced the roof vents with Fantastic vents which I wired from the nearby ceiling lights. I replaced the converter and added a second battery and battery compartment which I got from the factory. Cutting a hole in the front of the trailer was daunting. I have replaced lots of rivets with oversize head rivets on the bottom skin because they had worn thru. Other replacements; toilet, water pump, water tank drain (old one too small and hard to turn), hot water tank drain valve, wheel and brake assembly, another brake magnet, wheel bearings. shocks, tires. I think I am building a trailer piece by piece.
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Old 04-14-2015, 06:56 AM   #23
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1978 31' Sovereign
Hot Springs , Arkansas
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 603
Those little plastic hooks with the tenacious self adhesive might work to hold the blind to the side walls. You may have to get a large one (longer hook) to give you enough stand-off so that it doesn't look cheesy. You probably will have to notch one of the
blinds so they will roll from up to down without bunching/bending. Or perhaps loop some 20lb test monofilament to make up the difference. The more hooks you use to secure it to the wall will give you a smoother radius.

Unless your curtains are totally shot and undesirable, they clean up nicely with an oxy based detergent and washing by hand. It's a process, but works great.
Clayton
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Old 04-15-2015, 07:00 AM   #24
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1986 25' Sovereign
Cincinnati , Ohio
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 98
Astrocaver--Sounds like you have built your own trailer. Are you still going to call it an AS or are you going to come up with a new brand (just kidding)!!
We are going to put in a new floor using interlocking rubberized tile that are used in basements, and exercise rooms. We went to a eco-friendly home remodeling store in Cincinnati and they looked easy to install, relatively inexpensive, and my wife liked them, which is most important. Looking at new counters and shades from Home Depot.

NavyCorpsman-Good suggestion on holding the shades to the wall, especially since we won't be getting drapes.

Can't wait to get our trailer back from JC. We plan on getting it back next Wednesday and start doing the additional work soon after.
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Old 04-15-2015, 04:48 PM   #25
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1986 25' Sovereign
Wichita Falls , Texas
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 100
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Ssmookler, I have not put in lcd's, just because the lights are working so they were at the bottom of the list. I have a great friend that is very knowledgeable, so I have managed to do a lot myself (wit help) But I have overhauled the heater, with new valve, and new fan, put in new A/C, two Maxxaire vents, two new water heaters--NEVER buy a girard tankless, just trash and freezes at the drop of a hat even when you blow out the water with compressed air. New batteries, new flooring, new fridge, new plumbing (pex), new stabilizers, two new windows, a new door latch (got stuck inside when mine broke!) A bit of water damage repair from previous owner, new running lights, 4 new tires (Marathons) new propane tanks, new TV, faucets for bath and kitchen--I think thats it! I still need a new stereo with DVD, and I would like lcd's, so there is always something!!
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Old 04-16-2015, 06:11 AM   #26
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1986 25' Sovereign
Cincinnati , Ohio
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 98
frscott
Did you do this kind of work before? You send really accomplished.

I have not done a lot of handyman stuff around my own house but I am eager to tackle jobs on the AS as they arise. We have decided to install counters with the help of an experienced friend ( I hope this doesn't ruin the friendship !) because Home Depot installers said they won't do it in the trailer. This will be the first job we will tackle.

I hope to gain a lot of hands on experience with having more time available once I hang up my pen/computer on May 1 (retirement).
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Old 04-24-2015, 05:42 PM   #27
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1986 25' Sovereign
Wichita Falls , Texas
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 100
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experience

Ssmookler, My family and I have always been in one phase of construction or another, though I will say, knowing how things are built and actually building them are two separate things! I found that if you have a friend who is wise in the construction arts, patience, the ability to walk away and cool down when you picture filling the thing with dynamite after a frustrating and useless day, and the knowledge of when you are out of your league and need to take it to the pro, that you can work on 90% of the Airstream. I shy away from propane connections, as every huge RV fire I have ever seen was caused by a loose connection, ( though I did just overhaul my heater) and I cannot do refrigeration, especially not with the toxic stuff thats in those things. It's great fun when you do a good job, and its a pain to learn some of it, like rivets! But over all I would, and may, do it all again! Here is the thread with pictures of some of my work.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f204...ign-90317.html
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Old 04-25-2015, 11:17 AM   #28
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1986 25' Sovereign
Cincinnati , Ohio
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 98
No running lights after picking up AS

frscott
Nice work. What type of flooring did you put in?
We picked up our AS from the factory on Thursday. Went over all work with technician. Had a bit of a problem when we hooked up our AS and plugged in the 7 way cord into our TV but no power to AS. The technicians said the batteries were dead from sitting around off and on for 6 months at the factory. They tested the TV power outlet and said no juice to the AS batteries. I didn't have my Ford TV owners manual but none of the fuses appeared problematic. One of the techs plugged a shoreline to the AS but still no power. I was getting worried.
Then one of the AS supervisors came out and said the shoreline wasn't plugged in correctly. Got interior lights and running lights. So, I pulled off. As soon as we left, the lights were extremely dim. I didn't know whether to go back to the service center or not and decided to go on the 125 miles to Cincinnati.
Today, two days later, lights inside the AS all work after having the AS on a shoreline. Started up the TV and plugged in the 7 way plug and all lights worked including running lights with and without shoreline.
We had a new 3 stage converter put in so maybe there just wasn't enough juice to power the lights through the TV.
Does the TV 7way plug go through the battery to the AS running lights? That would account for the low to no lights after leaving the factory. Today the running lights worked with the TV running and off, with the shoreline plugged in or not.

Any thoughts?
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Old 04-27-2015, 02:04 PM   #29
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1986 25' Sovereign
Wichita Falls , Texas
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 100
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Lights and TV

Ssmookler, The TV runs through the battery via the inverter. The batteries do have to work as they are part of the circuit. The AC will not work though unless the trailer is on at least 110 shore power. There are 9v plugs in the bedroom and the bathroom that will power 9v stuff while on battery. Also, all the dome lights should work also.

The running lights work off the TV, so they are on two different circuits. I had a problem with dim lights and tracked it down to a bad light, one that the crystal was loose and let water into, after replacing it, all lit up fine. If they are dim only sometimes, it probably means one of your lights are going bad, look for a cracked lens or one that just looks bad and thats probably the culprit.
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Old 04-28-2015, 01:08 PM   #30
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1986 25' Sovereign
Cincinnati , Ohio
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Posts: 98
frscott

Thanks for the heads up. I will be watching the running lights to see if they dim out in the future.
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