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06-25-2018, 09:27 PM
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#1
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3 Rivet Member
Airstream - Other
Knoxville
, TN
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 226
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The Love Shack
So we purchased a 1977 26D Argosy about six weeks ago. We had looked for one last year but couldn't find anything that was reasonable or that wasn't 31'. Well after some time looking we ended up with a Scamp 16 which is a great little weekender. Well we took a 10 day trip in the Scamp this past spring and by day 7 we were looking on the internet for a bigger camper. Fiberglass or Aluminum we like both. Moving along we found the Argosy which I liked because of the front windows and it looked pretty good. It had a few bumps and brushes but it needed a paint job so it wasn't a worry. The floor felt solid and then wasn't any indication of rear frame droop. The owner pointed out a split water line under the kitchen sink which didn't look to be that big of a deal to fix or replace with PEX, and it would probably need a water heater again no big deal. The only big deal was the Refrigerator was missing again no big deal and the camper is priced accordingly.
[IMG] Agosy3 by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
So we got the camper home and here is what the interior looked like. A 40 year old camper that had been reasonably maintained the interior had been updated 15 to 20 years ago based on the materials and colors.
[IMG] day 1 Guocho by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG] day 1 kitchen by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
day 1 a by Eric Frye, on Flickr
[IMG] day 1 b by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG] day 1 bath by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
I started looking at the plumbing and found out that I would need to move forward with replacing most of the copper piping and the water heater. There were several questionable pipe repairs.
[IMG] Argosy water heater rot by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
Well once the water heater was out now I could see rotten wood under it and as I was digging around the piping more rotten wood around the edge.
[IMG] plumbing referance by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
So I know what your thinking, Oh no he's going to find big problems. Well I was still being optimistic and I figured I would just pull out the closet and sink to get access to the corner and make a good repair. Well as I looked at how everything was put together I figured I had to start at the front and work to the back to get everything out without damage. So after work for a couple of hours a night parts started coming out.
[IMG] Argosy day 4 by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG] Argosy day 5 by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG] day 6 deconstrution by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG] day 6 by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
Well not being smart enough to stop there I pulled the black water tank and guess what I found. Go ahead and guess, no really go ahead guess. No not Jimmy Hoffa but good guess. More wood rot. That what I found.
[IMG] day 7 under sink by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
Well as long as I was there I might as well put the tub/shower too, right. Isn't that what any sane person would do. And yes you have already guessed it. Everybody say it together, More Rot.
[IMG] day 7 bath by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG] day 7 under shower by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
Well as I keep picking at the scab I realize I am going to have to pull the curbside interior as well because the rot extends under the Goucho so by the end of the 8th day I have exposed the gray water tank and removed most of the interior.
[IMG] day 8 bathroom rot removal by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG] Day 8 striped by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG] day 8 striped 2 by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
Once the front goucho was removed and the water tank was completely exposed I found the sub floor was going to have to be replace up there as well and around the door and the refrigerator vent.
[IMG] water tank fill by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG] Day 8 front floor exposed by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
So for the next several weeks I continued to peck away with the rest of the interior. I carefully removed the wheel wells and the furnace along with the rest of the plumbing. I planed on replacing the floor with the shell on. Would you like to take a guess at how that plan worked out. Once I got the sub floor off I found rusted outriggers and as luck would have it as I stepped out of the camper one of the step outriggers bent. Upon closer inspection all the curbside outriggers needed to be replace.
[IMG] before lift off by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
A few more days and I had a couple of gantry cranes built in my backyard and I was ready to pop the top on the camper.
[IMG] Shell off Lift off Day 28 by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG] Shell off Lift off Day 28 by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG] Shell off Houston we have spearation by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
With the frame off I arranged to have Jeff Oliver repair the frame to save me some time and allow me to continue to work on other issues. Like removing the TV antenna, replacing the bathroom fan, and repairing the toilet. I also had to deal with keeping the grass trimmed inside the camper.
[IMG] 20180624_135346_resized by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
That gets me up to today and now it is bed time. I will attempt to keep the thread up today as I make progress. My goal is to have the Love Shack back on the road by mid August. Time, weather, and money allowing.
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06-25-2018, 10:55 PM
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#2
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4 Rivet Member
2011 27 FB International
Tucson
, Arizona
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 258
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Welcome!
And congratulations, sorta, and condolences. Be assured, I'll be following this adventure.
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06-26-2018, 02:53 AM
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#3
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Rivet Master
Vintage Kin Owner
Lin
, Ne
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,430
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__________________
The higher your expectations the fewer your options.
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06-26-2018, 03:15 AM
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#4
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Rivet Master
1977 31' Excella 500
West Sacramento
, California
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 728
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These love shacks can turn into money pits real fast.
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06-26-2018, 04:33 AM
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#5
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Rivet Master
2014 20' Flying Cloud
Sag Harbor
, New York
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 17,523
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Condolences . . . and thanks for the great write-up and photos!
Good luck,
Peter
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06-26-2018, 04:58 AM
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#6
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2 Rivet Member
2019 28' Flying Cloud
Castle Rock
, Colorado
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 20
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Endurance
Man, did you open up a can of worms. But with your sense of humor and ultra determination I'm sure you'll right the ship and have things in order before long.
And, did you contact the guy you purchased the rig from for a partial refund? Or was this a classic "buyer beware"? Good luck and keep us all posted.
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06-26-2018, 05:24 AM
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#7
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3 Rivet Member
Airstream - Other
Knoxville
, TN
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 226
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 4RXLA
These love shacks can turn into money pits real fast.
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Don't all good love affairs take most of your money. Funny thing is as the wife and I have been taking the camper appart we keep talking about the movie "The Money Pit"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skybear46
Man, did you open up a can of worms. But with your sense of humor and ultra determination I'm sure you'll right the ship and have things in order before long.
And, did you contact the guy you purchased the rig from for a partial refund? Or was this a classic "buyer beware"? Good luck and keep us all posted.
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No refunds it was priced to be a really good deal if repairs had been minimal to just slightly high for what we got. With the interior being in pretty good shape we can reuse most of it will a little reconditioning so cost will be kept to a minimum. Mostly my labor / time which, if I wasn't working on that I would be doing something else. Also with each new project there is usually a new tool or two that you have to get which is the main reason I take on any project. MORE TOOLS
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06-26-2018, 06:16 AM
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#8
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2 Rivet Member
1970 27' Overlander
Poteau
, Oklahoma
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 30
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Well I would have more sympathy for you if you did not copy the name of my trailer. Mine is in the Airstream registry as "The Luv Shack". Great minds think alike, or in my case maybe a dirty old man? HA. My condolences on trying to find a stopping point to start. Been there, done that. I had a rotten black water tank pan and the very back plywood had two inches or rot on the end that needed fixed and ended up taking everything out to the twin beds to fix, In the end I was glad I did as I found a fossilized rat and 20 pounds of hickory nuts in the belly pan. I also had a good chance to replace the back half of the trailer with some closed cell foam sheets too. But, it is no matter as whatever you have to do, it was time for it to be done and thats all there is to it really. Have fun on your project, and you will in between cussing fits.
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06-26-2018, 06:29 AM
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#9
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Rivet Master
2012 25' FB Eddie Bauer
Vintage Kin Owner
Virginia Beach
, Virginia
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,801
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New axles. Really good idea. Torsion axles which have taken a set will beat your trailer up with every bump. Colin Hyde is the east coast axle man.
Coosa board for subfloor. Oh good gracious me, you are going to plotz when you see what it costs, but it will be.good for another 50 years.
Just thoughts. Innocent little thoughts.
__________________
Today is a gift, that's why they call it the present.
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06-26-2018, 05:37 PM
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#10
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3 Rivet Member
Airstream - Other
Knoxville
, TN
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 226
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cowdiddly
Well I would have more sympathy for you if you did not copy the name of my trailer. Mine is in the Airstream registry as "The Luv Shack". Great minds think alike, or in my case maybe a dirty old man? HA.
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Well I will admit the name came form items found in the camper as I was removing the interior. Let's just say that they were personal items that we will not be reusing in the camper. As soon as I found them the B-52's "Love Shack" started playing in my head and it stuck.
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06-30-2018, 11:56 AM
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#11
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3 Rivet Member
Airstream - Other
Knoxville
, TN
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 226
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Got the frame back from Jeff Oliver after he replaced a bunch of outriggers and the back panel. Thursday night I had a friend come over to help move the out riggers and yesterday started on the frame with a wire wheel. Holy Smolly. That's a work out. This morning I disconnected the axles and rolled them out from under the frame then flipped it upside down so I could repeat the process. Holly Smolly, it was still hard. Once I was done with the angle grinder and wire wheel I cleaned up the left over rivets and broken screws. Then I hit the frame with a degreaser. This afternoon it is metal prep and POR-15 time.
[IMG] upside down frame by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
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06-30-2018, 12:35 PM
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#12
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Rivet Master
2014 20' Flying Cloud
Sag Harbor
, New York
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 17,523
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For everyone's information, Eric has started a new parallel thread:
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f36/...ne-183617.html
I salute your sense of humor and dedication to this project!
Peter
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06-30-2018, 03:23 PM
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#13
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2 Rivet Member
1970 27' Overlander
Poteau
, Oklahoma
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 30
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Moving right along I see Eric. Word to the wise. Wear some nitrile glove when painting that POR15. Im a good enough painter I don't normally wear them but that stuff just has to wear off.
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06-30-2018, 06:23 PM
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#14
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3 Rivet Member
Airstream - Other
Knoxville
, TN
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 226
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I hear you cowdiddly. I have used it before and it seams to jump on you no mater how much you cover up.
For today I managed to finish wire wheeling the frame, then degreased and applied metal prep. It is now 8:20 pm and the temp has dropped to 87 degrees. My butt is kicked. Tomorrow it POR-15 time.
[IMG] 20180630_172648_resized by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
Put the tarp up to keep the dew off hopefully.
[IMG] 20180630_200218_resized by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
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06-30-2018, 06:54 PM
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#15
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1 Rivet Member
2018 27' Flying Cloud
Issaquah
, Washington
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 18
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This is fascinating! Love the attention to fetal, I’m hooked on following your project!!
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07-01-2018, 08:38 AM
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#16
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4 Rivet Member
1972 25' Tradewind
Calgary
, Alberta
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 297
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Love the grass flooring.
[
[IMG] 20180624_135346_resized by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
That gets me up to today and now it is bed time. I will attempt to keep the thread up today as I make progress. My goal is to have the Love Shack back on the road by mid August. Time, weather, and money allowing.[/QUOTE]
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07-01-2018, 04:34 PM
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#17
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4 Rivet Member
1986 25' Sovereign
Huntsville
, Alabama
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 282
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Great job, keep up the good work and thoughts. A lot of people like the Love Shack for a name. Ours is also registered in the Airstream registry as "Love Shack".
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07-03-2018, 07:43 PM
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#18
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3 Rivet Member
Airstream - Other
Knoxville
, TN
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 226
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So over the weekend in the 95 degree sun I wire brushed the frame, washed / degreased it, then put on two coats of POR-15. Here are some photos of the work and a picture of the next step... Belly Pan!
[IMG] Frame prep by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG] frame preped and ready by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG] Pretty painted frame by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG] belly pan by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
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07-04-2018, 05:03 PM
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#19
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3 Rivet Member
Airstream - Other
Knoxville
, TN
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 226
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Belly pan time. Woo hoo! You know what that means? Today is the first day of assembly. We are officially in the build phase of the Love Shack. It is fitting that it occurs on Wally Byam's birthday.
First things first laying out the materials. Old belly pan on top of new on. I guess the shrink with age. Actually I used the old one as a template for the new one. As I bellieve I mentioned befor the new pan is .040 thick compared to the original .024.
[IMG] belly pan time by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
Here it is clamped in place. This was all I could do today with the temperature at 94 F and the heat index at 104 F. I did have to massage the back bends with a BFH to cover the gray water tank.
[IMG] Belly pan fitted by Eric Frye, on Flickr[/IMG]
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07-04-2018, 07:49 PM
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#20
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Rivet Master
2007 22' International CCD
Corona
, California
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,180
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A good selection of assorted hammers is vital to a good toolbox. The BFH and the “Bigger” FH are the go-to tools for fine adjustment to our favorite shiny objects...
__________________
Rich, KE4GNK/AE, Overkill Engineering Dept.
'The Silver HamShack' ('07 International 22FB CCD 75th Anniversary)
Multiple Yaesu Ham Radios inside and many antennae sprouting from roof, ProPride hitch, Prodigy P2 controller.
2012 shortbed CrewMax 4x4 Toyota Tacoma TV with more antennae on it.
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