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tinman54 · 03-03-2009, 01:55 PM

Thanks for the replies guys,I have thought about it either way.I know working with water sensing switches in the heating business they can be a problem to dry out and when we leave our camper we dont leave anything open. In talking to some other streamers they liked having 2 fans, one to blow in and one out, the thermostat option I think will be nice at night. We won't have an a/c (too noisy) so the fans will be nice.

tinman54 · 03-03-2009, 07:02 PM

Here is a rough model of the new barn and workshop.

slvrlng · 03-03-2009, 07:09 PM

Are you going to make the ceiling high enough to lift a shell off with chain hoist? We have a pole barn but the center is too low for a high enough lift.

tinman54 · 03-03-2009, 07:36 PM

I am going to try and get a 12' - 14' ceiling in the center area and 9' in my shop.

ts8501 · 03-05-2009, 01:09 PM

That is one great design Doug. Even the roof has your signature on it! :-)

-Tim

tinman54 · 03-07-2009, 03:27 PM

Has anyone ever used stainless screws instead of rivets to reattach the main body to the C- channel on the outside bottom walls? Most of that joint is covered by the front and rear trim and it seams as thou the screws would be just as strong. By doing this I could more easily remove the belly pan later if I wished to change something or repair something.

whitsend · 03-07-2009, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinman54

Has anyone ever used stainless screws instead of rivets to reattach the main body to the C- channel on the outside bottom walls? Most of that joint is covered by the front and rear trim and it seams as thou the screws would be just as strong. By doing this I could more easily remove the belly pan later if I wished to change something or repair something.

Tinman - The install of the new floor in my '54 Cruiser was finished last weekend, and I'm using stainless screws to reattach the front & rear lower trim pieces. Matter of fact - ALL the perimeter screws & bolts are stainless. Nothing else made sense, and the thought of anything else stunk of the shoddy work done by a PO. My resto is going very slow - a lack of enough money and any skills at all!! Thank God for good Airstream friends, wonderful vintage fanatics!! This is definately a longer term project than I originally thought. Ever heard THAT before?? Wiring is next, when the Intellipower 4560 arrives from VTS (currently on back order . . ). Then we have to get serious on a floorplan, which hinges on how I design the bathroom, plumbing & tank(s). I'm also thinking of not having a shower. Just a toilet & sink & kitchen sink. That negates several issues for me.

You're doing GREAT work, and so fast!! I salute you. Please do keep it up, with lots of photos. Photos - that's how I learn. I suffer from learning disorders

. So keep 'em coming!!

I'd do a thread or blog & post photos, if I had the least bit of computer skills . . . .

Jim

soldiermedic · 03-07-2009, 07:10 PM

Whitsend,

Your restoration is going SLOW? You just had the floor replaced which is considerably further than mine is, and I have been at it much longer. I wish we had the Airstream helpers in Missouri that you have in Texas.

Good work Tinman, and keep the photos coming.

Steve

utee94 · 03-07-2009, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whitsend

Tinman - The install of the new floor in my '54 Cruiser was finished last weekend, and I'm using stainless screws to reattach the front & rear lower trim pieces. Matter of fact - ALL the perimeter screws & bolts are stainless. Nothing else made sense, and the thought of anything else stunk of the shoddy work done by a PO. My resto is going very slow - a lack of enough money and any skills at all!! Thank God for good Airstream friends, wonderful vintage fanatics!! This is definately a longer term project than I originally thought. Ever heard THAT before?? Wiring is next, when the Intellipower 4560 arrives from VTS (currently on back order . . ). Then we have to get serious on a floorplan, which hinges on how I design the bathroom, plumbing & tank(s). I'm also thinking of not having a shower. Just a toilet & sink & kitchen sink. That negates several issues for me.

You're doing GREAT work, and so fast!! I salute you. Please do keep it up, with lots of photos. Photos - that's how I learn. I suffer from learning disorders

. So keep 'em coming!!

I'd do a thread or blog & post photos, if I had the least bit of computer skills . . . .

Jim

Jim mi amigo, this sounds like a cop-out!

I'd LOVE to see just a few pictures. I'm not one of your vintage restoration gurus, but I'd be delighted to help you document if you like. A Forum thread, or a blog, or a stone carving with sanskrit-- whatever you like!

As for the question at hand, I can't really comment. I tend to follow the factory's original design when and where it makes sense, but if you really do think you might want to remove the belly at some future point, and you think the screws will help, then I don't suppose there's anything necessarily bad about that.

-Marcus

3Ms75Argosy · 03-08-2009, 01:08 AM

Didn't SoldierMedic find that not only were the belly skins attached with screws (flathead!!), but also the interior skins on his '50's Flying Cloud? My only thought would be that they might back out with vibrations?
Marac

hwy61 · 03-08-2009, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinman54

Here is a rough model of the new barn and workshop.

Love the look of the barn, wish we could do that here in Maine! The snow load from the high steep roof onto the lower shallow pitch roof would be too much. Now that we're near 100" here again this winter, it's hard not to think of snow!

tinman54 · 03-08-2009, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whitsend

Tinman - The install of the new floor in my '54 Cruiser was finished last weekend, and I'm using stainless screws to reattach the front & rear lower trim pieces. Matter of fact - ALL the perimeter screws & bolts are stainless. Nothing else made sense, and the thought of anything else stunk of the shoddy work done by a PO. My resto is going very slow - a lack of enough money and any skills at all!! Thank God for good Airstream friends, wonderful vintage fanatics!! This is definately a longer term project than I originally thought. Ever heard THAT before?? Wiring is next, when the Intellipower 4560 arrives from VTS (currently on back order . . ). Then we have to get serious on a floorplan, which hinges on how I design the bathroom, plumbing & tank(s). I'm also thinking of not having a shower. Just a toilet & sink & kitchen sink. That negates several issues for me.

You're doing GREAT work, and so fast!! I salute you. Please do keep it up, with lots of photos. Photos - that's how I learn. I suffer from learning disorders

. So keep 'em coming!!

I'd do a thread or blog & post photos, if I had the least bit of computer skills . . . .

Jim

Hi Jim, It sounds like you are ahead of me now and moving right along,it would be great to see some of your pictures, I'm sure your taking plenty, hope you can get the thread or blog figured out, I'm with you pictures are what I like best. I am hoping we get some nice weather in the next few weeks here so I can make some progress.
Doug

tinman54 · 03-08-2009, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hwy61

Love the look of the barn, wish we could do that here in Maine! The snow load from the high steep roof onto the lower shallow pitch roof would be too much. Now that we're near 100" here again this winter, it's hard not to think of snow!

The snow can be a concern here, that is part of the reason I'm going from 12' to 14' sides so I can get a steeper pitch on the shop portion.Also I think I am addicted to this now I want to be able to lift the next shell off inside.

tinman54 · 03-08-2009, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3Ms75Argosy

Didn't SoldierMedic find that not only were the belly skins attached with screws (flathead!!), but also the interior skins on his '50's Flying Cloud? My only thought would be that they might back out with vibrations?
Marac

About half of the outside was screwed before, that is why I felt I would just use screws all the way around, I think they will look ok and with volkum on each one they won't loosen up very easily. The floor was so rotten before, I'm not sure what was keeping the top on when we brought it home.

tinman54 · 03-08-2009, 06:30 AM

Not quite the the kind of aluminum that I look for on here but it will let us camp a couple of times this summer while the Cruiser gets a facelift

My wife didn't want me to go to fast on the cruiser just so we could use it this summer.

tinman54 · 03-10-2009, 08:27 PM

Raining/snowing here again so I thought I would try to make a new rain shield for over the main door.This one is aluminum, I am going to try one out of stainless steel also, just because it seems like the old one took a lot of abuse.
Work is a little slow right now so I'm taking a couple days off next week for some cruiser time.

I have new aluminum coming for the belly pan so I'm hoping to get all the edges or banana wraps done and fasten down the shell permanently.

Frank's Trailer Works · 03-11-2009, 04:26 AM

That looks tremendous... great job. Did you do it all with hand tools?

DEITZ645 · 03-11-2009, 05:26 AM

Tinman54,
Just like a bunch of other folks, I have just found this thread and found it interesting.

We have the rain sensing fantastic vents on our '06 and so far they have worked flawlessly. They clam up after sensing rain, wait 15 minutes, then open again. If no more rain is sensed they stay open or close if they feel more of the liquid sunshine. I am ciphering on how I can add a pair to our '87. They certainly do move a lot of air.

When you are finished with your barn, which looks very cool, you can come to PA and throw one up for me

.

Keep up the good work and you'll be streamin' in no time.

PS - You could paint the pop-up silver and throw an Airstream nameplate on it and you would have something similar to an Airstream Basecamp.

tinman54 · 03-11-2009, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62overlander

That looks tremendous... great job. Did you do it all with hand tools?

Thanks Frank, I did shape it by hand. I started by hammering the out the old one flat for a template, then I cut the new one so it would stand out an extra3/4".I rolled the general shape to mach the door and started bending 3/8" lipps on both sides with a pliers a little at a time and just kept checking against the shape of the door.
Doug

tinman54 · 04-18-2009, 09:46 AM

I had a couple of options today, I could go to work and do paperwork or work outside(70 degrees and sunny)on the cruiser for couple of hours. It was nice spending time on the Airstream, maybe I'll go to work tomorrow when it is raining. So I did get to finish installing the C channel all the way around and I think I have the body pretty well positioned now.It did take quite a bit of adjusting to get the body to fit right on the corners. With the help of the forums and all of the tips it does make it go better. The Trailer definitely has to be leveled well. Here are some before and after pics of the corners,I think it looks quite a bit better.