Visit our Popular Forums

filterman · 03-22-2011, 11:32 PM

Here is what it looks like and all hand tooled no tape no alcohol of course and no acetone. OOPS i meant SIKA like sika getting my fingers gooey

MrBeast · 03-22-2011, 11:57 PM

Lookin good. Now you just have the rest of em to do

filterman · 03-24-2011, 01:28 AM

thanks Beast, you are welcome to visit I got hot dogs and a grill and a case of beer for an extra hand

Ok ran into problem... I dont like the adhesion qualities of butyl tape in my windows sooo I am not using it permanetly in the reinstall. I am floating the glass entirely in sika 295.This is how to do it.
take your glass and find the Herculite markings to determine the outside of the glass, it should read properly from inside the rig on the bottom right corner. lay it on a towell.
Flip glass over giong left to right, now logo is on the left corner bottom.
Take a good scale and GREY Butyl tape, I dont like the new white stuff and weight TWO grams of tape which you have rolled onto Jelly bean sized pieces. You will need six " two gram jelly beans "
Place them three on top of pane overhanging the glass a little and three on the bottom of pane slightly higher than the bottom edge of the glass.
treat your window channel with activator
superglue your rubber base spacers back into frame
install window with beans facing out and remember orientation (herculite letters bottom right) and beans overlapping top edge of glass slightly.
Push glass firmly against channel evenly depressing beans slightly, not too much you need about an eighth inch gap outside.
Sika inner frame and window avoiding split ring channel (which is almost impossible)
Let cure one day or so
remove beans by pulling up on them and being patient they will come out use a little water if needed and a plastic scraper to pry them out.
Take clean thin paint brush to apply activator between window and outter frame.
Seal outside of window
Clean split ring channel,razor and ice pic or scribe.
Clean inside window with soap and water, no windex
proceed with install of plexi with rubber seal and split ring.
You now should have about three quarter of a tube or so of sika 295 sealing your window it should be WATERPROOF TO A DEPTH OF 1000 FEET.

Well maybe not quite but I bet it will last 50 years.

Lance M · 03-24-2011, 05:18 AM

Sounds like a good fix. Have any pics?

filterman · 03-24-2011, 10:21 PM

Here ya go. Looks like we are going to make a historic record for days rained this month, more than any since recorded history. Go figure right.

filterman · 03-27-2011, 02:06 AM

onan 6500 lp gene. It has 500hrs on it only powers to 50% load and shuts down. Gotta get it fixed. Paid 350.00 Any ideas on what could be wrong? Vaporizor or regulator maybe?
Model 6.3nhefa63753n
Serial K963609376
Carb family sn5980u1L2ra
Kit 541 D532
Liquid lp only

filterman · 03-28-2011, 10:30 PM

I never thought I would have to be a gene mechanic, so one more thing to learn I guess. I plan on using the gene with HHO generator to increase efficency and power a prius car battery and have solar cells on roof. Gonna be a major project.By the time i'm done I will have learned Hydrogen generation, solar and generator repair and maybe a small wind turbine somewhere on top to charge while towing. It will be fun learning this stuff. Ohh boy what did I get myself into, he he.

Lance M · 03-29-2011, 05:17 AM

Hydrogen generation. Wow. Sounds interesting. The small wind turbine is a cool idea too. I think a larger charging circuit and 200amp alternator on the TV would be another option as well. Like the ideas.

gypsyblue · 04-13-2011, 05:00 PM

hi,
I'm seriously thinking about buying an excella 500, it's structurally sound ie no leaks and on the west coast that's key. It will need to be renovated.Reading your blog has been very informative. Do you recommend this?
I'm not that technically proficient in this type of thing, but would have the help of two great guys, a carpenter and mechanic, to provide the necessary skills. I live on quite a large farm and it could potentially become my living space. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Marsha

wasagachris · 04-13-2011, 05:51 PM

gypsyblue ( Marsha) have you read the threads on inspecting trailers for damage to the frame and floor. I also have a 73 Excella 500 and love it. I did have to do a complete shell off restoration to it. I'm about half way done now. I have also owned the trailer for 12yrs and lived in it full time for 7 yrs.
You can check out what I have done here:
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f36/...ins-67532.html

If you need any advice or help feel free to ask. Oh yeah welcome to the forums by the way.

filterman · 04-14-2011, 12:48 AM

gypsyblue, If I were closer I would inspect what you werre looking at for you but if you are looking at an older one I would recommend removing the carpet or at least lifting it up to check around the walls for rot, especially if the bath is in the rear, check to see that the rims of the tires sre about even with the wheel well and that your tires dont sit too far up into the well. Also you can plan on having to replace just about everything in this rig because of efficiency and just plain age and reliability. I would be suprised if someone found a older airstream that was in mint shape, a full frame off restoration is the way to go if you really want something of great value in my opinion, an older stream will outclass a newer one if done right but just to polish these things takes 600hrs plus and to tear down is enormous but if you are patient and listen to your better judgement along with putting up with the smartass comments then you will do fine. WASA has done a good job on his and I am in limbo right now cause I have to move by 15 of may and am packing. I will resume project later when I am settled into new home. I plan on putting about 15k to 20k into mine, full restore with all ammenities able to go off grid with full gene. I will use a composting toilet and use the black water tank as another grey water tank. It will have solar and wither LI batteries or a prius battery pack setup. I will even have s small wind generator on it so it charges when towing and HHO generator to get more out of the propane generator. Dont be afriad to ask questions even if you think at the time they are stupid becasuse only a stupid person never asks a question. Good luck and if I can help I would be glad to give you some ideas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gypsyblue

hi,
I'm seriously thinking about buying an excella 500, it's structurally sound ie no leaks and on the west coast that's key. It will need to be renovated.Reading your blog has been very informative. Do you recommend this?
I'm not that technically proficient in this type of thing, but would have the help of two great guys, a carpenter and mechanic, to provide the necessary skills. I live on quite a large farm and it could potentially become my living space. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Marsha

gypsyblue · 04-20-2011, 01:43 PM

Hi Thanks for the advice, I'm having trouble with my internet server right now, sorry about the slow reply. I've taken a friend with me and and checked out the subfloor, that looks really good. no signs of water damage! There's work that needs to be done in other areas of course but structually things look good. Hopefully photos will be coming soon and plenty of questions..... thanks again guys.

Pavery · 12-10-2011, 07:20 AM

Hi - Just bought a 1973 Excella 500 31ft rear bath. She is one fine trailer and we are very proud new owners. We need to put new tires on it NOW! We are pulling from Greenville OH to Houston TX and had a flat only to realize what idiots we were in putting regular tires on the trailer. Hate to be such a new-comer but you gotta start somewhere. I will definitely visit your (gypsyblue) sight to see what you have done and post pictures of our own girl. We have named her Miss Anne, for our next door neighbor who is 83 and still traveling, as well as Annie Oakley, who was from the town where we bought her. From what I have read ST 225/75 R15 is what I want to purchase for her. I'm almost sure we will have to make a decision before a reply is posted but I wanted to ask anyway. We are in Montgomery AL as of now. Thanks!

Wabbiteer · 12-10-2011, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Cnan 6500 lp gene. It has 500hrs on it only powers to 50% load and shuts down.. . ...Any ideas on what could be wrong?

www.smokstak.com If these folks don't cover the problem already, or can't help w/ finding manuals and repair guides... I don't know who can.

Inland RV Center, In · 12-10-2011, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pavery

Hi - Just bought a 1973 Excella 500 31ft rear bath. She is one fine trailer and we are very proud new owners. We need to put new tires on it NOW! We are pulling from Greenville OH to Houston TX and had a flat only to realize what idiots we were in putting regular tires on the trailer. Hate to be such a new-comer but you gotta start somewhere. I will definitely visit your (gypsyblue) sight to see what you have done and post pictures of our own girl. We have named her Miss Anne, for our next door neighbor who is 83 and still traveling, as well as Annie Oakley, who was from the town where we bought her. From what I have read ST 225/75 R15 is what I want to purchase for her. I'm almost sure we will have to make a decision before a reply is posted but I wanted to ask anyway. We are in Montgomery AL as of now. Thanks!

Make sure you use load range "D" tires.

Then, get the complete running gear balanced.

"E" tires may exceed the wheel ratings.

While your at it, make sure the rubber rods in the axles are still OK. After 38 years, they could very well failed. Torsion axle rubber rods do not have an unlimited life.

The Dura-Torque Axle

Andy

tbashin · 03-15-2018, 08:44 AM

Thank you so much. I just redid my 3 Stack windows and your advice worked. It was really a lot easier than I thought it would be. I did order new tinted glass and new clear acrylic plexiglass for the job. I had it all cut to shape using one of the old plexiglass pieces as a template. Binswanger glass even tempered the 3 glass pieces per the required DOT standard for $54 each. Cut to shape Acrylic was $20 each. I used foil tape around the perimeter of the two panes which sandwiched Tremco Polyshim 3/16" glazing strip. I used 1/16" Polyshim between the glass and outer window frame. I got the snap rings back in without scratching the acrylic by leaving the plastic film on that came on it. I just folded back the plastic film around the edges about 3/4" with masking tape to hold it out of the way of the snap ring work. I also added some silica dessicant BBs to collect any humidity that may have been trapped in between the panes. Relative Humidity was around 50% at the time I did this work. I found the dessicant stuff inside a couple of little plastic containers which came packed in some of my Rx meds. Make sure you don't use the black sandy type of dessicant that comes in the little packets sometimes. I tried it at first and it stuck to the glass so that would have looked bad with black sand all over the inside of the panes. Be sure and add the rubber shims back in at the bottom of the frames for the glass to set on so the glass will center in the frame. The original rubber shims were in bad shape after getting them loose from the contact cement they used. Mine took 1/4" rubber shims I cut from some 1/8" rubber washers from the hardware store. I super glued these rubber supports in place AFTER putting the 1/16" Polyshim glazing onto the outer frame, that way the glazing didn't have to go up and over the shims.