75 Overlander Improvements Journal

[dbj216]

Hi Aluminuminum: I had no idea Corian was that tough. I don't know the weight difference between Corian and plywood. I do think 1/2" Corian would do the job nicely. It might cause my cooktop to hit my "cutting board" under the cooktop. I only have 4 1/2" of room for the cooktop. We'll see.

I am concerned about "machining" this Corian stuff. I can cut a sink hole, faucet hole, a cooktop hole and the curve in front in plywood okay. But Corian may not like my simple tools.

Good idea in using a bit of the Corian as the backsplash.

The wife wants Corian on the credenza too. The fold up dining table would be tough to do in Corian, but possible in a closely matching Formica. I'm not artistic at all and much better at packing wheel bearings.

David

[dbj216]

Hi Jeremy: I think you have lots of snow in your neighborhood if I have you located right. I'm only doing the rear half of the belly pan this go around. I will do the front half some other time just to peek at the frame, the front step area and the like. Another project for another day.

David

[TouringDan]

Aluminuminum

What a wealth of knowledge you have. Thanks for the education on Corian counter top material. No plans for rebuilding my Tradewind counter tops, but I will use Corian when I rebuild our 95 34’ that is currently on the back burner.

Dan

[dbj216]

The galley sink cabinet is on hold while I wait some parts. So I move forward, toward the gaucho that is. I started last winter in the back end of the Overlander, and I have finally arrived in the front end. Progress. Slow progress.

The three original gaucho cushions are shot. Airstream designed the gaucho as a pull out bed. The three cushions made a 48" wide by 74" long sleeping surface; with two longitudinal cracks between the cushions to fall through. The seating surface was a short 20 inches and the backrest was a short 14". The third cushion was a 12" gap filler under the front window that is not seen and not used much. See photo.

Maybe I could make just two cushions work, just one gap, and less sewing. I would like to increase the seating surface depth and also increase the backrest height. By making the seat cushion a long 30" clear under the backrest, and the backrest cushion more satisfactory 17" high, I can pull out the gaucho and have close to the 48" wide sleeping space available. See photo.

With the gaucho set in the sitting position, I have a deep 23" of sitting surface and the 17" high backrest. I end up with a more comfortable gaucho according to my butt. The deeper sitting surface also provides a wider surface for napping.

This is just preliminary "trial and error" process. I am striving for a small improvement to the gaucho to satisfy my finicky butt.

David

[dbj216]

You gotta love winter. Right? Here is a photo of the icicles hanging from the shop roof. They are just waiting for me to show up so they can let go and harpoon me. Maybe it would knock some sense into me.

5" of snow last night. I saw 3 deer walking through the yard in snow over their knees. Being a deer is tough, being a fox is tougher. Bears do it right, hibernate.

David

[dbj216]

I made a prototype just to see if I can use just two cushions, a bottom and a backrest. Yep, I can. I'm going for this small improvement.

The bottom surface cushion will be about 30" wide by 76 long. The back rest cushion is 18" high and 67" long. It has to be shorter due to the curve in the nose of the trailer, and the curtain rod. Some of the space is made up with the curb side armrest.

The deeper sitting surface gives better thigh support. I also added about 2 degrees tilt back to the seat bottom again for better support. Who wants to sit on a flat bottom surface; bleacher bums.

Pull out the gaucho and you have a 48" wide by 76 long sleeping surface. In the sitting position, we have a 22" sitting length with a 18" high backrest. The taller backrest will block about 3" of the front window.

We will make the armrest for the curb side the same as Airstream did, except it will be longer to accommodate the longer sitting surface. I will also make a fold down table for the curbside for coffee cups, knitting needles, and i-thingies.

I will order 6" foam next week. Please excuse the dirty old foam on my prototype.

David

[my3sonsdad]

David,
Are you keeping the street side foldout table?

For some reason I thought my the gaucho extends to wider than 48” but it’s been awhile since I measured it.

I really don’t like the gaucho arrangement but the boss vetoed my dinette plans (for now). So I’m watching your progress and results closely.

[dbj216]

Yes, I'm keeping the fold up table in the Overlander. It is the only eating space in the trailer. We have two folding side chairs, so we can feed 4 at a time.

Dinette, gaucho, or recliners?. It all depends on the family situation. Dinettes are great for families, for eating, games, puzzles and the like. Dinettes are usually not very comfortable for sitting. I sit much longer than I eat.

Gauchos are fine for sitting, usually more comfortable. I am trying to improve the sitting comfort of my gaucho. They also provide additional sleeping surfaces for family members. We plan the grandkids in the twin beds, and their parents on the gaucho. This situation makes the rear bath a pain since the kids go to bed earlier than parents do.

Best in my retired view are two recliners. They fold out for naps, can be used for eating, and are very comfortable for sitting. Ideal for two old geezers in an Airstream.

Here is a photo of a U shaped dinette we built for the son's 69 Globetrotter 21. It will seat 7. The table is on a collapsible pedestal. My son likes to have camping friends over for card games and the like. Then the table pushes down, cushions on top, and a big sleeping surface is created.

David

[Joyflea]

David , great timing as I’m designing my front area now . It will be a dinette , as I did get the table support you recommend . Great work and keep posting . Blue

[rasmuw]

David,

I think I see flaps that fold out to make the table larger. Do those flaps also function as part of the base of the bed?

[Minno]

David, you'll appreciate this: we have about 2 feet of snow on the ground right now here. It's been snowing a few more inches every couple of days since late January. We've already surpassed the snow fall record for February in MN, and, if it doesn't stop soon, may top other records! HELP!!!
We went with a pair of recliners in our trailer, and a half dinette. We have a built in seat that holds one adult or 2 kids, and use a chair on the other side. We recently bought a Legomatic chair, like ones used in AS in the '50's, and are working on fixing a few flaws to use in the trailer this summer instead of the ZipDee chair we use now. Of course, our trailer now only sleeps 2, by design. Grandkids sleep in tents or on the floor on air mattresses (the two youngest) when they come with us. The dining table has a leaf for it so we can expand it for more people or when I'm sewing. It's all in what you want...

Kay

[dbj216]

Hi Wayne: You are correct, the dinette table we made has fold out leaves that lock into position. This creates a dining table so you don't spill your soup. The leaves stay out when the table is lowered to the bed position. The fold up leaves creates a "coffee table" when leg room is preferred. This table was suppose to be a "prototype" as we wanted better hinges on the leaves. Someday.

Hi Kay: I'll bet the cross country skiing in Minnesota is great this year. I used to love doing that on weekends, especially Carver and Baker Parks. The snow melt will fill up the Mississippi. My Minnesota Airstream friends shoveled out and then pulled out between snowstorms and headed south. I just sit during the winter months. No towing on slick roads for me.

You are right, you renovate your trailer for what you like to do in it, with a hint of resale value sprinkled on top. I'm really not changing the Overlander much at all, just some little improvements here and there. It still has a rear bath, and it still has a gaucho. It came with tow Leg o Matic folding chairs the previous owner had. I sold them last summer in a fea market for $20 each. They needed restored, but they worked neat.

Joyflea: We all await your dinette design. It's going to be great.

David

[dbj216]

I'm working on the gaucho. I have the assembly strengthened, foam ordered, plywood made and the like. Before reattaching the gaucho to the trailer, I wanted to fix the goofy two piece umbilical cord while there was good room to work.

I still don't understand why Airstream would make a separate connection for the umbilical 7 pin cord in the bottom front of the trailer. Plug into the trailer, plug into the tow vehicle. To me, it doubles the possible failures for no tail lights or any other of the 7 circuits. It is also a potential rain water leak source in front. See photo of the hole I will patch.

Like many old Airstreams, my trailer had been molested by a previous owner installing a new umbilical cord. Take a look at the rats nest of wires I found behind the cover. I'm sure the next owner of my Overlander will cuss in amazement of the stupid things I've done.

So out with the old, in with the new. I decided to use the old thermo 12v breakers. I studied the wire color scheme Airstream used 44 years ago, and the modern convention used in replacement 7 pin umbilical cord. It is not wire color for wire color, but close. After an afternoon of "tracing wires" I figured out which wire color, which breaker did what. I cleaned all connections including the important ground connection. I routed the new 7 pin cord, made those connections to the other side of the breaker posts and tested it from the front of the trailer by routing 12v to each of the circuits. Success. It all works. I labeled all the wires in the breaker cover, and I labeled the 7 pin plug. It might help me diagnose trailer lights and brake problems down the road. The new cord will run along the inside wall of the A frame like usual.

One last note. The glass fiber optic indicator for working turn signal and brake lights are cool. I bet not very many travel trailers in 1975 had a glass fiber optic data line. You know your turn signals and brake lights are working by looking out your side rear view mirror. No burned out bulbs or faulty connections. Okay, only 4 bits of data, but you gotta start somewhere with glass fiber optics. See photo.

Tomorrow I'll patch the hole with a nifty Colorado state map. Perfect rectangular patch in other words. Maybe I'll sketch a few mountains on it.

David

[Jeremy9107]

David.like the large amount of sitting space in the U shaped dinette. Thinking of doing the same in mine, only no center table. Have a wacky idea to have one gaucho fold up as a counter...

Let me know how your Colorado patch goes. Had similar idea but wanted a Sasquatch patch. Couldn’t find one in heavy enough gauge aluminum!.

[Joyflea]

David , I made my Texas patch out of .063 3003 half hard . Cuts and drills easy . And polishes easy . Have fun , you are the man.
Blue

[dbj216]

Joyflea: Your Texas state "patch" is a work of art. My Colorado state "patch" is not. A Colorado state patch is easy peasy. Thank goodness I no longer live in Minnesota. That state patch would be a bear, kinda like Texas, or West Virginia

David

.

[Minno]

Chris did a MN one to cover a dent left from a door knob (of all things) that had been installed on the trailer by a p.o. He said it wasn't difficult. What I wish I could get my hands on is the lettering that people had on their trailer trim down the sides of the trailer in the '80's that spelled out their state. My parents had that on theirs. Of course, theirs was "Michigan", and they sold that trailer long before we bought ours anyway.

Kay

[dbj216]

Most injuries at work are avoidable. This one was too.

I was working on my gaucho project. It was time to place the battery in its new home under the gaucho cushions. Need I go further?

I did an improper lift. Strained my back big time. It is going to take some good time for it to heal, and then for me to trust it again.

So I'm missing work, and I will be on light duty when I get back at it. I won't be installing the new axles anytime soon.

Dumb David

[rmkrum]

Ouch. I can relate to that one. Two new GC-2 batteries and even with a proper lift strap, and a careful lift, my already screwed-up lower back was reminding me how dumb that move was for about two weeks. Fortunately a few doses of ibuprofen and hot showers helped.

[my3sonsdad]

I’m always straining my lower back but fortunate to have a relative in the back & spine brace business. if you want to try one send me a PM, I think I have an extra one. They offer a lot of support while you let it rest & recover.