75 Overlander Improvements Journal

[Atomic_13]

Nice job, David. Fine tuning these old rigs is time well spent. Others will benefit from your improvements you’ve documented in this thread.

[chrisetmike]

Hey Dave
The trailer is looking good. Can't wait to see your bathroom installed. You are still a step ahead of us

[dbj216]

Well Chris, that step is getting smaller. I struggled today with the replacement bathroom wall. It is a bugger to get installed as the overhead cabinet is in the way. I tried to removed the curbside cabinet, but found it well attached to the rear cabinet. It appears all three cabinets were assembled outside the trailer and then carried in and mounted to the wall. I don't want to take out all three cabinets.

I did finally get a trial fit of the wall in place. Took some cussing. I plan on covering it with FRP "shower wall" material (only 1/16th thick) to repel water. I think the replacement will be better than the old white side melamine wall.

Unfortunately I think the Overlander fancy bathroom isn't the greatest for taking a shower. The curbside overhead cabinet is in the way as well as the rear overhead cabinet. These cabinets will get plenty wet. I'll have to fabricate a shower curtain rod that helps protect these areas from getting doused. The trailer came with a sliding shower door protecting the floor from getting wet, but not the cabinets.

David

[chrisetmike]

I would really love to see what you have found to replace the laminate in the shower. I am seriously considering using a poduct that looks like white shower tile that I found at Home Depot. Funny thing is I would never use this product in my home but in a 60's trailer it seems to fit

[dbj216]

Hi Chrisetmike: It is just pain jane white FRP shower wall covering. It is .090 thick (a little over 1/16 inch). I will glue it to a piece of 1/4 plywood cut to look like the bathroom wall. I post a picture when I get it glued up. Waiting for the adhesive.

My Overlander project is slow going right now with the summer months here. I'm helping my son replace the deck on his home. I'm planting stuff my wife wants planted. I care for a neighborhood park as a retired volunteer. I have lots of dead lodge pole pines and aspen to cut down around my house. And I have to go ATV'ing when my friends ask me. In the winter I have much more time to work on the Overlander.

Oh well; I post when I happen to make a little progress.

David

[dbj216]

I cut my white FRP shower wall from the template of the original wall. I was quite surprised that my saber saw blade only made about 80" of cut before I had worn the teeth clear off the thing. Doesn't cut very well that way. I installed a new blade and it is shot after the final 30" of sawing. Wow! FRP is only .090 thick.

I have glued the FRP sheet to the plywood bulkhead wall using the prescribed adhesive and have done a trial fitting. I struggle with the thing because I have elected not to take down the bath wall cabinets. The shower vent pipe and that overhead cabinet gives a guy almost no room to work. Patience my friend. I will get it.

David

[dbj216]

I decided to replace the melamine bulkhead wall behind the tub. It is the wall that shower water will splash on quite a bit. I had a hard time with it.

I used the old wall as a template. I cut the new wall from a nice piece of red oak laminated on both sides of MDF, 1/4" thick. Then I covered it with FRP plastic material using the requisite adhesive. My wall developed quite a bit of warpage as a result even though I had it weighted down heavily.

Further, the shower drain vent pipe installed by Airstream encroaches a bit into the space for the wall. And the overhead cabinet in the bath encroaches the other way. It is a tight fit. Today I removed the plastic "end cap" on overhead locker. This finally gave me enough room to slip the new wall in place. I learned this plastic "end cap" appears to be something Airstream installs after the wall and overhead cabinets are installed. This insures a nice fit to the wall.

I had to install the towel rack before the wall went in as it needed a "backer board" for strength. Turns out the towel rack made a nice handle for positioning the shower wall.

With the wall in place, I can now clean up some details relating to the wall and go on to assemble the bathtub and its drain assembly.

David

[TouringDan]

Originally Posted by dbj216

I decided to replace the melamine bulkhead wall behind the tub. It is the wall that shower water will splash on quite a bit. I had a hard time with it.



I used the old wall as a template. I cut the new wall from a nice piece of red oak laminated on both sides of MDF, 1/4" thick. Then I covered it with FRP plastic material using the requisite adhesive. My wall developed quite a bit of warpage as a result even though I had it weighted down heavily.



Further, the shower drain vent pipe installed by Airstream encroaches a bit into the space for the wall. And the overhead cabinet in the bath encroaches the other way. It is a tight fit. Today I removed the plastic "end cap" on overhead locker. This finally gave me enough room to slip the new wall in place. I learned this plastic "end cap" appears to be something Airstream installs after the wall and overhead cabinets are installed. This insures a nice fit to the wall.



I had to install the towel rack before the wall went in as it needed a "backer board" for strength. Turns out the towel rack made a nice handle for positioning the shower wall.



With the wall in place, I can now clean up some details relating to the wall and go on to assemble the bathtub and its drain assembly.



David

Excellent work on replacing the bulkhead wall David.

[dbj216]

Thank you TouringDan: The pocket door still slides smoothly, the door catch still works, the overhead cabinets are rehung, and I've started on the bathtub. Setting the bathtub over its drain and mounting it to the new bulkhead wall is critical to the other bath parts fitting properly; height and squareness and level to get the tub to drain properly. Then I will mount the new shower valve and make the decorative wall in front of the tub. Before that, I have to figure out how to run the furnace ductwork to the bath. It's a long run.

I'll work on it when I get free time. Too many other summer activities right now.

David

[Joyflea]

David , I just got finished reading your thread . Amazing work and thanks for all the great ideas. Will be watching for new updates.
Blue

[dbj216]

Thank you sir. Happy my experiences may help another vintage Airstream enthusiasts. I guess that's why we document our projects.

Summer activities have slowed me down considerably. I am currently doing a "maintenance polish" on the wife's 86 Limited. It hadn't been done for three years or so. I've got 10 hours in that project already.

David

[dbj216]

I've taken several weeks off from my Overlander project. We did attend the Rocky Mountain Vintage Airstream Club rally in Ridgeway, CO. We took the Limited as the Overlander is still on jack stands. It was great fun and I saw some very nicely renovated Overlanders during the open house. I also saw my old 66 Trade Wind. The new owners have made some very nice improvements to the trailer. I think it was one of the nicest Trade Winds at the event.

I also attended 4 days of the Bonneville Speed Week. This was my first time at the event. It was the 70th running of it on the salt flats. I decided the event is suppose to answer "who has the fastest hot rod?" 240 mph is not uncommon.
We saw Danny Thompson set a streamliner records in the 450 mph range. Wow. I enjoyed that vacation too.

I'll be back on the Overlander come October. Just too many summer activities to spend time laying on my back under the trailer.

David

[Joyflea]

David , we should meat up there some day . The flats is one of my favorite places . Did you camp at the bend of the road . Lots go on there at night . This is my old truck there a few years ago . The other phot is on the old Rt. 66 on the way out there .

[dbj216]

There were a lot of campers at the bend in the road as well as the fuel stop on I-80 exit to Bonneville. I saw one vintage Airstream there. The air temperatures were a hot 95 degrees and I bet the temps in the sun were 20 degrees hotter. Those folks "boondocking" would have a hard time cooling off at the end of the day. I bet there were over 50 rigs parked at the bend. We did see some empty campsites in Wendover. Next year we may take the Overlander and camp somewhere suitable to this old man. Suitable meaning a 30 amp service to run the AC and maybe a shade tree.

Your hot rod pickup looks great, and right at home on the salt flats. We saw some beautiful hot rods, and also some of these "rat rods" which are not my favorite. I'm the kind of guy that polishes old Airstreams you know, so they look better. I can only imagine what your Airstream will look like when completed. It won't be no rat rod for sure.

Another photo from Bonneville. I thought you would like seeing a ratty pickup.

David

[dbj216]

I'm piddling around in the shop on the Overlander. Just a little bit mind you, nothing serious yet. I installed a new Shur-Flo water pump last spring. I used the original "control center" water pump on/off switch, and the original wiring. Why not, it was already there? The new water pump ran fine when I tested it last spring. Got myself all wet in fact.

Well I switched on the water pump two days ago and it did not run. What the heck?. I checked fuses, okay. I checked voltage at the pump at 12.2v. This was a key in my mistake. I reconnected the wires to the pump but the pump would not run. I opened the shutoff valves to insure no pressure in the lines. None there. I bypassed the pressure switch and the pump still would not run. I "assumed" the new pump froze up on me over the long hot summer months. So I pulled it out and took it back. The RV dealer was very kind and replaced it out of their stock per Pentair warranty.

I get home, hook up the new pump and it would not run! Oh fiddle faddle!!! I check voltage at the pump with the switch on. Zero No wait, there is voltage there but only 10 volts. I check my ground wire to to the frame at 1 ohm, okay. Maybe the 43 year old on/off switch is intermittent? I had to pull that blanky blank control center panel out and replaced the switch with a brand new one. I tested voltage to the switch and through the switch, it was good. Pump does not run.

Through the afternoon I was getting intermittent readings. I did finally have the smarts to test the pump on a 12v battery and it ran fine. What could it be? Then I looked at the large connector of the control center to the wiring harness. The main 12v supply wire goes through this connector, same with the 12v supply to the pump after the switch. I pulled the connector apart and I could then see the problem. The spring loaded connectors were corroded and weak. I bypassed the connector for the two wires I needed to run my new pump and now the pump runs fine.

I am using this old control center as mounting panel for my new SeeLevel monitor, as a mount for the stove exhaust fan switch and door cable, and as a pump switch mount. That is all. So I have left that big connector disconnected as there are no longer old tank monitors in the trailer. There is not even the old tanks!

A good tech would not have been badly fooled by a bad connector. It is usually one of the first things a guy checks. I spent way too much time on a "bad pump" that was likely not bad at all.

I must go back to the RV dealer and make it right. I can't sleep at night until I do.

David

[dbj216]

I've mentioned several times that I didn't care of the bulkhead wall mounted oven in my Overlander. I figure it was an attempt by Airstream to gain more storage space in the galley under the cook top. See photo (oven already removed).

So I removed this wall and made a new one. I reinstalled a new outlet assembly in the same location. I already installed a new outlet above the cook top. Now we have two outlets in the galley which will be useful to us.

I have to figure out how to "box in" the outlet box in the bedroom. Airstream used a piece of aluminum around it between the oven box and the interior skin. I'll think of something.

One other note: We are planning on a new counter-top. The old one is warped at the faucet hole, cracked Formica, funny back splash, hole for the old oven gas line, and way too big cook top, new ones are smaller. This will give me a chance to "overhaul" the galley cabinet. It is a bit loose from years of bouncing down rough roads. The new countertop is an improvement for another day this winter.

David

[steinVT]

Looking good David.

Just wondering, are your 120v outlets in the kitchen GFI protected? If so, is it at the breaker or have you found some tiny GFI outlets?
Mark

[dbj216]

Hi Mark: I have a GFI breaker which I think is a bit better than the GFI outlets I've used in the past. I'm not sure I could fit a GFI outlet in a shallow box used in Airstreams. I trust it is ample protection for a hair dryer falling in water.

David

[dbj216]

I actually did a little work on the Overlander this last week. Not much, but a little. I am installing the bathtub, which is quite a project. I have moved the battery forward under the gaucho for better balance of the trailer, less weight in the rear. However, I had mounted the new converter in its original location; on top of the plastic battery box behind the bathtub.

I noticed that the plastic battery box was very brittle with age. I could break a piece off of it with my hands. Not good. I must relocate the converter to a more solid surface. Rework! Do Over!

I decided to locate it under the bed frame and in front of the exterior cargo door. It will be easier to maintain in this location.

I removed the brittle battery box and thought, I could this empty space behind the tub for a bit more exterior storage. I will make a "storage box" so cargo doesn't disturb any wiring or plumbing back there. I can store the trailer's city water hose and the shore power cord and maybe a bit more stuff. The slinky goes under the trailer in one of those tubes. The box will be easy to remove so I will have easier access to the plumbing that is located behind there.

Like it or not, I'm going to book it as an improvement. More exterior storage room.

David

[TouringDan]

Looks like a very good improvement to me David.

Dan