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truckasaurus · 02-07-2014, 07:56 AM

appreciate the information and I really like the stuff which that UK shop puts out, there's one that's mostly white a bit 2001 space odyssey really but very cleanly styled.

truckasaurus · 02-07-2014, 09:14 AM

Holy cow, that WorldPanel place is unreal. They have stuff on that site I've not seen before! Samples are on the way, Europly, Hydrocore and some Rigatex textured.

SuzyHomemakr · 02-16-2014, 04:07 PM

I've been cranking hard on the bed frame, and other various doodads around the trailer. That's fiberglassed OSB (Oriented Strand Board, typically used for floor underlayment) with a cherry surround. Those panels lift out for access to electric on the left and water heater on the right. All plywood is Eurolite poplar, weighs 1/3 of regular ply. 3/4" radius on all corners. Bed platform lifts on hydraulics for storage underneath. I'm soaking the platform every night and clamping it to try and get rid of that lifted end! I make the thing perfectly flat, and the plywood decides not to cooperate. Still lots to go, but I'll have a place to lay my weary head after a day of noodling around AlumaFlamingo later this week. I'll be there Thursday through Sunday in the Vintage section, if anyone wants to stop by to say hi and partake of a cold beverage!

Guess I had better attend to the plumbing tomorrow before I start doing any victory laps...

Minno · 02-17-2014, 09:18 AM

Looks very nice! How heavy will it all be with your mattress on it? I ask because we ended up putting heavier lifts on ours after we got the mattress. Tempurpedic style mattresses are HEAVY....

Kay

Minno · 02-17-2014, 09:19 AM

And the lifted end probably won't be an issue to sleeping or showing once you get a mattress on it.

Kay

SuzyHomemakr · 02-19-2014, 08:40 AM

Got ALL of the plumbing in yesterday, gotta love that PEX! I went with a loop under the bed for the tank vent, seems to work OK. This vents the (now) gray water tank into the bumper storage compartment. All of my drain line is 3/4" vinyl, we'll see how that works.

The Nature's Way composting head was easy to install, and is filled up with peat moss, awaiting its first call to duty. Until the head walls go up, using it will be a somewhat public affair.

Bed lift supports the mattress easily, as we went with a short queen RV mattress. Here's a close-up of one of the nightstands, in the morning sun. I'm really enjoying the look of the fiberglassed OSB.

SuzyHomemakr · 03-03-2014, 01:18 PM

Well, our trial run to AlumaFlamingo was somewhat problematic. Drain was almost totally clogged, 12V went out, and reefer wouldn't work on gas (unless the trailer was plugged in). Fortunately, our late arrival put us on an outlet by ourselves, so we were able to run 120V just like at home. They had promised only 5A, so this multitude of power was met with cheers.

While we were there, we picked up a new TV, a 2004 Dodge RAM 2500 diesel. What a difference towing!

Once we returned home, I dove into the problems that had arisen. Some "smart" person had figured that the plumbing under the sink would never leak if it was all glued together. So no way to clean out the trap, so it all came out and was replaced. I used this special trap that has its own vent, so now it drains like crazy.

Turns out that the 12V supply to the fridge came from a little converter plugged into the 120V outlet! At least it was an easy fix. The rest of the 12V problems were fixed when I found the 50A main fuse hidden away and replaced it.

While still in a state of righteous indignation, I ripped out most of the funky electrical, and replaced it with yacht-grade stuff. Instead of the bizarre little converter, we're sporting a Xantrex Freedom HF 1000 inverter/charger. The house-grade 2 breaker panel was replaced with a Blue Sea panel with an input voltage meter. I modified the panel so that 2 of the branch circuits (air cond and inverter/fridge) were upstream of the inverter, and the other breaker is separate, and comes from the inverter. This way, all of my plugs are supplied with inverter power, but none of the appliances.

The old breaker box was re-purposed into a massive junction box that lives under the bed. Battery cables were replaced with 2AWG beefy cables, and the old 6AWG negative cable was used as a chassis ground from the inverter. So now there's 3 grounds, all with heavy cables. That stupid fuse, which had been on the negative lead, was replaced with a spiffy 100A covered fuse on the positive lead. These monster fuses can be had at the local car stereo shop. It's great to have the electrical finally looking "sano", as my marine engineer friend would say. There's plenty of room for extra batteries, and I left some spare wires in the wall for a possible solar install down the road.

On to the bathroom walls!

albert · 03-03-2014, 07:45 PM

WOW! I love what you did. Is there any chance you have a sketch or diagram of how your wires connected to what? I am electrically inept, but want the same type of wiring. I wouldnt even know where to start.

If you have time, thank you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuzyHomemakr

Well, our trial run to AlumaFlamingo was somewhat problematic. Drain was almost totally clogged, 12V went out, and reefer wouldn't work on gas (unless the trailer was plugged in). Fortunately, our late arrival put us on an outlet by ourselves, so we were able to run 120V just like at home. They had promised only 5A, so this multitude of power was met with cheers.

While we were there, we picked up a new TV, a 2004 Dodge RAM 2500 diesel. What a difference towing!

Once we returned home, I dove into the problems that had arisen. Some "smart" person had figured that the plumbing under the sink would never leak if it was all glued together. So no way to clean out the trap, so it all came out and was replaced. I used this special trap that has its own vent, so now it drains like crazy.

Turns out that the 12V supply to the fridge came from a little converter plugged into the 120V outlet! At least it was an easy fix. The rest of the 12V problems were fixed when I found the 50A main fuse hidden away and replaced it.

While still in a state of righteous indignation, I ripped out most of the funky electrical, and replaced it with yacht-grade stuff. Instead of the bizarre little converter, we're sporting a Xantrex Freedom HF 1000 inverter/charger. The house-grade 2 breaker panel was replaced with a Blue Sea panel with an input voltage meter. I modified the panel so that 2 of the branch circuits (air cond and inverter/fridge) were upstream of the inverter, and the other breaker is separate, and comes from the inverter. This way, all of my plugs are supplied with inverter power, but none of the appliances.

The old breaker box was re-purposed into a massive junction box that lives under the bed. Battery cables were replaced with 2AWG beefy cables, and the old 6AWG negative cable was used as a chassis ground from the inverter. So now there's 3 grounds, all with heavy cables. That stupid fuse, which had been on the negative lead, was replaced with a spiffy 100A covered fuse on the positive lead. These monster fuses can be had at the local car stereo shop. It's great to have the electrical finally looking "sano", as my marine engineer friend would say. There's plenty of room for extra batteries, and I left some spare wires in the wall for a possible solar install down the road.

On to the bathroom walls!

perryg114 · 03-03-2014, 07:56 PM

I bet he is going to put solar panels on it next.

Perry

SuzyHomemakr · 03-04-2014, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albert

WOW! I love what you did. Is there any chance you have a sketch or diagram of how your wires connected to what? I am electrically inept, but want the same type of wiring. I wouldnt even know where to start.

If you have time, thank you!

Thanks for the fine praise!
I was planning on diagramming all of the work anyway, so your request actually got me to do it. When I actually have everything together, I'll laminate the entire diagram on to the bottom of the locker lid that covers the inverter.

The mod that I did on the AC panel was to remove a bar that connected all of the loads from the main breaker to the three branch circuits. I made a jumper with #10 wire that connected the air cond. and inverter loads on the input side. I was very pleased with the Blue Sea panel, it really fit the bill.

So Albert, here are a few recommendations for you to get going, and feel confident about your electrical prowess:

Read up about yacht wiring. A good foundation book is "Sailboat Electrics Simplified" by Don Casey.

I used regular old 12-2WG romex wire, which is a yachty no-no, but can be just fine when used with care. Use ring terminals instead of fork, unless you absolutely have to. I had some crimps let go on me, that solid wire can be tricky. So make sure you have a little bit of wire showing near the ring, and squeeze tightly. Take a breath, lean the handle of the crimping tool against something solid, and squeeze really, really hard! Then pull on the terminal to test your crimp.

Go with big wire. That 12-2 is rated for a 20A load, far more than I'll need. I ran another 12V circuit up to the sink overhead, and fed a nice little bus bar. I used #10 wire (from West Marine), as this will be where the stereo will live, plus a lot of 12V doodads.

Don't pull all of your wires at once, work in a logical sequence. Power comes in here, goes over there, then over to another place, etc. Use a Sharpie to label your wires. If I ever pay someone to work on the trailer electric (shudder) I want them to instantly know what's what.

Before I seal up the sides with paneling, I'll put in some plastic conduit for future expansion. So pulling any new wire will be a breeze!

Use multiple grounds with big wire. Use electrical grease to keep your ground points from corroding. Extra points for painting over the top of them! When I troubleshoot a 12V system, the first thing I do is check the ground connection. It's typically the culprit.

Take the time to route your wires properly, and don't leave a rat's nest. I use zip ties to make up nice little harnesses.

All I can think of for right now, feel free to hit me with any questions.

SuzyHomemakr · 03-10-2014, 07:01 AM

Bathroom framing is done, ready to have the curved walls stripped in. The strongbacks with the curved plywood ribs will be removed after the strips are set. Things would be simpler if that window had been 6" farther forward! The strips are 1/4" X 5/8" aspen, with cove and bead edges. Years ago, I built a kayak using this method. 'Bought the only way that I figured I could get that wild compound curve in the bathroom wall. I'll probably wind up with this method for all of the large curves in the rest of the trailer.

If all goes well, I should have an enclosed head by Thursday!

SuzyHomemakr · 03-11-2014, 09:35 AM

Both curves are stripped in, walls are going up, and door panel is done!

desertair27 · 03-11-2014, 04:10 PM

Man you are moving right along!
Looking really good

Alan and Julie · 03-15-2014, 07:34 AM

A great blog on your efforts. My wife and I also own a 1972 Ambassador 29 that we rehabbed, used for some time in the 90's-2000's, but are gutting now to get rid of the dark Pecan/Hickory wood finish. We live in Coral Springs but the AS is in the Acerage.

I did visit Joshua at World Panel. We are deciding on options (HPL/Formica, Veneer Plywood, finished wool panels).

I saw you were testing some finishes for the Eurolite and he also showed us Okoume avail by in all thicknesses.

Right now I gutted the Gaucho and the drivers side wall unit and table to removed some weak floor. Next step to fix a couple of small leaks to make watertight in the front but I hope to be where you are soon (this year ;-).

I have a hundred question but two for now.

1. I think you said you were doing trials on finishes and was wondering what you settled on? We have done a 7 step process on some furniture and not sure we want to do that on all the interior panels.

2. Do you have a Sketch Up file with the overall dimensions loaded that I could use as a baseline to get started.

Thanks and great job on your 29

Alan

SuzyHomemakr · 03-16-2014, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan and Julie

1. I think you said you were doing trials on finishes and was wondering what you settled on? We have done a 7 step process on some furniture and not sure we want to do that on all the interior panels.

2. Do you have a Sketch Up file with the overall dimensions loaded that I could use as a baseline to get started.

Thanks and great job on your 29

Alan

Glad to see you met Josh, and are enjoying his expertise. He's a big boy, isn't he? Don't see why he bothers with a forklift!

As to finishes... the designer in me wants the matte finish, the shipwright wants the full-on gloss. The shipwright won out, and I'm finishing with Pettit Captain's Varnish. I was at Glue Products Plus in West Palm (another great place for those hard-to-find items), and the tech guy recommended Zinnser Bullseye Seal-Coat to build up before varnishing. Tears were running down my dust-covered cheeks as I sanded away that expensive varnish, so this seemed like a Good Idea. So I plan to use the Seal Coat as an initial seal, maybe do some additional coats with that, then use my HVLP sprayer to add the final layer of Captian's Varnish. The new stuff I put up has just the Seal Coat on it, and doesn't look bad at all.

Also, I'm using the B side of the Eurolite ply, as it has a wonderful figure to it. Nice contrast with the cherry, which looks like go-fast stripes.

SketchUp file... my master 3D file is in 3dsmax, but I can export the skin to SketchUp, and forward it to you. If you can do up your design in SketchUp, you are indeed a master! Seems too clumsy for me, but I don't have very much experience with it. I'm finding that the 3D is good for conceptuals, but when it comes down to it, you just gotta build stuff to check it out.

As we're practically neighbors, you're welcome to come up to Boynton Beach to check out my meager efforts and hopefully improve upon them. But I warn you, this talk of Airstream construction is a thirsty business! PM me your info, and I'll send off the file.

My next post will feature pics of the enclosed head, which proved to be a joy to use on this weekend's kayaking trip to Fisheating Creek in Central Florida.

SuzyHomemakr · 03-30-2014, 05:42 PM

Bath walls are finally solidified in place. My initial try at the big curvy one in the stateroom was less than stellar. One of those projects that just keeps getting worse the more effort that you put into it. So I found out about 3mm Eurolite ply (basically 1/8"), and gave bending that a try. With some mighty persuasion, I was able to get 2 layers to the proper curve. It basically matches, as well! For those of you that seek to torment plywood, that ply will do about a 9" diameter curve. I haven't tried wetting it before clamping, maybe I could get tighter radii with that.

Kinda difficult to tell from the pic, but the head window now has a rice-paper-looking texture stuck onto it. Still looks mirrored from the outside, just more private on the inside.

Plans for the head have changed. The straight countertop was too boring, and took up too much room. So I'm using my bending skills to make a cylindrical vanity. The top will be an 1 1/2" cherry edge with my fiberglassed OSB. This should match the stateroom details nicely. I cut the top, bottom, and a shelf for the vanity, and connected them all to make my bending jig. Whole bunch of woodworker's glue on two panels, and I wrapped them around the jig using my kayak straps. Twang! Straps are tight!

perryg114 · 03-30-2014, 05:47 PM

You are moving right along. Great job.

Perry

SuzyHomemakr · 03-31-2014, 01:50 PM

I did a great mod to the new TV, a 2004 Dodge RAM 2500 diesel. The stereo was terrible, so I had put in one of those double-DIN kind with the big screen, a BOSS BV9362BI. About the same money as a regular stereo. I picked up a Pyle PLCM18BC License Plate Mount Camera from Amazon, like $27. My installer wired it so that the screen/camera goes on by a switch on the dash. So now I can hitch up by myself

! The install required a special kit for the dash, and some modification by the installer, but looks very clean and neat.

When I bought the cheapo camera, I picked up two. I'll be setting up the other one on the back of the Airstream, so I have an active rear view camera. That will be very nice, I think! No more wondering if there's a frustrated texting meth head hiding behind the Airstream, waiting for me to change lanes then try to pass!

I'll be pulling a bunch of wires from the front of the trailer when I relocate the stereo, so I'll add the two camera RCA cables (one for picture, one for power) to the bundle.

truckasaurus · 03-31-2014, 02:04 PM

Nice, is there a functional limit on the length of the RCA's that you know of?

SuzyHomemakr · 04-01-2014, 12:51 PM

Ack!
I unwrapped everything to test the system, and even though I was told "two RCA cables" by the installer, it was not so. The video is RCA, but the power is a 2.1mm (I think) connector. So I just ordered up a 10-pack of males and a 10-pack of females, smallest quantities that I could find on Amazon. If anyone else wants to duplicate this setup, let me know and I'll send you the connectors.