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JeepinAudiophile · 06-20-2008, 06:12 PM

WOW, It's been a long time but I don't feel like I have made it very far...haha
I will be breathing new life back into this thread, I am compiling my build photos and plan to make them viewable through a link to my Google Picasa Web album... If you care the see, please check back... I know all the previous pictures in the thread are gone, so I will work on getting the eye-candy back soon!!!

JeepinAudiophile · 06-20-2008, 06:30 PM

Here's the Album- watch for updates, over the next few hours or maybe days I will be adding all the necessary photos to this album until I run out of allowed space in the free web album!

Picasa Web Albums - Chad - Chad and Tova...

Lothlorian · 06-20-2008, 06:31 PM

Jeep:

You better start tearing out the bathroom tonight. Get 1/8th drill bits. I would suggest you buy packs of twenty for 6 bucks. I got two packs from an airplane magazine and they cut through rivets like butter. They have drill bits on both ends. When a bit goes bad you pull it out and turn it upside down. I did not mess with taking the inner skin out. I took a grinder cut about 4 inches off the inner skin in the bathroom to get to the channel bolts. I will put what I cut out back using a piece of aluminum to connect the part I cut out. It will be painted and artistically reconstructed. There are other people who have done renovations on this the forum. I followed Jim and Susan, Pizza Chop, Zepplium, Aerowood and many other geat airstream renovators.

Many of bolts and screws were rusted together. I used a grinder and a dremel and cut them out. I used the old floor as a template and pink board to do a fit before I cut my new floor.

I had some small rot spots where I used a product that is recommended by historcial societies. It takes the rot and turns in hard again. It worked fine for me. I used this in a couple of places in the front living area. Can't even tell there was rot. here is my project http://www.airforums.com/forums/f36/...ion-38204.html

This is my project. I started in November and I am going to be ready to rock on roll on a trip by July 13th (Fingers crossed).
SIU Bound

Brian

SIU Bound

JeepinAudiophile · 06-20-2008, 07:01 PM

HMMMM, well maybe I should start a NEW thread based on that reply. I started this project about 4 years ago, so I am pretty damn far along now. I have done the whole shell off process, replaced the floor with marine grade plywood, after cleaning and por-15ing the frame and making a new structure for two 35 gallon holding tanks in the rear(one gray, one black tank)

My whole shell is back on, rewired with copper wiring, added cat5e, and other low voltage wires for ammenities, XM/Sirius antenna on the roof, outdoor speaker and tv jacks, hard insulation inside the walls, inner skin has been reinstalled, and I painted it with a plastic friendly paint that has proven to be VERY worthy of the job. There is a new tile floot in the trailer and I am refinishing the fiberglass parts for the bathroom. All the bedding has gotten new foam, and been re-upholstered. The Bedroom was installed for a short camping trip and I have gone through and used sikaflex on all of the panels, windows, etc. There are also new rubber seals in most of the window jams. Ummm, yeah I will update as I think of things...

I have not been able to work on the trailer for over a year...I moved away from where the trailer is stored, and am waiting to be able to get back to my poor trailer!!!

JeepinAudiophile · 06-20-2008, 07:08 PM

Check out the Link!! Let me know if you are able to see the album, I would like to make sure people are able to get in and view the album!

Picasa Web Albums - Chad - Chad and Tova...

****EDIT: WOW, I didn't realize just how many photos would fit on the web album so I am loading just about every photo I have taken of the process so far, sorry it it takes a while to look through them, there is a lot of detail that is documented!!!*****

JeepinAudiophile · 06-20-2008, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIU Bound

Jeep:

You better start...

SIU Bound

Just looked through your thread, looks great- You have done a good job- these projects can be quite daunting!

JeepinAudiophile · 06-20-2008, 08:09 PM

Picasa Web Albums - Chad

JeepinAudiophile · 06-20-2008, 08:36 PM

This is the ceiling one side painted, the other showing the discoloration in the vinyl that I was covering up... Check out the albums, all my pictures are there since 2004 when I started... about 700 photos!!!

Picasa Web Albums - Chad

Lothlorian · 06-20-2008, 08:43 PM

Yikes I thought when I saw your posting you were just starting your project. Apparently I wasn't paying attention. You have done a whole lot more then me. Wow! you are doing some amazing work.

SIU bound

Brian

malconium · 06-20-2008, 09:47 PM

It looks like it is coming along very nicely. I still have a ways to go on my unit and it has been about as long for me. It is good to see someone still hanging in there.

Malcolm

JeepinAudiophile · 06-21-2008, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malconium

It looks like it is coming along very nicely. I still have a ways to go on my unit and it has been about as long for me. It is good to see someone still hanging in there.

Malcolm

Thank You, Well it is coming along but I'm dying to get back into it and work. I'm looking for a house with a shop large enough to park the trailer in it here in fort Myers. If i find that for a reasonable price, I will be golden!

I looked at your photos as well, and the floor process is no fun, but it looks like you took the smart route and didn't take the hole shell off. Taking it off gave me access to do a lot of things, but it was a major PITA!

We modified and strengthened the frame, I cleaned it all up and por-15'd the entire frame hitch to bumper... and we layed down a layer of fiberglass resin on the top side and edges of the wood floor along the edge of the trailer to keep any leaks from coming down the wall and rotting the floor.

JeepinAudiophile · 06-21-2008, 10:03 AM

Here is the frame after I finished using POR-15 and covering the entire frame...I would suggest ding it in a place with good ventilation, the offices above the car audio shop I was working at stunk of fumes all the next day even after I moved the trailer frame outside.

Another shot after I did the frame, and showing the structures in place to hold the black and gray water tanks. Originally the trailer was equipped with only a black water tank and it was 20 gallons. The holding tanks are now 35 gallon black and 35 gallon gray!

Just an underside shot of the frame with the por-15 and new plywood installed. I will later spray the foam insulkation back on the underside of the frame as it had been in the original build from airstream.

There's a working photo of the new marine grade plywood being installed.

We layed a thin layer of fiberglass mat, and used fiberglass resin around the whole edge. The hopes are that in the future, should we have any leaks that allow water to get in and run down the wall, the entire edge of the trailer is protected from water penetration.

Just a fun shot! The first trip since its renovations began was to the Alumination Rally, Region 1 Rally in August of 2006. We traveled with no interior furnishings and only half of the inner skin back in place! None of my hard insulation fell while we were traveling down the road either which I was impressed by. The next photo shows the insulation and is exposed the way we traveled in it except everything from the bottom of the windows up was exposed on both sides.

easyride · 06-21-2008, 10:11 AM

Hi,nice job ,if you find that big shop in F.M. ,maybe you`ll let me use it to work on mine. LOL Good luck with your project. Dave

JeepinAudiophile · 06-21-2008, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by easyride

Hi,nice job ,if you find that big shop in F.M. ,maybe you`ll let me use it to work on mine. LOL Good luck with your project. Dave

Hey there, yeah you're local!!! I haven't met up with anyone in the club o forums down here really except that I stopped in at the WBCCI region rally in Sarasota. Is your rig travel worthy, or waiting to be worked on? If there's anything I can help you with, please don't be shy to ask, I love working on these trailers and helping others out too. I have gotten so much help from members of WBCCI and the Forum so I am always happy to help.