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Old 06-11-2013, 09:01 PM   #281
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1991 34' Limited
Wichita , Kansas
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The steps were rickety and didn’t unfold or fold up very easily. So I did an analysis of what was going on and decided that all of the Airstream specific hinge pins/shoulder bolts and most of the other miscellaneous hardware that was worn needed to be replaced (purchased from the good folks at Out of Doors Mart).

Front Step Support


Rear Step Support (sliding track was worn at bottom corner – shown in second photo making steps rickety)


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Old 06-11-2013, 09:10 PM   #282
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I welded a side plate out of 16 gage steel to improve the corner on the rear slide track (three holes are to give me some tack points in the little plate) Then I sculpted the track with a die grinder and eventually prepped and painted the frame members on right front with POR 15.



Here’s the rear track from another angle and from the front.


Remainder of front outriggers were also treated with POR15.

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Old 06-11-2013, 09:11 PM   #283
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Here’s the rear track of the step with some new hardware and the steps have been cleaned up, filed where needed, and lubricated with a dry Teflon spray lubricant. They’re not like new, but they’re way better than they were.

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Old 06-11-2013, 09:14 PM   #284
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There's more to report on sealing, replacement rear belly skin, rebuilding Skyliner antenna and replacing all coax and TV RF amplifier, but these will have to wait for another day and some will be in other threads.

Steve
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Old 06-12-2013, 06:55 AM   #285
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Thanks for the pictures of the entry step refurb! Mine is also in need of some attention, and now I know how big a project it will be one day. A PO must have driven off with the step down and lost a battle with a curb or other object, but it is still functional. Once again, great work!
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Old 06-12-2013, 07:16 AM   #286
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1993 34' Limited
Hamilton , Ontario
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Thanks for posting pictures Steve!!! I also have a few roof leak issues. I had my trailer pressurized with Seal tech 430 r machine and still couldn't find the leak on top of front center part, of front window!! What a waste of $250.00 FOR NOTHING!!!
Looking forward to see what you have found out.!!!
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Old 06-12-2013, 07:40 AM   #287
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Possibly the toilet water valve was leaking!!! That was my case!!
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Old 06-12-2013, 10:48 AM   #288
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Hey Steve, maybe you should send all this informative information back to
AIRSTREAM at (Jackson Center Ohio). Showing them how it should be done right!!!
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Old 06-12-2013, 04:03 PM   #289
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Phillip and William,
Thanks for the kind words. Encouragement from folks like you help keep me motivated. Also, I realize that I'm on the down hill side, however the true bottom is just over the horizon still!
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Old 06-12-2013, 08:55 PM   #290
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With this post, I want to take a stroll down memory lane (AKA a little silver house of horrors). If you look back far enough on this thread you’ll see some of these pictures.

Here’s the street side of the rear bedroom. This is where the lower skin panel was replaced from front to back due to some previous damage. You can see where the aft end of the skin was crudely cut of with tin snips, a plastic/rubberized black membrane barrier was installed and a new sheet of .040” aluminum was installed over the original skin with pop rivets. The holes through the pop rivets caused a lot of the leaking and the top portion of the shell extrusion did little to contain the water from the lovely OSB flooring.



There are numerous gaps in the U channel portion of the extrusion at each corner and where extrusion segments are butted together without any sealant. Also numerous screws and wire holes penetrate the floor through the extrusion without any sealing.



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Old 06-12-2013, 08:57 PM   #291
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Here are some of the things that Ralph and I have done to turn the U channel of the extrusion into a more water tight moat around the floor. Ralph fashioned gutter bridges for each corner gap and we gooped them into place with TremPro 635.






Here’s the entry way door at the front with some PEX tubing as a water tight wire conduit where the floor penetration is concerned. These wires lead down to the step light.



Just aft of the water heater cutout was an open ended U channel and a hole drilled for the sewer dump valve light. Ralph made a little L section out of .025” aluminum and that created a dam and some more PEX tubing was use as a water seal around the wires.



The air conditioner drain tube penetration isn’t finished yet, but it too will be contained in a piece of plastic pipe that is caulked with TremPro 635. Also, note the L shaped end dam forward of the roadside wheel well.

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Old 06-12-2013, 09:41 PM   #292
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I just love that great half-assed AS workmanship from that time period, it's like they were drinking a 12 pack of Schultz bull on the job. Jeez.
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Old 06-12-2013, 09:56 PM   #293
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Nice work Steve, do the front right and left cutout radius's need to be planed 1/8 on the edge facing the propane tank storage too? except for the typical C channel on the Radius?.
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Old 06-13-2013, 07:31 AM   #294
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You going to put some drains in that water tight C-channel now?

Perry
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Old 06-13-2013, 08:28 AM   #295
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Perry,
That's a good question. If you look at most of the pictures in post 291 you'll see some drain/weep holes that are drilled in the bottom outside corner of the U channel portion of the lower shell extrusion. Some were in there from the factory but were obstructed by the skin or trash, etc. I've talked to AS customer about this a couple of times in the last eighteen months and intentional weep holes (about 3/16" dia.) were supposed to be drilled as drains as part of the AS design for trailers of my vintage. Well, I've gone around and added them about every 8" of lineal length around the perimeter of the trailer. They are angled down at about a 30 degree angle. These holes will be covered by the belly band which will be sealed on the top but not the bottom. When I am finished with all of the sealing, I plan to get the trailer good and level and then take a flower watering pot and pour water in the U channel all around and make sure that the water drains to the outside but not the inside of the trailer.

Steve
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Old 06-13-2013, 09:07 AM   #296
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 0557 View Post
Nice work Steve, do the front right and left cutout radius's need to be planed 1/8 on the edge facing the propane tank storage too? except for the typical C channel on the Radius?.
No, the upper surface of the new plywood is at the same level/plane as the OSB that it is next to. So the metal enclosure sits right on top of the floor (see below). I'll do a good bit of caulking all around the flange of the metal and the floor and front surface.



I'll also do some sanding on the transition between the OSB and the plywood with my belt sander to make sure that the surface is pretty flat.

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Old 06-13-2013, 09:13 AM   #297
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You think that those weap holes are going to do much good? Are they located such that they won't expose the end grain of the plywood to water? I sealed everything and put tubes in that funneled the water under the floor.

Perry

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Perry,
That's a good question. If you look at most of the pictures in post 291 you'll see some drain/weep holes that are drilled in the bottom outside corner of the U channel portion of the lower shell extrusion. Some were in there from the factory but were obstructed by the skin or trash, etc. I've talked to AS customer about this a couple of times in the last eighteen months and intentional weep holes (about 3/16" dia.) were supposed to be drilled as drains as part of the AS design for trailers of my vintage. Well, I've gone around and added them about every 8" of lineal length around the perimeter of the trailer. They are angled down at about a 30 degree angle. These holes will be covered by the belly band which will be sealed on the top but not the bottom. When I am finished with all of the sealing, I plan to get the trailer good and level and then take a flower watering pot and pour water in the U channel all around and make sure that the water drains to the outside but not the inside of the trailer.

Steve
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Old 06-13-2013, 10:42 PM   #298
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Perry,
I took my test piece of extrusion and drilled a 1/4" hole in it in the same fashion that I've done on the trailer itself. The hole should not allow water to touch the wood because the hole is routed above the wood at a down-angled slant. Also, the water should be able to weep out. Now, the bottom skin panel is riveted onto the upper vertical part of the extrusion and will then be covered by the wrap from the frame and the rub rail will cover the top edge of the wrap and will be sealed on top with sealant/caulk.

Here's how this should work. The hole is drilled at a diagonal.



The hole does not penetrate the extrusion in a way that exposes the wood.



The water should be able to drain from the U channel.

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Old 06-14-2013, 05:29 PM   #299
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That works fine on the side with the double c-channel. What about the curves.

Perry

PS camping as we speak.
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Old 06-14-2013, 06:47 PM   #300
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Perry,
I'm envious that you are camping! The curved sections of the bottom extrusions on my trailer are made in the same basic manner as the straight sections. Take a look at the second picture in post 296 above. Click on it to the point that you can magnify it on the Photo Bucket website and you will be able to see the double C channel or U and C parts plus some of the drain holes that I have drilled.

Steve

PS
I'm still envious!
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