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05-13-2016, 10:52 PM
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#481
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4 Rivet Member
1976 25' Tradewind
, Florida
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 353
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Well we are out on the beach this weekend enjoying the most recent additions to the trailer (and making some notes about future changes). Still no running water, but we are getting close. Lower sewer connections are all hooked up, just need to get the interior supply lines and returns complete.
Dirt devil interior vacuum under the dinette seat, takes up almost no space! Search around for the best price if you are interested, Amazon was almost 100 over where I found it elsewhere.
Sink and faucet in, bathroom walls and vanity have since been painted white also.
Shower enclosure is complete and sealed with white silicone sealant. Came out pretty decent. I will document the mixer install, it is a European off the wall unit so a little different than a standard shower.
I added 2 of these adjustable reading lights to the rear bunk area. They required cutting a decent size hole in the wall to allow the gimbal to sit flush, but my wife was concerned the standard mount ones would prove to be too tempting as handholds for the kids so the flush mounts won the day. They work well, almost too bright if you are looking at them when you turn them on. Found them at Led4rv for 19.95 each.
Baby is 'adjusting' to her sleeping arrangements as I write. By that I mean screaming her cute little head off! Here's hoping things quiet down soon
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76 'Airstream Tradewind
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Matt
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05-14-2016, 08:21 PM
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#482
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Rivet Master
1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer
, Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,289
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Your 40 year old Trade Wind is coming back to life. Great picture of your little ones around the new table, with a handy vacuum underneath to clean up the crumbs.
I talked to an Airstreamer today in this park where we are staying. He said he and his wife are "growing into their new Airstream". He explained they had to get used to what they needed and what they did not. It was a downsizing process for them, and they love traveling in their Airstream. I sense you folks are kinda doing the same thing. Learning what you need and want, and then having you build it. It will be your trailer just the way you want it.
Running hot and cold water is such a luxury. So better get on that one soon.
David
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05-15-2016, 10:02 PM
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#483
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4 Rivet Member
1976 25' Tradewind
, Florida
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 353
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Thanks David! It was a good trip and we are learning plenty on each outing. The kids loved their sleeping arrangements (once the baby got used to her built-in crib). I will post some photos of the built in crib I made for my 14 month old, may be one of a rare few in an Airstream.
Ship will be underway for a few weeks, will renegage upon return. Thanks to all for the encouragement. Coming up soon will be putting in a new gas/electric Atwood ) gallon water heater, new stainless water inlet, and running PEX. Acacia countertops, undermount stainless sink, the list goes on. Stay tuned!
Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums
76 'Airstream Tradewind
__________________
Matt
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09-20-2016, 01:08 PM
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#484
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4 Rivet Member
1976 25' Tradewind
, Florida
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 353
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Ok so it's been a while since my last update. Had quite a few long underway periods, but we have still managed 11 nights of camping this year AND made some good progress on the trailer.
New stainless water inlet
All pez plumbing run
New Atwood gas/electric water heater
New shurflo water pump and accumulator
Completed shower and bathroom
Kitchen countertop, sink, and faucet are in
All new aluminum propane tanks and all new lines underneath and inside
Our last camping trip up to Big Bear Lake, CA was our first with a kitchen sink. Was great having the counter space and a big deep sink to wash dishes, etc. having the propane installed meant I could keep the fridge cooling nicely during the drive through the desert (108 degrees!).
New undermount sink and faucet
Here is a photo of the 1/2" cast iron main trunk line. I branched it out to 3/8". I went with one external quick disconnect and then internal lines for the fridge, water heater, and one quick disconnect inside for a catalytic heater, portable stove, etc. All lines have valve protection at the branches. I highly recommend the cast iron, rigid, cheap, and Home
Depot can cut the lengths custom if required. Just don't forget your yellow tape and pipe wrenches. I painted the trunk in gloss black rust oleum after putting it together and mounted it via hangers and rivets to the main frame, very solid.
Next up is framing the fridge and opposite side of the trailer for another countertop space and some storage cubbies for clothing. Planning on building a pullout pantry as well next to the fridge. Stay tuned!
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76 'Airstream Tradewind
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Matt
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09-20-2016, 04:53 PM
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#485
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Rivet Master
1991 34' Excella
1963 26' Overlander
1961 26' Overlander
Central
, Mississippi
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 5,919
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Nice looking work.
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09-20-2016, 07:25 PM
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#486
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Rivet Master
1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer
, Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,289
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Way to go Millertime... Good to hear from you. 11 nights is more than we have in mine. Kinda wish I had done the accumulator tank on mine. The pump cycles normally, but the accumulator would have evened out things a bit I believe. Some say a hot water heater with a little air on top of it does the same thing.
David
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09-22-2016, 12:37 PM
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#487
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4 Rivet Member
1976 25' Tradewind
, Florida
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 353
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Thanks David, we have a trip to Yosemite next month tied into a stop by Disneyland and Joshua Tree. Will be another 11 nights, should be fun!
After that trip we are dropping the trailer off for a shine job in LA. Should be great!
Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums
76 'Airstream Tradewind
__________________
Matt
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09-23-2016, 07:11 PM
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#488
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Rivet Master
1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer
, Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,289
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If you weren't on that ship so much you could polish your trailer yourself. I've done two of them. They aren't "show perfect", but better than the faded clear coat and corroded gray aluminum. My wife says you can enjoy polishing if your IQ is low enough. It is mindless work for sure.
It might take 250 hours and about $400 in tools and materials to do the job on your 25 footer.
The trouble with a polished Airstream is the first rain, the first bird bomb, the first bug splat, the first leaf stain, even morning dew, and on and on. It won't stay "spotless" for long. A guy can touch it up again, but it won't stay. So you have to be of the mindset that the trailer is to use, not store in a museum somewhere. Be ready to watch your polish job develop water spots, streaks and the like. It no longer bothers me at all. But that is probably because my IQ is low enough.
David
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09-25-2016, 11:41 PM
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#489
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4 Rivet Member
1976 25' Tradewind
, Florida
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 353
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250 hours! Yeah David I just don't have that kind of time lol!
I did get some time this weekend however and built in my fridge, built a slide out pantry, and a countertop next to the fridge with cubby storage underneath. It still needs lots of trim and painting but it's roughed in. Pretty happy with the rolling pantry. My wife found these numbered fabric totes that fit the cubbies so each kid will have their own numbered totes.
Here is the pantry pulled out
I also wired in 2 computer fans into the fridge vent. I have them connected to a 80 deg F inline switch and a wall switch. When turned on the fans will come on if the air temp exceeds 80 F. The temp switch was less than 10 bucks on Amazon.
I have a local guy making me a custom aluminum fridge chimney. I gave him my old plastic one (yellowed and cracked) as a template. Should look pretty good.
We have 8 nights of boondocking coming up in 3 weeks so I need to get everything ready. HF sells a cheap 900 watt 2 cycle generator I figure can charge our house battery once or twice. I found a coupon for $88.
I have some grinding to do to get our old bumper back on after the new frame changes. Will also be stripping the last of the clearcoat off in preparation.
Munch munch munch
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76 'Airstream Tradewind
__________________
Matt
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09-26-2016, 07:14 PM
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#490
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Rivet Master
1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer
, Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,289
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Your roll out panty storage is very neat. The whole interior is coming together nicely. There is nothing like a scheduled trip to press things along.
A low cost, low wattage generator driven by a chain saw engine is a good way to keep the battery charged. We went boondocking during our last trip for a whole two nights, imagine that! We found we like the luxury of our electricity quite well. We ran the furnace in the morning and ran the water pump quite a bit. My laptop battery lasted a whole hour. After two nights our batteries dipped to 12.2 volts. We plugged into the grid at the next stop. Ahhhh, luxury of the electrical grid.
I didn't think I would sell you on the idea of polishing your Trade Wind yourself. Your IQ is just too high I'm afraid.
The fridge vent fans are a good idea in my view. I installed one also as my Trade Wind is pretty tight between wall and coils. The new fridge works well in hot weather. But it doesn't like to ignite at these high altitudes. Not enough air around here.
David
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09-27-2016, 06:26 AM
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#491
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4 Rivet Member
1976 25' Tradewind
, Florida
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 353
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That trailer looks amazing, great job! I am really looking forward to the shine job, it feels like it will be one of the biggest visual rewards for all of the work we have put into this project.
How did you strip the clearcoat? I bought a gallon of the stripper from Home Depot and lathered it on, but the clearcoat still needed almost scrubbing to remove. Any tips?
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76 'Airstream Tradewind
__________________
Matt
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09-27-2016, 07:02 AM
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#492
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Rivet Master
1966 22' Safari
Hilltop Lakes
, Texas
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,764
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Aircraft Stripper. The stuff is nasty, but it works.
IIRC it's a Rustoleum product. Label clearly says "Do not use on aircraft" so I'm not sure where they got the name. I got mine at an auto supply store.
Coveralls, long gloves, etc. so a splatter can't hit your skin and make absolutely sure it can't hit your eyes. Have a water hose nearby, water turned on and controlled by a nozzle so it's available immediately. Water neutralizes the stuff, so use plenty of it if a drop or two gets on your skin. It stings, so you'll know. Hate to think what it would do to eyes.
Work in the shade if possible, or early or late in the day.
Spread the stripper gel on a small area at a time. Once the clear coat bubbles up--15 to 20 minutes, wash it off with the water hose (nozzle set at good pressure). I used a soft, long-handled car wash brush as a follow up. You need to be absolutely sure no stripper remains in the seams between aluminum panels.
I was able to work two or three areas, widely separated so that the wash water from the first one didn't neutralize the others while the stripper was working. It took several days, because I had to wait for the water to dry before I could strip another section.
There were places on my trailer where the clear coat was completely gone from years in the sun. The aluminum oxidation there was exactly the same color as the dead clear coat. If you encounter an area where the stripper just doesn't work, there's probably no clear coat left there anyway.
I love what you're doing with that trailer. Best of luck with the strip and polish phase.
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09-27-2016, 07:09 PM
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#493
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Rivet Master
1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer
, Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,289
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I used Aircraft Stripper also. It is a classic methanol chloride product that is chemically nasty, so follow the instructions. Many Air Forum members use other more benign products.
I did my trailer in sections, and indoors during the winter. I brushed it on, let work, and then scrapped it off with a bondo scraper, putting it into a metal pan. Then I disposed of the chemical as a hazardous waste at our local recycling facility. I only had a couple of quarts of it, so it wasn't very expensive to process.
The photo shows the stripper working on remaining clear coat. Where there is no reaction on the aluminum, then there is no clear coat to strip. It is hard to tell the difference. The stripper will not hurt the aluminum.
The trailer did look much better once I got that old, faded clear coat off.
David
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09-28-2016, 05:42 AM
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#494
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Rivet Master
1977 23' Safari
Niagara on the Lake
, Ontario
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 984
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I used a product called smartstrip that I found at Home Depot here in Ontario, $75 a pail and I used 2 pails but it was worth the cost. Easy to use and safe for the environment. I brushed it on and pressure washed it off. I had to do it on a cloudy day so it wouldn't dry.
__________________
1977 Safari Land Yacht
2005 Toyota Tundra SR5
2022 Toyota 4Runner SR5
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09-29-2016, 06:13 AM
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#495
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4 Rivet Member
1976 25' Tradewind
, Florida
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 353
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Mimi, David, AldeanFan thank you for the suggestions. Having a community of experienced restorers is an invaluable asset and the main reason I post here on Airforums.
I FINALLY reattached the bumper after only 2.5 years of having it leaning against the side of our homes in FL and then CA. Only the stairs remain and the once gigantic pile of parts, corroded skins, old tanks, and rotten wood will finally disappear. There is something strangely satisfying about that.
Regarding the bumper it was my first experience tapping my own threads as the new frame did not have any of the old tapped holes to screw the bumper into. HD sold the drill bit and corresponding tap and it was actually quite easy as long as I kept the tap lubricated, I used air tool oil as it is what I had on hand.
Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums
76 'Airstream Tradewind
__________________
Matt
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09-29-2016, 07:01 PM
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#496
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Rivet Master
1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer
, Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,289
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I remember getting rid of my pile of junk that I no longer needed with my 66 Trade Wind. It was good to see it go.
My Trade Wind bumper is welded on. Same with the son's 69 Globetrotter. But the wife's 86 has a bolt on bumper. I think the rear bumper adds some rigidity to the rear of the frame as well as protect the body while you back into a tree.
David
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09-29-2016, 09:02 PM
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#497
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1 Rivet Member
Currently Looking...
Tempe
, Arizona
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 12
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I just read through this whole thread today and all I can say is: WOW! Amazing work! I'm happy you didn't give up on this trailer. I'm looking forward to more updates.
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10-26-2016, 09:24 PM
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#498
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4 Rivet Member
1976 25' Tradewind
, Florida
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 353
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Thanks abramj!
So we just returned a few days ago from our biggest camping trip yet! The first 3 nights were in a RV resort in Anaheim where we used up our extra day left on our Disney passes. Then it was 4 nights in Yosemite national park. Yosemite is AMAZING!!! We will have to go back for longer someday. Then we headed into joshua tree. We left Yosemite late and instead of pushing too laye(our ETA was like 9 PM) we stayed over in a parking lot at Edwards Air Force Base then finished the drive in the morning. Joshua Tree was also fantastic this time of year and the kids loved climbing on all of the rock formations while hiking.
Fishing in Yosemite
Yosemite and Joshua tree had no hookups at all, so our first boon-docking experience. Besides the p-trap in the bathroom sink coming off on the way to Yosemite and then my wife washing a soiled car seat cover when we got in. "Honey it sounds like water is running out of the trailer and onto the ground, did you leave the drain valve open?"..... I figured she must be imagining something. The sight under the bathroom sink was one for the ages, her makeup bag right under the deluge..... all this at 9 PM after looking for fresh water to fill the tanks etc etc.
We did have battery issues on the last day. I brought along a 900 watt 2-cycle generator from HF and ran it about 30 minutes a day figuring that was enough to handle the LED lights, water pump, fridge electronics, propane detector, and charging our phones. Our trailer still just has one group 27 I believe, maybe 24. In either case it is only 3 years old. The battery may be toast but the generator didn't seem to do much compared to a long drive with the tow vehicle charging the battery. I plan at some point to alter the battery box to hold 2x 6V batteries.
After the trip we stopped and dropped the trailer off at the polishers, King Truck Wash, in LA. Another forum member had his trailer shined there and it turned out fantastic. I was a little nervous leaving my baby. I will be going out to sea for a few weeks so by the time I return she should be ready for pickup!!!
New counter and cubby storage next to the fridge. Next project will be adding drawers and completing the cabinets.
Front dinette, my wife sewed the upholstery herself and we had a local foam company cut the foam to fit.
We never lost a single knife going down the road with the magnetic holder, the rod is from IKEA and the baskets were off Amazon. Isn't my wife talented?
We switched out the gold faucet for silver.
Storage next to the fridge, the 2 computer fans with the temperature switch worked fantastic this trip. Super quiet also.
IKEA rotating hanger for the shower, great when you don't use the shower often and need to dry stuff.
IKEA again lol, extendable double sided tilt mirror for the wife to do her makeup. Yes she has to sit on the toilet to do it, we all have to make sacrifices lol.
Each kid has a numbered tote, there are 2 in each cubby. The grow ups get the top ones. Still only 3 kids so room for expansion, lets pray that's not anytime soon haha!
Thanks everyone for the encouragement and for checking out the progress. Once we get her back I will post some post shine photos. Next up will be painting the lettering back, painting the rear light trim, and installing the steps. Interior wise we will finish the kitchen cabinets and install flooring, it really feels like we are getting closer to having a finished product (which will only mean more little projects, it will next truly 'end' but we could use a break hehe).
__________________
Matt
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10-26-2016, 09:54 PM
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#499
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4 Rivet Member
1976 25' Tradewind
, Florida
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 353
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Oh and the unfinished sliding door for the bathroom. Not sure how we will finish yet but pleased with how little space it takes up.
__________________
Matt
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10-26-2016, 10:15 PM
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#500
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4 Rivet Member
1976 25' Tradewind
, Florida
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 353
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The wife here. My favorite addition of late is the pantry. We need to figure out how to secure it with more than a bungee while traveling but it fits a ton.
__________________
Matt
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