Panic is setting in....

[arktos55343]

In my workspace, I have had to store everything inside the Airstream...and remove everything every day in order to work. That has been a major impediment toward major progress. So, with colder wetter weather on the way, decided to spend on a tyvek-type garage enclosure 10'x20'x8'.

And then I decided to try to put the thing up yesterday, during 25 mph wind gusts. Not fun. But got it basically done. Will have to do some tweaking today....hopefully with less wind. But it now gives me space to clean out the Airstream and have room to work, both in the Airstream and in the enclosure. It looks a little sloppy and loose right now...but I should be able to tighten everything up with calmer winds today.

Should have done this last year when I started this project. But now I will have room to lay out my internal skins, rather than have them sitting on edge at the side of the garage. And it will be much easier to work on the internal end caps.

I may have to reinforce the roof members of the shelter...to give some extra support for snow buildup. Worse comes to worse, I will put a construction LP heater inside to melt the accumulating snow. But I just KNOW this is going to be a mild winter....and I won't have to worry about snow build-up. Yeah...right!

[arktos55343]

Wow! Almost the end of June, and I am just now getting back to where I left off last Fall. This may take longer than I anticipated. LOL! The good news is that I evidently did a good job of sealing everything last Fall, because there has been no evidence of leaks throughout the winter-that-would-never-end and one of the wettest Springs on record. So, my current projects include continuing with installation of the new electrical...followed closely behind by insulation.

I finally settled on a location for my new dual 6volt AGM batteries which I have connected in series. I put them in a secure box which will sit beneath one of the cafe-style bench seats. I had to raise the height of the bench seats by 1.75 inches, which leaves about .50 inch of headroom over the battery box. I've been running both of my Fantastic fans while working in the heat...along with my new LED lighting. So far, the batteries are doing great...reading 97% by the end of the day.

I have to admit (again) that electrical is not one of my strong skills. I can't even count the number of hours I have spent just staring at the tangle of wires...wondering WTH I am going to do. My confusion has been complicated by the connections between the TV / Umbilical and Umbilical / Trailer. It just took me a long time to have confidence that the wires were going where they were supposed to go. So, today, I hooked up the ground wire to the trailer frame and plugged in the umbilical. Turned on the TV ignition and tested all of the connections in the AS. Good-to-go, I'm happy to say. Tomorrow, I will get some more connectors...and I should have working running lights, tail lights and charging power for the battery. I have some studying to do to figure out how to hook up the charge line to the battery as well as the brakes. But at least I am moving forward....

I am using a combination of Prodex and 1 inch thick foil faced foam board for insulation. I was impressed today, when I put my hand on a section of bare aluminum...finding it very hot to the touch....while placing the other hand on a section of installed Prodex and finding it very significantly cooler. Considering the amount of theoretical heat transfer through the ribs, I am pretty happy with this application so far, as I will never likely camp in the desert heat.

Upcoming projects will include building cabinet and storage which will span the width of the front beneath the window to house the converter, inverter, battery disconnect, and transfer switch. Then I will be laying the new cork floor throughout.

So much work to do this year. But I hope to be able to give it some exercise soon.

[Minno]

Any electrical help you need, Chris would be happy to help!

Kay

[Wabbiteer]

I'd enjoy setting you up with infinite possumbility loops, errr.. contrasting alternative choices... call anytime.

[arktos55343]

Thanks Kay! Looking forward to seeing you and Chris again!

[arktos55343]

After several days of back and forth emails with the supplier of my LED tail light conversion kit (and throw in a little OCD, on my part), I finally got the tail lights figured out. Separate power feeds from the 7-pin to the running light side of the LED kit. Ground is handled by the physical connection of the socket to the light housing/frame. So, now I have blinkers, brakes and running lights....Oh, my.... Only annoyance was the 3 days that it took to get the information....argh....

So now I can continue on with insulation and getting the walls back in.....yippeeeeee!!!

[arktos55343]

I arrived at the AS this morning to find that last night's storm had broken loose a very large branch from the 150 year old tree that provides shade and a lot of angst to my beloved project. The 15ft long monster was hanging vertically directly above my forward Fantastic Fan and antenna array...like a lightening bolt from hell...about to strike. I could just imagine it working itself loose any second with the windy conditions, and creating a very large hole.

I quickly hooked up and pulled the AS out of harm's way, and then set about knocking the limb loose with a long pole. It came down with a crash...and of course made a B-line for the rear of the AS. Fortunately, it only grazed the bumper. No harm done, thankfully.

Having averted the catastrophe, I got started on some long overdue projects. Patches. One for the battery compartment, and one for the installation of the Girard on-demand water heater. Both patches came out pretty well, I think. The Girard installation was a little tricky, because the unit is designed to be installed more or less on a vertical side, rather than the inward sloping side of the AS. So, after some considerable thought, I took my cut-off wheel to the case of the Girard (I'm sure I voided the warranty), and removed a 1 inch wedge from the bottom of the casing on a diagonal to the top edge....making for a much better fit.

Here are some before and after pics:

[arktos55343]

Oh, and before I forget....anybody need a battery compartment and door??

[arktos55343]

I don't know if it is because I only have two hands....but this insulation process is taking a long time... hrmpf!!!!!

[Minno]

We used spray adhesive and pink batts in ours. It was "far out, man!" when we didn't have a fan going! And even with 2 of us, it seemed to take a looooong time!

Kay

[arktos55343]

It seems like it has been 4 or 5 years since I started this Full Monty of "Madmen". But in reality, it has only been 2 years. I find that hard to believe....but my 'join date' on the Forum was in Sept. of 2012....so, it must be.

I hit a milestone today....with 97% of the new insulation installed, I re-installed the first of my interior skins. I am happy to say, everything lined up pretty well. Yeah!!! I'm glad my interior skins will not be sitting in the garage for another winter, as they have sustained a little damage along the bottom edges from salt and sludge. They will be scrubbed and cleaned one-by-one as I put them in, and then repainted using a Krylon product. I repainted my entry door with the Krylon over a year ago, and it still looks great.

My '72 has the fiber optic turn signal indicator. I wanted to utilize them, if possible. I found an LED unit at led4rv.com that really fit the bill. The super bright LED lights fit perfectly into the interior cut-out of the tail light housing. I'm not yet sure that the LED wave length is adequate to transmit the light through the fiber optic line...or maybe I just need to replace the fiber optic cable...as they have yellowed over time. But I am hopeful I can make them work.

Have to take a couple days off for other things....but will be back at it on the weekend. Zooooooommmmm!!

(Sorry for the mess in the pics)

[arktos55343]

This was my accomplishment today....took most of the day to track down the seller of these vintage 40 pounders on Craigslist. Very happy to add them to the project.

[blickcd]

I did the LED tail light retrofit a few years ago. While my trailer is a few years newer than yours, it has the fiberoptic turn signal indicator.

I'm not sure what your tail lights look like, but for mine I had to pop the end of the fiberoptic cable out of its holder in the tail light "cup" mounting, and push in back into the body of the trailer. The bracket for that fiberoptic cable also had to be bent nearly flat to be out of the way. All that in order for the LED light assembly to fit in the mounting.

That said, my fiberoptic unit is no longer in operation. Even if the cable could still be inside the tail light mounting, maybe modify its bracket for that, the LED lights shine straight out the back. I don't think there is any residual light to be picked up inside that cup-shaped tail light mount for the fiberoptic system to work.

If you were hell bent on making it work, maybe you could splice into the tail light wiring and get a little bulb in behind the LED light, aimed right at the end of the fiberoptic cable...

[arktos55343]

Yep - that's what I did...spliced into the turn signal wire and mounted forward facing LED lights, which are pretty bright....brighter than the original incans. But the fiber optic lines have yellowed over the years...so the light doesn't transmit very well. I still have to figure out how I am going to mount the fiber optic receivers....since the new LEDs cover the holes where they were mounted. But there is an additional fiberglass cover for the inside of the tail light assembly. I can probably mount them to that....

[arktos55343]

Didn't like the way the other water heater patch came out. So, made this one today. Better.....

[arktos55343]

Not a job for one person. But after finishing up most of the end cap insulation, I decided to be brave and attempt to install the fiberglass end cap. Repeat: Not an easy job for one person. Basically picked it up with my shoulders and head to place in the general area. Then used a 2x4 to brace it while I worked on 'encouraging' the molded edges around the window to find their slots with a rubber mallet. With that done, I was able to line up the holes in the fiberglass and aluminum window frame...and drive some temporary screws to keep everything stable. Ran out of gas at that point....and left the 2x4 in place overnight to keep anything from shifting. I will have nightmares tonight thinking of the 2x4 coming dislodged and falling through the $300 rear window.

Tomorrow, I have to figure out if I have all the of appropriate wire runs for LED lights, a fan and the 120. I would hate to have to take it down again.. I can only push my luck so far.

Other projects today included installing insulation over the curbside wheel well and installing the inner wheel well. Have to be so careful with that, because it is very fragile. I feel like it' going to crack on me whenever I pick it up. Oh well, I'll do some repair on it while it is in place.'

Also repaired the seals on my fridge access door. Originally, I installed the medium D seal...did not cover the voids. So I ordered nee D seals. Put the large seal on the door itself...and the medium seal on the door frame. It looks like a very tight seal now....though a little tough to close. Maybe it will loosen up a little after some compression.

I also dug in the garage and found my mid-ship vent pipe....which I clamped at the bottom to the frame....and then foamed all around it for security. Unfortunately, I think I am going to have to rebuild the rest of the waste line .... as I don't see it hiding in the garage.

It's nice to see some of the long-stored items finally coming out of the garage attic and the work tent....and going into their new home.

Tomorrow I will be spending more time with the end-cap, determining new 120 lines and 12v. They're all there, I just need to do some surgery on the end cap so the lines terminate where I want them.

At the end of the day, I love my Airstream after dark.....

[arktos55343]

I feel like cold weather is coming on fast. So I am racing to get as much done as possible before the Minnesota weather turns on me...

Walls and end caps are in...a couple problem spots I'm still working on. But I'm generally pretty happy with that progress.

Finished installing the new cork flooring today.

Also finished basic installation of the water heater.

And my solution to the suicide door problem...and a little security too...tho I know if someone wants in...they're going to get in. Still, a little peace of mind when I can't be on-site.

Hoping for a a warm Fall and Winter....so much to do!

[Minno]

Wow, what a change! Looking very nice with the new floor. Where did you find that lock? Never seen one like it before....
I think we still have some time before the real cold hits, but it IS Minnesota so you never know. We're racing with house projects!

Kay

[arktos55343]

Thanks Kay! A pop of color sure makes a big difference.

The lock is called a Puck Lock... got it on Amazon...but is available just about everywhere. It's not a perfect solution...and I cringed a little at the thought of drilling holes in the skin and door to install it. And it has to go at the bottom of the door in order to have enough clearance and not hit the side of the trailer when the door is open fully. But I kind of like the 'industrial' look of it....kind of goes with my overall theme.

Now I just have to decide what color to paint the interior...but will probably think about that over the winter.

So far, I'm really happy with my choice of insulation. I put an oil-filled heater in the trailer on one of the recent 'cool' mornings...and it got warm and toasty in about 10 minutes. Now, to finish up the electrical. I had some trouble recently, when I lost the location of one of my 12v wires...unknowingly putting a screw through it. Couldn't figure out why I was blowing a fuse in my truck 7-pin. Went to test my running lights that run off my coach batteries... and just about melted my ground wire!! Saw it smoking...and disconnected right away. Hopefully I didn't damage the coach battery...but definitely smoked my TV battery (although, it was old and needed to be replaced anyway). I definitely do not know enough about electrical! I have to find some way to isolate my coach battery...so it does not feed back through the 7-pin to the TV. OUCH!!

Off to SD and Mt Rushmore area for a week. Wish I were able to take the AS...but not ready for that...even as an aluminum tent. Ha!

Take care! Hope we can get together again one of these days!

Donn

[arktos55343]

Airstream Launched!!! Shakedown cruise in progress. It's my birthday, and after 2 years of hard labor, I'm loving towing the Airstream to nowhere in particular. She tows like a dream...was doing 60 before I knew it. And I can't say enough good things about the AirSafe Hitch!!! It just glides.....

Lots of work yet to be done. I will be starting on cabinetry as weather permits.


Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums