Love the tool box. I have to admit I did the artwork for those nameplates and, other than being on a vintage Airstream, that is the best use of one I've seen. That toolbox wears it with pride. Its beaming from ear to ear.
... and started on the top. the upper panels on my trailer are exactly 4X8.. no trimming necessary! i was the most worried about these panels (in terms of fitting), but what a snap! i did start 2 inch cuts at the bottom of the window openings, and drilled the top corners to ease in cutting the window opening out later. no rush on that. i'm going to leave them plugged until the last minute. just one less leak to track down.
anyway, got the piece fit, and clecoed, then it started to rain. i should have this riveted in place in the morning, and hopefully, if the curb-side goes as smooth, i can say the same thing about that tomorrow... and the skin replacement will be DONE!! (except the door, i know i know... it's NEVER done...) more this weekend, weather permitting!
this is going really smooth... probably shouldn't have said that...
Hey Jordan,
This is looking great! Yours will be a very nice finished product. Kudos for doing quality work. Just look at this thing!!
Question, though....are you replacing the inner skins as well? Be careful so that the windows go in the EXACT same position, otherwise the inner skins will not fit back into place.
Question, though....are you replacing the inner skins as well? Be careful so that the windows go in the EXACT same position, otherwise the inner skins will not fit back into place.
hey man, thanks for the tip, as always. i do plan on having the windows in the same locations, and will make sure to keep em exactly in the same place. as for the interior panels, i am planning on using a maple laminate on all the visible interior skins, leaving them bare aluminum in unexposed areas (like under the couch, or the bed, cabinets, etc), and right now, i'm leaning towards cherry for the cabinets and trim. maple flooring as well, probably pergo or whatever.
anyway, i'm getting ahead of myself, this weekend is all about skin, baby! you know, now i'm thinking about adding a couple of skylights or vents. my trailer has one vent, dead center. i plan on putting in an AC in it, so if i'm boondocking, or camping in the spring/fall... i feel like i should have some ventilation or light coming in from above (do the AC units have a ventilation fan that runs off 12V?). i have to admit, standing in the trailer with that panel off made me think about adding more light openings. what do you think about those skylights they used to put in globetrotters, or was it overlanders? they are about 10 inches wide by 20 inches or so long? right down the spine of the trailer. quite cool!
i feel like i should have some ventilation or light coming in from above (do the AC units have a ventilation fan that runs off 12V?). i have to admit, standing in the trailer with that panel off made me think about adding more light openings. what do you think about those skylights they used to put in globetrotters, or was it overlanders? they are about 10 inches wide by 20 inches or so long? right down the spine of the trailer. quite cool!
more this weekend.
jp
Jordan,
I have very little experience with tiny trailers like yours, as I presonally prefer 25ft and up.
However, I can tell you that the 2 fantastic fans and the 14X22( ??forgot the exact size) vent in the front of the Overlander ( like yiou mentioned above) add a very nice and friendly light during the day, plus of course the added ventilation options.
A/C units typically do not offer 12V vent fans.
I opted for 2 solar grey Fantastic fans, and a solar grey front vent cover for my Overlander.
the fans allow light to come through, because even the fan blade is transparent. It feels light and natural inside my Overlander during the day.
The tint is dark enough to not be annoyingly bright when the sun hits the roof.
...the 14X22( ??forgot the exact size) vent in the front of the Overlander ( like yiou mentioned above) add a very nice and friendly light during the day, plus of course the added ventilation options...
so, does your overlander have the glass sunroof? a friend of mine's has it, and i wasn't sure if it was standard or a PO addition. it looked nice, though. the nice thing about it, being glass is you have a clear view of the stars at night... the bad news (for his setup anyway) is it doesn't open to allow ventalation.
i like the look of multiple roof vents on the longer trailers, but i'm not sure how i feel about it on mine. the flat section of roof is only 8 feet, and the current vent is centered (perfect for the low profile AC unit), so i'd really have to add 2 aditional vents, front and rear. excelent ventalation, eh? how do you think that would look, though? i'm not sure off hand what size the AC unit is, but 3 vents in 8 feet? it might muddle up the roofline on the inside as well.
so, does your overlander have the glass sunroof? a friend of mine's has it, and i wasn't sure if it was standard or a PO addition. it looked nice, though. the nice thing about it, being glass is you have a clear view of the stars at night... the bad news (for his setup anyway) is it doesn't open to allow ventalation.
i like the look of multiple roof vents on the longer trailers, but i'm not sure how i feel about it on mine. the flat section of roof is only 8 feet, and the current vent is centered (perfect for the low profile AC unit), so i'd really have to add 2 aditional vents, front and rear. excelent ventalation, eh? how do you think that would look, though? i'm not sure off hand what size the AC unit is, but 3 vents in 8 feet? it might muddle up the roofline on the inside as well.
jp
Glass Sunroof...yes and no.Originally the front vent was much larger than then 2 other vents. The 2 14x14 vents had aluminum lids, and lifter mechanisms. The elongated front vent had a fiberglass lid, and also lifter mechanisms to open the lid for airflow. I see this larger vent in many trailers that were built before 1966. Some of the 80's trailers have a larger size roof vent, but I am not clear on the details on that.
My original plan was to install a flat piece of thick tinted lexan, to have a sunroof type effect. Then I decided to buy a solar dome instead, for the additional insulation and domed look if offers. It's hot where I like to camp.
Here's my thoughts to the roofline issue: adding the a/c to the trailer will distract from your roof line already. I am not sure if another low profile vent will be a bad thing or not. You can always do a cardboard mock up and lay it up there, just look at it for a while. My thread ( and others) have good pics of the fantastic vents. I used solar grey tinted lids for everything.
You can get excellent ventilation with just one good quality ventilator. Just leave a window cracked open on teh opposite side of the traier, and the fan in the ceiling will give you a nice cross flow.
i have to admit, standing in the trailer with that panel off made me think about adding more light openings. what do you think about those skylights they used to put in globetrotters, or was it overlanders? they are about 10 inches wide by 20 inches or so long? right down the spine of the trailer. quite cool!
more this weekend.
jp
JP,
I took out that size vent in order to make room for some solar panels up there - the lid was lost somewhere before I got it and replaced with a galvanized copy, but the frame itself is still good. Anyway, if you want it, it's yours. I can send pictures if you like. Its covered in very old dried sealant but would clean up I think. You could have a new lid fabricated from plexiglass and have a big skylight. I was thinking of doing that before I removed it and put in a 14"x14" vent instead. My trailer is quite light with two of this size vent, and good ventilation too.
this weekend, i got the streetside sealed and riveted in. now it's time for the FINAL panel! yah!! i've taken out the window, and drilled out the rivets. i'm planning on putting the new panel in place tomomorrow, and drilling out te rivet holes, then hopefully (bucking-buddy willing) have the final panel riveted in thursday.
i got a nice box in the mail yesterday from airstream dreams... lights, sealer, and nuvite! i couldn't resist seeing how she would polish up. i have high hopes! this test was done by hand. my polisher and pads should be coming in this week.
... and it's getting COLD out! better hurry! hoping to have it riveted and the door re-hung this weekend. the drip rail stretches all the way to the end caps, so i marked the rivet holes it needs to hit. tick tock tick tock....
Its a race against the weather, as i get the FINAL (yes FINAL!!) skin panel ready to rivet into place. again, ive used most of my clecos. everything is drilled and ready to remove, seal, and rivet into place sunday when I get back in town. I couldnt resist trying my hand at a little polishing. Its going to be a LONG process, but i wanted a taste of whats in store. since the majority of the skins are all new material, the majority of the work is in the end caps... practically the ONLY original thing left on this trailer at this point! I was quite impressed, and this is just with the rough grade. I also began sealing the inside of the end caps with Alcoa sealer. next, I plan on sealing the outside with the same stuff, then probably going over every seam from the inside out, just for good measure, after ive got the lights mounted. Resealing all 4 windows is on the ever-increasing list as well.
Is that the drip rail for the door you have marked? Are you fabricating new? I found that fabrication to be relatively easy - if you have access to a brake for bending the little lip on the outside edge. I made mine out of .040 and it is a lot stronger than the original - I think I will fabricate window trim in the same way - the original is so flimsy...
Here is the vent if you want it, like I said, ugly with sealant, but I think both risers work and you could get a new top... It might not be worth the work though, Uwe, what did you use for that big space up there? Is it a fantastic vent product?
Here is the vent if you want it, like I said, ugly with sealant, but I think both risers work and you could get a new top... It might not be worth the work though, Uwe, what did you use for that big space up there? Is it a fantastic vent product?
Carlos
I used 2 fantastic vents in the 14x14 roof vents, center and rear.
In the large front vent, I used a 14x22 solar dome from InlandRV, together with their new lifters.
Quick Links
