I hope you'll welcome ... 'Solid Comfort'!

[rmkrum]

Looks really slick and nice. I'm going to steal the basic idea--the cool bit is that this not only gets solar power, but gets you an awning as well.

Very nice work!

Have you looked into the electric screw jacks as a possible way to position the 'solar awning'?

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I thought of doing that exact thing with my trailer; I was going to see if I could install a solar panel under my rock guard. My rock guard got a spider crack in it during my Alaska trip. I would be concerned about that happening to the solar panel too. I installed gas struts/shocks to hold my rock guard open; Much nicer that the factory mechanism.

[awryawry]

Hmmmm ... I may try to affix a removable aluminum table as a rock guard ......

[awryawry]

... and more:

Stand-off frame is all riveted on, with RBBB's (rubber baby buggy bumpers) affixed to the "belly band, or whatever you call it. I utilized the existing rubber bungee hold-downs by attaching the claw-catches to the bottom of my frame.

As the conductors for my panel have quick-disconnects, I believe I'll just plug 'em in when desired, and unplug 'em for rollin' down the road for now.

Paul, the PO of "Solid Comfort", put his first dent ever into the starboard bow, on what proved to be his last 'streamin' haul ever. On his way up to Cortez, he had an unfortunate close encounter with a ubiquitous orange construction barrel.

I cut an 8" x 8" access hole through the inner skin below the couch arm, and reached in there with a variety of improvised tools to punch the dent out. It ain't purty, but it's better than it was! I patched the inside with a plant-on aluminum cover.

Shake-down cruise in two weeks -- all of 12 miles up to Junction Creek C.G.
My main man Tony's installing a brake controller and air-bag suspension in the Sex Machine this week ...

Anybody else feeling a hint of Fall in the air?

wryawry

[awryawry]

Howdy. Here's another task: removed the heavy plastic cover over the carpet in the "garage" -- rear storage compartment. Really, Airstream? with the chronic issues from water infiltrating over the bumper and into the sub-floor, the design is to simply run the carpet over the whole shitteree, then cover it with plastic to ensure that any moisture -- no, water -- just sits on the plywood sub-floor? Seems to me that Airstream "engineers" could use a refresher course in the "Seven P's" ...

Just ask if you don't know them,

wryawry

[awryawry]

It's refreshing to know that 'streamers know the 'Seven P's'!

[RM66caravel]

Of course we know I hear it over my right shoulder on a regular basis and I do love that woman cause she keeps me and that m-law thing in check! You are doing an awesome job I hope you enjoy the streamin as much!
Cliff

[RM66caravel]

Obtw when are you gonna buy a or adopt a vintage to rebirth! ( found that the rebirth is for the pain not the joy of the renovation)

[awryawry]

... just a small observation: righty-tighty; lefty-loosey.

Why should AS window knobs be counter-intuitive?

Bewildered,

wryawry

[awryawry]

Howdy, all you Silverstreamists,

I got the PV wired. After much consideration, I elected to mount the charge controller within the battery box that Paul the PO, had installed on the tongue assembly behind the LP tanks. The controller fit nicely over the battery, and as it is solid state (for Solid Comfort!), there is no worry of sparks potentially igniting the battery's outgassing.

For travel we can easily unplug the panel leads and coil them within the battery box. Couple a' pics below.

I've got gas struts on order to hold the panel up when we're docked or anchored or whatever you wacky, crazy, loony 'streamers call it when you're parked.

I ripped-out the funky carpet in the "garage" hatch. There's a nasty lateral seam in the plywood subfloor about six inches in -- stitched together with broad-crown staples (--? -- !) I'm gonna glass that seam and epoxy-coat the plywood, then I'll just lay-in rubber matting for the garage floor for all the shovels and rakes and implements of destruction that came piled-up in that compartment. Marine-grade plywood? NAH!

Ever noticed how 14-year-old door hardware becomes a bit recalcitrant? My loving wife did, and sure enough, she locked the door. Well, no need to wonder where Mr. Wonderful had left the keys ... I remembered that the rear egress window frame had been "popped" a bit, as one of the latches had been broken sometime in the murky past. I was able to pull the window out enough to insert a proverbial six-foot-pole, and trip the remaining latch. The Missus got to crawl in and familiarize herself with the door hardware.

FYI, she was wearing a little sundress ..... one might say that Airstreams ARE a silver lining!

Questions:

1. Why is there a 3" round hole bored through the bow, with a typically-poorly-caulked cover-plate screwed on, and a 2' section of 1-1/2" corrugated radiator hose laying on the floor forward of the couch? Is this so that if you can't take the necessary repairs anymore you can affix and exhaust hose from your TV and end all the trials and tribulations? There's a thoughtful touch, AS!

2. Any unique suggestions for a screen protector for the inside of the screen door to protect it from rampaging dog claws?

3. Anybody wanna buy some angrily ripped-out, stanky, shredded carpet?

Thursday, we launch,

wryawry

[awryawry]

Bump.