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

[awryawry]

Greetings, Earthlings!

May I introduce our Brand New To Us 1999 Airstream 27' Safari.
Her name is "Solid Comfort", named after a small island on the French River in Ontario, Canada.

[PhilipKS]

Nice!

[daymonjones]

Hello! Solid Comfort!

[RM66caravel]

Welcome looks awesome! Center bath? We like the picture do you have some of the inside? We know that you will enjoy your new to you oasis.

[falcon-N-Air]

Welcome solid comfort!

[SeeMore]

The interior is in fairly nice shape despite the fabric pattern which confirms age. When you tackled replacing the roof openings, did you consider upgrading to bi-directional, variable speed fans?

Otherwise, welcome aboard!

[awryawry]

Morning, All,

Solid Comfort is in her new driveway, albeit somewhat perched on the port side. In the introductory photo (above), I was popping-in some supplementary rivets into her belly skin to prevent flapping on the tow home.

After a quick learning curve with the Reese "EZE-LIFT" W/D hitch, and with the help of my "twin Brother of a Differant Mother", we negotiated our way through the sheep droppings in a rough pasture and began to haul ass -- S-L-O-W-L-Y.

About a mile before Cortez ..... POW! I believe they're referred to as "China Bombs" on this Forum. (Don't be alarmed, NSA; it's a reference to imported trailer tires.) No spare.
http://www.airforums.com/forums/atta...1&d=1374327921

This required a visit to the wallyworld stupor center, and I bought a pair of Goodyear Marathon ST225/75R15 "D". (Wanted to ensure rear axle had good boots.) How's about those jack points on the AS? Thanks to Duane at the ww service department. Did you know that if a ww employee accepts a tip, they're fired?!?

Hi-ho Silver, as 'streamers seem wont to say, and we hauled back to Durango through one of this Summer's first miraculously-ludicrous "gully washers". Got the rest of the way home without a hitch --ha-ha ...
http://www.airforums.com/forums/atta...1&d=1374329086

First order of business was to get the carpet and upholstery cleaned and deodorized. Solid Comfort came with all her linens and towels, which all took a spin or two in the machine, and I hired a carpet guy I've utilized many times for the carpet, the couch -- and the mattresses! The jury's still out as to whether the -- ahem -- olfactory challenges have been successfully alleviated ... (Speaking as a Professional Licensed Plumber with decades of experience, may I strenuously advise AGAINST carpet in a toilet area!)

http://www.airforums.com/forums/atta...1&d=1374330176

Next task: the cancerous clear coat. It appears as though a H/A'd attempt was made to begin addressing the exterior finish, with resultant odd-looking streaks and stripes. I'm planning a very gently-aggressive assault, and will likely journal this phase next -- with photos, of course.

I also have a 100W PV module which I'm considering mounting on gas struts as an awning in lieu of the front window protector -- which I'll otherwise need to repair by melting the Plexiglas flat again because it is badly warped.

Thanks to Paul and Lois, prairie-dog hunters extraordinaire, for their long years of loving and meticulous care of Solid Comfort. The journey which they are embarking upon calls for wishes of ease and grace, and we would be so grateful for any such wishes floated into the heavens.

I'm also grateful for this Forum and the measureless wealth of information herein. You'll find me an eager miner, and perhaps I'll be able to share a nugget or two that I may stumble across.

Ciao!

wry

[Foiled Again]

He-He... I can already feel that you're going to fit right in here. A slightly skewed sense of humor is an asset... and sometimes a necessity!

Regarding carpet in the bathroom, I've always wondered why every bathroom doesn't have a floor drain to make the cleaning process easier - especially for families with small children. OTOH, A friend of mine has a tiny cross stitched message on the wall of her bathroom just above the throne. It advises,

Stand closer, it's not as long as you think.

Looks like a very nice Airstream. Have fun making it yours and hopefully we'll see you down the road soon.

Paula

[awryawry]

Greetings.

Had my first swipe at Solid Comfort's flaky skin problem. Maybe I shoulda tried Olay. I'm posting a couple of photos of the streaking evidenced even in the absence of the clear coat, in the hopes that someone has seen this condition before.

I utilized jellied stripper (!) twice over the stbd side; applied, waited 1/2 hour, pressure-washed off. These streaks appear to be "baked" into the bare aluminum, almost as though someone had tried to treat the skin with acid. Any ideas? Thanks in advance, Team Airstream!

wry

[SteveSueMac]

I dig solid comfort!

[awryawry]

So, I decided I didn't particularly care for the white (yellow) plastic vent hood discharge fitting on the exterior wall of Solid Comfort, so I popped it off to see if I could wrap it in aluminum or something.

Dear Airstream -- what, are you kidding me?!? Did you send a new hire out to hack the opening for this fitting, or had someone stashed a bottle in the ol' lunchpail?!?

Listen -- this is NOT quality construction, and it just makes me wonder what other boogers I'll be discovering in the '99.

I sealed this hack-job with a $4 roll of high-temp aluminum tape, about an hour of labor, and the expenditure of 27-1/2 high-temp utterances.

Ogly!

Gr-r-r-r-r!

wry

[Safari-Rick]

Welcome !!

[awryawry]

... for the hack job.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by awryawry

So, I decided I didn't particularly care for the white (yellow) plastic vent hood discharge fitting on the exterior wall of Solid Comfort, so I popped it off to see if I could wrap it in aluminum or something.

Dear Airstream -- what, are you kidding me?!? Did you send a new hire out to hack the opening for this fitting, or had someone stashed a bottle in the ol' lunchpail?!?


Gr-r-r-r-r!

wry

Hi, these are the surprises that are found long after the warranty has run out and they probably wouldn't do anything if it was found while still under warranty. I think Airstream should have pictures like this posted where all of the workers can see these and call it the hall/wall of shame.

[Fly at Night]

Welcome Comfort!

[AlaskaSafari]

Welcome Comfort. She looks like a nice unit... The blemishes just give you a chance to truly make her your own. Enjoy!

[cwf]

Happy trails to you....

[Bigventure]

I have a silver fan vent I'd like to sell. It's listed in the for sale section.

[awryawry]

Howdy, Folks,

I tackled a couple of repairs in 'Solid Comfort', the 27' Safari. (Note: the AS measures at almost 28' stem-to-stern, and the VIN confirms this; but the 27' Safari designation is not available in the drop-down menu for model selection within the personal registration pane ... admin?)

There was a compromised crimp-ring on the H2O hookup that necessitated some dis-assembly and, as per usual, I felt obliged to take the replacement forward as far as the H2O heater. Monkeying with the hose connection led to a drip from the belly pan where the feed 90's up into the compartments, so I replaced that 90 with a copper sweep and installed a new ball valve for drain down. I dis-assembled and cleaned the PRV (pressure reducing valve), too. An additional note: I am a licensed Master Plumber here in the Great State of Colorado, and I have been successfully installing PEX water distribution systems ever since PEX was approved for use by my State Administrative Authority. I did not examine the AS PEX to determine the manufacturer, but I noticed a distinct brittleness in this tubing compared to many other varieties that I have used. I intend to keep a sharp eye on the remaining tubing!

In my next upgrade, I ripped-out the crappy under-counter air-vent fittings for the sink drains, and replaced them with professional-grade air-admittance valves. This instantly alleviated some of the 'stank'. Pew! I mean, Phew!

One more little project: I removed the LP Gas Detector and determined that it had probably NEVER been operational, as the ground wire was not attached. Fortunately, there was a remaining strand of ground conductor still soldered to the board which enabled re-attachment with a simple twist. The device now functions according to Attwood's test parameters, although I have not tested it with propane yet.

I believe we're closing-in on our shakedown cruise!

wryawry

[awryawry]

... of course!
Photos of before and after air-admittance valves for drainage system on the '99.

Note the originals simply have a rubber diaphragm which, IMO, are wholly ineffective at preventing sewer gas from leaking into the AS. Modern air-admittance valves are much more sophisticated devices. These are Studor vents. Now under KS (shown) and vanity.

Another needed task was cleaning the a/c ceiling cover, which was covered with really greasy dirt. There are eight phillips-head screws that hold the (inside ceiling) cover on; as well as the two control knobs, which pop right off. I scrubbed it with dishwashing soap and hosed it off, then let it air dry o'nite before re-installing it.

Time to test the LP system and hopefully put it back in service.

Also, I'm going to tackle the solar panel in lieu of the front window protector awning. I got some aluminum stock to fabricate new brackets and hinge assembly.

Ciao, Bebes!

wryawry