'72 wet bath tambour

cameront120 · 04-04-2006, 09:53 AM

The Tambour in the wet bath of my 72 Tradewind is jammed and will not open more than 6", so I can't even see what might be preventing it from rolling. It is also fit quite tightly in its tracks and won't lift out. Does anyone have any suggestions for removing it without destroying it? If I should have to cut it to get it out, has anyone come up with an alternate replacement? I'm thinking some sort of flexible plastic sheet rather than the wood tambour. Any ideas?

Cheers!

uwe · 04-04-2006, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cameront120

The Tambour in the wet bath of my 72 Tradewind is jammed and will not open more than 6", so I can't even see what might be preventing it from rolling. It is also fit quite tightly in its tracks and won't lift out. Does anyone have any suggestions for removing it without destroying it? If I should have to cut it to get it out, has anyone come up with an alternate replacement? I'm thinking some sort of flexible plastic sheet rather than the wood tambour. Any ideas?

Cheers!

If it is the same as my 1971 was, then the only way to get it out, and to get it to work again is to loosen the bottom section of the bath vanity and gently bend it down. There might be crud in the tracks, or the entire vanity has shifted and is jamming the tambour shut.
Start at the wide side bottom,and start removing rivets and screws. You will also have to somhow managet o take alook inside the tiny closet next to the sink, if so equipped. Some of the securing screws come through the divider wall and into the extrusions.
The vertical extrusion on the left under the sink will have to be freed on teh bottom for this to come loose. You will have to re-caulk with silicone to make all the joints water proof again. I once removed my entire wet bath to replace a floor section that had rotten underneath the shower pan.

Lee Pace · 04-04-2006, 10:23 AM

Cameron,

We had the same problem with the tambour under our kitchen sink. My husband made a new door for it, using the tambour's as insets on the new doors. It looks so professional and is so much better. I will try and post a photo for you.

Good luck,

Lee Pace
72 Tradewind
WBCCI 7287
Greenville, Tx

cameront120 · 04-04-2006, 11:07 AM

Thanks for the info Uwe. The setup you describe sounds identical to what I have. I'll do a little poking around after work to investigate. Do you happen to know what size rivets are used on the interior? I'll have to pick up some appropriately sized drill bits and new rivets on the way home.

Thanks Lee. A photo would be really nice to see if you get a chance!

Cheers!

uwe · 04-04-2006, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cameront120

Thanks for the info Uwe. The setup you describe sounds identical to what I have. I'll do a little poking around after work to investigate. Do you happen to know what size rivets are used on the interior? I'll have to pick up some appropriately sized drill bits and new rivets on the way home.

Thanks Lee. A photo would be really nice to see if you get a chance!

Cheers!

The interior rivets are mostly 1/8in aluminum. You can use a 1/8in drill bit, but there are numbered bits that work a little better and do not make the holes too big. they are a small fraction smaller then 1/8in. Although, I have used 1/8in drills quite a bit, never had a problem. Buy extras, they tend to break off at the most inopportune time and place...

Home Depot sells white pop rivets in their tool crib.

cameront120 · 04-04-2006, 01:18 PM

Thanks uwe. I've seen the white rivets you mentioned and will pick some up. I found a supplier near my home for the numbered drill bits, so those aren't a problem.

Safari Tim · 04-04-2006, 02:09 PM

I went through this over a year ago with my trailer. I spent many hours removing the tambour door, cleaning the track and the door, lubing it with wax, and reinstalling.

Outcome. Not much better, and not worth the effort!

You can read the thread about it here..

http://www.airforums.com/forum...-me-12513.html

Good luck!

cameront120 · 04-04-2006, 03:02 PM

Very useful thread Tim. Thank you for that. It confirms my suspicions that I might be better off ripping out the tambour and finding a different material to replace it.

uwe · 04-04-2006, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cameront120

I might be better off ripping out the tambour and finding a different material to replace it.

You need to make sure that upon reassembly the tambour is not once again wedged vertically into the tracks, then it should work fine. I think the problem is that the palstic distorts over time and makes the top/bottom distance somehow too tight for the tambour to moove freely in it's track.
You will find a spiral ( the main culprit here) in the back under the sink, which also might need to be adjusted so it has extra clearance top to bottom. The transition from the track to the spiral needs to be very well aligned. I eventually got mine to work where it easily opened about 80% before it got really sticky.
the curved shape of the vanity makes replacement with other materials difficult.

Safari Tim · 04-04-2006, 03:55 PM

All I could think of is a small version of a shower curtain. Since it's part of a wet bath, and that would look pretty tacky to me.

Best bet for me was just to get it so it opened and closed easily enough to get to the tp! ;-)

Dbraw · 04-04-2006, 05:50 PM

After many hours, months and years of trying to fix the bath tambour in our 1971 23' Safari, I came to a very simply solution. I tore out everything in the bath sink area and threw it in the trash. Then I built a new counter top with a small round sink and covered the top with Formica. I moved the blower motor to inside the storage area to the left of the sink and lengthened the exhaust tube. I will try to upload a photo as soon as the batteries in our digital camera are charged. Life is so simple.
Dan
P.S.
Anybody need a yellow plastic bath tambour for free?

Dbraw · 04-05-2006, 07:56 AM

Attached are two photos of the new counter top and sink in our 1971 Safari.
Dan

cameront120 · 04-05-2006, 09:49 AM

Dan, thank you for your suggestion and photos. This may be something that I will consider doing with mine if I can't get the tambour working properly. I think part of the problem is that it is just too tight, so I'm going to try trimming it and re-installing. I'll also give the tracks a good cleaning. If all else fails I'll enlist the help of a millwork fabricator I know to come up with something nice...I'm thinking a Corian or Silastone counter and teak cabinet.

ticki2 · 04-27-2006, 07:04 AM

As Uwe has said , cleaning is the key . Also if something has sagged and there is no up and down movement the doors will jam. I have gotten all of mine back in working order . Once or twice a year I squart some silicone spray in the tracks and work them back and forth a few times. Check and see if there is any up and down slack in the doors , if not you will need to adjust something . If you do decide to take them out and replace with something else , please don't through them out until you offer them up , someone out there is trying to restore theirs and could really use them . Good luck which ever way you go.