I say there 'ol chap, could you pass the...

[krowsea]

....tambour door please, I seem to have a bit of a tear in one of mine.

I am looking for one of the tambour doors for the cabinet above the fridge and pantry on my '75 Sovereign. It is off white, as are the cabinets, and is on the street side. I can get dimensions and/or photos if needed. The one needing replacement has a tear between the ribs about halfway down the front, and about half the length of the door.

Since I don't know how difficult this is to locate, new or used, I'm going to sit here in my bean bag chair and think good thoughts, while rubbing the aluminum belly of my Airstream Buddha and basking in the soft blue glow of my Lava Lamp. Save me my friends. Rescue me from this quiet bliss of anticipation, thrust me back into the foray of Airstream restoration.....find me a roll-up door!

Thanks!!!
John-Boy

[overlander63]

I found this post and photo in the classified section, of a Sovereign. The interior seems to be for sale, whole or part.
Terry

[krowsea]

Thanks Terry!

Great info. I wasn't aware we even had a classified section, although I must admit, I found it pretty easily once you mentioned it. I sent the owner an e-mail.

John-Boy

[85MH325]

John, I think those tambours are repairable. They are fabric-backed, and a bit of cloth and some flexible glue/contact cement over the 'tear' might just do the trick; at least until you find a new one.

Roger

[krowsea]

Originally Posted by 85MH325

John, I think those tambours are repairable. They are fabric-backed, and a bit of cloth and some flexible glue/contact cement over the 'tear' might just do the trick; at least until you find a new one.

Roger

Hi Roger,

Repair would always be preferable to replacing. What type of fabric would you suggest? Is there an easy way to get the door out of it's framework, other than prying and praying?

John-Boy

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by krowsea

Hi Roger,

Repair would always be preferable to replacing. What type of fabric would you suggest? Is there an easy way to get the door out of it's framework, other than prying and praying?

John-Boy

I have a site book marked at home that has a link to a repair method. It tells the type of canvas material to use and the type of glue to use, too. I will try to locate the site with the instructions and post the address over the week end. Will be out of town Saturday.

[wahoonc]

john-boy,
They can be removed by removing the entire track assembly, if you can get your head in the cabinet you will see a spiral at each end, that is what you need to remove. As far as the fabric...I haven't looked very closely at what AS used but in repairing tambours on furniture and cabinets we either used a very heavy muslin or light canvas. IIRC it was usually cotton so the glue would adhere better.

Aaron

[Minnie's Mate]

I had time to find the site tonight. The sight is:

http://www.airstream.net/FAQ/FAQ_index.html

From one of the interior repair questions, I copied the following repair technique:

"The canvas backing can be replaced by removing the tambour door from the inside of the cabinet. Cut new backing material from sail cloth, heavy artists' canvas, duck or truck tarp 1 inch narrower than the opening to allow the ends of the tambour strips to glide in the side slots unhindered. Glue the tambour strips to the cloth using polyurethane glue and weight the whole surface using a flat board until the glue dries. Re-insert the door from the backside and install the stops. The 1970 to 1974 tambour doors were made with a paper backing. They failed quickly, and while Airstream offered a free upgrade to cloth-backed doors, some owners did not take advantage of it."