New Cabinets in our '75 Sovereign!

[Alumatube]

Originally Posted by Airhog1

Susan,

...can you bring the Cigar's???

G

As long as they are made of bubble gum!

Susan

[Kevnali1414]

First - WOW! That looks beautiful! We just purchased a 1974 Excella - so we are VERY new to the Airstream club My husband has removed the interior stuff - it was damaged, moldy, and broken. We are looking for a place where we can purchase new cabinetry and bathroom fixtures. Please help. Also, we keep reading about the importance of the 'weight'. Can someone please explain why? Thanks
Alison & Kevin

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by Kevnali1414

First - WOW! That looks beautiful! We just purchased a 1974 Excella - so we are VERY new to the Airstream club My husband has removed the interior stuff - it was damaged, moldy, and broken. We are looking for a place where we can purchase new cabinetry and bathroom fixtures. Please help. Also, we keep reading about the importance of the 'weight'. Can someone please explain why? Thanks
Alison & Kevin

First, the "weighty" question. Our coaches are travel trailers, if we make them too heavy, they will no longer be able to travel. Your trailer should have a GVW of around 6300-6600 pounds, including cabinetry.
Your trailer as built should weigh in at around 4800 pounds, plus things like water, the air conditioner, LP, food, clothing, your kids bicycles, etc. When you add the 150 pounds for the air conditioner, the 360 pounds for fresh water, the 60 pounds for LP, the 160 pounds for the awnings (730 pounds for those items), you are at 5530 pounds before adding anything else.
The heavier the cabinets, the less capacity there is for anything to put in them.
Now, as for purchasing the fixtures and fittings...You can buy things like a new toilet, you can probably figure out how to install new kitchen and bathroom sinks, and maybe even a tub or shower, "off the shelf". The majority of cabinetry and fittings are manufacturer-specific, and will have to be custom made, or scavenged from a donor unit.

[Kevnali1414]

Thank you - the breakdown of weight is exactly what I was looking for. My husband is a contractor and also restores old muscle cars, so he is able to finish our Airstream himself, which is very helpful! Is it possible to use regular "kitchen" cabinetry from Lowe's or Depot for the base cabinets?? He would obviously have to modify the backs of them to shape them properly..but, would it work?
~Alison

[overlander63]

The same thing that makes regular kitchen cabinetry good for your home, makes it undesireable for a travel trailer. You need thin, light stuff, and most regular stuff is thick and heavy. Your house doesn't care if a corian countertop weighs 200 pounds, but your trailer and tow vehicle would.
You would be better off to "build your own", and perhaps use commercially available doors, hinges, and latches. Everything needs to be securable, either a notch on the bottom of a drawer to rest on, or a catch to keep things from popping open when you go over a bump.

[Airhog1]

Well after much debating we have just put a new sofa in our 75 Sov.

It came out of a 2008 Safari with Stratus interior and matched our interior perfect.

Now we are one step closer to getting this thing on the road!

G

[cameront120]

Looks great! How did you treat the walls to get the nice sepia tone to them?

[Airhog1]

We painted them kind of a cream color and then sponged on some darker brown to give it a leather look.

G

[cameront120]

Thanks. I really like the look of that.

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by cameront120

Thanks. I really like the look of that.

If you think it looks good in the photos, you should actually see it in person!

Great job guys.

[Alumatube]

LOVE the sofa, Gene! Gee, you mean you really didn't want to keep using the dark blue denim one???

Susan

[cameront120]

Originally Posted by vswingfield

If you think it looks good in the photos, you should actually see it in person!

Great job guys.

I'd love to, but Arkansas is a long way away from the West coast of British Columbia! I'll be very happy with the pictures for the time being. Some day I'd love to travel to your part of the continent

[soldiermedic]

Some people have made the trip there multiple times.

There isn't THAT much to see.

[cameront120]

Originally Posted by soldiermedic

Some people have made the trip there multiple times.

There isn't THAT much to see.

Then why go multiple times?

[vswingfield]

Steve,

You are going to hurt Gene’s feelings.

Best regards to Amy and Colin!

There really is a lot to see. Steve and Amy just haven’t seen it. When they come down, they just hangout at Airstream of Arkansas. Ok, they did make the last Arkansas RV show too.

There is a variety of natural locations including the Ozark mountains and the Mississippi delta. There is a blues festival in Helena/West Helena every year. Little Rock/North Little Rock has an extensive pedestrian/bike path that includes the longest and highest pedestrian/bike bridge in North America or the world, depending on which source you check. The people are friendly and the winters are mild. Where you are from, I wouldn’t recommend summer, though.

Come on down and visit!

[soldiermedic]

Vaughn,

When did you take a job with the Dept of Tourism in AR?

Steve

[vswingfield]

Hi Steve,

Well, I’m not with Parks & Tourism, but I did send them some information last week. I am with the Institute for Economic Advancement, which is tasked with economic development statewide, so…

Heck, AOA is a destination in its own right, as you know.

[soldiermedic]

As for AOA, been there, done that (3 times) and got the T-shirts. I will be hitting other destinations for awhile. I didn't know you were with the economic develop department.

Steve

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by soldiermedic

As for AOA, been there, done that (3 times) and got the T-shirts. I will be hitting other destinations for awhile. I didn't know you were with the economic develop department.

Steve

We are a non-faculty part of UALR’s College of Business. Our task is to provide research, data, and other information to the main Arkansas Economic Development Commission (ADEC) and whoever else is doing economic development in the state. Our group and ADEC were both formed in 1955 by the state legislature and have both gone through many different names and acronyms.

One of the worst was a long time ago; I didn’t work there then. It was Division of Government Services Center for Research And Planning, or DOGSCRAP.

[Airhog1]

Originally Posted by Alumatube

LOVE the sofa, Gene! Gee, you mean you really didn't want to keep using the dark blue denim one???

Susan

Susan,

I hated the dark blue denim...I think this looks mucho better!

Thanks!

and for you soldiermedic...you know you love it down here...escpecially FORT SMITH!!!

G