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Lance M · 07-01-2015, 06:06 AM

Sorry to hear about the troubles. It happens. Hope all is fixed and you get back to travelling soon!

Pams72 · 07-12-2015, 07:46 AM

all is good now. We picked up the Expedition with new beefed up transmission and towed the trailer home no problem. One nice thing there is a ten year warranty on the new transmission.

Pams72 · 08-09-2015, 10:21 AM

Spent a couple hours this morning removing more clear coat. We have the street side to do then the old clear coat will be done. Its amazing how thick the coat is on the lower portions. I wonder if it just that the higher up the sun has destroyed the original thickness?

There is quite an area of corrosion on the upper areas above the windows. I thought maybe it was just the clear coat gone bad but it appears the alclad layer is missing due to corrosion.

Maybe caused from part of the trailers life was near the ocean or parked under trees or just from the sun. Oh well the trailer is looking much brighter, I will post some pictures later.
Pam and David

dbj216 · 08-09-2015, 12:33 PM

I do think the clear coat gets thinner as it weathers away from the elements, especially the sun. My 86 was that way. I read one Airstreamer call it male Airstream pattern baldness.

I am interested if the areas where you think the Alclad is worn off will polish up nicely. The reason I ask as I used the Jestco method to polish my 66 Trade Wind as Nuvite was out of polish, and I read the Jestco method may be faster. Well, the Jestco method made a mess of my Trade Wind. There are "strike" marks all over it. It may be where the Jestco polish ate through the Alclad. But I am hopeful I can eventually polish out these ugly marks. I "assume" all aluminum grades can eventually be polished to look quite good, even the old aluminum cam covers on my old Alfa Romeo.

I highly recommend the Nuvite method over the Jestco. And let us know your results on these "corroded" areas on top of Pams 72.

David

Pams72 · 08-09-2015, 07:51 PM

A couple of pictures of the removal of the last bit of clear coat. You can see in the picture how the topp has what appears to be corrosion next to the galley vent. I have to do a bunch of areas still that have some residue left over.

As you can see there is still parts from the old air conditioner, some day we will replace with a new one. I had reused two of the original vents and put in a fantastic fan in the front, The middle original vent crank mechanism pot cast metal broke, so a new vent is in the future.

dkstanden · 08-09-2015, 10:55 PM

I just read the entire thread! Makes me want to buy one and start in. I have been looking for a new hobby

With 2 young kids and wife that might not be a real option though. You guys did a great job.

dbj216 · 08-10-2015, 05:36 PM

Welcome dkstanden. The vintage Airstream hobby is fun but way more expensive than gardening!

However, your young family might like traveling in a travel trailer quite well. Just today I was recollecting my family's travel adventures in a 16' Shasta travel trailer way back in the late 1950s. It has a stove, a fresh water tank, an ice box, and a dinette. We visited the black hills, Yellowstone, Tetons, Colorado rockies, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and endless boy scout campouts. My father was the scout master, he slept in the Shasta as commander in charge.

So vintage Airstream or not, you might try traveling with an RV. You can rent one just to try it out.

Enjoy AirForums. There are plenty of folks here who live in their Airstream full time.

David

Pams72 · 10-07-2015, 03:51 PM

We're fast approaching the three year Anniversary October, 31, on bringing Olney (our 72 Safari trailer) home. I hoped to have finished at three years. I guess I'll just add on another year maybe in four years. All I need is a little $$$ to finish the belly, gas lines, 2 way or 3 way fridge, air conditioner and a gas heater, then I should be able to say "finished".
thanks David and Pam

dbj216 · 10-07-2015, 08:11 PM

Take your time, no deadlines. You have traveled in your Safari, although maybe without all the amenities you might like.

Dollars are always an obstacle to completing something. Dollars are hard earned with food and rent taking priority. I spent big time this summer with my new 2 way Dometic 2510 and a new 3 burner cooktop. Those two appliances were a budget buster. Maybe I should have visited e-bay first.

But my Trade Wind is being used and all the systems I installed over the last two years are working, surprisingly. My son takes the Trade Wind traveling and leaves his rather ratty 69 Globetrotter for me to work on. It is an aluminum tent with a heater right now.

Maybe one bright spot is vintage Airstreams do carry their value, so it appears in the independent appraisals I did on mine and the classifieds. If you have receipts and systems are working, you are likely to recover the dollars you put into the thing. Maybe not the labor, but the hardware for sure.

So in a year or two you will have Pams Safari where you want it and make sure you insure it for what it is worth. It may be worth more than you think.

My wife says I should have taken up gardening instead. It is much cheaper.

David

Pams72 · 10-11-2015, 08:45 AM

Pam and I have been doing a lot of yard work, general repairs, garage cleaning, dump runs, trips to the Re-store and Goodwill. Mostly stuff neglected the past three years because most spare time was working on the Airstream,

Just a little advise for anyone taking on a project, give yourself some time for home maintenance. We are scaling down for the third time and maybe after a few months of home maintenance we can start to enjoy the Airstream.

Pams72 · 12-27-2015, 09:12 AM

Well we missed posting the three year anniversary of purchasing Olney on Halloween. Just an update We still need to finish the belly and gas lines. We will update when we finish those projects. We have had record rainfall this past month, been checking periodically, nice and dry inside constant 70 degrees with the little space heater.
We both been wanting to get out there do a little winter camping, but the Christmas rush been keeping Pam very busy at work. Happiest of holidays to all.

dbj216 · 12-29-2015, 12:38 PM

Good news your Safari is not leaking with all the heavy rains. Might want to use your moisture meter around the perimeter of the interior walls just to make sure. Often the leak is between the walls into the C channel and then into the subfloor where it attaches to the C-channel.

David

Pams72 · 07-08-2016, 04:31 PM

Its been awhile but I finally started on the gas lines and the belly pan. I took inventory on the old gas line and figured I had enough usable fittings and copper to do most of the gas plumbing. I do need to get a regulator and a tank hold down. Pam will be happy to finally have running hot water.
We did go on a nice 3 day trip over the 4th of July to the Oregon coast. Pam kept saying how much she loves her little trailer. It is very comfy when all hooked up.
After I get the gas lines and belly finished, we will put a new air conditioner in and then a 3 way or 2 way fridge. The dorm fridge works fine just not when we have no shore power.

dbj216 · 07-08-2016, 05:17 PM

I had such propane leak trouble when I replumbed my Trade Wind. I can not tell you why. The leaks were small, but I could smell them. I finally got them all sealed up. Always check twice for propane leaks.

Imagine a tent with hot running water! Traveling in an Airstream is much better than a tent in my view. Propane provides heat from the furnace, hot water, and cold for the fridge. Most new RV fridges are two way as they just don't work very well on 12v power. I purchased a two way fridge. Works good on propane.

What could be better than a summer weekend on the Oregon coast?

David

themartaman1 · 07-09-2016, 01:06 AM

Bought a handheld Leak Detector at Homedepot. Works great.

Pams72 · 07-13-2016, 05:24 PM

Gas lines are in place. I had to make a mount for the new regulator. I used a piece of aluminum I had laying around, I think it looks OK and will work fine. I checked for leaks and all seems tight no leaks detected or gas smell. I tested the stove top and oven all good. Just waiting for Pam to get home to check the on demand hot water heater. Those are the only two appliances hooked up to gas so far. In the future I will plumb in the fridge and possibly a gas heater. I was able to use original copper pipe and fittings, I love re-purposing.

I was going to post a picture but my premium mebership had exspirered time to make a donation. I will post picture later thanks,
David

Pams72 · 07-13-2016, 07:31 PM

Pam came home we had dinner and connected the controller for the on demand water heater. Hooked up the water line from the house turned on the LP and now we have HOT water!! yeah!
Pam is smiling.
Just made another donation so I should be able to post a couple pictures later.

Pams72 · 07-14-2016, 03:14 PM

a couple pictures from yesterday.

HiJoeSilver · 07-14-2016, 07:27 PM

Lots of good work and progress.

On the 3 way fridge, I probably wouldn't worry about that option. In order to get enough 12vdc power to run it you won't be able to use the installed wiring. Domestic says you need at least 10ga wire to provide at least 17 amps of 11vdc to power the heat strip on the fridge.

Pams72 · 07-15-2016, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HiJoeSilver

Lots of good work and progress.

On the 3 way fridge, I probably wouldn't worry about that option. In order to get enough 12vdc power to run it you won't be able to use the installed wiring. Domestic says you need at least 10ga wire to provide at least 17 amps of 11vdc to power the heat strip on the fridge.

gonna go with a 2 way fridge when we do, I agree not much use for the DC option, just to much draw on the battery