Can this stove be saved?

PetervB · 01-01-2009, 10:02 PM

Here are some pictures of the stove from my '60. It looks bad, the skylight was broken out for 2 years and everything was rained on..

Burners look OK, rust everywhere but its not perforated.

Should I scrap it,sell it, or attempt to repair? I'm gutting the trailer and probably won't restore to original condition.

Foiled Again · 01-01-2009, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PetervB

Here are some pictures of the stove from my '60. It looks bad, the skylight was broken out for 2 years and everything was rained on..

Burners look OK, rust everywhere but its not perforated.

Should I scrap it,sell it, or attempt to repair? I'm gutting the trailer and probably won't restore to original condition.

PROPANE appliance.

You'll find a thousand choices between "repair" and "replace" - I simply vote "replace" on anything that can kill you if you don't replace it. Old rusty or corroded metal - add propane, then heat which causes expansion and contraction? It may work short term, but even a pinhole leak can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning or an explosion. You'll spend a lot of time and money rebuilding an old Airstream. Replace the stove, ditto the water heater and probably the furnace too.

An RV Salvage lot or even a local junkyard may have a newer unit that got totalled by a tree falling or a rear end hit - where there was no damage near the stove - you could buy a GOOD second hand stove and cooktop there.

Best wishes on your renovation, Paula

Good luck

Smokin Camel · 01-02-2009, 08:16 AM

That repair is probably going to cost more than a new stove. I upgraded much of my trailer rather than restoring it. Even if you are into a restoration a new stove should be kosher.

purman · 01-02-2009, 08:32 AM

Go new. I have some burners that are in good shape but are a different style than yours otherwise you could have had them. Good luck.

Dieselgrin · 01-02-2009, 01:55 PM

Where do you find a "new" stove top for a 73 Soverign? I thought the same thing about repair/replace. Just need the stove top.

centennialman · 01-02-2009, 02:03 PM

I would replace it....the most important concern is safety. Even a rusted through "pin hole" that you can't see could be unsafe.

markdoane · 01-02-2009, 03:39 PM

I'm gonna give you a different opinion. I think if the main mainfold (where the valves are) is structurally sound, you shouldn't have a problem.

It looks like the rusted out parts are the tray and crosspieces for the burners. Nothing that can't be repaired with new sheet metal. The bottom of mine was pretty rusty, just lay a new sheet of 24ga steel in the bottom.

Before you do any repair, make sure the oven control works. If it overheats, then you probably need to replace the thermostat, and thats over $100. Then I would think about a new stove. I replaced the thermostat in mine, but I was willing to spend the bucks to keep it original.

Bubble test the range valves.

Foiled Again · 01-02-2009, 03:39 PM

SMEV Cooktops? Any one tried them?

Read this thread. I may put one of these in my 2006 - when I redo my sink and counter top. They are that cool and I'm considering a 2 burner model to gain some counter space. When I cook BIG, I grill outside. PS: I do have an electric skillet for doing small stuff outside (like bacon which will "linger" in the trailer for a week).

Paula

catson4 · 01-02-2009, 05:51 PM

When we where in New Zealand & Australia in 2006, we leased a "KEA" brand motor home. They both where equipped with the SMEV units like this one.
A cook top and a Grill ( broiler) only. We liked the convenience and the ease of clean up.
I looked at their catalog and this appears to be the current model like we used. Very nice units.

http://www.smev.com/?
Series 402

Hob with crystal lid, grill cabinet feature

If I was to replace my stove, I would be using a SMEV.

catson4 · 01-02-2009, 05:56 PM

PetervB,
I would replace the ol' stove. Looks like a real problem as far as saftey is concerned.

There are a lot of choices but I would opt for the SMEV brand.

centennialman · 01-03-2009, 08:43 AM

....I just wanted to add that I did take my old stove in to a professional appliance place so they could look it over. This was when I first bought my Airstream and I really wanted to restore the original stove.

This particular appliance vendor restores both restaurant and household stoves and they have a classroom where they teach repair folks how to do their job. They really know their stuff.

They, emphatically, said not to give this old stove a chance because of safety......I took their word on it and bought a new one for the Airstream.

I do, however, have a 1952 Vulcan Restaurant range in my kitchen that they restored beautifully.

PetervB · 01-05-2009, 08:27 PM

OK Mark, I bench tested the stove and everything works! bubble tested the valves first, no leaks. then each burner was lit, there's a lack of flame in the center of three of them; probably due to junk in the burner openings. The oven worked perfectly, tested it up to 400deg checking with a oven thermometer. when it reached temperature, the flame reduced in size as expected.
Three questions: is it possible to re-enamel the interior of the oven? What is the recommended paint for the exterior and top tray? and how is the thermal sensor for the oven attached to the upper surface of the oven( mine is hanging loose).

The enamel question will really determine whether its worth a rebuild. I'll probably soak some of the gas containing parts in rust remover and see whats left. that also is a determining factor.

goransons · 01-05-2009, 08:28 PM

Some of the high temp powder coatings are supposed to do quite well in these applications I've heard. Might be worth a few phone calls.

markdoane · 01-05-2009, 08:52 PM

I used POR-20, a high temperature silver paint made by POR-15 company. I has high solids, so it builds fast, and I think it does a good job of filling rust pits. I used it for the tray under the range. The oven interior I left as it was, the procelin coating was in good shape.

The capillary tube is held about 1/4" from the ceiling of the oven, with the end of the tube toward one of the rear corners. I made some standoff clips using a strip of sheetmetal with a hole for the capillary tube, and an offset hole for screwing to the ceiling with a sheetmetal screw. Two clips should do fine.