Washing causes problem with 1971 overlander

[happier]

I never thought giving your airstream a bath could cause such problems. I gave mine a nice bath on friday because I don't think it had ever had a bath - lots of green growth and dirt. I worked all sunday morning pulling up staples from carpet pad, came back later that afternoon - after a hard rain - and low and behold I have at least 3 leaks. I knew I had one in the window by the door, but now I see water in three areas - front window, ceiling above antenna and same door window. I think, no I know, I will have to reseal every opening!!!!!! OK you professionals, should I remove the windows and accessory items like the original huge antenna completely or remove the gobs of silicone and gray stuff and old brown crusty struff and attempt to seal them with - I think it is called parbond and vul.. something, you know, the grey grainy stuff. I hate to ruin the way the rivets look on the outside if I take the entire window out, but what else can I do?!

[87MH]

Originally Posted by happier

I never thought giving your airstream a bath could cause such problems. .......I think, no I know, I will have to reseal every opening!!!!!! OK you professionals, should I remove the windows and accessory items like the original huge antenna completely or remove the gobs of silicone and gray stuff and old brown crusty struff ..... but what else can I do?!

Get rid of the SillyCone

Check out this thread:

http://www.airforums.com/forum...ghlight=vulkem

[dscluchfc]

Clean off all the silicone and old sealants.
Then reseal with Vulkem in large seams, and ParrBond in small seams.
Yes, you will probbaly do all the seams on the trailer. I just did all mine. I had leaks at the front window, at the antenna on top, and where the Excella nameplate is attached on the curbside. I had to remove the nameplate and clean the trailer side and then rerivet the nameplate using Parbond as a sealer.
The other hard to find leak was the potable water tank fill neck housing. It was leaking around that.
I also did all the roof seams, and the seams where the awning hardware attaches, and where the vents are in the roof.
One thing good about an Airstream, no flat spots and no square corners....so water does not pond up on the trailer like an SOB.
There is a limited number of points that water can enter. Once you have them covered, you have it whipped.
NO SILICONE....ever!

[happier]

I noticed that the antenna is huge. It also has multiple coats of various caulks around the connection point. It looks like a little mountain. After I remove all the caulk, should I replace the huge antenna or keep it? What are the pros and cons.

[87MH]

Originally Posted by happier

I noticed that the antenna is huge. ...... replace the huge antenna or keep it? What are the pros and cons.

All depends on the useage of the trailer - it you want to keep it as close as possible to the way it "came off of the dealer's lot", reinstall it.

If your useage trends to most of the Forum (well, what I think most of Forum members do with their trailer), then do what suits you. Most (I believe) try to keep the trailer as close as possible to stock - that is, until it just makes sense to go new - new performance tires, new fridge, new cook top, new pump, etc. I think the antenna falls into this catagory. Would you put a TV antenna on your house?

If you use the trailer only on weekends, there tends to be very little time to watch TV. A cheapie DVD/VCR player takes up very little room if you "have" to use the TV entertainment. More and more campsites (private ones) have cable at the utility dock.

If you practically "live" in the trailer, a modern manual retractable satellite antenna and receiver could be installed.

My suggestion would be to take off the antenna, put a good patch over the hole, and later on, if you should see the need, consider the original antenna mount for a satellite antenna (or whatever communication device is popular when the need arises).

Good luck! Please post pictures.

[dscluchfc]

With cable connections proliferating at RV parks, and who needs TV in the boonies if you are getting away.....you might consider removing the antenna completely and riveting a piece of aluminum sheet over the holes, and going with rabbit ears if you don't have cable available and want to watch TV.

[happier]

I think I will remove the antenna and pack it away. Where can I buy a piece of aluminum to patch the hole? I'll post pictures soon.

[happier]

I'll need to get on the roof to remove the antenna. How much weight can the roof of my 1971 Overlander hold?

[53flyingcloud]

Originally Posted by happier

I'll need to get on the roof to remove the antenna. How much weight can the roof of my 1971 Overlander hold?

If you step off the rivet lines, you'll poke a dent in it~!
The factory's answer to the weight issue was.."A person weighing no more than 250lb should be standing on the rivet lines". You might consider setting up a scaffold system of sorts..I think one of the forum's member used two panel trucks parked along side of the Airstream, with long boards across the top..That worked nicely`!
I was just standing on top of mine yesterday and, felt the slight give.. I only weigh 175 lbs at that..Was I ever glad to be down~!!
If you remove the antenna, hang on to it~
They don't make em like that any more~I've heard of several looking for one.
ciao
53FC

[Chuck]

Originally Posted by happier

I noticed that the antenna is huge. It also has multiple coats of various caulks around the connection point. It looks like a little mountain. After I remove all the caulk, should I replace the huge antenna or keep it? What are the pros and cons.

either a PO of my trailer, or a PO's maintenance person, had the same philosphy in regards to fixing leaks: if you use the wrong sealant to seal a joint, or apply it badly, doing more of the same will fix it.

I would like to find out who some of these people are, find them, and give them a *slap*.

anyway...you probably have an old "skyliner" antenna. I've been told that they don't make any antenna today that is "better" from an electronics standpoint, than this type. (don't know if this is actually true, but I've heard it said. ). The newer one's may get better reception, but that could be because they use a signal amplifier. I was parked at a rally next to someone with one of these newer antennas (which just looks "wrong" to me, on a vintage trailer ), and they were able to pull in more stations than I was with just the bare skyliner. But they had a different tv, too, and there could be differences in the tv tuner's sensitivity. Anyway, I recently bought an amplifier for mine, but I've yet to install it and see if it actually makes a difference. When I do, I'll let you know.

on the "TV" issue in general...while I don't see the point in spending my entire camping trip in the trailer staring at the boob tube, I do like to catch the news, or watch letterman or whatever for a few minutes while in bed, before going to sleep. If I was a militant "no tv; its camping" type nazi...I'd be sleeping on the ground in a mud puddle. The reason we have these shiny trailers is so we can have a few niceties. who says "tv" is any less/more legitimate than say...running water or a flush toilet...or a mattress? I will say, though, that the extent to which some people go to attain the ultimate audio-visual experience while on the road seems a bit much to me. But then so do the prices of new Airstreams.... its a free country.

[87MH]

Originally Posted by happier

I'll need to get on the roof to remove the antenna. How much weight can the roof of my 1971 Overlander hold?

....you get a couple of pieces of 3/8" plywood, about 2' X 4'.


Tthe 3/8" is light enough to move easily, and strong enough to help distribute your weight.

Use two pieces to leapfrog in front of you as you progress across the roof.

Even with the plywood, make sure you only step on the frame (rivet) lines.

Use one of the pieces of plywood as a work station as you kneel or sit to work on the roof.

As far as patch material - for a small area such as the antenna perforation a roll of auminum valley or flashing will probably be in stock at your neighborhood Megla Builders Mart (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.). Smaller pieces of heavier material are also available from the same sources.

Make sure you have a clean surface on both the roof and patch material when you apply the Vulkem sealant, then Olympic Rivet in place.

Do a search here on the Forums for the proper way to install and finish the Olympics. Each rivet requires a dab of sealant to affect a proper seal.

Make sure you post pictures and the procedure you used for others to follow.

Luck.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by 87MH

snip All depends on the useage of the trailer - Would you put a TV antenna on your house? snip

HEY! I resemble that remark! No cable at MY house we still have the good old rotator antenna. BTW my AS came with a Sattelite Dish combo antenna. It is being removed and plated over. I seldom if ever watch television. If they want to tell me that the world is about to be consumed by a large mushroom cloud...I reckon I will have to just find out first hand.

Aaron

[dscluchfc]

I think carrying an 18" dish mounted on a anchorable tripod, and the box would be the best setup, then you could have the several hundred channels you have at home no matter where you were as long as you had a plug in from shore or generator.

[eubank]

On our 67, the TV antenna is a removable (and folding) affair. The mount has a mechanism to turn the antenna in whatever direction is needed from the inside.

And I really dig on mounting the thing while in an RV park and seeing all those people with their dishes just s-t-a-r-e !! You'd think they had never seen such a thing. Heck, who knows? Maybe they hadn't.

Lynn