How should I go about inspecting the waste tank and make sure everything it ok . It is empty but I dont know if age has caused it to get any cracks in it or should I run some kind of cleaning solution through it any ideas would greatly appreciated .It is in the shop but when I get it back I know it is going to need a run through and I want to get the big buck items out of the way first and seeing how working tanks let it be waste or fresh water are important.
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1976 Airstream Sovereign International Landyacht (renovating)(found DOM plate said 1976)
1968 Airstream Caravel 17 footer
2004 Nissan Titan with BT package
K/N Cool intake air
Duel power exhaust
Last edited by Mrcrowley; 08-17-2008 at 06:35 PM.
Reason: spelling
Ours was sitting forever too and the carpender Ants actually ate through the plywood and then the Bottom of the freshwater tank. Only way we discovered this was that we had dropped the belly pan, where we also found that a whole village of mice had lived there for a long time. Our blackwater tank was also cracked, discovered this when we removed it to replace the rotten bathroom floor, which we didn't discover until we pulled out the wet bath because the floor felt a little "Soft". Ain't owning a Airstream grand! Count on replacing everything and then the things you DON"T have to replace will be a bonus!
Ours was sitting forever too and the carpender Ants actually ate through the plywood and then the Bottom of the freshwater tank. Only way we discovered this was that we had dropped the belly pan, where we also found that a whole village of mice had lived there for a long time. Our blackwater tank was also cracked, discovered this when we removed it to replace the rotten bathroom floor, which we didn't discover until we pulled out the wet bath because the floor felt a little "Soft". Ain't owning a Airstream grand! Count on replacing everything and then the things you DON"T have to replace will be a bonus!
Annette
You sound like a true AS owner ..LOL.. well my main thing it is to get it road worthy and useable and if anything else break's whip out the old tool box and hundreds of dollar's of fix it stuff(duct tape,silicone sealer and that puddy stuff on that infomerial you know the one with the guy yelling at you...seals everything) .... Ohh I crack myself up all the way into bankrupcy ..Oh did I mention I own a money sucking boat too but that is another storie...
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1976 Airstream Sovereign International Landyacht (renovating)(found DOM plate said 1976)
1968 Airstream Caravel 17 footer
2004 Nissan Titan with BT package
K/N Cool intake air
Duel power exhaust
How should I go about inspecting the waste tank and make sure everything it ok . It is empty but I dont know if age has caused it to get any cracks in it or should I run some kind of cleaning solution through it any ideas would greatly appreciated .It is in the shop but when I get it back I know it is going to need a run through and I want to get the big buck items out of the way first and seeing how working tanks let it be waste or fresh water are important.
Purchase some red and green food coloring.
Dump a half pint or so in each tank. Fill both tanks to the top.
Looking for a leak becomes easy when you can identify which tank it's coming from, should it leak.
Setting 15 years usually causes the axle rubber rods to fail, which in turn will allow the trailer to bottom out when hitting sometimes even the smallest bumps.
Checking them out takes 15 to 20 seconds, without taking anything apart.
Dump a half pint or so in each tank. Fill both tanks to the top.
Looking for a leak becomes easy when you can identify which tank it's coming from, should it leak.
Setting 15 years usually causes the axle rubber rods to fail, which in turn will allow the trailer to bottom out when hitting sometimes even the smallest bumps.
Checking them out takes 15 to 20 seconds, without taking anything apart.
...hundreds of dollar's of fix it stuff(duct tape,silicone sealer and that puddy stuff on that infomerial...
Silicone should not be allowed anywhere near your Airstream. Please, use only sikaflex, vulkem, parbond, acryl-r, etc.
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Cameron & the Labradors
Kai & Samm
North Vancouver, BC
Canada
AIR #11529 http://northvancouvermodern.blogspot.com/ Live! Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death! - Mame Dennis
Many people replaced the hydravac disc brakes, and went with the more conventional electric drum brakes. Discs are much better, if you can afford them. Replacing the drums we have now with discs is on my (very lengthy) to-do list.
The torsion axles used on Airstream products since the early 1960's utilize a set of rubber rods wedged in between the flexing part of the axle and the tube of the axle. The rubber gets old, as rubber does, and hard. A good way to illustrate this is to find some old windshield wipers, and note how stiff they are compared to the new, soft, springy wipers. The rubber inside the axles gets the same way, just not as fast.
If I remember dont have trailer here it is in the shop getting skin repair the axle is in he positive position and i towed it over one of our reall holly and bumpy road no bottoming out. NOW if it were to bottom out what would be my next course of action?can you change the rods ?
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1976 Airstream Sovereign International Landyacht (renovating)(found DOM plate said 1976)
1968 Airstream Caravel 17 footer
2004 Nissan Titan with BT package
K/N Cool intake air
Duel power exhaust
If I remember dont have trailer here it is in the shop getting skin repair the axle is in he positive position and i towed it over one of our reall holly and bumpy road no bottoming out. NOW it it were to bottom out what would be my next course of action?
If it does, the only real course of action would be to replace both axles. 15 years is a long time to sit in one spot.
I allso towed it to Airstream dealer half hour at 60mph.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrcrowley
If I remember dont have trailer here it is in the shop getting skin repair the axle is in he positive position and i towed it over one of our reall holly and bumpy road no bottoming out. NOW if it were to bottom out what would be my next course of action?can you change the rods ?
Had no issues there ethier?
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1976 Airstream Sovereign International Landyacht (renovating)(found DOM plate said 1976)
1968 Airstream Caravel 17 footer
2004 Nissan Titan with BT package
K/N Cool intake air
Duel power exhaust
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Count on replacing everything and then the things you DON"T have to replace will be a bonus! 
what is a rubber rod and where would I look for that?
Never mind... 
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