Refurbish bath sink advise/71 Globetrotter

[LarryD]

I am new to the forum, selling my plastic Airstream( 02 17'Casita)). just purchased a 71 Globetrotter, in original, good condition with the exception of one small aluminum hickey, bent rear bumper. and a bathroom sink with holes. Appears the shower head may have dropped on it. The trailer had apparently been stored covered, so the metal is good, with no need to polish. Any suggestion on repair to the sink, can the holes be filled and refinished by one of the tub refinishers? Possible do it yourself project? The material of the sink module seems very flimsy, should it be backed by fibergalss matting material. Help?
Thanks
Larry D Mesquite, Tx

[TomW]

Welcome to the forums.

Yes, the sink appears flimsy, but keep in mind that the final installation makes it more than strong enough to handle the statistical traffic that a travel trailer's sink will see. Unless you plan to full-time, there is no need to beef it up.

If you have done any fiberglass work before, you should be able to repair the damage. However, unless you are good at prepping & painting age-worn surfaces, you may want to consider letting a professional do all the work.

Good luck!
Tom

[Janets Husband]

Originally Posted by TomW

Welcome to the forums.

Yes, the sink appears flimsy, but keep in mind that the final installation makes it more than strong enough to handle the statistical traffic that a travel trailer's sink will see. Unless you plan to full-time, there is no need to beef it up.
Tom

Tom is right, the fixtures will for the most part handle the traffic.
Just remember with age comes brittleness in the plastic.
On more than one occasion I have had to reinforce some of the plastic with fiberglass. The last item was the A/C cover, had some slight cracks and it fixed up real nice. Ready for the next 25 years. If you don't know how to use fiberglass reinforcment, it is a good investment to learn how.
It is pretty forgiving, with the exception of hardener, make sure you use the correct amount. Other than that, laminate on.

[balrgn]

I had a pretty bad crack and thin spot in my tub. Before we painted it we aplied some 2 part apoxy putty to the pack side.
http://www.por15.com/product.asp?productid=9
On the front side we used some Panduit 2 part automotive epoxy. The putty is hard and metal, the Panduit smothed out and sanded to blend in so you would not even know it was repaired.

[overlander64]

Greetings LarryD!

Welcome to the Forums and the world of Vintage Airstream ownership!

Originally Posted by LarryD

I am new to the forum, selling my plastic Airstream( 02 17'Casita)). just purchased a 71 Globetrotter, in original, good condition with the exception of one small aluminum hickey, bent rear bumper. and a bathroom sink with holes. Appears the shower head may have dropped on it. The trailer had apparently been stored covered, so the metal is good, with no need to polish. Any suggestion on repair to the sink, can the holes be filled and refinished by one of the tub refinishers? Possible do it yourself project? The material of the sink module seems very flimsy, should it be backed by fibergalss matting material. Help?
Thanks
Larry D Mesquite, Tx

I am not a do-it-yourselfer, so I trusted the bathroom restoration in my Overlander to a local bathroom refinisher who was recommended by my regular plumbing contractor - - I had very mixed messages from the firms who advertised in the Yellow Pages as many of them were not interested in considering a job involving a travel trailer - - the gentlman who was recommended by my regular plumber was in no way disuaded by the fact that the job involved a travel trailer, and welcomed my coach to his shop where he performed a beautiful restoration/refurbishment. The process was involved as the method that he utilized required different primer/surfacer for each of the three materials in the bath (ABS plastic, Formica, and Fiberglass) as well as different top coats (the refinishing products were all from the same manufacturer so it was possible to get the same color for all surfaces) - - I wanted a color change as well as restoration - - moved from the original avacado green to antique pewter. The photos below are of the before and after.

Good luck with your investigation and project!

Kevin

[Anon]

Originally Posted by balrgn

I had a pretty bad crack and thin spot in my tub. Before we painted it we aplied some 2 part apoxy putty to the pack side.
http://www.por15.com/product.asp?productid=9
On the front side we used some Panduit 2 part automotive epoxy. The putty is hard and metal, the Panduit smothed out and sanded to blend in so you would not even know it was repaired.

Has anyone tried the POR-15 putty that comes in a stick form?
I just ordered some to do some plastic repairs. Just wondering...

[balrgn]

Originally Posted by pattersontoo

Has anyone tried the POR-15 putty that comes in a stick form?
I just ordered some to do some plastic repairs. Just wondering...

I used some of the stick putty on my shower seat. From the molding of the seat, it looked like a real thin area. When it was removed I found it was actually cracked. I used the 2 part stick on the bask side. It is tough to mix well though you have roll it and knead it like bread dough. We put the patch on the back side it was about 1/8" thick by 4" x 4". When it was hard it was like cement. The info on it says you could drill and tap it. It seems hard enough to do that. Anyway on the front side I used Panduit 2 part automotive epoxy. You can smooth this stuff out really well. When it was done, you can not tell there was a repair. I think I have some pics???

[Janets Husband]

Originally Posted by overlander64

Greetings LarryD!
I am not a do-it-yourselfer, so I trusted the bathroom restoration in my Overlander to a local bathroom refinisher who was recommended by my regular plumbing contractor - - I had very mixed messages from the firms who advertised in the Yellow Pages as many of them were not interested in considering a job involving a travel trailer - - the gentlman who was recommended by my regular plumber was in no way disuaded by the fact that the job involved a travel trailer, and welcomed my coach to his shop where he performed a beautiful restoration/refurbishment. Kevin

Kevin

I'm interested in what material they used on your refinish, it looks real good. Did you get a look at the materials, brand and the like. Do you know if it was epoxy?
I have always wondered if the refinish would be too soft. How does it look with age and use?
What are your thoughts on the job after living with it for a while?
So many quetions...

[overlander64]

Greetings Gary!

Originally Posted by Janet's Husband

Kevin

I'm interested in what material they used on your refinish, it looks real good. Did you get a look at the materials, brand and the like. Do you know if it was epoxy?
I have always wondered if the refinish would be too soft. How does it look with age and use?
What are your thoughts on the job after living with it for a while?
So many quetions...

About all that I am sure about was that the product was of PPG origin, and was one that was sold only to "trained" technicians. My assumption is that it must have been some form of epoxy as it has held up exceptionally well - - I haven't been able to identify any problems --- it is easy to clean, and hasn't shown any propensity for scratching. The process was guaranteed for five years and it looks like the refinish may be approaching the durability of the original.

Kevin