Roof Thickness - '87 Excella

[audiobox]

I'm ordering a Heki skylight and need to know the thickness of the roof (exterior to interior) on our 1987 34' Excella. After 20 minutes with the "search function," changing key words, scanning threads & posts, I thought it might save some time to send out a shout to the humans on the list...

Thanks!

[byamcaravanner]

I don't have an '87 and don't know what kind of thickness range you have to work with... but my best guess (based on my experience with a '63 and '67) is that it is 1 1/2" +/-

[audiobox]

Originally Posted by byamcaravanner

I don't have an '87 and don't know what kind of thickness range you have to work with... but my best guess (based on my experience with a '63 and '67) is that it is 1 1/2" +/-

Thanks for the reply. I knew the wall/roof thickness was around 1 1/2" - 2", but wanted to hear from someone with a real number before I ordered. I've never read anything on this forum indicating this particular measurement changed over the years.

[vswingfield]

I've got an '83 34' Excella, should be the same. I will measure when I get home this evening if no one else beats me to it. I should be home around 7:30 or 8:00 CDT. I know that the roof thickness on both my Airstreams is greater than 1.5".

[audiobox]

Originally Posted by vswingfield

I've got an '83 34' Excella, should be the same. I will measure when I get home this evening if no one else beats me to it. I should be home around 7:30 or 8:00 CDT. I know that the roof thickness on both my Airstreams is greater than 1.5".

Much appreciated! I'll wait until tomorrow to order the Heki.

[vswingfield]

Hi,

Ok, it's nearly 9:00 CDT by now.

<GuiltTrip>
I would have gotten the measurement to you sooner, but just to insure accuracy, I removed my bedroom light fixture that includes the vent screen so I could use a tape to measure the roof thickness.

It is 3¾" thick.

The things I do for fellow Airforum members!
</GuiltTrip>

Truthfully, I have a FanTastic Vent arriving tomorrow for the bedroom so the fixture was coming down anyway. (Didn't really think the guilt trip thing would work, it wouldn't have on me.)

Glad I could help out. Be sure and post pictures of your new vent.

[audiobox]

Originally Posted by vswingfield

Hi,

Ok, it's nearly 9:00 CDT by now.

<GuiltTrip>
I would have gotten the measurement to you sooner, but just to insure accuracy, I removed my bedroom light fixture that includes the vent screen so I could use a tape to measure the roof thickness.

It is 3¾" thick.

The things I do for fellow Airforum members!
</GuiltTrip>

Truthfully, I have a FanTastic Vent arriving tomorrow for the bedroom so the fixture was coming down anyway. (Didn't really think the guilt trip thing would work, it wouldn't have on me.)

Glad I could help out. Be sure and post pictures of your new vent.

Oy, the guilt!

OK, good. I'm glad it worked into your plan. This is great. Now I can proceed with verified information from the same decade of Airstream.

The skylight will be part of what will probably be a two year re-hab, and it will be documented fully. If you want to check out one available size of this skylight in the meantime, you could do a search for Heki and you'll find a thread by Smokeless Joe showing the Heki he installed.

Great way of getting some light into the middle of a vintage unit.

Thanks again!

[vswingfield]

Now I know why Heki rang a faint bell. I was just telling someone about Smokless Joe and Boatdocs' Argys earlier today.

My long term plans for more light into the middle wil be to put a couple more FanTastic Vents with the flat translucent white lids (see Fan-Tastic Fan Vent) in the galley and living room vents. I got one with a flat opaque gray lid for the bedroom in case I want to sleep late.

I appreciate the Thanks (nee Karma)!

[audiobox]

Originally Posted by vswingfield

Now I know why Heki rang a faint bell. I was just telling someone about Smokless Joe and Boatdocs' Argys earlier today.

My long term plans for more light into the middle wil be to put a couple more FanTastic Vents with the flat translucent white lids (see Fan-Tastic Fan Vent) in the galley and living room vents. I got one with a flat opaque gray lid for the bedroom in case I want to sleep late.

I appreciate the Thanks (nee Karma)!

Sounds like a good approach with the FanTastic Fans. Once you get into the "hallway" the 34's get really gloomy.

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by audiobox

Sounds like a good approach with the FanTastic Fans. Once you get into the "hallway" the 34's get really gloomy.

Absolutely true, and there is no vent there. I installed one of the long ThinLites in place of the 12" one. That helped a lot. Another project is going to be replacing the "Walnut" laminate closet doors and cabinet fronts with new ones with a lighter real wood veneer, probably ash.

Next after the FF install is to get back to pulling up the old brown carpet and installing cork. That got pushed back last summer when the fridge failed. Updated threads will follow.

[audiobox]

Originally Posted by vswingfield

Absolutely true, and there is no vent there. I installed one of the long ThinLites in place of the 12" one. That helped a lot. Another project is going to be replacing the "Walnut" laminate closet doors and cabinet fronts with new ones with a lighter real wood veneer, probably ash.

Next after the FF install is to get back to pulling up the old brown carpet and installing cork. That got pushed back last summer when the fridge failed. Updated threads will follow.

Good approach. I'm planning on using light wood frames for those closet doors with frosted polycarbonate or lexan face panels, put some LEDs in the closet and you've got some low draw ambient lighting. Also going to swipe one of the great ideas I've seen here on the forums and lose the bathroom wall back to the shower and put in pocket doors at the bedroom and before the new, "enlarged" bathroom.

The closet doors would be like the ones on the wardrobe below, only with light wood frames...

[vswingfield]

My apologies!!
<GuiltTripForMe>
After spending two hours getting the old vent off the roof on the hotest day of the year, I discovered that the measurement I gave you included the amount that the vent protrudes into the lid.

The actual roof thickness is about 2⅛". I wish that the roof were thicker allowing more insulation on top, but this is wishful thinking, apparently. As soon as I realized, I immediately dropped what I was doing and rushed this correction.

I feel really bad about the misinformation. I hope that it doesn't cause you problems.

You will notice that there is no closing GuiltTripForMe tag. I should have realized what was going on.

[audiobox]

Originally Posted by vswingfield

My apologies!!
<GuiltTripForMe>
After spending two hours getting the old vent off the roof on the hottest day of the year, I discovered that the measurement I gave you included the amount that the vent protrudes into the lid.

The actual roof thickness is about 2⅛". I wish that the roof were thicker allowing more insulation on top, but this is wishful thinking, apparently. As soon as I realized, I immediately dropped what I was doing and rushed this correction.

I feel really bad about the misinformation. I hope that it doesn't cause you problems.

You will notice that there is no closing GuiltTripForMe tag. I should have realized what was going on.

No worries! The Heki distributer is CST, I'm PST and I waited too long to call today. Happens all the time, but today for a reason. Thanks for the update, I'll be passing that along Monday. Good luck with the install!

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by audiobox

No worries! The Heki distributer is CST, I'm PST and I waited too long to call today. Happens all the time, but today for a reason. Thanks for the update, I'll be passing that along Monday. Good luck with the install!

Great!

I'm glad that worked out!

I will have to say, I certainly admire those stories about 45 to 90 minute installs. All I got done in the two hours this afternoon was removing the terrible vent cover that a PO had installed, scraped through the 26 year old sealer around the original vent, and its removal. The huge globs of silicone and remnants of the 26 year old factory sealer still remain to be cleaned up tomorrow morning. Then I can start on the install.

[audiobox]

Originally Posted by vswingfield

Great!

I'm glad that worked out!

I will have to say, I certainly admire those stories about 45 to 90 minute installs. All I got done in the two hours this afternoon was removing the terrible vent cover that a PO had installed, scraped through the 26 year old sealer around the original vent, and its removal. The huge globs of silicone and remnants of the 26 year old factory sealer still remain to be cleaned up tomorrow morning. Then I can start on the install.

Yeah, I haven't done too well matching those miracle times either.