Wrapping my year long renovation

[Pygmypoacher]

For anyone taking on a renovation - one of the things I'd do differently with my layout is make the sink countertop wider than the stove side. Mainly because of the large overhead cabinet. I went 25" on both sides and in hind sight would have increased the curb side to at least 30". Would give more room around the sink too.

Cheers.

[Stanley29]

Nice looking rig. I've been on mine for about a year also. Scratching my head on how to finish my bathroom. I have the same head. Does not look like you have a shower...at least I couldnt see one. Curious what you did. I thought about the bare aluminum also but didnt like how hand prints etc flaws the look.. I guess if people keep their paws off its nice. I kept my front endcaps polished. I went with only 18" on my curbside and 25" on the street . Im thinking of coming out farther on the curbside. Too narrow...also Im not crazy about my upper cabinet layout. Cheers, Mike

[Stanley29]

I also like the wood stove. I thought long and hard on that one. I was thinking Id have to feed it all the time . At night that might be an issue. No room for one now....I spoke with Nick and he told me the ashes can make a bit of a mess. Looks like its working for you...and I agree..great ambience. I plan on running two cat heaters. One in the rear and one up front. Have not installed yet and it will be 40 tonight. just have a space heater going now.

[Pygmypoacher]

Hi Mike, really like your design. Real wood finished like you did really warms the whole space. You're right, I didn't install a shower. With the design I came up with I didn't have a good way to install one without going to a wet bath and I couldn't find a foolproof way to ensure a wetbath wouldn't leak. I decided to setup an outdoor shower either by swinging the kitchen faucet out the window or setting up a shower station in the rear. My primary focus with the renovation was mitigating water leakage inside.
Initially I planned to just leave the interior aluminum natural but the prints I left when installing never came off. So I lightly polished the 5052 interior and then applied Metal Armor polish (http://www.medfordtools.com/metal-armor/index.html) which has incredibly kept any finger prints from sticking since. I recommend it if you want to maintain natural aluminum.

[Pygmypoacher]

Originally Posted by Stanley29

I also like the wood stove. I thought long and hard on that one. I was thinking Id have to feed it all the time . At night that might be an issue. No room for one now....I spoke with Nick and he told me the ashes can make a bit of a mess. Looks like its working for you...and I agree..great ambience. I plan on running two cat heaters. One in the rear and one up front. Have not installed yet and it will be 40 tonight. just have a space heater going now.

For a days worth of stoking the fire I wind up using less than a 18" log. Once the fire is burning strong I reduce the air intake and open the secondary air intake which burns the smoke in the unit. There's nothing to compare to the warm ambiance the crackling fireplace adds to the trailer. I haven't had any issue with ash. When the stove is cool I place a plastic gallon bag under the front lip of the stove and using Cubic's little ash shovel move the ash out. I use a wet paper towel with a little ash to clean the glass - works easy and quick.
I did install a small fan under the overhead cabinet to help kick the heat around the trailer. It also removes moisture from the trailer instead of propane units which add moisture. Wish you well with whichever direction you wind up going.

[Stanley29]

wow! thats super efficient. I agree about the wood fire experience. Its awesome and I love my wood fire oven at home. Do not think I have the room in my 25ft. to install one unfortunately. Maybe on the next one I do. I tried to build this one as a somewhat self sustaining airstream. AC/DC off grid fridge, solar panels, composting toilet etc etc. Everything is working great so far. Amazingly no leaks and we've been in some seriously heavy rains. However...in my mind they are all going to leak at some point. It took 64 years for this one to rot and it doesnt look like the factory took many steps to prevent water damage. Ive sealed this one up best I can and treated the hell out of the sub floor. As far as a shower goes my plan is to tile the base and one wall. Lay down a protective membrane and hope for the best. If it cracks or something is not working I'll rip it out and start over. Not like I havent done it before. Would love to see your rig. We live in the Willamette Valley and travel quite a bit in the summer to Wa. In TX at the moment and the girl friend is not digging the no shower action. Stay in touch and maybe we will see you at a camp ground or by a river some day. Cheers, Mike

[Pygmypoacher]

Finished my wine cellar. Ditched the wood hinged lid for 3/4" plexiglass top that lifts off with a suction cup (the one I use to check the integrity of exterior rivets). Plexiglass matches the power plant lids adjacent to the cellar. During my renovation I repurposed the sub-floor bin that was for the old brakes pressure tank.

[Pygmypoacher]

What it looked like during construction...

[rhutson]

Pygmypoacher
Amazing work. I am sure you are very proud. Two questions: 1) What composting toilet did you decide on and why? (Airhead or natures head?) 2) Nice shed deer antler in one of your original photos! Have you been out looking yet this year an if so, how you doing?

Rick.

[Del Gurney]

Looks great and I can appreciate what it took
Here's what I did....you can look me up and see it from start to finish
I did figure out a basic shower system...works quite nice actually

[Pygmypoacher]

Originally Posted by rhutson

Pygmypoacher
Amazing work. I am sure you are very proud. Two questions: 1) What composting toilet did you decide on and why? (Airhead or natures head?) 2) Nice shed deer antler in one of your original photos! Have you been out looking yet this year an if so, how you doing?

Rick. [emoji38]

Thanks. I chose Natures Head composting toilet although for no particular reason - I'm very happy with it. So glad I decided to ditch the black tank & toilet. I see alot of advantages Airhead has over Natures head - distance to wall and smaller overall footprint probably being the most significant.
Haven't been out looking for sheds yet. Still getting blacktail and elk on game cams still sporting their head gear.

[Pygmypoacher]

Originally Posted by Del Gurney

Looks great and I can appreciate what it took
Here's what I did....you can look me up and see it from start to finish
I did figure out a basic shower system...works quite nice actually

Del, amazing work on your '65. Really like the use of copper and the wood skins inside. Your level of ingenuity is unmatched. Certainly apparent in your Hot Lips shower system. I also sympathize with your reluctance to perform exterior penetrations.

[Del Gurney]

Thanks Pygmypoacher:
I liked that you managed to work in a large TV....just bought a
38" with sound bar that I intend to install over the back window with
some means and way to raise and lower the TV behind the bed.

Do/can you use yours on Inverter function (?) and any advice on amperage
draw.

PS Just 2-3 hrs up the Road from you ....got hook ups if you're in the area.....Near the Silver Reef casino.

[Pygmypoacher]

Yes, my 42" led runs off the Magnum inverter. I'm using a Samsung blu ray player and klipsch promedia 2.1 under the front curb side corner table. Nearly every outlet has a separate 110v breaker. Using a 200lb magnet attached to a small under counter drawer that the TV stand latches onto when in use. HDMI and power connect in the overhead cabinet. TV stores in the rear drawer under the bed. Amp draw is minimal for the TV - 3 ish amp/hr. It's the subwoofer that is piggish.

Thanks for the offer and will definitely look you up if we get up that way. Sister in law has family up there.

[chrisetmike]

Wow! What a great looking airstream. Love the cabin look. It looks very welcoming!

[BryanVides]

Awesome. You have worked hard.

[Pygmypoacher]

Finished my kitchen. Built a new drawer over wood drawer where there was empty space - good for matches and stove tools. Placed panels on the fridge and freezer slides. Built drawers over them too.

[Harland]

Very nice, looking better and better every time i see this trailer.

[danjoe91]

Great design and ideas!

[Pygmypoacher]

Cut and installed stovetop heat shield. Used exterior grade aluminum to fashion a little boy roasting a marshmallow.