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mccrosti · 06-11-2009, 05:58 PM

Hey Folks,

Once again I am looking at an AS. This one is a 68. Dual axle, with a twin bed (not two beds) The owner says the lady he bought it form had a pipe freezing issue with it, because of this he says the watert does not work. My questions is - is it difficult to replace the old copper with Pex? If not, how do I go about finding the leak?

Thanks in Advance
Dave

goransons · 06-11-2009, 06:36 PM

Dave updating with pex isn't that difficult of a process at all. The difficult area is up behind the bathroom sink and tub faucet, because they either installed the pipes before installing the fiberglass or had people without ligaments who installed the stuff. When I did ours, instead of all the fittings in copper up in that tight space, I finally got the copper out, then used stainless braided supply lines (like you use in your house). I ended up (Due to freeze damage) replacing both faucets and set them up so I could thread those supply lines on and drop them down into the rear compartment for easier connections.

The pex stuff is really easy to work with, some connection/joint systems are easier to use in tight places than others. The easiest way is water, but its messy and can damage things. A quick trip to the hardware store and you can get the necessary fittings to hook an air hose of an aircompressor (at a low PSI) up to your city water inlet and start checking for leaks. If you have leaks from freezing, you'll chase swollen copper lines all over your trailer that you can't get fittings on, at that point you'll have more time and money into patches in old copper than an entire new system in pex would cost, plus it will go in fast and be less prone to damage in the event of an early freeze that catches you off guard.

purman · 06-11-2009, 09:07 PM

What model is it. I have a 68 ambassador and it is possible to change it all without pulling stuff out. You can get to most of the plumbing through the back access hatch if it is a rear bath. You could even put it together out side then slide it all in and run the pipes up front. I just replaced all mine. But my bathroom was out so it was easy. You can see it here.
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f44/...dor-44644.html

mccrosti · 06-12-2009, 05:56 AM

Folks, all excellent advice! Thank you so much. As far as Model, this is a good ole boy selling this thing and the best infor i got from him was "walll...the lady that owned it before me said...." that sort of thing. He said he'd used it quite a bit, but him and his girlfriend used to just bring water to flush the commode etc. I have done pex before in houses and such, but have never owned an AS. As far as model the pix show it is a single bed model with closet and desk along thecurb side wall. Bath in rear. Going to look at it this morning.

Thanks again!
Dave

overlander64 · 06-12-2009, 06:06 AM

Greetings Dave!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mccrosti

As far as model the pix show it is a single bed model with closet and desk along thecurb side wall. Bath in rear. Going to look at it this morning.

Thanks again!
Dave

When you check the VIN on the coach, I believe that you will likely discover that its sequential production number is over 500 indicating a "Double" floorplan. The side lounge pulls out and converts into what might be referred to as an RV Double Bed. A link to the VIN Decoder for 1968 Airstreams is attached. You can also review a pdf of the 1968 The Airstream Story by following this link.

Good luck with your investigation!

Kevin

mccrosti · 06-13-2009, 12:52 PM

Thanks for the warm response folks

I drove the hour and a half and looked at the AS this morning. It was marked in various places "Land Yacht" "Overlander" and International. Besides the plumbing being bunged up, the trailer being skeevy, the rear of the trailer near the toilet was like stepping on a wet sponge, the windows being replaced with plastic and what looked liked siliconed in, tables missing, refridgerator missing and a nasty nasty smell....It looked ok! Also, forgot to mention the nasty dent in the left front corner. I dont get it..if you want to realize a decent profit off of one of these, why not at least clean it. I was out of there in 10 minutes.....

overlander64 · 06-15-2009, 09:42 PM

Greetings Dave!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mccrosti

Thanks for the warm response folks

I drove the hour and a half and looked at the AS this morning. It was marked in various places "Land Yacht" "Overlander" and International. Besides the plumbing being bunged up, the trailer being skeevy, the rear of the trailer near the toilet was like stepping on a wet sponge, the windows being replaced with plastic and what looked liked siliconed in, tables missing, refridgerator missing and a nasty nasty smell....It looked ok! Also, forgot to mention the nasty dent in the left front corner. I dont get it..if you want to realize a decent profit off of one of these, why not at least clean it. I was out of there in 10 minutes.....

I suspect that nearly all of us who have purchased a Vintage Airstream have encountered something very similar to what you found -- something that defies correlation with the owner's verbal description whether by phone or net. The good news is, that with persistence, you will eventually find your coach -- or in some cases, it will find you!

Don't give up -- the process will get more interesting!

Kevin

65Safari65 · 06-15-2009, 10:58 PM

Well, when you do find an Airstream that you want, don't be afraid of the water line switchover. Like many others, our 65 Safari had copper that had frozen so many times that it no longer fit any measurement. I got sick of chasing down leaks and finding new drips, so I made a list of all the connections I would need, got it all together and did the whole thing in about 4 hours using the twist-on pex fittings. I didn't have to take any cabinets apart to get to anything, either. That was four years ago, and I haven't had a problem since then. I'm definitely no expert, and that was my first time using pex, so it would probably be faster for you. I'm just waiting for the announcement that it causes cancer or something.