Water Tank Fill Door

[moparjohn]

The PO must have switched out the filling door for my fresh water tank. The one now on the Tradewind is screwed on, and is IMO not attractive. I belive the original would have matched the outdoor electric access door somewhat. Are the originals avaialable? Here's a pic of whats there now. MPJ

[Wabbiteer]

I'm thinking the best effort would be doll up the one you have?

The original water-fill lock key was a double-cut key that takes a little effort to locate the blank let alone a master cut key, and the cover & latch is probably easily damaged when joe somewhen loses patience or it gets vandalized - and the internal 'fairing' is a thin molded plastic that can/will get brittle with age or mistreatment.

To restore it after it was modified includes trimming back the shell sheet to erase the cuts and holes left by the aftermarket frame & door assembly installation and setting from the back a fresh sheet of 2024 aluminum with the correct cutout and inlet riveted into it.

I've seen one 1970's inlet assembly sold on eBay in the last three years, I think it went for $40. If you get an account there you can have a custom search send you notices if keywords "Airstream water" or somesuch appear in their listings.

[wasagachris]

Hey John I can't help you with locting a replacement water fill door but I can show you what it looks like.
Her is a shot of the curbside of my trailer. You can see the water fill access door just above and to the rear of the battery compartment. behind that is the furnace vent and then the outside 110VAC receptacle door.


This is what it looks like from the inside:

[moparjohn]

OMG, that's so much nicer! Well if I can't go original because the sheeting was cut (will check) I will replace it with something Aluminum or stainless, not plastic like it is now. MPJ

[wasagachris]

The really nice thing about it is that the door opens up to become a funnel so you can actually fill the fresh water tank with a bucket or something similar if you don't have running water right at the trailer.

[rideair]

moparjohn,

check this one out.

Cast Stainless Steel Boat Water Tank Deck Fill w/ Key 30 Degree Neck 1.5" Hose | eBay

Enjoy,

[moparjohn]

Thanks Paul!! That's kinda what I'm thinking of. MPJ

[Wabbiteer]

yeah - the original was before SARS, West Nile and 430 other ease robbing acronyms... they are pretty much open to anything small, not airtight at all.

Thanks for the link too!

[Minno]

We used what Rideair suggested (or a very close sister) and relocated it to the streetside of the trailer for ease in filling (flipped the water tank around too). We then coverted our old waterfill to an outside outlet. Still looks like the original waterfill so didn't have to modify the hole.

Kay

[wasagachris]

Hey John check this out.

Airstream RV Chrome finished Fresh Water Fill Lock Access Door with vent. | eBay

[moparjohn]

thanks for the heads up!