FOUND!! Wally Byam's '55 Cruiser - 1956 European Caravan trailer

[goransons]

Thanks guys. Yes lots of body splices. About a 7 foot panel then the longer on the street side, seemed just in front of the wheel well. On the curb side seamed at the same point. What I find most odd is the 4' piece that goes from the mid point seam just above the base of the windows all the way over the roof and down the other side.

[goransons]

A few things to sort out now that I'm almost closed in for the winter.

1. I'm still trying to figure out the black tank situation.

Can you really run a black tank with no vent of any kind? I feel I need to add a vent or the tank would either offgas through the toilet or worse yet not offgas and balloon up. To add a vent I'll have to work a pipe up the wardrobe and install a vent on the roof. To be faithful to the era I need to find one of those eyebrow type sewer vent covers.

While looking at pictures to confirm details on the panel I replaced today I noticed that there appears to be no black tank valve, could it have really just been a cap of some type? I don't see any type of fitting area there for a hose to attach, unless it was a very compact type of valve, no handle visible to drain it either.


Also I need to find a back bumper, or at least good bumper ends I can weld on and reuse the rest. No shops locally seem to even want to try bending some for me, they just don't have the tools to do it. I'd like to get that welded so I can finish painting the last of the frame and finish up those details but am at a loss on what to do unless someone on the forums has some suggestions! Thanks!

[calais66]

One option would be to get a composting toilet like an Airhead. Of course, that would definitely not be period appropriate, but you wouldn't have to worry about a black tank or putting a hole in your roof.

[66Overlander]

Looks like the street side bumper end is already missing in the top photo (from about 1957?). Could that small rectangular vent panel have been the black tank vent? Or a gray water vent?

I looked at the full original photo and agree I cannot see a dump valve, but do see a round hole or cap below where the toilet would be located. I can't imagine having a tank with no dump valve, but maybe nothing existed at the time.

Would not be pleasant to remove the cap if the tank had "contents". I assume you'll have to add a valve somehow. Most proper likely would be the 2" brass valve that was first used in the late 1950s, but you might be better to just put a modern valve on?

I wonder when the first black tank valve was used in an Airstream. That is not a detail I have researched.

[goransons]

I thought that at first too but the tire brackets for the Solex are offset to the street side so that the handle bars and seat don't block the tail lights. The street side bracket actually wraps the corner and is still there somewhat.

The vent at first I figured was but here's the odd one, there is nothing there behind it. A 3" diameter hole but no plumbing, no electrical. It's inside a cabinet with no holes drilled in it for any type of pipe. It's a mystery for sure. I thought about venting out that existing hole but worry sewer gasses wouldn't be high up enough not to find their way back in our windows or windows at a neighboring trailer. Not sure how to proceed.

[AldeanFan]

Really enjoying watching your work, wish I had something to contribute but for now I'll just observe and learn

[HiHoAgRV]

If you decide to use a brass dump valve, consider pulling out the guts and sandwich a modern valve above it. It would still 'look' correct except for the period correct dribble that brass valves come with. I think I have a brass one or two in my junk pile.

[goransons]

Originally Posted by HiHoAgRV

If you decide to use a brass dump valve, consider pulling out the guts and sandwich a modern valve above it. It would still 'look' correct except for the period correct dribble that brass valves come with. I think I have a brass one or two in my junk pile.

That's actually a really good idea! I'm thinking I can put in a cable operated valve right below the plywood, then could put that below. I used to have several of the fittings that attach to the flex hose, but gave them away years ago as "who would ever need one of those". Let me know what you have it might be cool to just use it as an attachment point, eye candy of sorts..

[goransons]

Here's a look from the underside of the bath tub. As I sanded off the latex paint I noticed a failed repair. The patch is gone but now I wonder what the best solution is. It's not fiberglass. It's a very flexible plastic that has a black core and a thick cream colored outer layer inside and out. Looks to have been vacuum formed.

I'm open to suggestions. I want to get it repaired and painted before my shop is too cold to paint in.

Also the last big panel bucked in this weekend

[Bubba L]

Scott, to me that patch material looks like hypalon fabric. I used it about thirty years ago as a roofing material. Nowadays it's used to patch canoes and inflatables. It is flexible and conforms to shapes. If I remember, it was about 40 mils thick. Also, we got our front jalousie installed and operational. Turns out the glass panes weren't green tinted, they were blue tinted. The glass guy said blue tinted was no longer available. We were missing two, so we placed a green tinted on top and one on the bottom. Not really noticeable. Good luck, Bubba.

[57Vintage]

Is there an area on the tub where you can borrow a scrap slightly larger than the hole? I'd epoxy that from the bottom side with JB Weld. The old style 2 part. It is set in a day and is sandible. Let it set then fill in from the other side with more JB Weld, then feather sand it in.

[65CV]

Scott,

I've done multiple repairs with West Systems Epoxy and am a firm believer. They now have a plastic-friendly product called G/Flex that I've used on repairs without a failure yet. If you search around their site, they have multiple tests on different materials. If you don't know what yours is, I'd consider a mix of techniques -- 80 grit sanding and a heat gun. Then, use the G/Flex with fiberglass cloth as the usual West Systems stuff recommends.

Hope it works. PM me if you want to talk it through.

John

[goransons]

Originally Posted by Bubba L

Scott, to me that patch material looks like hypalon fabric. I used it about thirty years ago as a roofing material. Nowadays it's used to patch canoes and inflatables. It is flexible and conforms to shapes. If I remember, it was about 40 mils thick. Also, we got our front jalousie installed and operational. Turns out the glass panes weren't green tinted, they were blue tinted. The glass guy said blue tinted was no longer available. We were missing two, so we placed a green tinted on top and one on the bottom. Not really noticeable. Good luck, Bubba.

Believe it or not the entire tub is that texture on the back. The edges, or rather the deck of the tub where it meets the wall is almost 3/16" thick, but the bottom of the tub is no thicker than a credit card, that's why I guessed vacuum formed.

Blue glass, that would have been cool. All ours look greenish. After replacing all of them on the curb side, I now realize I need to replace all the street side in the spring, they've had too hard a life, chipped edges, heavily etched, but fortunately I can do that later on in the project. Right now it's everything that relies on decent weather.

[goransons]

I'll see if I can cut a small piece out of the corner where the aluminum top edge screws in and use that to fill in and epoxy in place with a backer. Thanks all for the advice!

[goransons]

I finished the repair earlier this week. Today spent about 3 hours sanding the old latex paint off and fixing blemishes in the plastic.

Epoxy primer was the next step followed by 3 coats of urethane paint.

[Dingo Girl]

The tub looks really nice.

[goransons]

On the interior, I think I have all the lights I need located. Now I need to find 2 of these magazine racks. Anyone have a couple I could buy?

[Argosy man]

Dang! You just added another project for my trailer; gotta do my tub like yours. It looks fantastic!

[goransons]

Lots of little projects today

Tail lights in


Street side drip caps on (with stainless screws until I drop the other half of the ceiling next weekend)



Then the one compartment door and frame had to be completely removed to install new belly pan.

Took the time to prep for paint tomorrow on it and the drip cap for it.



The best part of the day was the first training with my bucking partner. Flyrc is usually my bucking bar operator but he was busy today and a bottom rail completely hidden by a compartment door frame and a thick frame where I could see inside was the perfect opportunity to train my 10 1/2 year old son how to rivet. He's not ready for big panels yet but did great.



Tomorrow I have one more piece of belly pan to put in then will paint above the rear window, the access door frame, and the new inside skins for the main door. With any luck I can hook up the umbilical cord too.

Side marker lights will be here Monday.

Monday I'm ordering my custom cork floor. $1300 but will be 9x9 glue down presealed.

[goransons]

Rear window top cleaned primed and painted, interior door skins stripped, rebuilt the bottom and latch side to replace aluminum rot caused by all the door hasp holes.





I need to replace the same two exterior panels then paint the door in a door and the jamb then I can install the new bronze screen and reassemble the door.

Old screen:


New screen:



Compartment door prepped, primed and painted.