Bought an Airstream/1968 30 FT Sovereign-Need advise and parts! pics attached

[LAWFISH]

OK, I will soon be an Airstream owner as my wife daughter and I have decided to restore a 1868 Sovereign land yacht. The trailer is actually solid, but we are going to totally restore it and some of it will be original and some will be new.

As far as the interior goes, I need some advise on a few things listed below in order. I apreciate any advise and if you see some thing in pics, please let me know.

1: Fridge. This one- I have no idea if it works, but its cracked all along the leading upper edge and its ugly woodgrane is faded. I attached a couple of pics, trying to show the damage. I was thinking of buying a new one and they look like one could be had for between $800-1000???? Any thoughts? I have yet to hook this thing up to power as it wont be coming home for a couple of months. I figured a ne wone would not only be safer, but some are tripple use, electric, gas and battery, and that would be nice. --WHO MAKES A GOOD FRIDGE? And which ones and which companies to stay away from?

2: The sofa, since there is three of us, I wanted a nice sleeper sofa in the front room. Somthing new confortable. Are these best bought at places like Camping world, or should I just hit a furniture store. Are some of these RV specific couches just more pricy than a regular furniture store.


3: Cabinets----- who do use buy your laminates from for the new counter top???? And what about tile, ect. With the minimal amount needed, would the weight be an issue??? My tow vehicle is a 2005 Dodge diesel dually, so I know the weight or an extra 30 Lbs, is no issue. I dont see any tile in restos, is that because of the abuse it gets on the road, ect??? Just curious

4:Toilets, I am going to take apart the rear bath and check the flooring. I am considering using the old bathroom items, and formed sink and bath, but want a newer style toilet in porcelain or something taller. Any pros and cons there/ I believe there may be some sag, as its a 30 ft rear bath design. So I plan on making sure and if there is, I will repair it myself.

5:I dont plan on making any huge modification ir replacing the floor, ect in the entire trailer, but we will cover the floor with new cork or wook flooring in a light color. What flooring did you restoration folks use when restoring yours- curious.

6: Cabinets. I believe we will restore the exterior cabinets. I saw the DIY video and that will make some of this easy. However, I think I will hit LOWES and get some items to make storage easier and better use of the inside of the cabinets? I would guess that some of the organizatin items they have for the cabinet insides will fit into these?

7; Will a full size sofa sleeper fit in one of the twin bed mods in the twin bed area, if the twin beds are removed??? I am thinking if it will, I may make that my wife and my room and let my daughter sleep in the so called front room.

8: Lighting, who you folks like buying your 12 volt lighting from????

9: The upper skylight type of windows, I forgot their names. The ones in this Airstream are ok, except one, its cracked????? any suggestions I am in Northern Nevada and its an extremely dry climate. The same thing that saves metal and even the flooring in the rear bath, is horrible on upholstery, ect.

10: Plastic latches, Many of these dont close and or are broken, do they make replacments or even metal replacments.?????

11; water heater----- this one has a replacement water heater and its smaller, maybe this is outside forum materal, well in any case, its white and looks out of palce. This trailer ha sbeen parked for 20 plus years.

OK, Inverter, that makes 120 into 12 volt--correct? And this also charges the battery? Will I alos need something that can take 12 volt an dmake it into 120 for appliances, ect when dry camping, IE coffee pot, microwave, ect, or should I just use a generator? I dotn think these originally came with one of those and what are they called? Who sells a decent one of either??

12: the oven. This one look like its almost new. I have a LANCE camper and NEVER use the over. I saw on the DIY program that they used the space for a microwave/ convection oven, who uses their oven and who changed it out. whats you idea of this?

13: Paint, Mine is a 68, so its the Zoletone(sp) type, which paint do I use on this for the repaint of the main interior.

OK, Thats a ton of questions and its just a start, but getting some answers allows me to start a budget process and find likns to vendors, ect.

Thanks, and we are very excited about building the unit. We live in northern Nevada on 2 1/2 acres but we are moving someday, hopefully when the economy allows me to make a few $$$ on my home and we have 175 acres in Cambridge Idaho and a pond. Once we sell, and get the pole barn and other items built, we plan on traveling peior to building ahome and the traveling will be done in this Airstream

Dave, Linda and Danni Brown.

[vswingfield]

Enjoy your new project. That is a good size, too. The refrigerator looks like the one that I replaced in my Excella. You can read about the project and my decision making here: Norcold N841 IM Replacing a Dometic RM 1303 AES. Even when it cooled, the door seals were shot and temperature control was poor.

I've also replaced the AC. See Yet Another Carrier AirV Installation Thread.

Those are my major projects so far. Now that it is warming back up, I will be starting again. I'll really have to say, I like my triple axle Excella. I will be following your progress.

[overlander63]

The Dometic 2625 will probably be closest to what's there now. It is dual-power (LP and 120 volt), with electronic ignition for the LP (you don't have to scrunch down and try to light the pilot).
You can get a new Flexsteel couch from most RV parts places, or Campuing World.
You can get laminates from your favorite laminate store, but tile floors are considered a no-no, not only because of the weight, but they can crack from the flexing of travel.
You can get a Thetford Style, or a SeaLand china. If you want to replace with something that is closest to what's there now, there are several threads on the forums about replacing and what was closest.
Inland Andy recomends using a carpet that will hide dirt, as one-piece vinyl will tend to crack over the joints in the plywood. I like the peel-and-stick vinyl sqares, they don't seem to crack like the one-piece vinyl does.
A full size sleeper sofa will not fit in the door to your trailer. I couldn't get a love seat in ours without severly damaging it.
Inland RV sells replacement Vista View windows (that is the long narrow skylight window over the living room windows).
Inland and Vintage Trailer both sell latches for your new Sovereign.
Your trailer originally had a 10 gallon water heater, the one in the pictue is a 6 gallon, which is why it looks "replaced". It's smaller, and takes up less room.
Your 120-12v is originally called a Univolt, newer ones are available with 3 stage charging, and are much better. They are from folks like Intellipower and WFCO. An inverter (12v-120 volt) is not a good idea for a coffee maker, you would be better off with a generator, or a stovetop percolator.
Whether you use the oven, or remove it an use a microwave, will depend on if you are planning to go camping where there is no 120 volt power a lot of the time. We used the oven in our '63, but in our '74 we used a microwave/convection oven.
Zolatone is still available.

[vswingfield]

Good advice from Terry. He and Andy know their stuff.

A good sofa thread is Magic Bed by Flexsteel and Glastop Inc. I took the photos and sat on the couch. I can tell you that it is very nice.

How Many People Actually Use Their Oven? is a thread started back in 2006 and has many opinions on both sides. I fall firmly into the delighted to have an oven camp myself.