New Owners - '67 Sovereign

[m.nolte]

Originally Posted by Wabbiteer

You have any idea how jealous some might be... that you have helping friends?

I have to have helping friends, my husband keeps threatening to drag Slim to the scrap yard. It's a matter of life and death!

Plus, I've taken to using beers like ET and Reeses. C'mon, just a little further, that's right one more can of paint.

[Minno]

Hey, we used Rustoleum on our frame! Whatever keeps the rust off.

Kay

[m.nolte]

Originally Posted by Minno

Hey, we used Rustoleum on our frame! Whatever keeps the rust off.

Kay

Thanks Minno! Ya'll have done a really nice job so that makes me feel better about my own attempts.

[m.nolte]

We have made some more progress, Whoop Whoop!

Frame is painted and looks so nice. Master Series is great stuff and I definitely recommend it. Wear gloves, it doesn't come off, ever.

Belly pans are back under the trailer, they aren't riveted up yet but they are cleaned and back in position. We also went ahead and pulled all new charge line and trailer brake line. So now everything electrical under the trailer is new. I feel better about that.

I have ordered and received a new valve for our black tank, thanks VTS! Now lets hope its the right one. Yes I could have saved $20 by ordering the seal kit. But people, we are talking about the poop tank. $20 is so worth not having to take apart the old valve.

Plans for the weekend include the tank valve, prep work for the new floor on the inside and maybe if I am really lucky some new flooring.

Wish me luck!

PS - here's a pic of what I am busy with when I'm not working on the camper, besides a full-time job, kid, spouse and housework
This is one of our goat kids, with my human kid, Abby. We had 9 this year, goat kids that is.

[emmabowles]

I don't know which kid is cuter!!!!
I loved your description of Airstream A.D.D.
I just bought a '66 Sovereign 31 and I am Airstream obsessed. I am even dreaming about them.

[m.nolte]

Thanks Emmabowles! I'd like to tell you that the Airstream addiction gets better but I haven't really noticed any improvement in my condition. Congrats on your 'new' Sovereign! They are wonderful trailers.

[mccrosti]

It has a name this vicious condition. You have the dreaded "alumanitus" and it often manifests itself in later stages by mysteriously filling your yard with large rolling aluminum vehicles in various states of disrepair. Good luck and God bless.

[laducky]

Originally Posted by mccrosti

It has a name this vicious condition. You have the dreaded "alumanitus" and it often manifests itself in later stages by mysteriously filling your yard with large rolling aluminum vehicles in various states of disrepair. Good luck and God bless.

Hah!!! I'm so there... you know you got it bad when you nearly break your neck looking at vintage trailers rolling down the road in the opposite direction and cheer for other people's progress because you know it's a hard fight.

[m.nolte]

Spent some time working on Slim this weekend. True dedication or perhaps desperation is working on a reflective silver surface in the height of a south Alabama summer when it is 95 degrees and 95% humidity outside. I feel like a soggy French fry.

Desperation is probably most accurate because whatever it takes, we are camping in Slim the last weekend in October. No matter if we are pulling or pushing or loading up on a rollback, we are going. So to save on towing costs, I must finish.

Progress to date: belly pans back up all the way to the last cross member, black tank repaired (no more leaks), black tank box at the metal shop, I will pick it up this week and then install it and finish putting up belly pans. Yay! New flooring is in and looks great, the beds and closets are all back in. As soon as the belly pan is finished Slim can go to the cabinet shop for a new bath vanity and some couches. And I have installed new gaskets in 2 of 6 windows, so I will keep plugging away at those.

Things still to do: LOTS

But I'm getting there.

[m.nolte]

A phrase oft repeated this past weekend!

It was so hot that I decided to plug in Slim for the first time in 18 months and see if the A/C would work. The 45 year old A/C worked like a champ and even with a heat index of 107 and sitting in full sun it cooled off the interior within a couple hours and by 9pm, when I unplugged him, Slim even had some frosty windows. Of course we might have appreciated the cool interior more if we were actually doing some work in there but alas all the work was outside.

I did get my black tank box fabricated, welded, dry-fitted, adjusted and dry-fitted again. Its now on sawhorses with the first coat of industrial strength paint applied. Second coat this evening.
Black tank box rails were also made and are being painted.
The giant water heater hole got a patch and then I ran out of rivets so it will get finished up this weekend.
Bought the last few parts to finish the plumbing and the toilet and water heater are ready to go in.

A current picture is attached. It may not look like much yet; but considering all that cabinetry was recently in the shed, there was a sheet of plexiglass over the skylight, the floor was original 1967 carpet and the plumbing was a mix of blown out copper and garden hose that picture represents a LOT of work. And I am proud to have survived it.

[m.nolte]

Brand new black tank box built and installed, stabilizers freshly painted and mounted, belly pan reattached all the way to the black tank and three windows regasketed. Progress!


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[m.nolte]

Belly pan is UP!!!! All the way, even the banana wraps and the trim. Although, in keeping with my do everything twice motto, I do have to reinstall the piece of trim I installed upside down. What can I say, it was a long weekend.

All of the new pex is run and the new water heater is installed. Of course, I was short four fittings, on a holiday weekend, so those will go in today. I also continued on my task of window domination and have been slowly but steadily cleaning those up and regasketing.

And after hitting my head twice (see the motto in action) I took down the wooden curtain valances. Its amazing how much more open it feels with those gone. I love it.

Hmm, those are pretty short paragraphs to describe a weekend that involved fiberglass, aluminum, spray paint, hundreds of rivets, three hardware store runs, sweat, dirt, more aluminum, a little blood, lots of sweat and some beer. I need a weekend to recover from my weekend.

[Minno]

That's what work is for! I usually spend my week at work recovering from the weekend! This one was no exception, but it was stuff in the house instead of stuff in the trailer......

Kay

[m.nolte]

Minno, you are absolutely right! If I didn't work I would never get any rest.

[m.nolte]

Sometimes it's the little things that make you feel complete.


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[m.nolte]

So today Slim goes to the cabinet shop, because I have neither time, skill nor tools to build cabinets.
This will be the first time in almost two years that the camper will not be parked near the steps of the back porch and I have to confess that I am having separation anxiety. I'm excited we are going to get some new cabinets but I am terrified to move it.
What if we didn't put it back together right and manage to yank the frame completely out from under the shell, what if I forgot one highly significant rivet and everything in it falls off the walls, what if the trailer lights explode, what if it won't roll, what if the cabinet guy dents it or drills through the wall, or the sawdust from cabinet production combines with the trempro fumes and causes a flash explosion, or, or, or...
Clearly two years of tinkering with aluminum has caused me to lose my mind.
Lift off in 8 hours, I will keep you posted. In the meantime, I'm off to find a fifth of Wild Turkey and a Valium.

[Minno]

Wild Turkey and Valium are NOT a good combo! One or the other......
She will roll just fine, cabinets will be beautiful, and you'll be ready to actually USE Slim when they are done. Just think! Hey, if we didn't explode Little Girl varnishing all the cabinets in her, I doubt your cabinet maker will. It'll all be good!
Deep breath now...

Kay

[m.nolte]

Thanks Kay! I needed that dose of moral support. And Little Girl has turned out beautifully. If Slim is half as nice I will be happy. And on the bright side, if Slim does explode, I can park him next to the steps for another two years.

[m.nolte]

PS - I reckon I will stick to the Turkey, then.

[Minno]

Yeah, more fun that just popping a pill.....

Kay