1956 Bubble Restoration Start to Finish

[the544man]

I found a couple hours yesterday to cut out and install a ply top for the rear bed. I was amazed that I was able to wiggle the puzzle piece into place above and around the other cabinetry without scuffing anything by myself even. I dodged a bullet as the final measure twice cut once fit came out just right. When I cut it out I set my jig saw to a 18 degree bevel so it had the best chance of sliding pass the sloping trailer walls down into it's spot. yes.

And here's a shot of one side of the rear hatch under the bed. I put another 12 volt light on the other side like this and both are wired up in series to an illuminated toggle switch in the cabin with the other 12 volt switches. I love it when a plan works out.

Also-- found that the cubby's provide a really sturdy bed especially right were you sit down on it in the cabin. I think my design should at least be put in the "no-brainer bed construction" section if someone opened a no-brainer design thread. I think that would be a good idea.

materials needed: six 2"x4" 's (kreg screwed) to the floor at the perimeter of the bed, an 18" x 48" divided cubby (joined with kreg joints), a front hatch, all pieces cut to 16 1/2" high, and a small strip 16 1/2" ledge above the rear external hatch (rear ghost support), a ply top, and hatch lights. Simple and sturdy.

[goransons]

Very impressive work!

[blmitch5]

Originally Posted by goransons

Very impressive work!

I second that opinion! Beautiful!

[the544man]

Hey everyone--thanks for the kind remarks. It's a pleasure getting feedback and learning from everyone on the forum. You all are alright. I have been looking for the right lights for 8 months now and havn't been smitten yet. Give me your thoughts on these.

12 volt light.jpg Views: 200 Size: 18.9 KB ID: 118489" style="margin: 2px" />
this is YAGHT LIGHT'S TUNA design. simple round and also with a 12 switch. These would be very low porfile--and wonder what they would look like on a wall?

visor light airstream.pdf
this is IMTRA's BALTIC design in brushed stainless. It would work in the aft but i think it might project too much over the dinette into the back of my head? looks like a good marine light company.


This is RESTORATION HARDWARE'S french vintage nautical sconce in all alluminum casing and glass lens (if turned sideways like this it may give enough headroom at the dinette on both sides --where my projection limit is at 4"-5" ) I'd have to get a 12 volt screw base bulb and probably want to install a switch for multi cabin light control. kind of A cool design. by memory: 4.9" thick projection, 4.5" wide, 8" long.

SEND ME SOME OF YOUR IDEAS OR LINKS--HAVE A GREAT NIGHT!

[bolerama]

Hello again,
First of all, seeing your trailer come together is truly inspiring. You've done such amazing work. It looks so inviting.

About the lights: it depends on how you'll use them. We have a round flat one above our bed, but it is a poor reading light. The light shines right in our eyes instead of on our books, so we'd like to replace it with something like the Baltic design one above. However, above our dinette, the flat round light works very well.

The nautical sconce looks really cool! You sure have done your research!

That's just my 2 cents. We're always looking for a light above our bed too, but as you said, haven't been smitten yet!

Lisa

[Minno]

We've bought the dome lights from Vintage Trailer for our AS. They come in 3 sizes and could be installed ceiling or wall. Our plan is to install in the ceiling. They only project out a couple or 3 inches and look very nice. I do like the nautical look that Imtra has.

Your trailer looks beautiful! I love the wood (always love wood), and the workmanship is wonderful!

Kay

[mello mike]

Impressive work! What kind of wood did you use, red oak?

[the544man]

thanks for the recent replies lisa, kay, blmitch, goranson and mello mike,

regarding lighting: I saw the dome lights at vintage trailer supply too. I like them a lot too but i want a brushed nickle to match my other hardware--steve said they can only get them in polished as i called him a few weeks ago. the tuna at yaught lights is brushed but much more expensive too.

I agree with your comments on reading lights and round lights on the wall. I really like the restoration hardware sconces--but can't make a purchase yet because the other two lights in the rear need to flow with what I do up front. I'd probably need to find something in an alluminum casing perhaps for the rear too to keep finishes the same (if i went with the french sconces) . I don't want to mix and match stuff too much--it's a small trailer and your eye catches everything at once.

The 2 dinette light spots are right above your head, the spot next to the sink can be a reading light--or any type of smaller wall light as projection isn't as much issue. The 4th light is a bit lower at the foot of the rear bed--maybe 18" up from the future matress so that will need to be low profile (that one could still perhaps be the french nautical light too if i went that direction. Anyone know of more suppliers? i've been on google for too many hours!

and mr--mello--yes that's all red oak (quartersawn on the panels and the cabinetry)--you get a lot of nice figuring with 1/4 sawn. It's starting to like it's Bubble bungalo name.

I pulled it out of the shed yesterday to get some access to do some work in the winter sun--I threw a heater inside and it felt like a warm hunting cabin. My wife has a good idea of a couple pendelton wool blankets from next door in eastern oregon-if we can find a couple that are not over the top in design and coloring--that would be pretty wam and cozy.

have a great night friends--ted

[Minno]

Best Converter has a few lights - they have a stainless steel one. Not in brushed nickel though. Those are LEDS. I've kind of been light hunting too lately, even though we're a ways from actually installing much yet.

Kay

[the544man]

ps--correction on the restoration hardware sconce dimensions (5-1/2"W x 5-1/2"D x 9-3/4"H) here's the whole description from their site below. I think that deco inspired stuff goes well with airstreams.
French Nautical Sconce

$199$149

Crafted of ribbed prismatic glass and solid aluminum, our exacting reproduction of a French sconce dates to the Art Deco period. In the 1920s, yachtsmen equipped their boats with running lights just like this for night sailing or motoring, to help illuminate distant shores.

• Made of die-cast aluminum and pressed glass
• Polished aluminum
• Elongated dome in prismatic glass reduces glare and magnifies light
• Hardwire
• Requires one 40W max. bulb
• Wet UL-listed
• Dimensions: 5-1/2"W x 5-1/2"D x 9-3/4"H

[the544man]

This weekend I'm going to try to figure out how to redirect my trailer lights. basically I've taken the 4 wire harness from my trailer (which worked perfect), sliced it--and redirected it back into a hatch under my dinette. There i am going to send the 4 wires into a junction box to link up with a new (7 way flat) bargman umbilical that will be permanent and mate up with a 7 pin receptacle on the tow vehicle. So I hopefully i figured it out? by the chart i'm looking at this is what i should do if everything on my truck was wired right:

4 wire to (color coded) junction box and (colorcoded) 7 wire to umbilical
green --rt/stop connect to brown-- rt turn
yellow--left/stop connect to red --left turn
brown--tail/clearance connect to green--tail
white--ground connect to white ground

then just on the junction box and unbilical: black--to battery, blue--to trailer brakes and yellow--unused (back up)


hopefully my brake/stop lights still work right? i wonder since the turn circuit does both turn and brake lights in the 4 wire harness. I'll find our soon. I'm waiting for a replacement junction box as my first one had a build flaw. Let me know if i'm missing something.

ps--the local trailer company here in dallas oregon said he might be taking in a bambi 2. i'm going to have to go check it out just for the fun of it for sure.

[Chlyman]

This is an amazing remodel, and thank you for documenting it all here! It is really inspiring!!
I hate to go back and ask about the oak paneling, but I just bought a 1958 18 foot Traveler, and the interior end cap was missing due to a fire and much of the interior paneling is damaged by what looks like buckshot. I would love to know how you attached the paneling. Is it attached just like the aluminum? Or did you put wood strips in? Or did you put it over the original aluminum. I have seen it done both way, but that was before I had a trailer that I needed to actually replace the interior, so I didn't really attention. I am going to be looking at this remodel over and over again as I begin mine.
Thanks again,
Carolyn

[the544man]

Yes carolyn. Thanks for Your reply. The quartersawn oak was rivited over the interior aluminum skin and attached to the same internal ribs. Each piece is an exact representation of the end cap and interior panels. Then a solid oak strip serves as a cover piece (1" wide) that covers the panel joints. Olympic rivots are used for these strips. You need a blind rivot tool, a drill and bits, wire cutter, and a rivot shaver for finishing the olympic rivots. My paneling was colored with a dye stain and I finished it with two coats of antique oil finish and you get a very rich, warm, and easy to maintain finish. I've used the min wax antique oil on a lot of wood products and love it. Good luck with your project and thanks for the kind remarks. All the best. Ted

[the544man]

I finished my wiring for the trailer lights. Here you see under my dinette hatch the spot where the new bargman unbilical comes in to meet the junction box and the spot where the 4 wire trailer lights are linked up. I put a fuse between the recharge wire from the box and the rv battery. I also wired in a hatch light for convience. All tested out sweet.
I pulled the passenger side wheel off, removed the hub and removed the old backing plate with the non working hydrolic brakes (to figure out what i needed to convert to electric brakes). I was so please to find (in 5 minutes) the perfect prebuilt backing plate/electric plate units right at NAPA in my hometown. nice and easy--just use the same hardware to re-attatch the new prewired/prebuilt backing plate and electric brake package )you see here, slide the hub on and repack the wheel bearings. I like new parts!

While i had the drum off I pulled the interior bearing as well and repacked it with axle grease and put a new seal on. The next step is to connect one wire to the frame as a ground and the other to the hot brake wire from the junction box (and then repeat for the other wheel assembly). I am impressed with the "plug and play" parts. My trailer has the heavy duty 12" drums with 2" wide brake pads. Should do the job.

[kennyp315]

Ted,I have a '65 Globetrotter that I did much the same as you did. After stumbling on to your thread, I want to do another. Very sweet job, Kenny

[the544man]

Hey thanks Kenny. I have a question for you. Did you weigh your trailer after your rebuild? I'm curious to see where my bubble will weigh in after I'm done. The original bubbles were spec'd at 1750 lbs empty if my memory is right. I'm hoping mine ends up no more than 2000. Thanks for the reply. Ted

[nick6930]

Ted,
It looks great!! I am very envious and anxious to get back to work on my 53. I have a question about the switches. Where did you find them? Did you make them and how? I have been looking for switches just like that and have not had any luck.

Thanks so much

[summerkid]

Aside from the craftsmanship, the breadth of your knowledge for all the systems work impresses me ... may I ask what your background is that you acquired all the know-how?

You also make it sound as if you sailed through everything & got it right the 1st time. Or are you sparing us the trial & error?

Off now to see how far Dallas is from Rose Lodge ...

[the544man]

yes nick--thanks for the compliments. yes as you know--it takes a lot of patience, planning, time....and ...cash...to rebuild these trailers. I similar to you searched for a long time for cool and quality switches. The marine industry and guys who do custom work for jeeps/race cars/ etc.. know how do put cool switch panels together--so i started looking there. Rv suppliers seem to sell the plastic 2 buck ones you can get at radio shack. So here's my advice: I discovered a guy called: the 12voltguy online and he did great work for me. He had a lot of orders infront of me so it took some time but was worth the wait: here's his site: 12voltguy.com - Home he made the bezel for the carlng switches but I purchased the switches (because I wanted more specific images on them) from a very honest guy and business called: over-the-river-and-through the woods. This guy really knows switches too and was a great help. http://www.otrattw.com/products.php?cat=20 I used the V-series Contura Rocker Switches » as they are the same size and style as the ones the 12volt guy is geared up to laser-cut out for. Please note that not all switches are the same dimensions when you go to other carling lines--so make sure you know what you're getting and get them all at once from one supplier. Hope that helps. You'll probably have to beg the 12voltguy because he doesn't often do custom work without selling the switches installed with it--email seemed to be the best avenue of communication with him. Hope this helps--i searched the forums like crazy and never found anything like what I had made up--so hopefully the 12voltguy will makes some up for you. best regards--ted

[the544man]

Summerkid,

fair question! I'm not one of those guys who makes airplanes in their backyards! But I think a few things have helped me in this rebuild. More of a philosphy of life:

1. I think that fixing something's that's broken is like giving cpr to a dead body...you really can't mess up you can only help--they're dead you know.
2. Most broken things are easy to take apart, see how they work and get a replacement part-- preferebly a better part and reinstall.
3. I ask a lot of questions.
4. then figure out who the real experts are and ask them the same questions!
5. i think with a vintage trailer build like this you have to spend a lot of time planning and researching--then you're able to do it right the first time--hopefully.
6. Buy nice not twice.

i'll be sure to detail a few "whoops" moments for you in the future!

I don't know--let me answer your first question: i've done quite a few different things in my life that I am grateful for. I grew up on a farm in Ohio and also worked in my Grandfather's peach and apple orchards, I have a degree in Biology and taught at a high school, middle school, and once taught a community college Biology class, I lived in eastern europe for a couple years in Estonia as a missionary, I've worked in marine construction up in the San Juan Islands, coached sports, I worked in masonry and painting to pay my way through grad school/seminary, remodeled a house in virginia that was first built in 1898, am still working on our 1910 Craftsman here in Oregon, learned alot mildly fixing up a 1954 dodge pickup, have been rebuilding a 1964 volvo at the moment, and am currently a Pastor Of Worship and love the craft of music. I don't know. Maybe I'm a bit of a Renaissance Man? Imperfect and have an eye for beauty.