The adventure begins.... in more ways than one!

[katzklaw]

it was up in the air what year my trailer really is... it says '63 on the title, but the bathroom has that streamlined airliner look of a '64. i can't find anything that looks remotely like a univolt... all i see is a circut breaker box next to the toilet, and a city power/battery power switch inside the back hatch.

and as for the color of the curtains... d'oh! i thought i'd included a picture earlier! sorry!... they're a kind of redish plaid flannel lookin things... bah... here... i went and took a photo:

[katzklaw]

oooo... its (kinda) shiny again!

amazing what a little soap and elbow grease will do.

here's a pic of the circuit breaker box next to the toilet (sorry its really dark... thats not a bright location, and i didn't bring a light with me)


and here's the switch inside the rear hatch


i'm thinkin' that unless i'm not seeing something somewhere... i missed the univolt by one year... apparantly. dang.


and anyway, on an unrelated note... we're beginning the preliminary planning of what to do with the interior. and i spotted this thread which pictures an overlander with a dinette in the front, and thats a better setup for our situation than the current pull-out couch (gaucho, i think its called? still learning all the terms). so obviously we don't need the one in the front if we do indeed intend to go in that direction. so i am tenatively offering the couch, in it's entirety. i havn't opened this one, so i don't know what condition the sliders are in. the upholstery is relatively new (less than 5 years old, i think... i'd have to go back into the paperwork that the PO gave me to find the exact date) and is the same color and fabric as the curtains. also, i have NO idea how to go about shipping such a think, so local pickup would be MUCH better for me. i'll see what i can do about examining its condition and getting pictures of it later.

[overlander63]

Hmm, looks like it really is a 64, after all. If it works, you should be able to find the Univolt by plugging in to shore power, flipping the switches to their proper position, and following the hummmmmm to its source.
I think we'll pass on the curtains.

[katzklaw]

well... its been plugged in since last night... and the only thing humming is the 'fridge.

on the note of the couch... the sliders do work, and seem to be in reasonably good condition.

[katzklaw]

things i learned today:

1. aluminum pop rivets are annoyingly fragile. they will "pop" before you are ready if you get impatient and squeeze the riveter too fast.
2. a WD hitch feels like it weighs a ton and a half, even with the arms removed.
3. if you give your husband or your father half a chance, they will steal all your extension cords for their own projects, leaving you unexpectedly in the dark.
4. my trailer doesn't have a univolt (or it has an inoperable one).

[overlander63]

Too bad y'all live so far away, you could drag it down, and have a work party. Have you thought about attending the Can Opener rally? There are going to be many people there that would be more than willing to help you out, even if it is only to tell you where your elusive Univolt should be.

[katzklaw]

heh... well... if i'd known it was happening, i'da thought about it... however, i was just exploring a few minutes ago... and found it... and signed up! so i'm goin to the can opener!

and as for "living far away" i have no idea where in FL you are, but i was planning on traveling with my parents down to the keys area sometime in the beginning of the year.

[thecatsandi]

Did you reserve your site? see the early posts for the sites we are using.
reserveamerica.com topsail hill state park. jan 5-7 or longer if you prefer. most of us are in the 140s and 150s

[katzklaw]

reserved my space before i said i was coming. wanted to make sure there was still room. i'm gonna be in slot 140. (it looked pretty close to the restrooms... just in case the plumbing still isn't working by then )

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by katzklaw

and as for "living far away" i have no idea where in FL you are, but i was planning on traveling with my parents down to the keys area sometime in the beginning of the year.

We are off I-75, near Fort Myers. We have 30 amp electric, and a driveway large enough to accomodate two Overlanders parked side-by-side. Not only would that be good for y'all to see where the wires go, and what is supposed to go where, but it would launch our neighbors into fits of apoplexy, which I perversely enjoy.

[katzklaw]

probly stop massive amounts of traffic in front of your house, too, ta see two nearly identical (size and shape-wise, at least ) Airstreams side by side like that!

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by katzklaw

probly stop massive amounts of traffic in front of your house, too, ta see two nearly identical (size and shape-wise, at least ) Airstreams side by side like that!

They would swear we were trying to mate them. Too bad I don't know anyone with a 1960's Bambi to park out front...

[katzklaw]

Well here is a quick List of what hubby wants to replace in the trailer.

The "Everything"....

*Sigh*

He's handy, and drving me crazy, maybe he's just handy at driving me crazy, not sure, could be that too.

[PizzaChop]

While there are many who would disagree, I believe the ultimate goal of the Airstream restoration should be functionality in a 21st century setting. The classic lines of the aluminimum exterior will always be there, but the inside should reflect the needs and tastes of the user.

Much has changed in 40 years.

I think that with an older trailer (unless kept in its pristine, original condition by previous owners), complete makeover is generally preferred.

The most frustrating aspect of my experience is how much "stuff" must be removed just to get to the part you want to repair/replace. It is sometimes easier to start with an empty shell. (It will also help you to identify trouble spots.)

Good luck!

I have some pics of a dinette in my photos section, including dimensions, although it was done in a '72 Overlander (slightly different measurements)

[Zeppelinium]

Originally Posted by PizzaChop

...
The most frustrating aspect of my experience is how much "stuff" must be removed just to get to the part you want to repair/replace. It is sometimes easier to start with an empty shell. ...

Having done pretty much 100% of a 60s Bambi, 80% of an Overlander, 100% of a 70s Caravel, and now in the middle of 30% re-do of a Sovereign (which will eventually be 100%), I couldn't agree more.

Actually, after the Overlander, I swore up and down that the first item on my re-do list [from then on] would be "gut." So far I have failed 100% in keeping that promise and have 100% regretted not keeping it. It appears that man's optimisum and stupidity know no bounds. (previous remarks are copyrighted and not permitted to be used in the already full female arsenal on this subject)

Zep

[AirstreamGypsy]

Originally Posted by overlander63

They would swear we were trying to mate them. Too bad I don't know anyone with a 1960's Bambi to park out front...

Sorry I'm not heading that way, I'd be happy to oblige otherwise! 1961 Bambi.

katzklaw -- Looks and sounds as though you have a lot of work AND fun ahead.

[PizzaChop]

Zep,

Is Palmer Lake just above Monument? For some reason, the name seems really familiar. I used to live just off Northgate in the 80s and hope to be back in the area within the next year or two (to visit, of course).

I

[katzklaw]

well... so far my laundry list of things to replace/fix is remarkably similar to what Overlander63's was! it has a regular mini-fridge which, of course, needs to go. needs replacing with a 3 way. the water heater is electric, so i now, in addition to needing to plug in to have hot water, also have a big ugly hole in the side filled in with a square of galvanized metal. (anyone know where i can get a replacment hatch, by the way?) the furnace looks horrible... i doubt it's salvageable. while my stove-top works, the pilot light won't light, so i must light the burners with a lighter (or if i'm feeling brave, a match) and the stove doesn't work at all. the water pump isn't plugged into ANYTHING. O.o altho on the bright side (pun intended) i did discover today that when attached to a battery, i do have internal lights. i also managed to find the "porch light" it was hidden in a "drawer" in the kitchen area. that answered what one of my "mystery switches" was... (the one over the top jalousie window) i still don't know what the little metal toggle does... i may never know... oooooooo. the jalousie window that was broken earlier then got stuck open after i installed all the glass panes, which stripped the gears of the crank. i managed to get that window closed today... still sans crank, but at least its closed. several windows have had fresh screens installed, and i'm ready (i think) for an extremely brief trip tomorrow with my parents to celebrate new years! we're headed up to Emerald Beach RV park... park it right on the beach... and use their bathrooms!

hubby has intended, since the moment he saw the state the floor was in, to totally strip the interior, even removing the interior shell, so he can more easily repair/replace the entire floor, and get to every last bit of wiring... see what goes where and does what. Thank God i have a handy husband... and not one who just THINKS he is

anyways... see some of you next weekend!

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by katzklaw

the water heater is electric, so i now, in addition to needing to plug in to have hot water, also have a big ugly hole in the side filled in with a square of galvanized metal. (anyone know where i can get a replacment hatch, by the way?)

Camping Worl sells replacment hatches for the water heaters they have, although they are painted white. Airstream sells them (I got mine from the company store) in silver, for about $14.

Originally Posted by katzklaw

while my stove-top works, the pilot light won't light, so i must light the burners with a lighter (or if i'm feeling brave, a match) and the stove doesn't work at all.

I found with our stove, I had to unscrew the valve for the pilot light, as it had been turned off to save gas. There is a valve inside the top of the stove to turn the gas on and off for the stove and oven. There is also a valve inside the oven that can get stuck. It would need to be carefully removed, the cover removed, and the valve unstuck for the oven to work.

Originally Posted by katzklaw

the water pump isn't plugged into ANYTHING. O.o altho on the bright side (pun intended) i did discover today that when attached to a battery, i do have internal lights. i also managed to find the "porch light" it was hidden in a "drawer" in the kitchen area. that answered what one of my "mystery switches" was... (the one over the top jalousie window) i still don't know what the little metal toggle does... i may never know...

The way the water pump SHOULD be plumbed in, it should be hooked in to the water line from the bottom of the water tank, and then from there to the cold water side of the fresh water system. If it is an air pump, instead of a water pump, it is very much different.

Originally Posted by katzklaw

oooooooo. the jalousie window that was broken earlier then got stuck open after i installed all the glass panes, which stripped the gears of the crank. i managed to get that window closed today... still sans crank, but at least its closed.

You should be able to get the mechanism from a mobile home supply store, take your old one with you to match up. I have learned that as soon as you say it goes in an Airstream, virtually everyone puts their hands ovr their ears, and does the "Go to the dealer" chant...

Originally Posted by katzklaw

several windows have had fresh screens installed, and i'm ready (i think) for an extremely brief trip tomorrow with my parents to celebrate new years! we're headed up to Emerald Beach RV park... park it right on the beach... and use their bathrooms!

Does your black tank valve still consist of a big, honking brass valve assembly, with a metal blade as a shut off? If so, these are rebuildable, pretty easily, although if you don't have the fitting that goes from it to the slinky, you might as well replace the valve. They are rare as chicken teeth.

Originally Posted by katzklaw

hubby has intended, since the moment he saw the state the floor was in, to totally strip the interior, even removing the interior shell, so he can more easily repair/replace the entire floor, and get to every last bit of wiring... see what goes where and does what. Thank God i have a handy husband... and not one who just THINKS he is

anyways... see some of you next weekend!

Just be aware the shell more or less directly rests on the floor, and if your hubby doesn't want to remove the shell, he will need to search the forums here for tips on removing the floor without removing the body from the trailer (also called a full monty) You may want to consider getting a small port-a-potti for use until you get your black water and plumbing issues resolved. They are not very expensive, and will be invaluable if something unforseen happens in the middle of the night (like a dose of Montezuma's revenge at 3 am in the rain). The voice of experience talking here...

[katzklaw]

d'oh... what i meant was the water pump isn't WIRED into anything... there's wires laying all over the place in that hatch... and the battery was LONG gone... Dad lent me one of his to see if the lights would come on. but THANK you for the rest of that invaluable info!