Caravel shower question

[SilverWind]

Speaking of Caravel showers. Our 68 has a three inch crack in the floor near the toilet. Does anyone here have experience repairing a fiberglass floor in a Caravel?

[lakemaiden]

Cerberus, thanks for the note. My Caravel, Flo, also has gone in for a winter make-over...I too am like a fish without water since I took her up north. And all her treasures, curtains, cushions and de-constructed gauchos are in my downstairs guest room...so I cannot wait to be able to pick her back up!

I am replacing the original floor tiles with Marmoleum by Forbo. Its a great, durable, easy-to-clean product that is "period appropriate." The version I have chosen is Striato in "Rocky Ice" - it is tonal to my fabrics, helps keep the interior light, and minimizes the contrast between the white shower pan and the floor - in other words, I want there to be a visual "Flo" [pun intended] that carries the eye through the trailer and out the back window. They have lots of styles and colorways to choose from...check them out!

Speaking of the shower pan, I have had no mold issues - at least not yet. I would imagine that the acid test will be in places like Florida, Alabama, Miss, Louisiana and Humidouston! To prevent against mold and to safeguard the shower pan, the teak shower mat has a bunch of white bumpers screwed into the bottom, which allow the water to flo to the drain...18 to be exact [see photo] Maybe a bit of bumper overkill, but it feels solid underfoot and I am not worried about flooding, etc.

As I sit here and look out at this week's snow storm I know I cannot wait for spring! Send photos when you get your rig! [Or maybe post one of the work in progress!]

[lakemaiden]

Hi Silverwind - I would reach out to Colin Hyde in Plattsburgh and ask him for guidance on the shower pan repair - his team has a technique for fixing issues just like that. They also have a process by which they buff the whole shower surround ... it is supposed to look "better than new" when they get done...I don't have any large cracks, but I decided to have it buffed just to de-kootify it...

[SilverWind]

Originally Posted by lakemaiden

Hi Silverwind - I would reach out to Colin Hyde in Plattsburgh and ask him for guidance on the shower pan repair - his team has a technique for fixing issues just like that. They also have a process by which they buff the whole shower surround ... it is supposed to look "better than new" when they get done...I don't have any large cracks, but I decided to have it buffed just to de-kootify it...

Good idea. He restored the trailer in 2009 and apparently reconditioned the shower surround at that time. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by lakemaiden

I am replacing the original floor tiles with Marmoleum by Forbo. Its a great, durable, easy-to-clean product that is "period appropriate." The version I have chosen is Striato in "Rocky Ice" - it is tonal to my fabrics, helps keep the interior light, and minimizes the contrast between the white shower pan and the floor - in other words, I want there to be a visual "Flo" [pun intended] that carries the eye through the trailer and out the back window. They have lots of styles and colorways to choose from...check them out!

Speaking of the shower pan, I have had no mold issues - at least not yet. I would imagine that the acid test will be in places like Florida, Alabama, Miss, Louisiana and Humidouston! To prevent against mold and to safeguard the shower pan, the teak shower mat has a bunch of white bumpers screwed into the bottom, which allow the water to flo to the drain...18 to be exact [see photo] Maybe a bit of bumper overkill, but it feels solid underfoot and I am not worried about flooding, etc.

As I sit here and look out at this week's snow storm I know I cannot wait for spring! Send photos when you get your rig! [Or maybe post one of the work in progress!]

I wish I had photos of the work in progress! I had Marmoleum installed in two of my previous six vintage A/Ss and loved it: blue in the '86 34footer and a soft yellow in the 77 Safari. I have requested a light color Marmoleum in the resto of my Caravel. I didn't test this, but supposedly if you drop something on it and gouge out a piece, you can just take a small piece of leftover flooring, grind it up very finely, mix it with glue and fill in the gouge and it won't show as a blemish on the floor. And it is lightweight, too. I'm very concerned about keeping things lightweight because I will tow it with a Toyota Highlander, 5000lbs towing limit, and although the '67 Caravel is less than half of that, I keep reading that 1) published A/S weights are not exactly reliable and 2) reviews of the Highlander as a TV are mixed. Do you know anything about either of those items?

Thank you so much for the photo of the bottom side of your teak mat. I will have one made the same. I'm reassured to see that you have used round bumpers: the water should flow around them with no hindrance. For some reason, I had pictured rectangular bumpers, and was concerned that water would get hung up on the straight sides. If you do get some mildew in those very humid states, I bet a small fan set on the the mat and a Clorox wipe now and then would solve the issue. I love that look, and the teak-covered small door, too. Since I most likely won't have a gray tank and will most likely have to carry/store some items in the shower, it will be a bit of insurance against back flow flooding to have the teak mat: that is a brilliant idea!

Do you have any photos of your kitchen tool holder (mounted on the wall) before it was bent to fit its new purpose? I can't imagine what it looked like before so am having trouble looking for one in the local thrifts. Aren't thrifts wonderful?!! I don't know how I managed to live before I discovered them.

Thank you again for posting all this info, I am thrilled to have the benefit of your postings.

Vivian

[lakemaiden]

"I'm very concerned about keeping things lightweight because I will tow it with a Toyota Highlander, 5000lbs towing limit, and although the '67 Caravel is less than half of that, I keep reading that 1) published A/S weights are not exactly reliable and 2) reviews of the Highlander as a TV are mixed. Do you know anything about either of those items?"

Evening, Vivian. There are a LOT of threads on TV's. I finally decided to blaze my own trail and got a Ford Explorer "Sport" with a built in tow pkg. and Eco-boost. I say this because there is nothing sporty about this car.. from a purely driving basis...but when I put Flo in tow, it's like the car suddenly knows what it's supposed to do. I fell very safe, and I know I can get the car serviced wherever. Towing capacity is 5000. I've weighed everything and added it to an excel spreadsheet before putting it in the trailer...I am well under 1000 lbs, so I figure I have room for more treasures! Found at a flea market...love them. Many of the things I've used to trick out Flo are vintage flea finds!

On the aluminum form holder ...now utensil holder...it sits at that fairly straight/flat part of the wall, so no modifications needed. Funnily enough, I was on the phone today to see if I could replicate it...if I am able to I will let you know. Thanks for your interest and kind words! Keep the Flo going!

[Argonaut20]

As for the crack in the shower, you might look at how Corvette bodies are repaired as they are fiberglass and I doubt that the body is completely disassembled to repair minor body damage. There has to be an easier way than pulling the bath apart to get at the back so you can put a fiberglass patch in place.

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by lakemaiden

To prevent against mold and to safeguard the shower pan, the teak shower mat has a bunch of white bumpers screwed into the bottom, which allow the water to flo to the drain...18 to be exact [see photo] Maybe a bit of bumper overkill, but it feels solid underfoot and I am not worried about flooding, etc.

Lakemaiden, How did you finish the teak? Did you oil it or use some kind of wood protection on it? And can you please send me the photos of the mat and the door? Especially the one of the mat's underside? I am not very technically oriented so don't know how, or if possible even, to lift these photos to show to my guy doing the building. I'll PM my phone so maybe you can text them to me? TIA!

[Landshark]

Lakemaiden, I forgot to ask for a rough estimate of how much teak is required for the mat and door.

Since I haven't even seen my baby yet, I have no idea of even rough dimensions of the shower or door, but since you said that teak is hard to come by, I thought I would get a head start on at least locating and buying the wood. Thanks!

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by SilverWind

Speaking of Caravel showers. Our 68 has a three inch crack in the floor near the toilet. Does anyone here have experience repairing a fiberglass floor in a Caravel?

Is it fiberglass or ABS (?) plastic? I thought they were plastic...

[lakemaiden]

Originally Posted by Cerberus

Lakemaiden, How did you finish the teak? Did you oil it or use some kind of wood protection on it? And can you please send me the photos of the mat and the door? Especially the one of the mat's underside? I am not very technically oriented so don't know how, or if possible even, to lift these photos to show to my guy doing the building. I'll PM my phone so maybe you can text them to me? TIA!

Hi, Vivian, and Happy New Year. I believe I mentioned this in another post, but I am a huge fan of Monocoat products. They are all eco-friendly and Monocoat has one that is especially formulated for use in exterior applications. Here is a YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxvVtpitMmM

What I like about their products is that they result in a matte finish. I have Monocoat on my floors at home and people often ask if they are unfinished...just what I want.

Happy to share the photos I have of the mat and the door - PM an email where I can send them.

As for cost - if you go to a big box place, well, the outcome is eye-popping...the estimate we got was just under $900...just for the teak -- eak! We shopped around and found a guy in WI who shipped the teak to NY for far less than $400. I chose new growth teak because it is sustainable and I want to keep things lighter - old growth teak is darker and it also tends to be more expensive. BUT if your color palette would call for the darker teak, then, the Monocoat exterior finishing product has tints that would allow you to achieve the same, dark coloring.

OK, I am off to enjoy the last bit of 2019. Perhaps you can explain in the New Year how it is that you have Caravel you haven't even seen -- ever???

[Landshark]

Thank you for your detailed reply! I think I'm priced out of teak, but will probably go with cedar or something else that stands up well to water. And your choice of finish sounds really good.

Still on the shower topic, does anyone have an old shower curtain that I could use as a pattern to make one for my '67 Caravel? Or failing an old one (which I could send back to you as soon as I make the pattern), could someone make me a paper pattern from your curtain which I could use to make one for my coach?

I know it's a lot of trouble but I would greatly appreciate it, and I don't quite know how else to figure out the shower curtain.

TIA,

Vivian

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by lakemaiden

OK, I am off to enjoy the last bit of 2019. Perhaps you can explain in the New Year how it is that you have Caravel you haven't even seen -- ever???

It's a bit of a long story, but here goes: In a divorce (after 50 years of a good marriage!!?), last summer I had to sell my 6 vintage Airstreams. The fellow who bought all 6 (for an AirBNB in SoCal) said he would look out for a tiny one for me: it had to fit in my short driveway and an elderly single female doesn't need anything large anyway. So I thought it was very nice of him to offer but didn't really expect to hear from him again.

Then last fall, he called and said he had located a '67 Caravel in Texas and was I interested? (Do bears poop in the woods??) So he picked it up for me and is restoring it at his RV place in SoCal. He has done a full monty and sent me a photo of the bare frame newly reinforced and welded.

So I am trying to possess my soul in patience and do what I can to be able to camp in it on the way home to Idaho after I drive down to SoCal and pick it up. Of course I am driving my benefactor crazy with questions and probably delaying the whole process, but I'm trying to make some good choices during the resto so I don't have to do anything over once I get it home.

Today I asked him about a tankless water heater which he thought was a good idea, so I think that will happen. And I have absolutely no idea when it will be ready to bring home. I just hope I will have some time this summer to get out in it. At my age (74), I don't know how many summers I will be physically able to take it out, so I am anxious to get started.

I visited the local Bureau of Land Management and bought my lifetime senior pass to National and State areas and picked up a bunch of maps of places to camp in the state, and of course Yellowstone is just a couple of hours away, so I'm trying to have my plans and research done so I don't waste time.

That's my story and I'm sticking with it!

Vivian

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by lakemaiden

As for cost - if you go to a big box place, well, the outcome is eye-popping...the estimate we got was just under $900...just for the teak -- eak! We shopped around and found a guy in WI who shipped the teak to NY for far less than $400. I chose new growth teak because it is sustainable and I want to keep things lighter - old growth teak is darker and it also tends to be more expensive. BUT if your color palette would call for the darker teak, then, the Monocoat exterior finishing product has tints that would allow you to achieve the same, dark coloring.

Lakemaiden, I may spring for teak after all: far less than $400 sounds pretty good. Do you have the name and address of the guy in WI, or phone #, so I can call him and check on price?

And how much teak did you need to make your shower mat and the storage door?

And (again) have you found a source for the utensil holder? I'm really interested in having one of those...

Thank you!

Vivian

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by Cerberus

And how much teak did you need to make your shower mat and the storage door?

And (again) have you found a source for the utensil holder? I'm really interested in having one of those...

Thank you!

Vivian

Lakemaiden, didn't mean for the "And (again)" to sound snotty or impatient to get the holder info, I was referring back to the fact that in the post, I kept repeating "And" asking for more and more information. Sorry!

Vivian

[Dingo Girl]

Boulter plywood on the east coast has about every species of wood you can think of.
You might price shop with him...
He sells most of it for boat building.

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by Dingo Girl

Boulter plywood on the east coast has about every species of wood you can think of.
You might price shop with him...
He sells most of it for boat building.

Dingo Girl, thank you for the info, but I think that shipping costs from the east coast to Idaho would raise the cost prohibitively! But, on second thought, it doesn't hurt to inquire...

Vivian

[Dingo Girl]

Vivian there is quite a bit of it on ebay too. This is just one example.
Happy to hear your Caravel is coming along nicely. 🙂

[Landshark]

Dingo Girl,

That looks great, and a very reasonable price, I guess that's per piece. Thank you very much for the info.

Vivian

[lakemaiden]

Hi, Vivian - here is the name of the supplier for the teak - they are in Winona, MN [just across the river from WI!] https://www.teakworks4u.com/

I also noticed that Denver has three excellent resources for teak wood, so perhaps that would be another option for you.

I am working on the sourcing of the aluminum utensil holder and will revert as soon as I get a firm price.