Junebug... 1963 Globe Trotter

[dbj216]

You likely don't have time to respond which I understand. You're very busy.

I need help with a solid method to trace the curvature of an interior wall onto a new bulkhead wall plywood. My method of cut, fit, adjust, try again is too time consuming. And I generate a lot of saw dust. My methods of making a template have not worked well.

What clever gadget have you invented that makes the job of making a new bulkhead wall easier?

David

[redthies]

I use CAD. Cardboard Aided Design. Every trailer is different, and different again if you move 6” forward or back or switch sides. It takes me about 10 mins per template to get it “right”. I keep all the templates I make, labeling them with year of trailer. I will try them next time I have a similar year trailer, and if they aren’t good enough, they are usually good enough to save me 5 mins on the new one.

They make 6-12” long contraptions for copying moulding shapes. I wish they made 7’ x 3’ versions! That would be a great help.

[dbj216]

Thanks redthies: Cardboard works well for floors, but I find it pretty floppy for vertical templates. I've used cheap plywood. But I still gotta cut, fit, repeat, repeat and repeat some more. You are right, we need some type of moldable material that we could press against the wall and have the material hold its shape to trace to a template or the new wall itself.

David

[rmkrum]

Stick a pencil in the middle of a smooth perfectly round piece of wood. A 3” hole saw waste piece will work. Rough cut a template to close to the wall shape.

Run the round piece and pencil around the template leaving a mark. Trim off at the mark. Adjust to final position as needed and verify the fit. You’re going to need to add back 1/2 the diameter of the round piece of wood on the straight edges of the finish bulkhead.

Old boat interior building trick.

[redthies]

I just hold the pencil in my thumb and index finger and let the back of my fingernail run along the wall. It gets it way closer than the 1 1/2” the hole saw method will, but if you use a much smaller hole saw plug that would get you closer. It’s a good tip. For stiffening the cardboard I tape a piece of aluminum bar stock to the middle of the cardboard and it acts like a spine. It’s not perfect, but it helps a lot.

As with building boat interiors, you’re seldom 100% level when working on trailers unless you block up by the frame, so I use a lengthened drywall square to mark my plumb lines. A laser works to, but it’s hard to trace a line on light.

[dbj216]

I was thinking if I could find a 70s Airstream "former" (forms the body shape), or rib as some call them, or hoop as others have called them. They are the formed aluminum "studs" that the exterior skins and interior skins are riveted to. They exist in the trailer about every two feet. They define the shape of the Airstream body, inside and out. A body former from Airstream would be a very good template seems to me.

David

[redthies]

It would be a good starting point, but based on what I’ve seen, it would not be close enough for most situations. There are so many variables and factors that come in to play when working on 40-50 year old trailers. I can make a perfect template for the rear curb side area for example, and if I put it against the front curb side wall, there can be 1/2” to 3/4” gaps at any point on the curve. That’s in the same trailer. Carry it over to another trailer parked 10’ away and it can be even more of a difference. The only thing I’ve found to be fairly consistent, is inconsistentcies.

[dbj216]

I agree: I have found variations in the "side walls" between the end caps. Airstreams are designed to flex they say. But a "rough starting point" would certainly help me.

I looked at the metal rack at the hardware store for a ductile strip of something I could force against the curved interior walls from floor to center of the ceiling and have it hold its bent shape well enough to trace a curve. No luck yet.

I'll think of something that helps me out.

David

[redthies]

Well, we took a deposit on the 29’er on Saturday, so some parts ordering for the little ‘bug might happen as early as this week. We are supposed to be picking up a bank draft for the balance this afternoon. I will order an axle and gray tank right away, and hope to have a good frame, axle and floor in it in time for a potential move in May. We are going to go look at a new property tomorrow that is 5 acres with a 1940s barn converted to a 1800 sqft house and a new 30x40 shop. Fingers crossed it’s not a colossal turd...

[redthies]

I ordered gray, black and fresh water tanks from Icon, as well as a smoke tinted skylight for the missing factory one up front. That stuff should be here this week. I really only needed the gray tank and skylight for now, but it’s free shipping if I order more than $500 worth of parts, so it makes sense to do it all at once. The gray is a good sized tank at 26 gallon, and the black is 10 gallon. Fresh is 39 gallon so we shouldn’t run out of fresh. I’m going to set the gray tank directly behind the axle in the center of the frame. It’s only 5 5/8” deep at the outlet, so only the 1 1/2” drain pipe will hang below the belly pan, and the axle tube is 2 1/2” square. There shouldn’t be any ground clearance issues with the piping.

I’ll go pick up a bunch of steel for frame repair and tank supports this coming week.

[dbj216]

Nice to see you are back at it a bit on the June Bug. I'll be installing my 27 gallon "septic tank" soon. It is one frame bay behind the axle. I'll drain it through a 3" pipe just behind the wheel well. I'll make "mud flaps" to help keep big stuff kicked up by the tire away from the pipe. Many newer Airstreams are built this way, see photo of our 86 Limited 34'.

I am decidedly not going to have a above floor black tank with the drain pointed straight down. I did not like that configuration. But I'm a fussy old man set in my ways.

David

[redthies]

I’m going to use an above floor black tank, but it will have a short 90* on it right out of the bottom, and then the 3” line will run forward tucked into the floor cavity as much as it can, and the exit with the gray behind the wheel, like yours. The 3’-4’ of 3” pipe from the tank to the valve will increase my black capacity by +/- 2 gallons.

I’m picking up the 7” wide white oak flooring this week as well. It’s an engineered product we’ve used with great success in our other trailers. We also use 8” wide hickory and longleaf pine from the same company. It’s an awesome floor!

[dbj216]

When I replaced the above floor black tank in the 69 Globetrotter, I found the toilet seat height was 21" off the floor with the lowest profile Thetford toilet I could find. Maybe they make toilets taller now than in 69.

But this straight down drain system is what really got to me. It is just a bad idea at the rear of the trailer. We have scraped it off twice. Done with it. That's why I'm building a new half bath in our Globetrotter.

Your idea of a 90 and the ability to run the drain pipe forward will work much better. We had too many crossmembers in the way. I wonder, you might consider a clean out tee at the drain of that black tank. A sanitary tee at than. Then some type of access to the drain pipe so you can blast water in it in case a clog develops in JuneBug's pipes.

David

[ALUMINUMINUM]

Quote:
“with a ZipDee it appears as though we will not be able to open the door past 90*, or use the screen door-in-door unless the awning is deployed. Our second choice is a contraption (vintage patio pole awning), and I would prefer to avoid those. Thoughts? Solutions? Real world experience?
it is a fair bit of coin for a pain in the butt type of set up. I’m starting to lean towards a vintage rope and pole awning, with the EasyUp tent as a backup plan.”

We make do with the rope and pole.

It’s home-made from twenty dollars worth of roll end sale Sunbrella, a length of nylon clothesline, the correct thread, and some stainless grommets. Stitched on a 1954 Pfaff 130 Sailmaker. It’s simply a flat tarp that’s dog-eared on the corners to create a little drape, giving it some fascia to hang the awning lights.

I Keep three, one-piece bamboo poles under the bed along with the milk basket I stand on, which stores the folded awning and its bagful of awning lights. The television antenna and Yagi antenna and aluminum mast store under the bed also.

The third bamboo pole is center placed with the milk basket to tent against rain and provide clearance for door swing. The pulley-block isn’t necessary, but helps some.

The permanent full width bed across the front, replacing the gaucho is good for us. We can lounge with our feet up or nap in a variety of positions. The side gaucho got sawed into cabinetry too. Lots of clear ash to work with. It’s replaced with a table for two.

Nice to see a fan of engineered wood flooring. Most everyone is strung out on floating vinyl click-planks, Marmoleum, and cork tile. Mine’s 3” widths of up to 2 meter long Canadian maple, engineered in Norway, shipped to Michigan. Titanium oxide coating on wear surface. Glued and nailed. It’s tight and hard like a bowling alley, and tough as a benchtop.

Sixties Globe Trotters rule!

Oh, and thanks for helping to pull David back off the ledge when we almost lost him over bulkhead scribing.

[dbj216]

I need all the help I can get. Heck, I had to scribe the roof curvature to make roof supports so I could install a MaxFan in the Globe Trotter. It took me way to long to make these two supports. I use my scribe on the interior roof figuring it was the same as the outside roof. It was close, but no cigar.

If I happened to like box trailers, life would be easier. But I prefer Airstreams.

David

[Hittenstiehl]

"Sixties Globe Trotters rule!"

Yes they do!

[redthies]

Beautiful reno ALU. Do the windows leak on your ‘68? I’ve got one here, and one coming, and both of them leak through the hinges. I’ve sealed everything on the one that’s here until I was blue in the face, and it still leaks. I’ve suggested the window drip caps to its owner but she doesn’t want to go that route.

I think tomorrow I will dive in to the “grind” on Junebug. I’ve been putting it off with all the travel I’ve been doing (looking at rural acreages) eating up every spare minute, but the time has come. Hopefully I can post photos of progress rather than just of plotting and scheming.


And David, I don’t bother making any supports for Fantastic Fans. They just slightly deflect the aluminum when we install them. On the interior, you can do a little filler piece on front and back, but that usually ends up looking funny.
For ACs, I do add support as they weigh a ton.

[ALUMINUMINUM]

No leaks today.

The corning-philips windows have been quite a study for me. I’ve put my two cents into most threads about them, so you’ll find a lot of wonder and illustration if you research.

It helps a lot, when reassembly includes all the right goos in their rightful places. '68s have stainless tabs that might help.

My entry door side lite drove me nuts for a few years. A rainy day always left a puddle in the stack-window’s sill. Re-sealed all the segments, roof vent, door visor, awning rail, clearance light, soaked rivets in captain tolley, Checked seams with dye, tape, air pressure, water pressure, and in the end… it was the roof vent. I didn’t dig out enough of the old calk in a lowspot, and was certain I got enough in there, but didn’t.

They're not easy...

[dbj216]

I purchased drip caps for my former 66 Trade Wind, but didn't install them as I sold the trailer. I still have the drip caps. I believe the 66 to 68 Corning window Airstreams are the only years Airstream did not install drip caps. Big mistake in my view, but they wanted the sleek smooth side look, and it does look good. But the entry door has a drip cap. And our 69 Globe Trotter windows have drip caps all around.

Aluminuminum is the Forums expert on Corning windows. He makes them work using his backyard picnic table as his only workshop.

David

[ALUMINUMINUM]

It’s made from old growth redwood I salvaged from an 1865 Italianate farmhouse porch demo.