1970 31' Sovereign Project

[dougsmiley]

I plan to do the aluminum endcap project as seen on the forum.

To be honest that sounds easier to me than trying to hoist that heavy original one back up anyway. More time consuming but less back breaking and will look much better.

I had thought about trying to save the bathroom but its just a plastic nightmare. Its old, its brittle, and i decided to scrap it.

I guess im more of renovator than a restorer.

Plans are to strip the interior to aluminium and laminate the new cabinets and such to a style similar to that found in the new sports.

[dbj216]

I'm a renovator and not a restorer also. I prefer a modern electronic ignition water heater to the old pilot light job. Some folks will carefully restore the old water heater until its like new.

Maybe your end cap was a fiberglass job. You mentioned it was heavy. Mine is a thin thermoformed plastic. You have probably read there are aluminum kits for end caps for various models. I think Colin Hyde Trailer restorations has them for sale. It is easier than cutting all those odd shaped pieces.

I scrapped the bathroom cabinetry in the old Trade Wind as it too was brittle and broken. I built a new bathroom out of wood. It was functional anyways.

David

[dougsmiley]

The water heater and furnace were both piles of rust, literally. Nothing salvageable there modern versions of all appliances are going in.

Yes it's fiberglass and it near took me down with it when it came free. I just ordered axles from colin i will have to ask about those.


Supposed to be in the 40s this weekend and i think im at a point i need to get topside and remove the ac and the vents, tv antenna - all that crap. After that maybe i will get started on subfloor.

[Minno]

Those end caps are not sold anymore. We were lucky to get the last one that ODM had when we needed a new one.

Kay

[dougsmiley]

I don't want a new one im just replacing it with aluminum like the rest of the skin. Several people have done that and i really like it.

If somebody wanted it they could have it but i dont think i can get it out in 1 piece without hiring help

[Minno]

I just didn't want you to destroy it, then not be able to get another one later if plans changed. We destroyed ours to get it out the door, because it was cracked, then realized later that they're impossible to find. We kept our rear one, and left it in the trailer/worked around it until we put it back up. It was the front one we replaced, with a rear one turned upside down. At least it worked.

Kay

[dougsmiley]

I got the front one out without much issue.

The rear one is coming out tomorrow morning one way or another, followed by all the crap on the roof.

Then moving on to gantry construction.

[dougsmiley]

Well rain killed progress this weekend.

I did manage to free the old ac and did not fall tossing it clear of the trailer.

And finished cleaning out all the insulation.

Still need to pull all the vents.

Hoping for drier weather next weekend.

In the rain I decided to go to camping world and ended up picking up a new step i think i can make work for $9 and a power inlet like they use on the new airstreams for another $9. Their clearance section is worth checking out

[dougsmiley]

It gets dark too early still for any after work projects on the trailer itself but ive been experimenting with interior vinyl removal.

Ive found the areas a previous owner painted to be a real bear. Not sure why that makes the vinyl so much harder to remove, even after scraping off the paint and reapplying it's still harder than the never painted vinyl.

Anyway i started my testing on the front Street lower panel because it is trash anyway (tons of dents and the bottom is all corroded). Once i developed a process i hit this small panel that goes some place i dont really remember [emoji23]. As you can see from the bottom panel the vinyl is quite disgusting.

The long sides are going to be a tough project. Perhaps barely worth the 2k in aluminum it would take to start over inside.

[dbj216]

How does a guy lift a 75 pound air conditioner off the center of the roof and toss it to the ground. You Hoosiers are very strong indeed. Me, I use my cheapo scaffolding and some plywood so I can slide it off, and then the new one back on.

Vinyl removal is a bearcat, even for a Hoosier. I've never tried it, but the Aircraft Stripper did work quite well on the old vinyl stripe on the side of my wife's 86 Limited. Maybe there is a chemical attack that might work.

Press on regardless.

David

[dougsmiley]

It was more of a prop up on the top of the ladder and shove over [emoji23]. I didn't care how hard it hit the ground.

Ill be able to use gantry to put the new one on at least. I need to do some reinforcing around the ac the old one was sagging the roof

[dougsmiley]

Dbj - i may of been able to lift the ac but it was all me and another Hoosier could handle getting these bad boys upright

Shell off next weekend.

[dbj216]

I can only imagine! With these two gantrys in place and a couple of hoists, The body (shell) of your Airstream will levitate. Many folks do brace the body before lift off to the thing doesn't flex and buckle. It is flimsy like a paper grocery bag without the subfloor and frame attached.

And once back on the ground, make sure it is tied down so strong winds won't tip it over.

You will get the Full Monte Airstream merit badge next weekend. I have a few Airstream merit badges, but not that one.

David

[dougsmiley]

Well, with the 70 has body panels that extend about a foot below the channels, so i have to run some supports across and set those on blocks.

I guess they hadnt started the wrap around c channel in 70 yet. None on mine

[dbj216]

You are right on that. I forgot about the "wraps" of the lower exterior skins that attach to the outriggers. Heck, I have my 75 Overlander on jackstands and I've been ducking under those wraps all winter as I work on new water tanks and the like.

My trailer does have a seam under the molding, so the actual wrap is only about 15" long piece of aluminum that attaches to the belly pan. I removed the rear banana wrap and the side wrap on one side so I could gain access to a hole in the subfloor. My old 66 Trade Wind did in fact have just a continuous piece of aluminum for the exterior skins. Maybe there is a seam between your vertical exterior skins and then the wraps? I don't know how the 70 Overlander was built.

David

[dougsmiley]

I may end up creating a seam under the bottom trim rail.

In taking loose the sides today i noted a lot of damage to them where they go down to the belly pan.

The shell is separated from the c channel in many places and needs re riveted, also.

I had a job cancellation so some mid week work going on the next couple days. I expect to pull the frame out tomorrow, only a few more c channel bolts to cut. I found the best tool to be the oscillating multi tool. The blades are a bit expensive but it sure it easy to just slip it under the channel and slice bolts.

After the frame is out i will get a order together for needed outriggers, frame pieces and tanks. Axle order has been in and should be ready soon. While I'm waiting on that ill clean up what's being saved and por15 it

[dougsmiley]

Merit badge earned

[dbj216]

You sure did earn the Full Monte merit badge. Your merit badge is in the mail, maybe.

You are wise to do a shell off rebuild of this trailer considering the way the subfloor and frame look in the photo. Keep your project thread going as I'd like to watch a Hoosier at work!

Keep in mind that this old trailer will take many times longer to put back together than it did to disassemble. Just plan on enough time to get it all done. I hope you didn't tell the family you'll have it ready to go by next weekend. It might take a couple of years working part time. I spent about 1200 hours on my previous Trade Wind, and I have over 400 hours in my Overlander project. I'm sure I work slower than most. Clumsy I guess.

David

[Minno]

4 summers of evenings and weekends for us to get the trailer road worthy and semi-functional again. I don't think shell off would have improved our speed by much. Might have made the frame easier to repaint, and belly pan easier to put on. We wanted insurance on her before we towed again, and the insurance company said road worthy and 75% complete for that.
However, aluminum tents are nice too...

Kay

[dougsmiley]

I definitely am going to try for less than 4 years, i have no intention of using it this summer but id like to have it on the road next year.

I feel like i am making good progress only a month in right now.