1984 Model 345 - maiden roadtrip

[ForexTreeGuy]

Very Nice! She is a pretty one Or is it just me,,,,, an airstream nut!

[ForexTreeGuy]

Originally Posted by marcvl

12V panel replaced, after finding 4 shorts in the system. Ouch.

We took her to the Pinnacles National Park last weekend and had a blast. We went with two friends who also have Airstreams. It was fun the ride together.

fantastic Pictures. Thank you for all your eforts.

[marcvl]

Does anyone know where I can find a replacement part for the horn push button and emblem that sits on the steering wheel? See picture. My emblem is cracked and I sent it to a company in LA (Emblemagic). However they suddenly vanished and are not replying to my emails. I’m afraid my emblem is lost.

[ForexTreeGuy]

So that's what the horn button is supposed to look like.

[marcvl]

and just like that, out of nowhere, my restored Airstream emblem arrived. Looks great!

[dadstoy]

Originally Posted by marcvl

and just like that, out of nowhere, my restored Airstream emblem arrived. Looks great!

Marc, did you have your original one repaired? If so, were did you have it done? This is mine.

[marcvl]

Yes, my earlier post had a picture of what my emblem looked like. Like yours, cracked with several pieces missing. I sent it to a company called emblemagic. They received the emblem around mid august. Then suddenly, they disappeared on me. I sent them countless emails, left them voice messages, etc. Nothing. Then suddenly, out of the blue, after 3 months, the restored emblem was sent back to me. No explanation of what happened, no invoice, no communication at all. Very weird. I was convinced I had lost it to a scammer. So wouldn’t risk sending something to them again.

[marcvl]

So I have been quiet for a looong time. I decided to attempt a full renovation of my Airstream and we are nearing the end of it. Yay! Can’t wait to share some pictures. I also implemented my dream of making everything “smart” by running a Home Assistant server inside the RV.

Probably because my RV has been stationary for the past 18 months or so, a gasket on the transmission started leaking. The mechanic is telling me that to replace the gasket they would have to flush the oil, and when doing so on an old transmission, the chances are very, very high that the transmission will fail within the first couple of weeks.

That sounds bizarre to me. Is this really a risky thing to do?

[dadstoy]

Originally Posted by marcvl

So I have been quiet for a looong time. I decided to attempt a full renovation of my Airstream and we are nearing the end of it. Yay! Can’t wait to share some pictures. I also implemented my dream of making everything “smart” by running a Home Assistant server inside the RV.

Probably because my RV has been stationary for the past 18 months or so, a gasket on the transmission started leaking. The mechanic is telling me that to replace the gasket they would have to flush the oil, and when doing so on an old transmission, the chances are very, very high that the transmission will fail within the first couple of weeks.

That sounds bizarre to me. Is this really a risky thing to do?

It's my opinion that the "flush and fail", just like space lasers and Italian satellites changing votes, is absolute bull "donkey dong". But like I said that is my opinion. I had my MH trans flushed 10 years ago and I've put 10k miles on it. What gasket is leaking? I only know of two gaskets that would leak, the pan gasket or the rear trans gasket. Why would a "flush" be required? Anyway, I recommend calling Coast Transmission in Half Moon Bay and posing that question to them. The two brothers (owners) have more transmission knowledge from old to new trans then 100 other transmission guys put together. If you do call them, please tell them that "Dean, their former Matco Tools guy" recommended them to you.

[marcvl]

Originally Posted by dadstoy

It's my opinion that the "flush and fail", just like space lasers and Italian satellites changing votes, is absolute bull "donkey dong". But like I said that is my opinion. I had my MH trans flushed 10 years ago and I've put 10k miles on it. What gasket is leaking? I only know of two gaskets that would leak, the pan gasket or the rear trans gasket. Why would a "flush" be required? Anyway, I recommend calling Coast Transmission in Half Moon Bay and posing that question to them. The two brothers (owners) have more transmission knowledge from old to new trans then 100 other transmission guys put together. If you do call them, please tell them that "Dean, their former Matco Tools guy" recommended them to you.

Great feedback as always! I am picking her up in Ventura next Tuesday. I might drive by Coast Transmission on my way back to the Bay Area to get a second opinion. The mechanic also told me that he found two other small leaks, one at the torque converter, and one in the engine oil line, but that fixing those would be a significant amount of work because they would have to take out the transmission to get to the other issues. Some of what he said might be lost in translation though

[Kvsterling]

I had been chasing leaks on our 1984 TH475 transmission for a couple years. Replaced rear seal but did not stop. Also at kickdown switch o-ring, governor cover gasket, pan gasket, and the list goes on. Do yourself a favor and pull the trans for a rebuild. I believe those small external leaks are a sign of age and probably need some internals refreshed as well…

I was able to pull the transmission myself (literally alone). Rebuild was $1500 with 3 yr warranty. Only took the shop 4 days to turn it around!

[marcvl]

Made it home safely after the first drive in 18 months. Road conditions were pretty horrible with heavy rain all the way. But she drove great. The back airbags were replaced and that made a huge difference. Also, with a new interior there were no rattling sounds at all.

Once I got off the freeway after driving 200 miles, I smelled gasoline. Need to check that out!

I took her to a weigh station and the curb weight came in at around 16k. I forgot to weigh her before I started the restoration but I’m pretty sure weight was comparable (if not higher). The unit contained a lot of appliances from the get-go including a 7kW generator and 4 different heating units. Anyways, with a GVWR of 16.5k, it pretty much guarantees I’ll be slightly overweight once we add water and other smaller stuff

[Kvsterling]

Glad the trip went well! That’s a long time without the MH, hope you have some camping in your near future

[cmadmaxman]

Glad you had a good trip home. Looking forward to some photos of your new interior.

Chase down that gas leak! You don't want this to happen!

[marcvl]

Originally Posted by cmadmaxman

Glad you had a good trip home. Looking forward to some photos of your new interior.



Chase down that gas leak! You don't want this to happen!

Attachment 428741

Yeah, busy camping season ahead. Palm Springs in April, then Route 66 to Chicago, back to the Bay Area via Yellowstone in May, and finally Napa Valley in July.

Pictures of interior following soon.

[marcvl]

Originally Posted by dadstoy

It's my opinion that the "flush and fail", just like space lasers and Italian satellites changing votes, is absolute bull "donkey dong". But like I said that is my opinion. I had my MH trans flushed 10 years ago and I've put 10k miles on it. What gasket is leaking? I only know of two gaskets that would leak, the pan gasket or the rear trans gasket. Why would a "flush" be required? Anyway, I recommend calling Coast Transmission in Half Moon Bay and posing that question to them. The two brothers (owners) have more transmission knowledge from old to new trans then 100 other transmission guys put together. If you do call them, please tell them that "Dean, their former Matco Tools guy" recommended them to you.

I will find out pretty soon if “flush and fail” is a thing. Took her to my trusted mechanic who found a wet trans pan, speedometer seals, and transmission modulator. He removed and replaced trans pan gasket, filter, modulator, speedometer seals and refilled transmission.

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by marcvl

I will find out pretty soon if “flush and fail” is a thing. Took her to my trusted mechanic who found a wet trans pan, speedometer seals, and transmission modulator. He removed and replaced trans pan gasket, filter, modulator, speedometer seals and refilled transmission.

The only "trusted" mechanic I have ever known is myself, the operator of my rig.

The new owner of my 92 350LE, now on extended vacation in Morocco via Spain and Portugal, just send me a picture of the bare copper of a battery cable, his "trusted" and very expensive mechanic in Holland forgot to tug away and fasten when he messed with the radiator coolant lines. He started to have intermittent power issues. Lucky for him, that it didn't fry his electronics or worse start a fire.

[marcvl]

Originally Posted by PeterH-350LE

The only "trusted" mechanic I have ever known is myself, the operator of my rig.

The new owner of my 92 350LE, now on extended vacation in Morocco via Spain and Portugal, just send me a picture of the bare copper of a battery cable, his "trusted" and very expensive mechanic in Holland forgot to tug away and fasten when he messed with the radiator coolant lines. He started to have intermittent power issues. Lucky for him, that it didn't fry his electronics or worse start a fire.

Haha, yes, I get it. But, unfortunately I’m not you. I’ll happily deal with writing software or handling electronics to automate my RV, but anything to do with mechanics, engines, or brakes …. not my thing. I would trust myself way less if I started hacking into those systems than I would trust my usual mechanic.

[marcvl]

As promised, here are some photos of the new interior. We ripped everything out in order to repair the floor and wheel wells. We replaced the oak cabinets with walnut, but kept many original parts (like the dinette, swivel chair, couch, overhead cabinet, control center, etc.). Design-wise, I wanted to go with a midcentury modern look, and although the tech is everywhere, have it be completely invisible.

[cmadmaxman]

Beautiful job. Love the retro on the dinning room table and tile work in the bathroom area. It all looks great front to back.

What is the flooring?