1955 22' Safari
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1956Safari
Toastie,
What will be your final floor covering of choice? I'm still going back and forth between Cork vs. marmoleum.
Jaime
Jaime
The "boss" (wife) makes all of those decisions. At first it was marmoleum but decided to go with a floating wood floor. The floor will be a very light blonde color, cabinets will be antique black over red milk paint and the aluminum will be highly polished.
How many days did it take to remove all the paint layers? I've spent most of three days stripping paint off the interior of my 56 F/C and only reached the 6' mark. I sure wish I had a soda blaster.
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Wally H.
Parts needed
1962 Street side corner tub
range or parts
Dometic 50 or parts
1955 22' Safari
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flyrc
How many days did it take to remove all the paint layers? I've spent most of three days stripping paint off the interior of my 56 F/C and only reached the 6' mark. I sure wish I had a soda blaster.
I removed 3 coats of paint and zolatone was one of them The window trim and lower panels will be replace with new, TIME and the cost of the paint remover lead to that decision, plus I was tired of looking and smelling the stripper. I tryed all strippers, but in the end, Citristrip was the best and it was safer.Took 3 to 4 application of the stripper plus a plastic putty knife. also I used steel wool #4 with a plastic backing handle. This was done in the winter, time wise about 2 weeks.
1955 22' Safari
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drowe42
I'm looking at the patch and wonder how you make the compound curves? The new panel looks perfect.
Took the old pattern and flatten it out, traced it on to new, then cut slits as shown in the picture. Then slowly worked it in, marked it, then slowly started trimming, keep repeating for the perfect fit. The soft aluminum will conform to the trailer. Notice in the picture how thin I made my cuts with the electric shears
1955 22' Safari
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Starting to run wires and a BIG learning curve is about to start. Mid to late 1950's Airstreams came with just a basic 110v system no 12 volts. The white wire 14 gauge will be used for the 110V and the yellow wire 12 gauge will be used for the 12 volts system. Let the fun begin.................toastie
...The white wire 14 gauge will be used for the 110V and the yellow wire 12 gauge will be used for the 12 volts system. ...
Toastie, take some care with wire colors. In the Airstreams, white was/is ground for the 12V system, and yellow, brown and blue (maybe others--the 70s trailers had 4 12V circuits) were +12V. I recommend running grounds to most loads (lights, water pump, fans, but you can get by using the shell as ground), but definitely run a heavy ground wire between the converter, batteries, and the ground connection at the 7-pin umbilical connector (#10 is sufficient).
House code for 110V is white is neutral (not ground, but should be at ground potential) and black is hot. All my 70s Airstreams have the 110V in Romex (three wires--white, black, and bare copper, which is ground). Since the white and black are inside the Romex insulation, it's hard to confuse them with the 12V wires.
Just be careful not to screw the next guy up by using color codes that make sense to you, but possibly not to others.
[I knew before I looked at the photo that you wee talking about the outer cover colors of the Romex wire you are going to use. When you refer to "yellow" you mean the color on the 12 gauge Romex wire. Its the new color for house wire. It's a quick visual check for inspectors Have fun snaking the wires, Wally H
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Wally H.
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1962 Street side corner tub
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Dometic 50 or parts
I'll be getting to this step on mine within the next couple of months as well.
Do you guys think it's worth trying to use a multi stranded wire for the AC system instead of solid core? Don't know how hard it would be to source other than using marine grade cable, but it's really pricey.
1955 22' Safari
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeppelinium
I recommend running grounds to most loads (lights, water pump, fans, but you can get by using the shell as ground), but definitely run a heavy ground wire between the converter, batteries, and the ground connection at the 7-pin umbilical connector (#10 is sufficient).
Zep
Zeb
All yellow 12 gauge romex wire will be going into a 12 volt fuse box and I will be following the diagram shown in picture. My question is how does the break away switch for the brakes and the 7-pin umbilical connector tie into my wiring diagram. Also in the diagram I noticed the green wire going to ground and I do understand that, but what is black wire coming from the battery, does that get grounded also to the trailer.
I see in the earlier image you bought the 12gauge wire already... You really do not need all that. Romex is actually three wires. A black, a white, and a bare copper. For 12 volt you only need one of the wires to carry the charge. The body is the ground or negative. I find it more reliable for you have two wires one to carry the charge and one for the ground. Boats are wired this way. It keeps the ground wire connection from becoming corroded as commonly occurs on cars and RV's. A spool of white and a spool of black 12 gauge wire would get you the same results. You do need Romex however for the 110 volt lines, using the ground as a modern system has. Probably should have said something earlier. The 12 gauge romex use to be white just like the 14 gauge. They changed the sheathing color in the past few years to make it easier for building inspectors to know what was used.
I'd use the 12 gauge yellow Romex for the 110 volt system. You need it anyway for the AC unit and probably the microwave. All the other circuits are "might-as-wells" since you have the wire. I've never seen solid core used on the 12 volt system. Generally 12 or 14 gauge multi-strand is used. For the same gauge multi-strand has more amp carrying capacity and is less susceptable to stress breaks.
My electrician friends strongly agreed, like Frank above, that since I had it all opened up I should home-run the ground as well as the hot. It makes sense and should reduce the chances for gremlins down the road, or on the road, as the case may be.
... My question is how does the break away switch for the brakes and the 7-pin umbilical connector tie into my wiring diagram. Also in the diagram I noticed the green wire going to ground and I do understand that, but what is black wire coming from the battery, does that get grounded also to the trailer.
...
Break away--you need to tie the break away switch between a line that's always (+12) hot and the brake circuit. The only circuit that's always hot and is available right at the umbilical connector is the trailer charge line.
You could ground the (-) battery terminal to the shell separately, but it's not required. If you tie your converter, battery, and terminal block (-) together with 8 guage, one ground is enough. There may be reasons of redundancy or low ohmic reliability to have more than one ground. Other inputs on this welcome.
Some diagrams show a fuse in the (-) battery lead. I've pondered this and have actually encountered situations where I've disconnected the (+) battery lead at the terminal block and suddenly realized I've got a very dangerous wire in my hand. A (-) lead fuse would resolve this. But that's the only time I can think that a (-) fuse is helpful. This isn't as important for the converter (-) output, since converters today generally have auto-shutdown and they don't have the energy wallop that a fully charged battery can have.
1955 22' Safari
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Great Lake State
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,480
Quote:
Originally Posted by 62overlander
I see in the earlier image you bought the 12gauge wire already... You really do not need all that. Romex is actually three wires. A black, a white, and a bare copper. For 12 volt you only need one of the wires to carry the charge. The body is the ground or negative. I find it more reliable for you have two wires one to carry the charge and one for the ground. Boats are wired this way. It keeps the ground wire connection from becoming corroded as commonly occurs on cars and RV's. A spool of white and a spool of black 12 gauge wire would get you the same results. You do need Romex however for the 110 volt lines, using the ground as a modern system has. Probably should have said something earlier. The 12 gauge romex use to be white just like the 14 gauge. They changed the sheathing color in the past few years to make it easier for building inspectors to know what was used.
Frank and dieseleagle
Thanks very much, will go with the yellow 12 gauge romex for the 110 volt and will buy a spool of black and a spool of white wire for the 12 volt. What gauge would be the best for the 12 volt 12 or 14.....
Since 12 gauge is preferable for things like the water pump I just went ahead and ran 12 gauge through-out. It's overkill for things like lights, but it all came off the same spools.
12 gauge is good, but 10 gauge can also be used. The 12v does not travel too well through thin wires. My original 12volt wire is stranded orange 12gauge. My new is stranded 12gauge white for positive and black for negative. I also ground to the shell and to the terminal block. I see grounding as a good redundancy....
I always get RV wiring mixed up. I thought it was black for positive and white for ground. Well, I just went to red for positive and green for ground. You're right about 12 gauge or better. There was a demonstration on TV last weekend. 12 volt right off the battery through 12 guage and it looked like a toaster oven within seconds.
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