Restoration - move lav?

[gordonmiller]

has anyone relocated the aft lav in an Overlander to the side. I am considering buying a "77" 27' overlander for resroration, with aft lav but I would like to have the bedroom in the rear and move the lav to the side like some of the other models.

Is his possible.
I have always wanted an Airstream but it looks like I will need to start with an older one and do some refurb.

thanks
gordon

[Frank's Trailer Works]

anything is possible....

[tphan]

Gordon- Welcome to the forums! if you are gutting the trailer anyway (at least the back 1/2) you can reconfigure it any way you like. I built a queen bed in the back, lengthwise, and still had room for a small bathroom (toilet, shower) next to it. If you would like more info on this possibility, feel free to PM me (click on my user name to find this). On the other hand, if your Overlander is in cherry condition inside, I'd suggest keeping it as-is, or trading it for a model with the aft bedroom from the factory. Either way- have fun! -tim

[Zeppelinium]

I prefer a mid-bath, myself. Before you decide, think seriously how you would arrange it and how you'd do the tanks. You can get a good idea of available tanks here The Metal Company Inc.. They are in Denver and are excellent to work with--they'll put fittings any place on a tank, they just won't build custom tank shapes. I think you'll find several that will fit. You'll have to have a full understanding of the frame and cross members in order to think about the holding tanks, which can be inferred from the rivet rows on the belly pan.

I think your biggest problem will be the shower, since it will "drape" over the wheel well. Making a suitable waterproof seat along the wall might take some effort.

I redid the cabinets and sink in my mid-bath Sovereign, but left the shower and toilet alone. You can get an idea of what it might take by following this thread http://www.airforums.com/forums/f46/...dux-23481.html, particularly how difficult it might be to connect the tank dumps together so that you have only one dump connection. Making two dump outlets would greatly reduce your difficulty. By the way, when I started redoing Airstreams, I had no clue, just 30 years of doing amatuer cabinet making in my garage.

Zep

[truckasaurus]

I'm in the process of doing something similar, this thread http://www.airforums.com/forums/f36/...ion-49720.html has a layout image and some more information incase it helps you.

[Aage]

Hello, Gordon, and welcome to Airforum, the land of all things Airstream!

Originally Posted by gordonmiller

Is his possible.
I have always wanted an Airstream but it looks like I will need to start with an older one and do some refurb.

Here's maybe a dumb question, but that never stops me from asking anyways:

Why would you not just buy a mid-bath trailer to start with? There are lots of them out there with the twin or double beds in the rear, and with mid bath configuration.

Maybe you weren't aware of that, but take your time and look around, you will see they definitely exist.

The following image is from a brochure or ad from 1974 for the Sovereign. I know you're looking at the Overlander, but I'm posting this one just to illustrate my question. In it you will see that within the same shell, they switched things around considerably.

But, whatever you decide to do, stick around and ask questions, if it's Airstream, somebody here will have the answer for you...

[gordonmiller]

Thanks for the great info and brochure pics.

What i think I want to do is size down to about 27' for weight purposes and general eas of handling. I had not seen these floor plans in 27 footers. If you know of some do tell....

Thanks again for your time and info.

Great stuff!!!!

gordon

[Aage]

I can't swear to it, but I am 99% certain that 27' units have that style, too.. Maybe the Ambassador model?

Side note: it's funny, but I've never heard an owner of a large trailer say that he wished he had a shorter one. However, I have heard the opposite situation though, it's called "2-foot-itis", a grave desire for just another two feet in length...

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Originally Posted by Aage

I can't swear to it, but I am 99% certain that 27' units have that style, too.. Maybe the Ambassador model?

Side note: it's funny, but I've never heard an owner of a large trailer say that he wished he had a shorter one. However, I have heard the opposite situation though, it's called "2-foot-itis", a grave desire for just another two feet in length...

I beg to differ... I want 2 foot more and 4 foot more, however I also want 2 foot less, 4 foot less, 6 foot less, and even 10 foot less.

[Zeppelinium]

How to solve the 2-footitis problem: Get a Caravel, Safari, Overlander, and Sovereign... . It works.

Zep

[Journalist]

Originally Posted by Zeppelinium

How to solve the 2-footitis problem: Get a Caravel, Safari, Overlander, and Sovereign... . It works.

Zep

Not really. Then you start getting 2-yearitis. I'd love to have one a couple of years older AND a couple of years newer even of the same size.

[SteSpot]

Another issue you need to consider when thinking of relocating a bathroom is where the windows are....do you want to end up with a window in your shower? We considered moving our rear bath to the middle in our current renovation of our 68 Ambassador but the windows were not in the best places for that....we eventually decided to keep the rear bath......of course, you can always move windows.....just depends how you want to spend your money and time.....good luck with your choice. pj

[ricknach]

Airstream made mid-bath units but the majority were rear bath models. During the time when I was looking for a 25-27 foot model(2006-06) only the 34' had rear bed configerations none of the others on the market had them.
Rick N

[Aage]

Here's a link to photos of a 1974 Overlander 27' rear bed:

1974Overlander2