Bringing a 1975 Airstream Sovereign up to date -- what do I need?

[FunTimesWoo]

Hello, you can see the progress I've made on my 1975 31' Sovereign Airstream by following the link in my signature.
I've gotten to the point where bringing back electricity is the next step!
I have the original battery charger and power supply, the Univolt, (tho my girlfriend is constantly fearful that it's chock full of 40 year old mouse droppings, which it probably is) and the control panel...
I've heard that I ought to ditch both of these things and replace them with their current 2012 counterparts. Could you please show me what I need to get some current flowing through the ol' Airstream again?
Thank you!

[shadeemry]

Originally Posted by FunTimesWoo

Hello, you can see the progress I've made on my 1975 31' Sovereign Airstream by following the link in my signature.
I've gotten to the point where bringing back electricity is the next step!
I have the original battery charger and power supply, the Univolt, (tho my girlfriend is constantly fearful that it's chock full of 40 year old mouse droppings, which it probably is) and the control panel...
I've heard that I ought to ditch both of these things and replace them with their current 2012 counterparts. Could you please show me what I need to get some current flowing through the ol' Airstream again?
Thank you!

I have diagrams for that exact model, and wiring sciatica, u interested? If so what do you need to see?

[Stoney]

We have a 1974 31ft sovereign with the owners manuals looks like the same setup. We replaced everthing exept the rear bath, new breaker box, univolt and put in a new 12 volt fuse panal its looking goog so far.

[shadeemry]

Originally Posted by Stoney

We have a 1974 31ft sovereign with the owners manuals looks like the same setup. We replaced everthing exept the rear bath, new breaker box, univolt and put in a new 12 volt fuse panal its looking goog so far.

Yes, the 74 and 75 are exactly the same, all the way to the frame.

[shadeemry]

I have the service manuel, if u need a page or 3 lemme know.

[FunTimesWoo]

Ah! I have the manual myself, but I was wondering if basically everything needed replacing, as ours certainly does. Though as far as I can tell, the univolt still works... I just figured new and improved technologies would be a better choice, though I have no idea what those might be.

[Minno]

I recommend replacing the old univolt with a new converter. There are many on the market that will include the 110 VAC breakers, converter/charger, and 12 volt fuse panel all in one unit. The biggest issue with your old univolt is that it can overcharge the batteries causing various issues and decreasing their life expediency. New chargers are "smart chargers" or tri-mode charges, and they will drop into a maintenance mode once the battery is charged. They will not over charge your battery. This web site has several options to choose from. BestConverter - Converters, Inverters, Electrical Supplies, Electronics I ordered from them online, but many others have called them and gotten sound advice on what to order. Be sure to buy a new battery, or multiple batteries depending on what your power requirements are. Do not run the converter/changer without a battery hooked up to it for very long, or you risk damaging your new converter.

[FunTimesWoo]

Thank you, Minno. I'll look around that website.

[FunTimesWoo]

OK, I just got an electrician to give me a free estimate. He told me he didn't want to waste my money -- he said he wouldn't be able to figure out the 12-volt wiring running throughout the shell, and that I could repair the 120-volt system myself. I recently picked up two deep-cycle 6V batteries and a Boondocker Powermax converter, I suppose I could figure hooking those up myself.

Thing is, while I was tearing the thing apart, I ended up pulling out tons of those thinner wires, which must be in the 12V system...
I have the service manual, which I guess should be all I need...
This just seems so labyrinthine, do you guys have any advice?

[Minno]

Plan, plan, and do more planning. Diagram out where you want the converter, the batteries, 110 VAC outlets, and 12 volt fixtures. If you want a starting point, look at our thread, http://www.airforums.com/forums/f185...-50967-21.html, posts 289 and 292. There I posted the various diagrams we used as plans.

Chris

[Poppy Fields]

Can anyone recommend a video or walk through for checking out what works without stripping it? I'm having issues getting power in my 74 sovereign and I'm not really sure where to start. I'm also new to forums and having a bit of difficulty navigating on here so I apologize if this is the wrong place.

[dbj216]

Hello from Colorado and welcome to these Airstream Forums. I have a 75 Overlander 27' that I renovated two years ago. It was in "good condition" and it needed a lot of work. I suspect your trailer may be the same way.

To thoroughly analyze a new to you vintage Airstream, I might refer you to the Airstream inspection checklist in these Forums. Use the search function to find it. Then systematically go through each item on the 6 some pages and note what needs fixing. This is what we do when inspecting a trailer for a remote buyer, possibly saving them a trip.

As you know the 1970s Airstreams were built light weight as the emission mandates, fuel mileage mandates, and fuel shortages caused significant loss of power in vehicles. Airstream discovered plastics in the 70s and they didn't last as long, and they cracked, and they delaminated. The rear bath plywood subfloor is very prone to rotting out, and then the rear frame cross member rusts away, and then the rear end frame separates from the body. But don't despair, it all can be fixed and the 70s trailers can be renovated into very comfortable trailers in my opinion. So maybe you have a neat project to work on.

Here is a guess of what your 74 Sovereign 31 might need: New axles and brakes and shocks, new waste water tanks, repairs to the subfloor, new drain and fresh water plumbing, new battery, new "converter" for the battery, new waste water level sensors, new floor covering, repair or replace cabinets, repair or replace bath plastics, new toilet, new faucets, new furnace, new air conditioner, new fridge, new vent fans, new soft goods like curtains, cushions, upholstery and curtains, and a bunch of other stuff.

I hope I can put some perspective on your trailer from my experiences. Here is some photos of my Overlander.

David