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chilipepper · 05-16-2022, 09:42 AM

Kip, Impressive work as usual! Did you let the segments run wild under the overlapping one or did you mark, drill and then remove the lower segment and trim? I'm considering doing this in the front of my '71. Thanks!

Aerowood · 05-16-2022, 02:21 PM

I removed them after I drilled them and then trimmed the underlap off to 1/2" ED (Edge Distance). I also added 10-32 nutplates to the frames to anchor the segments at each corner. I was always one panel behind until the last one.

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Aerowood · 05-18-2022, 04:24 PM

Air conditioner installed, I'll temporary wire it up tomorrow so I can turn it on while I work inside. I wired my garage about 25 years ago for 30 amp 110. Just need to get and install a 30 amp outlet.

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Attachment 416225

Aerowood · 05-18-2022, 06:14 PM

I messed up the picture on my previous post so here it is

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Aerowood · 05-21-2022, 09:42 AM

During the AC install I could not locate a condensation drain on the Dometic unit. Am I missing something, is there an add on I need?

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Zeppelinium · 05-21-2022, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerowood

During the AC install I could not locate a condensation drain on the Dometic unit. Am I missing something, is there an add on I need?

I think you should have had one. I had one in the '70 Caravel and in all 4 of the other '70s Airstreams. I wonder if you removed it when you took the interior skins down and misplaced the memory of it? I've got a few DRAMs laying around if you need one...

Aerowood · 05-21-2022, 05:49 PM

Zep, there was nothing there that I remember but you can never tell. The GT never had an air conditioner. Please post a picture of what to you have. I did find a kit though.

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Minno · 05-22-2022, 08:23 AM

Kip, We bought and installed a drip pan under our Dometic Penguin a/c. We bought it when we bought the a/c. It connects to a drain tube running inside the wall. Ours drains to right in front of the wheel well in the port side. This tube was already in place in our trailer since it had a/c when we bought it. I'm thinking you may need to run a new tube. I believe that if you do not install a drip pan, the condensate will run down the outside of your trailer, leaving water marks.

The drip pan we bought was an airstream item, but it's no longer available. Here's a link so you can see what it looks like:

https://odmrv.com/catalog/index.php?...roducts_id=876

Chris

Aerowood · 05-22-2022, 10:09 AM

Thanks Chris, I found something similar on line. I guess it's going to be another C note. I removed the original drain tube when I replaced the stringers but it will be no problem to install a new one

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Zeppelinium · 05-22-2022, 04:23 PM

You motivate me to slog through the snow to check. Turns out the cosmic fates are in force this week. I have only deskinned one Airstream, the Safari I am now working on. Yesterday around 4 pm I finished reinstalling the interior skins and took no photos. Ha.

But I can confirm that both Safaris have a drain tube that exits on the street side. The '73 exits just aft of the forward window, just forward of the water heater, which is unexpectedly far forward of the a/c and a couple feet forward of the wheel well. The '77 drain exits just forward of the wheel well. This seems a little odd until you remember that the '77 axles are about a foot forward of the axle location on the '73.

Zep

Aerowood · 05-22-2022, 05:46 PM

Don't worry about it Zep, I have the drain kit on order.

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dbj216 · 05-22-2022, 06:41 PM

Zep would wade through knee deep snow for anyone to answer a vintage Airstream question. I might add that years ago I didn't realize I needed a condensate drain when I installed a new Coleman AC on the Limited. Now we have condensate dripping down the sides of the trailer when the AC is on. Live and learn.

David

Aerowood · 05-24-2022, 05:07 PM

Rear dome is coming along, for some reason it's taking me longer then the front. This dome is about a foot longer then the front and covers over the last frame. I wanted the bed ceiling area to look all the same.

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Aerowood · 05-30-2022, 05:34 PM

I ran out of aluminum to finish the rear dome. I'm sure glad I waited to buy more sheet stock until metal prices are at an all time high.

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dbj216 · 05-30-2022, 06:22 PM

You are so wise to wait for a good price on your aluminum. I wonder if the longer time spent on the rear dome is due to it being longer. Makes sense.

How do you scribe to determine the exact shape of each one of those "pie" shaped pieces of aluminum sheet? That doesn't seem easy to me.

David

MrRivet · 05-30-2022, 07:26 PM

Nice work on the interior domes. I feel your pain on the aluminum pricing. We need to make another order to complete the outside of our Liner. What thickness aluminum are you using for your interior domes?

Aerowood · 05-30-2022, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbj216

You are so wise to wait for a good price on your aluminum. I wonder if the longer time spent on the rear dome is due to it being longer. Makes sense.

How do you scribe to determine the exact shape of each one of those "pie" shaped pieces of aluminum sheet? That doesn't seem easy to me.

David

First line is always straight, I mark the start and stop and then lay out the rivet spacing, I'm using 2" as my max. I'm always one segment in the rears. The next segment is same as the previous except I drill the straight line onto the previous segment. I then drill the corner for an nutplate. Next I removed both panels and cut the first panel second rivet line to ED (edge Distance) this gives me the taper. Nutplates are next. I then cleco both panels back on and rivet the first line of the first panel. Third panel go up just like the first and then I drill the straight row to the second panel, removed both segments and cut the second panel second row to ED and so on until done.

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Aerowood · 05-30-2022, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrRivet

Nice work on the interior domes. I feel your pain on the aluminum pricing. We need to make another order to complete the outside of our Liner. What thickness aluminum are you using for your interior domes?

I'm making them from .040 5052-H34. I'm sanding them during install because my wife said I want the interior aluminum panels white.

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Aerowood · 05-31-2022, 01:04 PM

Picked up aluminum today. They had 48"x74" for 62.00 per sheet, score as it reduces my waste. .040 5052-H32

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dbj216 · 05-31-2022, 06:55 PM

Thank you Aerowood for your description of how you make and install the domed aluminum segments. Kinda like trying to make skins for a football. It sounds way too complicated for me. Heck, I have trouble cutting a 2x4 to length.

I got an idea. You could just design and build a thermoform tool for ABS plastic and make it as one piece.

David