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dbj216 · 01-21-2019, 07:09 PM

Well, you should be pumped! Shell off! Your merit badge is in the mail.

You mentioned you feel like you are at the halfway point. Be patient, you have a long, long ways to go. The disassembly is usually much faster than the re-assembly. At least that has been my experience.

Gee, the subfloor didn't look awful terrible as you pulled the frame out from under the body. Maybe you won't have just a lot of frame welding to do.

And you gotta get that good looking shell down and tied down. They have been known to blow over in a very strong wind.

Someday maybe I'll earn the shell off merit badge.

David

HiHoAgRV · 01-21-2019, 08:18 PM

The rule of thirds. 1st third is pulling it apart, pulling the shell, refabbing the frame, floor and belly pan and reattaching the shell. 2nd third is wiring, insulating and installing the interior skins. The final 3rd is the interior if you rebuild all of the stuff. Your mileage may vary....
Great looking progress!!!

Iansk · 01-21-2019, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HiHoAgRV

The rule of thirds. 1st third is pulling it apart, pulling the shell, refabbing the frame, floor and belly pan and reattaching the shell. 2nd third is wiring, insulating and installing the interior skins. The final 3rd is the interior if you rebuild all of the stuff. Your mileage may vary....
Great looking progress!!!

Then there is the 4th third...

HiHoAgRV · 01-21-2019, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iansk

Then there is the 4th third...

Oh yeah. Polishing.

Bubba L · 01-21-2019, 08:39 PM

Congratulations Kristof. I’m sure you felt a sense of accomplishment and relief. And the fun continues.

Jeremy9107 · 01-23-2019, 02:47 PM

Congrats. With such a pristine looking exterior, must have been nerve racking pulling that off with that paper bag shell wobbling around. Much luck in the months to come.

airs2018 · 01-23-2019, 02:54 PM

Hi, newbie. Hot water to hot and causing leak in back of toilet. I guess to much pressure. Changed the pressure valve in hot water heater and that didn’t work.
Where is the adjustment to lower the hot water.

Kristof · 01-23-2019, 02:59 PM

I am going patino. As long as there are no leaks and everything works, polishing is something that looks great but . . .

Minno · 01-24-2019, 07:51 AM

We chose not to polish - 31 footer is a LOT to polish! Plus, we really don't want to spend part of every summer (which are too short anyway) to touch up. We liked the look after we had stripped off the clear coat, so we just took corrosion off the upper parts with purple polish, and Walbernized. That needs a yearly update, but only took a couple hours with both of us working on it (I do as high as I can reach, and he does the upper half).
Polishing is another one of those "religious discussions"...

Kay

Kay

Kristof · 01-24-2019, 10:39 AM

Kay,

I like your take on this. Neither of us are going to want to do much actual work once we got her up and running. We polished the window frames and pieces when we rebuilt the windows - just cause it was easy to do with bench grinder along with taking the rust off the stainless steel brackets and runners. We are also putting a coating of white esotemeric paint on the roof down to just below the first rivet line above the awning. This will help with the seal, leaks, sun penetration and keep the area cooler around the solar panels. All of the newer AS seem to have done this and I think it will not take away from her good looks.

dbj216 · 01-24-2019, 06:47 PM

Polishing an Airstream is a 200 hour project at least. And then another 20 hours every year or two. After you get it all shined up, it rains and spots it all up. Then the robins spot it here and there. I've had falling leaves stain it. Then the bugs leave splats while you are towing. I find it impossible to keep it looking like you just finished it.

Polishing is not for the perfectionists. It would drive one nuts.

David

wcronin4 · 01-26-2019, 11:30 AM

Thinking ahead to the finish on my 78 Sovereign 31'. My biggest complaint with mine is that the finish is very uneven from one section to the next. One side had the sun on it more than the other, and it must have sat next to a tree because there is a difference in skin color where a tree branch rub against the skin.

Can the whole outside be wet sanded, or an abrasive pad used to bring a consistent look to the skin. I DO NOT want a polished finish and the work to maintain it. I just want the finish to look even and consistent.

Any thoughts????

By the way. kudos to the Kristoff team for fine work so far. I'm at the stage of removing interior skin, on my way to a frame-off sometime in March 2019. So you are a few step ahead of me. Yours is one of the projects I'm following and taking many notes. Thanks for posting progress. Big help.

dbj216 · 01-26-2019, 07:38 PM

Hi wcronin4: Old Airstreams get "male pattern baldness" due to the old clear coat wearing off due to sun and weather. This can make for a very uneven color pattern in the aluminum.

Some folks simply strip off the old clearcoat, but don't polish. It does even out the color of the trailer some, and adds some "reflectivity", or shine to it.... for a while. Then the weather starts to corrode the aluminum into a dull gray color.

Rubbing branch marks may or may not come out during a polish job.

David

Kristof · 01-27-2019, 08:35 AM

We removed so many portals and vents from the outside that we now have a very pockmarked silver look - as each patch was made from shiny new AC grade aluminum and it stands out to the older shell. The clear coat has worn off mostly on the roof to about a third of the way down the sides. I would say the sun did that. My assessment is that where the clear coat has worn off it seems brighter and lighter, perhaps shinier. Certainly where the clear coat is the finish is deeper and seems more full as per colour. My focus is on the seal and water tightness than on the finish - that said I restored the original hubcaps and repainted the logos and bands. That makes a big difference. I think some steel wool will get rid of the Wally numbers but you will always be able to see where they were. I think that is okay. I have mentioned we are painting esotemeric coating on the roof (white) to help with insulation, seal and heat transfer. Other than replacing the aluminum and sealing it up from the inside, checking rivets, etc I am happy. And oh ya when we rebuilt the windows we took some fine steel wool to the aluminum frames and used a polisher on the outside. So the frames look really good and do not stand out too much from the body.

Iansk · 01-28-2019, 06:49 AM

Hey Kristof,

Just a quick heads up about using steel wool on aluminum, the steel bits can get imbedded in the softer aluminum and rust. Brass wool or scotch brite pad are a better bet. Just keep in mind any of these will scratch the aluminum.

Ian

andymeyer · 01-28-2019, 07:58 AM

I about jumped out of my skin when you said steel wool. Scotch Brite pads is what you want... The embedded steel dust from steel wool will corrode with the aluminum (aka, a battery). The scotchbrite pads are available at most any auto parts store, get the deep maroon ones for general work, and the white ones for finishing cleanup.

Minno · 01-28-2019, 08:05 AM

We also coated the roof in ceramic white paint for heat control. It does help. Taking the clear coat off brightens up the trailer finish considerably. I also repainted the Airstream name on the front and rear of the trailer and painted the banding on the sides, and the logos. Those need touchups every year due to chipping, but it's minimal work, and at my height limits so I'm ok doing it.

Kay

L.V. · 01-29-2019, 01:20 AM

Kristof,
You and the airstream team on your blog have inspired me to join the forums. I just got caught up on all your adventures as you go through the renovation process. I’m very thankful that your shell didn’t get tipped over by thieves! I originally came to the site because I am going to be a new owner of a ‘75 Sovereign 31’. I pick it up on the 8th of February. Thank you all for sharing the ins and outs of this process. It’s inspiring to read about the journey! Keep up the good work! Can’t wait to hear more!

L.V.

dbj216 · 01-29-2019, 06:52 PM

Welcome from Colorado: I also find kristof's "vintage adventures" interesting. These long trailers are a bit harder to work on than the shorter ones. I have a friend who recently purchased a 76 Sovereign 31' so kristof's project thread will be quite helpful if and when we dive into his 76. It has a typical case of rear end separation that needs addressed.

Like most vintage Airstreams, you will find it has many needs. Don't become discouraged. I believe the 70s Airstreams are very well built and worth the effort to make them whole again. I'm having just a lot of fun learning all about mine as I do the necessary repairs and try to make the trailer a bit better.

David

Kristof · 01-30-2019, 01:43 AM

Hey LV,

I was in your shoes just a short year or two ago. I was inspired by the the folks here as well as the many others who have taken these projects on and either failed or made progress. One day at a time and it really is the only way. I am fortunate in that i am a project manager by trade so have the skill to navigate the time/scope/cost continuum. With the effort required safety is also one of those skills that people here can help with. Cost versus effort is another aspect I appreciated and reached out for advice on. The "shell off" versus "shell on" argument can be made either way. For me it was simple: every campground I have ever been to has the water on the left side of the trailer. So I need to switch the water inlet to the left side. Not going to happen unless I take the shell off. Done.