New owner '73 Sovereign, here’s to hoping

[Arlene2]

I’ll keep it short for now but my wife and I live in Richmond Va and just took on a 31’ 1973 Sovereign. It was a total gut job and we’re down to the subfloor which will need to be replaced. We have much of the same story as many of y’all, she’ll need double pane windows cleaned out, new gaskets, new axels, new vents, the whole nine.

The longer I spend reading through threads the more overwhelmed and underprepared I feel. We renovated a class B camper last year and so I felt like we were ready for our next project, this time with hopes of full time living for us and the dog. I’m relatively handy and have done a bit of carpentry but it turns out Airstreams aren’t made of wood. Words of encouragement and bits of advice from wiser folks than me would be appreciated.

Where we are now I’m trying to decide if I should replace vents and window gaskets before the floor? Should I seal the interior seams just as a means of caution since I don’t know yet what leaks and what doesn’t? I’m terrified to look under the floor at the frame so should I just bite the bullet and pull the floor out first?

Looking forward to getting to know you all, I love how friendly and eager to help everyone here is.

David

[xrvr]

I would check the frame for rearend sag and rust before going on with the interior. Drop the belly pan for a look.

[Chatthayer]

A day and a project at a time. Easy to get overwhelmed. You have done a lot already. A power washer or strong hose stream while you watch inside can help identify your leak issues.

Best wishes and Merry Christmas.
Steve

[Minno]

If she's sitting outside, definitely seal leaks and make her weather proof before tackling the floor (windows, door, roof vents, seams, storage areas). I doesn't do any good to the floor to have a new one get wet. THEN, tackle the floor. We had extensive home renovation experience, but not trailer renovations when we started our '72. We also did a total gut job, and it was WORTH IT!
We did a lot of forums reading before and during our renovation, asked questions on the forums, and dug out our own answers many times.
There's a "renovation threads " thread here on the forums with a very long list of peoples adventures. Ours is "Little Girl Refurb" in the '70's section.
Good luck and keep posting!

Kay

[SuzyHomemakr]

Hopefully you saved your interior skins? At least to use as patterns?

Your existing sub-floor will tell you whether or not you have leaks. Any nastiness that's not where the bathroom was is under a leak. Grab your scratch awl and poke the floor all over to find any soft spots. Tearing out the windows and vents is a big job, and you could wind up with more leaks than you started with!

Be sure that you're roadworthy first- check your frame sag, brakes and axles. Actually, you should get some tunes in there, and a couple of patio chairs. Laying out the new design, dreaming of trips, figuring out cool hacks, that's half the fun! Be forewarned- I've found these "design meetings" to be thirsty affairs!

[Arlene2]

Thanks so much!

Yeah the floor around the door and in the rear from the notorious bumper compartment is totally toast and you can see the rearmost cross member attests needs some serious attention.

We did save the skins and are planning to reuse most of them, some are cut up a little too much so we’ll probably replace some sections.

There’s a small amount of rust on some of the roof seams that I’ll clean and seal. I’m thinking now I’ll start by Installing the new vents, AC, racks for solar and new window gaskets. My thought is that while it’s torn down this far address anything that is or could become an issue.

I’ll take a look at your thread and keep trying to navigate the forums.

Thanks so much!

[duncans]

Check out an of Beans, which is the rehab of a 73 Sovereign, although they claim it is a '72. It is a 73, and I know, because it was ours before we gave it to them.

Susan

Best of Luck!

[Jeremiwvu]

Welcome and congrats, you will get angry and discouraged but it will be offset by the joy and fun to come.

My wife and I live full time In our 31’ 81 excella and are currently parked just outside of Richmond. This is our 2nd airstream, it was mostly renovated when we got it but still have done and plan to do lots more work.

Check for and fix leaks first and continuously monitor, try to seal outside anywhere you know there are leaky rivets, etc. and seal all the seams/rivets inside while you can just for added protection in the long run it will save you lots of time and effort to do it now.

Be sure to use appropriate sealants. There are numerous threads on nothing but that. You’ll need at least a couple different types depending on the application.

Also consider buying this book it’s quite useful, you can get all of the info on here for free but this is a pretty handy resource.

“Airstream Life's (Nearly) Complete Guide To Airstream Maintenance”

[bibbs]

I would get busy on the frame you might need to remove parts of the floor to do a good job on the frame. Then start chasing leaks, And start the new floor at the same time, you won't get all the leaks stopped first try, and shifting the shell around during floor replacement might cause new leaks.
Good luck!

[Jhess]

I cannot imagine taking on that much work myself. I was overwhelmed by just installling a cell booster to our Airstream. I’m happy with the result but don’t think I’d do it myself again. Stress! Hats off to you for having the gumption, and best wishes on your efforts!

[Robertone139]

If you are considering replacing the floor look at the Coosa Bluewater 26 rather than new plywood.

[duncans]

Meant : Can of Beans

Merry Christmas!

[GiftingGirl]

I have a 76 sovereign and am a bit ahead of you, having repainted frame and rebuilt windows, and front and back floor. Now working on plumbing and electrical. I found that I lost a lot of time and can do additude searching the forums. I suggest you find one or two people who have done the work to be one on one go to for support and questions. If you are like me and learn better from others rather than reading I guarantee you will save energy.
If you private message me I am happy to have a phone chat with you.

[Arlene2]

I will PM you, thanks so much. That’s exactly my predicament, I absorb info so much better from being told rather than reading.

[Arlene2]

I’m going to make an effort to keep my progress and process posted here as well.

Today I was able to cut out the center of the subfloor and remove all the insulation. I also removed the banana wrap and disconnected the bellypan from the body to get access to to the frame and elevator bolts and remove the rest of the insulation.

Next step will be bracing the body with 2x4s and removing the rest of the elevator bolts and subfloor, and dropping the pan entirely. I know I’ve got some crossmembers to replace but I’ve got a guy to help with that so I should be okay there.

Advice on removing the elevator bolts in the end pieces would be appreciated, I was cutting off the pan head from the bottom but without the c channel these are sunk into the plywood and so I think I need to cut them from the top, out of the u channel.

[Arlene2]

Here are some photos from today.

[Arlene2]

Trying to beat a cold front coming through, I’m afraid today was probably the last of our good weather.

Decently solid day though. I got the shell braced and the rest of the subfloor removed. I used a Dremel tool with a carbide blade to cut out the elevator bolts and wood screws. Fairly painless process. Just slid it under the u channel. Also got the outside power washed.

Fans have arrived, two fantastic fans with smoke lids and one Maxxfan 7k. I’m thinking that one will go in the rear (bedroom) and the other two up front.

Ordered a bunch of window supplies and a buck riveting kit.

Need to order a new AC unit and figure out what I’m doing about solar.

Still feels like too much to do but considering we’ve only had her for two weeks I think we’re doing ok.

[Jeremiwvu]

I’d say your doing great. It will all be worth it

[Can of beans]

I didn't like the tail if ours dragging every time we left the driveway, and I really dislike the portable gray tank, so I solved both at the same time. Or as soon as I put the plumbing in it will be.
I'm busy waiting for help to hold the bucking bar. Currently
Do the floor and frame before re sealing, it may get tweaked from lifting

[blackbear]

Nice work on this project. I totally understand how you must feel. I purchased a 1975 27' Overlander in May and redoing everything myself as well. I am a hobby woodworker and know how to work with wood. Purchasing this Airstream definitely has given me a whole new perspective on aluminum materials ha-ha.
Feel free to follow along on my progress here: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f36/...er-169972.html or via Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stormytheairstream/

Feel free to PM me anytime with any questions you may have, I might have the answer.