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Old 08-22-2006, 10:27 PM   #1
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1976 23' Safari
Whitehtorn , California
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 7
interior bathroom wall repair help needed!

I sure hope that one of you experienced experts out there will give me an idea about how to repair the interior above the shower in my 76 Safari. Someone cut into it to repair a big ding in the outer skin, then just taped it back together, so it looks terrible. Does anybody know how to fix this interior skin in the bathroom? It appears to be vinyl, there is no metal in this part of the interior skin, just plastic or vinyl, then insulation, then the exterior skin. How do you patch plastic and make it look good?

Thanks you so much for your time and help, if you can.
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Old 08-22-2006, 11:36 PM   #2
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1963 16' Bambi
1962 22' Safari
Yreka , California
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,937
Post some pictures of this terrible fix... it might really help the suggestions for you! Is it vinyl or vinyl clad fiberglass? Is the interior portion painted, or have a vinyl lining?

You might also want to try the search function under bathroom interior skin or similar phrase to see if others have had this problem. I bet someone has!

Good luck!

Mrs. NorCal Bambi (traveling in S Tardis)
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Old 08-28-2006, 09:40 PM   #3
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1976 23' Safari
Whitehtorn , California
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 7
thanks!

thanks for your helpful suggestions! I was just in your neighborhood this week, by the way. I'm from Shelter Cove in Humbolt Co., and just came home today from a trip to the Marble Mountains wilderness area near happy camp.

I'm not very computer/digital camera savvy, so it might take awhile to figure out how to post pictures. But in answer to your questions, the wall is not vinyl clad or painted, seems to be just pure white vinyl, no metal underneath until you get past the insulation layer to the outer skin. From the inside out, the layers are: 1. the cut and damaged vinyl or some kind of plastic layer, white color; 2. the insulation; 3. the outer aluminum skin.

Still hope somebody out there has some constructive ideas. Thanks for the input!
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Old 08-29-2006, 12:24 AM   #4
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1963 16' Bambi
1962 22' Safari
Yreka , California
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,937
Hello again...

I am not really familiar with your vintage of Airstream... ours is a 1963 and the interior end caps both front and rear are fiberglass. I am clueless if yours is, but if you describe it as plastic stuff... that would be my guess. Our bathroom area is largely fiberglass on the top curved part. Is that the section you are thinking about? Is your bath in the back?

You can repair torn fiberglass but you might need assistance from someone who has done fiberglass repair. You might look locally at a auto restorer that works on fiberglass car bodies and talk to them about the best approach for repair. I have never done any myself, but my husband has. It seems you can get a kit from the auto stores with a fabric that you put over tears,etc. then re-glass over that. Lots of sanding, painting, etc.

I see you have posted other questions, but haven't got answers yet... hummm very unusual. Another option would be to read the information under the names of people posting to see what year Airstream they have and when you find someone with a early 70's Safari you might send them a personal message and ask if they have suggestions. If you click on members list at the top blue bar you might get that info. There should be a little Personal Message link on the page somewhere... (sorry that isn't much help)

One of the things we did early on was to attend a rally and meet many of the Airstreamers. Great thing to do. Usually at a rally you can ask lots of questions to the guys/gals that are the do-it-yourselfers! Found out lots of useful things. Click the rally schedule button at the top and go through the calendar... might be useful for you as well.

To post a picture if you make a written post~click the advanced button and then, just below the rows of post icons at the bottom of the page you will see "additonal options" in a blue bar (scroll down if you don't see it)Then you will see a gray button that says manage attachments. You can click on that and upload a picture from your computer or digital camera.

Good luck! See if you can figure out if it is fiberglass...

Mrs. NorCal Bambi (traveling in S Tardis)
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Old 08-30-2006, 08:47 AM   #5
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1963 16' Bambi
1955 22' Flying Cloud
Yreka , California
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Here is another place you can look. The VAP is a podcast on airstreams. They have a place where you can call in a question. They also have lots of information on their past podcasts. Hear is the information just click on this.
http://www.thevap.com/component/opti...page/Itemid,1/

Don
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Old 08-30-2006, 08:00 PM   #6
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1976 23' Safari
Whitehtorn , California
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 7
thanks again, you guys...

just in case anyone else is following this thread, the wall in question is the rounded, domed area above the shower, and I am sure it is not fiberglass (I wish!), but vinyl and/or plastic. I've tried to access theVAP podcasts but haven't yet been able to on my slow dial-up modem, but I'm going to try on a friend's satellite connection, so maybe I can find help there.

I've also been restoring double glazed windows and would love to hear the podcast on that one. So far I've done 7 windows successfully, but the last one, a small oval to the right of the door, is a bugger that has baffled me. I tried to break the inner panel like the others, but it appears to be plexiglass. I've drilled two holes all the way through it and tried over and over with the ACHP but can't break it.

Anyway, thanks again for your help and suggestions. I'm looking forward to my first rally sometime in the future when I get things a little more together. I'm picking up my new curtains and new beds/sofas later this week, fininshing a little interior paint and putting down new marmoleum tile on the floor tomorrow, so I should be ready for the road soon.
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