Around the World Airstream #6768

[66Overlander]

Originally Posted by StevieB

Joe,
Good Morning. I really like you "new" kitchen faucet. Please tell me about it; Brand, Model #, $, dimensions, and where did you found it.

Thanks,
Steve

Hi Stve,
I got the kitchen faucet from VTS:
https://vintagetrailersupply.com/cen...tion-vts-2512/

The 4" hole spacing fit the original holes in my countertop, but the 6" long spout is 2" shorter than my original faucet, so I am thinking about swapping it out for an 8" spout.

In case VTS is out of stock, this faucet is offered by many other sellers online. Here is a link to this faucet on the Central Brass website:
https://pioneerind.com/product/two-h...faucet/#0094-A

Here is a link to the 8" spout on the Central Brass website (it is also available many places online):
https://pioneerind.com/product/8-swi...tor/#SU-363-RA

[66Overlander]

OK, it is time for a November and December update. In November, I completed the reassembly of the stove and took a photo of the original stove next to the restored stove. The difference is not as stark in the photo as it is in real life. The new chrome really shines compared to the tired, scratched, rusty original parts. The only thing remaining to do on the stove before re-installation is to test the operation of the stove and over burners and leak test all the fittings, though I also still have to run a propane line for the stove on the trailer.

The only other November progress was for the most part completing the striping of paint and varnish off cabinet hinges, knobs, pulls, and trim pieces to get them ready to reinstall. I probably missed a piece or two, but must have got 95% cleaned for re-installation. Cleaning was done by a mix of methods, some was mechanically chipped off, some was removed by rubbing with denatured alcohol, and some was removed, or at least softened, by heating in a hotpot.


December progress started with the re-installation of the hinges, knobs, and pulls onto kitchen and bedroom cabinet doors and drawers.


This was followed by bolting the kitchen base cabinet and countertop into place, and the re-installation of many cabinet doors and drawers.


Before bolting the kitchen base cabinet into place I made and installed a furnace duct diverter because the original duct never originally aligned with the register opening in the cabinet. I also added a couple of shims to get the cabinet mounting holes to realign. The slightly visible edges of the shims will be hidden by the shoe molding that will eventually be reinstalled. After the base cabinet and countertop were installed I hooked up the hot and cold water lines to the kitchen faucet using braided hoses and reconnected the drain line.


Also, I added a 12V power outlet in the end of the kitchen cabinet to allow easy use of an Endless Breeze or other 12V fan since we did not elect to put an air conditioner on the roof, nor in a hidden location. Maximizing air movement will be a must on hot days and nights. This is one one four such power outlets I am installing (three more than it originally had). They will also be useful for recharging cell phones when not hooked up to "shore power".
12V Power Outlet Added to Kitchen Cabinet.jpg Views: 47 Size: 305.6 KB ID: 385762" style="margin: 2px" />

One of my next tasks will be to build and install an insulated box around the furnace duct under the kitchen cabinet as the duct gets pretty hot to the touch when the furnace is running and I don't want to "cook" or melt anything that happens to be stored next to the duct. The insulation may also slightly help keep the air in the duct warmer as it travels to the rear of the trailer. I will also soon get the trim pieces installed around the furnace opening.


You are again fully "up to date" in what is likely my last update of 2020.

[dbj216]

In a word: WOW. Restoring all this original hardware is a monumental task. It is so much easier to rip out and build new. Your #6768 will be a blue ribbon winner at the first international rally you take it to. It is beautiful and so rich in Airstream history. The only thing making it better would be if it was the trailer Walley and Stella used on that caravan.

I was researching some Airstream history and noticed how Airstream advertised their trailers as having "lots of drawers". This model has 10 drawers, this model has 20 drawers. I understand the cabinet shop in the factories really did good work back then, and still do. Building cabinets with drawers is hard as there are so many wood pieces that have to fit very closely. Airstream went to plastic bins, what, in the mid sixties when plastics and thermoforming were mainstream. They advertised these plastic bins as "drawers". They used them for many years. Much less cost, and lighter weight.

Happy New Year... (we hope)

David

[TouringDan]

I just want to compliment you on the first class work you are doing on the cabinets, plumbing, furnace and stove renovation. Lots of different skills needed here.

Great idea to install a 12v outlet in the kitchen area to power the endless breeze fan.

Glad to see that you elected not to install an RV air conditioner up top. They take away so much from the aesthetics of the Airstream and are so noisy and inefficient. We have a small efficient unit that typically rides in the bottom of the wardrobe cabinet. When we really need it to sleep comfortably, it is an easy 10 minute install in a side window. It only draws about 600 watts and is quieter than the ducted A/C in the new Airstreams. We can actually operate it all night using our two lithium batteries.

Dan

[66Overlander]

Time for an update. Work has continued sporadically during the first 2+ months of 2021, weather and other projects permitting. This post will cover part of what was accomplished in January 2021.

I'll let the photos tell the detailed story, but I wanted to protect whatever ends up stored under the kitchen sink from how hot the furnace duct gets when the furnace runs and I wanted to get a much heat as possible to the rear register. I also wanted to maximize storage, so I created a box with a front shelf and a flat top with a perimeter wall. For the self, I repurposed part of the fence that I salvaged from another 1962 Airstream that originally kept items from falling behind the fridge. I made the top removable "just in case". It's over designed for what it does, but is strong and cool to look at. The wood panels are covered in the same polyurethane as the rest of the cabinetry.

I also reinstalled the aluminum trim out panels around the furnace opening.

[66Overlander]

Other January 2021 projects included installing 12V power outlets in both closet front walls, one to service the top of the fridge and the other to service the credenza. I also covered the exposed wiring on the back of both of these 12V power outlets.


I added a cover to the back of the 12V power outlet previously installed in the bath rook locker.


I added metal reinforcing plates for the drawer locks in the credenza in the bedroom.


And finally, I added bracing to secure the Sharkbite water pressure regulator during travel.


That get you caught up thru January.

[66Overlander]

The first 3 weeks of never got above freezing and we had 3 or 4 inchies of snow about every other day, so I didn't do much until the last week of February.

I started (and then stopped) getting the bed slides ready to be recovered in material matching our new cushions. On the front bed slide I removed the second layer of turquoise fabric that had been added a long time ago exposing the original fabric that was worn thru on the edge.


I remove the old "duct tape repair" that was applied to the bedroom bed slide (instead of having it recovered) exposing similar damage along the edge.


I polyurethaned the bedroom bed slide before I stopped working on the bed slides to move on to other projects.


Finally, when it got above freezing the last week of February, I hooked up propane to the rebuilt stove and tested its operation and checked for leaks. It was nice to get the oven to light for the first time after spending significant money getting the over safety valve rebuilt.

[66Overlander]

So far in March, I ran a new propane line for the stove.


I installed the rebuilt stove but when I turned on the gas it had a massive leak at the On-Off valve under the cooktop . . . so bad you could hear and small the gas leaking out when the valve was in the on position. No need for a propane detector on that leak. Not sure how I did not catch that during the test in my garage. Back at home, I tested and took another On-Off valve from a salvage stove I have at home. It seemed to work fine in my garage, but after installation in the stove in the trailer it too leaked. Not as bad. You couldn't hear the leak or smell it, but it was still enough to peg the propane leak detector. Back home again I found that the exact same On-Off Valve was used on Dometic M50 fridges in the early 1960s. Having some spare fridge parts, I tested another valve and after finding no leaks, removed it. Finally today I installed it on the stove in the trailer and have no leaks!!! I tested the burners and oven and found I could have them all lit at the same time the furnace was running, just proving my calculations that my propane pipes were sized appropriately, even though we will never have them all running at the same time in real life.


Once the stove was finally working, I installed the cabinet door below the kitchen sink and both of the closet doors.


There, you are once again all caught up.

[57Vintage]

Really nice work. I like the use of the plastic electrical box to cover your wiring.

Out of curiosity, what sizes did you use for the gas main and branches?

[TouringDan]

Wonderful work and great attention to detail!
My stove and oven work fine, but they are an embarrassment when I see what you have done with yours- maybe next winter.

Dan

[dbj216]

Hi Joe: You say we're caught up. We will never catch up to you. Your around the world Airstream will be very special indeed. And at least now it won't blow up on you.

Davod

[66Overlander]

Originally Posted by 57Vintage

Really nice work. I like the use of the plastic electrical box to cover your wiring.

Out of curiosity, what sizes did you use for the gas main and branches?

I used Type L Copper Tubing for the propane lines and covered it with radiator hose below the bellypan:

• The main line is 10' of 3/8" (nominal ID) Type L Copper Tubing (1/2" OD) with a BTU capacity of 110,000 BTU/Hr at 10' length
• The branch lines to each appliance are 1/4" (nominal ID) Type L Copper Tubing (3/8" OD) with a BTU capacity of 49,000 BTU/Hr at a 20' length, the longest appliance branch line will be ~10'+/- to the water heater when that line is finally installed.

My appliance BTU capacities are:

• Furnace 18,000 BTU/Hr
• Stove 17,500 BTU/HR with oven and all burners at max.
• Water Heater 12,000 BTU/HR
• Fridge 0 BTU/Hr (we converted the fridge to an electric Dan Foss compressor)
• Worst Case Appliance Sum: 47,500 BTU/Hr

I also provided an LP Quick Connect port for use with a grill, fire pit, or propane Generator. My Champion 3400 Dual Fuel Generator requires 9,500 BTU/Hr at full power, but the quick connect is tee'd off where the low pressure hose from the regulator meets the main line copper tubing, so does not count again the main line copper tubing capacity.

The 36" (3') long 3/8" ID low pressure hose from the Regulator to the main line copper tubing has a capacity of 56,000 BTU/Hr vs. my theoretical worse case usage (all appliances and generator on and at "max") of 57,000 BTU/Hr (47,500 + 9,500). We will never come even remotely close to the theoretical maximum in real life. We'll likely never operate more than one stove top burner at a time (4000 BTU/Hr) and likely never really use the oven (5500 BTU/Hr). The water heater and furnace will be low duty cycle as would the generator (if we ever use it), which most of the time would be operated on economy setting anyway, at less than maximum power output. If using a grill or fire pit, we would be outside the trailer, so most of the other appliances would be off at that time.

Sorry for the long answer, but the thinking behind the sizing plan may be useful to someone reading this.

[Ken J]

I’m impressed !!

[truckasaurus]

[QUOTE=66Overlander;2428221]In April, work continue on the kitchen countertop, stove, and fridge.

The old corroded faucets and sink were removed from the kitchen countertop and the bottom and edges of the countertop received three coats of polyurethane to seal them. The sink, countertop, and stainless steel Hudee Ring were cleaned and the chips in the porcelain sink were repaired using Porc-A-Fix in the closest white color I could find.

Hey Joe, I want to restore the sink on my Sovereign and I'd like to use Porc-A-Fix too, could I ask which white you opted for?

I've ordered the Central Brass faucets 4" OC and 8" arm too :-)

[66Overlander]

[QUOTE=truckasaurus;2470301]

Originally Posted by 66Overlander

In April, work continue on the kitchen countertop, stove, and fridge.

The old corroded faucets and sink were removed from the kitchen countertop and the bottom and edges of the countertop received three coats of polyurethane to seal them. The sink, countertop, and stainless steel Hudee Ring were cleaned and the chips in the porcelain sink were repaired using Porc-A-Fix in the closest white color I could find.

Hey Joe, I want to restore the sink on my Sovereign and I'd like to use Porc-A-Fix too, could I ask which white you opted for?

I've ordered the Central Brass faucets 4" OC and 8" arm too :-)

We bought our Porc-A-Fix at a local store and they had three different whites. We decided BS-1 Bright White was the best (though not perfect) match to the sink. I don't remember the exact names of the other two whites they had, but they were both named after sink manufactures, like "Kohler White". As I remember it, those were "too gray". Looking at Porc-a-Fix online, it seems they may have even more variations of white than we found in the local store. I applied up to three layers of Porc-A-Fix depending upon the depth of the chip and then sanded it smooth as best I could.

[66Overlander]

Time for some updates. There was no further progress in March to mention after my last post. April was a but of a slow month progress wise, but I was able to install the longer 8" spout on the kitchen faucet, replacing the 6" spout that came with the faucet. The new spout is a little taller and slightly curved, but still looks good.

I also drilled out the rivets holing on the Serial Number plate since all of the rivets were loose and leaking.

I then cut an access hole in the inner skin to allow the serial number plate to be buck riveted back on. The access hole will be hidden behind the fridge once it is reinstalled. Once the skin was opened, I found many rivet shards stuck in the insulation suggesting that the serial number plate had been re-riveted in place multiple times with the "exploding" type repair rivets that were used before Olympic rivets came around.

I then buck riveted the serial number plaque back on sealing the holes with Tempro/Vulkem and either rivet washers or backer strips of aluminum on the inside because some of the holes in the outer skin were enlarged and out of round.

I then closed the access hole with a new patch.

Next post will address progress in the month of May.

[66Overlander]

In May progress began on a couple of fronts, first was the fridge. Back in October 2020, I had taken the fridge back to the guy that originally converted it for some "tweaking". In early May, I drove back to Indiana to finally pick it up. The changes were the addition of a second cold plate in the freezer (sorry no photo) and the relocation of the compressor to a centered and slightly higher location on the back of the fridge to provide better clearance to the trailer inner skin and allow easier access thru the fridge access door. Once I got it to the trailer, I did a quick operational test before moving it into the trailer. It seemed to cool more quickly than before.

I decided to improve fridge operation (especially when the curbside was in direct sunlight) I should insulate the fridge access door and added a inner skin to the door in two sections (due to a rib the bisected the opening) and a layer of fiberglass in between. I also insulated the inner skin behind the fridge with a layer of fiberglass held in place with luan.

I then got a couple of friends to help me get the very heavy fridge inside the trailer and temporarily slide into place.

At this point in time, I decide that I should test the black tank for leaks before proceeding to run 12V wires for the fridge and permanently bolt the fridge into place, just in case the black tank (and everything on the curbside) had to come out so the tank could be repaired. My next post will address the black tank.

[66Overlander]

OK, so here is the black tank story. Back in the fall of 2019 when I did the initial water test of the drain plumbing, I found leaks at the black tank valve assembly. At that time, I discovered the I had over tightened the bolts attaching the plastic dump valve and cracked the corners off from the valve. I assumed at the time that the leak was caused by the cracked valve.

As I got close to bolting the fridge into place, I decided that I had better test the black tank for leaks before I went any further with fridge installation. I bought a pipe plug and installed it in the black tank valve adapter plate opening to see if the adapter plate to black tank brass insert was the source of the leak. I installed the plug and dumped a gallon of water in the black tank and soon had a dripping leak.

I took the adapter plate off and installed the plug in the opening in the brass inserting in the black tank itself and soon found the leak was actually seepage between the brass insert and the fiberglass of the black tank.

Now I had a real challenge. Could I find a way to repair the black tank in place with having to remove it and possibly remove some or all of the curbside cabinetry to allow removal of the tank, since the tank extended under both the bath cabinet and under the rear closet in the bedroom area.

After a call to a "fiberglass guy", he suggested that I use West Systems 105 epoxy resin and either the slow (206) or extra slow (207) hardener depending upon the ambient temperature I would be working at. He wanted a slow cure to allow the epoxy to seep into any cracks before hardening. I ended up buying the epoxy and slow hardener. As recommended I did a curing test on a bench top before attempting a repair on the tank itself. It took many hours for the epoxy to set up, though a full cure might not be reached for up to 4 days.

I installed a West Systems syringe on a stick to allow me to apply the epoxy precisely thru the "smallish" toilet hole on the top of the tank.

Now I had to clean the application area. I found the black tank had been built of fiberglass, then a 3" hole cut in the bottom before the brass insert with a 2" opening was set over the hole than then fiberglassed from the outside. The inside the tank, there was nothing to seal the brass to the fiberglass, a seemingly poor design decision. I found the interface area to be dirty and corroded, but after much wire brushing and sanding and rubbing alcohol wipe downs from below thru the 2" hole, I eventually got everything clean enough to be ready for an application of epoxy.

I then found a rubber plumbing coupler that could be compressed and inserted thru the 2" hole that would act as a dam to keep the epoxy in the interface area rather than leaking out the 2" hole. I tested epoxy on the coupler to make sure that they could be separated after the epoxy cured. I was able to easily apply the epoxy from above thru the toilet hole using the syringe on a stick and then a small artist paintbrush to move the epoxy around as necessary.

The next day I pulled out the rubber coupler, but I waited a few more days for a full cure before I chamfered the edge with a file. The epoxy had wicked up the edge of the rubber coupler creating a small permanent dam that I wanted to remove. After the edge was chambered I installed the pipe plug and tested the tank with a gallon of water and found no leaks after a couple of hours. I then installed the black valve adapter plate and installed the plug in the 2" opening in the adapter plate to test the brass to adapter plate interface for leaks and after an hour there were no leaks.

This sets me up to permanently install the fridge, black tank valve, and "collector" that ties the black and gray water drain pipes together. I will get to that when my schedule allows.

I should note that I worked on a couple of other items during the days I let the epoxy fully cure. Perhaps I will post about those items next time, but I am done posting for tonight.

[dbj216]

Hello Joe: I should think that posting at mid-night after a day of working on the Airstream would be enough for just about anybody.

You have a good working vintage fridge and now a sealed up fiberglass and brass black tank. That would be a challenge for anyone of us.

Thank for posting your progress steps on this around the world Airstream. It will be too nice to even use the thing. Museum piece. Jackson Center would welcome it someday.

David

[66Overlander]

Finally time for another update. The main "side project" I worked on in late May while the black tank epoxy cured was to install a Propane/Carbon Monoxide Alarm. After much investigation, I decided the least obtrusive detector to install would be the RVSafe version and the least obtrusive location I could find to install it was in the closet wall where it would be tucked between the fridge and the (yet to be installed) room divider curtain. I mounted it vertically, which is allowed per the instruction sheet.


A plus was that I already had access to a 12V power circuit inside that closet. I used an outlet box and corrugated conduit to "hide"/protect the wiring.


I also removed and reinstalled the bathtub drain using silicone caulk rather than plumbers putty. This stopped the leaks that had previously existed between the drain and the fiberglass tub. No photos though.

Then I stopped work on Cramer and we took our first Airstream trip in about 18 months (the last being on October 2019, pre-COVID). We took about 2 weeks to attend the WBCCI Region 1 Rally in Massachusetts and make a variety of vintage Airstream "parts retrieval" visits in Virginia, North Carolina, and Ohio. We put about 2500 towing miles on the 2016 Classic and had a great time!

Finally back home, in early July, I had time to install a modern toilet in Cramer. We had actually picked up this new-old-stock (NOS) toilet during one of the "parts retrieval" stops on the June trip. This may be a temporary installation if I am able to eventually repair the original 1962 toilet, but that may require manufacturing a replacement part for a broken part, so for now I did not want the toilet to be on the critical timeline to being able to use Cramer. The toilet we got is a low profile "hand flush" version of the Thetford Aqua-Magic IV which just happened to be available as I looked for other vintage parts, and checking the stats, it is about the lowest profile toilet available, which helps when sitting on top of an above floor black tank. The "bone" color looks nice in the bathroom (better than the other option of "stark white" would have looked).


That was it for July progress as we soon left again for about a 3-week, 2000+ towing mile trip to the WBCCI International Rally in Lebanon, TN and then visits to friends in Arkansas, Missouri, and Indiana. We once again greatly enjoyed our time camping in an Airstream. We need to make time for more of that going forward.


My next post will start to tell the story of Cramer progress in August after our return home.