FOUND!! Wally Byam's '55 Cruiser - 1956 European Caravan trailer

[goransons]

Here’s those mocked up.

[goransons]

On the good news side my wife and I wrestled the rear end cap back up in place

[goransons]

Originally Posted by prairieschooner

You may not like what my solution was but take a look at post #119. They also have a 2 speed in the same configuration. This has a different noise but with a reversible fan it makes it very comfortable inside.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f106...-122678-9.html

I think that's a brilliant idea, probably way quieter, and moves a lot more air with a lot less power. In this case I'm really trying to keep everything visible as original as possible. I'll keep digging, I just hate the idea of running 110 fans (both fans I have work) because they didn't have real junction boxes up there the leads aren't long enough (plus I'd have to drop the ceiling and run another circuit )

[prairieschooner]

Actually I was able to run the 12 Volts DC from the overhead light. I simply removed the light & that is where the 110 Volts AC connection was made, removed the 110 & used those wires to pull the 12. The fan also has the benefit of only drawing .3 amps at most (I was only able to measure .25).
I have converted all of the lights to LED so there shouldn't be any issue if that light was needed but with the other 2 LED lights in the galley and berth we really don't use that one much if at all, those LED lights only draw .2 amps. I understand trying to stay original but I am wanting to make a screen for this area anyway.
My first thought was to try and salvage one of the fans from a Suburban Furnace. I was going to either drill the fan blade piece or make a bushing. The cool part or my solution is that the original fan & bracket is unharmed & can be reinstalled if someone else wants.

[goransons]

I’ll have to keep pondering the fan issue. If I had a $1 for every 12 volt hehr motor I gave away or tossed...

On the bright side a box arrived with 2 rusty but usable bumper ends I bought off a burned out 60 Tradewind in California.

Those get welded on the back this weekend so I can finish painting the frame and bumper.

[goransons]

Nothing finished this weekend due to other obligations but still made good progress.

1. Front inside end cap.

Segments 1 and 5 are new flat 2024, segments 2,3,4 are recycled 7 panel segments I had stashed away. A couple small patches to cover clearance lights will be the only evidence. Test fitted the rebuilt 5 without tucking under the roof skin yet. Just wanted to check fit overall. 6-8 need to be sanded down and 9 will be new. Here’s the test fit



Building in the garage (ignore the mess)



Why rebuild? Here’s the old ones



2.
I finally tackled the latch side of the door skin. Made 3 test holes in scrap for the lock before I cut it for real. Inside skins, screen and insulation can go on next.





3.

Hired the Welder in hopefully the last time. Bumper ends are welded on and Por-15 is on. As soon as the Solex gets here (about 2 weeks) then I’ll start working on recreating the mounts.

Tomorrow the bumper will get primed and painted after work.

While he was here he welded up an extra hole in the black tank so I can start getting it cleaned up and ready to go back in as well

[goransons]

Forgot the bumper

[goransons]

Bumper primed then painted



Bad news, the prototype Bowen water heater failed likely due to a freeze at some point. May have to hide a modern unit behind the original cover.

[goransons]

Still need to finish cleaning glue off this afternoon and then install temporary weatherstrip until paint is done just to keep water out for the winter.

I also have to finish building the lock cover. I’m building a template in lexan so I can get the slot for the lock knob correct on the inside then will copy it in aluminum and get it painted. I hadn’t planned on putting the inside skin on it yet but it just wasn’t rigid enough without it to seal to the trailer. Happy how it’s turning out though

[goransons]

Weatherstrip advise needed. I've got some temporary hardware store foam keeping things out (testing tonight when the rain hits) on the door. I really don't want to install the final weatherstrip until it's out of the body shop, but if it still leaks I will and order more. Here's the big question.

The overlap door gasket that VTS sells, I used it on several other trailers and loved it, was easy to install etc. I've never installed the rivet in bulb seal that was the original style. I have it, but the more I read the more the word "PITA" comes up. It also doesn't look like it does that great of a job sealing. Starting in 1957 they used the same overlap gasket on the door itself and again on the flange. Is there any benefit to fighting the rivet in gasket that I'm not thinking about other than I already own it?

[Bubba L]

I’m still a few weeks off from tackling the door installation. I don’t get the riveted door gasket. I understand the way it’s supposed to work, but too complex. On our original door, there was a ‘D’ gasket, not a simulated back frame gasket. I like the idea of a wrap around gasket, but not riveted. I think today’s gasket adhesives are much more superior than they were in 1955. I may use the wrap around gasket, but I think I would try the 3m gasket adhesive versus rivets. We used the back frame gaskets on the windows with some success. We used adhesive on the frames, then pressed the frame in place over night before bucking. I like the idea of the wrap around door gasket, but not the method used way back then. I’ll be interested in knowing what you ultimately choose to seal the door. Good luck. Bubba

[57Vintage]

I used the Overlay Door Gasket from VTS as a temp while doing the rebuild. It seals fine and has held up for a couple years. I put the adhesive back on the door frame not the door skin. That eliminates trying to get the adhesive to stick around the skin rivets.

https://www.vintagetrailersupply.com...-p/vts-229.htm



You have to notch the gasket around the door latch to eliminate interference.



It looks a little ratty, but its four years old and still just temporary until I rebuild the door.

[goransons]

Today was a cold but good Airstream day (formerly known as a weekend).

This morning I finished insulating the curb side and half the front end cap. Time to hit the hardware store for more material.

It’s expensive (foil bubble) but I love that there is nothing to hold water and that I don’t itch after working with it

My 10 1/2 year old son has graduated to bucking bar worthy on panels and we finished the last of the new belly pan wrap to body. That means I was able to seal the last of the rivets and I can now finish insulating and start interior skins.



Thanks guys for the info on weatherstrip.

Here’s my dilemma. The weatherstrip is far wider than my yet to be cleaned door jam




All I can figure is that this is the intent



I’m excited to say we now officially have a bike for the back. It will be here in a few days but it’s in the hands of some very trusted friends




Lastly I needed to empty a couple propane tanks so I decided to hook up the Krefft on gas and try it.

Sparker is gone so manual light. Pilot and burner going.



Running out of gas last minute or so flame was this



Success was that it lights. It ran 50 minutes before the last was out of the tank. The freezer went from 42 to 33 in that time.

Lots to clean, adjust etc but glad it works. I still need to find an electric element, a shelf and hopefully a crisper drawer for it. The element is the critical one. I had planned to run cork floor to floor but now thinking that I will have a metal pan under the fridge. That’s a lot of flame.

[goransons]

For the moment it probably looks ugly to anyone else but today my wife and I wrestled the remade front inside end cap into place.

It’s a 9 panel cap. Counting from the left 1 and 5 are new aluminum, 2,3, and 4 are recycled 7 panel outside end caps. I figured out which ones were the closest and copied and recreated what was totally rotted out. I started to sand 6,7,8, and 9 but stopped after the hippie paint was gone because I could clearly see where the refrigerator, heater, and overhead cabinets go so I wanted to mock that up with Luan before I sand the last off. Once it’s painted though it will be the same as the back.



Here’s a close up of the cabinet location ghosts



Before:



Winter arrived today.

[goransons]

I got this photo of Helen's front kitchen from the same trip from Pee Wee, I'm trying to track down this stove top. I'm beginning to think there's no room for an oven.

Anyone know where I can find one?

[Hittenstiehl]

You are doing AMAZING work. Such nice attention to detail and history.

Nice vintage picture. Would be fun to hang a few of those in the trailer or make a book of some.

[AldeanFan]

Love logging in and seeing your progress, keep up the great work

[goransons]

Thanks you guys! Facebook friends help me figure out it's a Preway brand. A Preway Counterchef.

Here's another angle

[Argosy man]

What a great picture!

I hope you can find that Stove Top- really beautiful.

Took a while to find the electric heating element for my (only) 44 year old Dometic Fridge. There are still a lot of my model out there- but when they break, people just buy a new Fridge- so not much supply OR demand for the old parts.

Been logging in from the beginning; your thread and progress are amazing. Thank you!

Shawn

[goransons]

Me too! So far the hunt is discouraging. Thanks, doing our best to do this trailer right