I tried replacing the shower pan. Please help.

[dbj216]

I think hot and cold water to the bath sink is expected. I use warm water for washing and shaving. It's a luxury since the early 20th century don't you know.

I purchased my waste water tanks from Inca Plastics. They did fine by me. I recommend them. Their on line catalog is huge with many tanks of all kinds of dimensions and shapes.

I'd recommend you sketch out your new layout before making any appliance placements. Plumbing in PEX is easy enough. Place your fixtures where they will work and tie them together with PEX. I found there were so many considerations when "designing" a new interior in an old Airstream. The frame rails and floor "joists" are major factors. The drains and toilet are inside the frame rails because tanks fit inside the frame rails. The shower drain trap goes below the floor, and then must drain above the floor to the tank. The drain tanks need vents that go through the roof. The fresh water tank in my 66 is above the floor in the front of the trailer so it stays heated. The fill port was already there, so I reused it. The plumbing design got tricky for me. A good plan will minimize disappointments later.

Then on to the propane system. And then on to the electrical system, both 12v and 120v. It's like building a small house!

David

[The-Marco]

If I keep the original tank and rotate it 180degrees I was going to just rout all the important stuff under the kitchen cabinets, because yes, if I didn't, the access hole would be just about at the front door.

I'm still brainstorming all of this though. I think at the moment I'm leaning toward all new tanks.


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[The-Marco]

David,
Thanks for the message, I definitely have a TON of planning to do, and yeah, I think I'll put the hot water to everything. I'd regret it later if I didn't.

And looks like my outdoor shower plan is gonna work like a charm (going in the battery compartment)




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[The-Marco]

Well it was finally time to take up my entire driveway. As hard as it was working under the shell between the wood frame, at least there was shade.

Wish me luck on the next steps going quickly!




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[Shaggy1970]

Marco while you got access to the frame I would use a d8 and sand down all the rust and corrosion and apply rustoleum non rust paint and protect the frame from cancer down the road. I rebuilt my boat trailer two years ago and applied duraliner truck protectant to all cross members and wheel wells so no chipping that will lead to rust down the road. If you need pics or questions I am happy to provide my experience. I think doing that to your frame will make it bullet proof and last for years. Cost 150 in paint and duraliner plus sand paper, that's it. I like doing the job right the first time.

[The-Marco]

Hey shaggy,
Here was my plan of attack:


I'm going to see how far I can get using my drill to do the sanding- as my compressor is quite dinky.

I love the idea of the duraliner. Do you think that will stick to the Por15? And can you coat the underbelly skins in it?


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[The-Marco]

Just got the remaining boards separated from the frame.

For the elevator bolts you can access from the edges I recommend grabbing them by the square nut from the underside with vice grips and wiggling till they break off.

The ones you have to remove from the top are a pain, I used an angle grinder, a cup of water so the wood wouldn't catch fire, and a hammer, chisel, and finally a punch to push the remnants of the bolt through. It was not pretty.




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[Shaggy1970]

Marco, looks like your on the right track. D8 and 40 gallon compressor is the way to go! I stripped sanded, taped, primed, duraliner and painted and took me two full days. The duraliner stuff I bought at napa paint store and it bonded to the primer without a problem. Used one quarter of one quart. A little goes a long way.

Pics on how the duraliner looks and how it turned out.

[The-Marco]

Do any of your 1972 21footers have this extra bit welded to your frame? On the street side rear of your trailer? Can't tell if this was done by the PO. It is not on the curb side.



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[Becky B.]

I used the POR-15 on a few frames....it's great stuff. I think it would have been easier to fix the shower pan crack in place, but you're sure doing a thorough job!! Thanks for your fun thread!

[arktos55343]

That's your skid plate. If it has a hole in it, your drain line can run through it. Mine also had the fresh water intake spigot located there.

[The-Marco]

Thanks arktos, would you be able to send me a picture of yours when you get a chance? I'd really appreciate it!!!!


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[The-Marco]

Feels great to finally be creating something, rather than demolishing! This marks the very first thing I fixed/made for the trailer!!!!


This template will allow me to make an excellent replacement for this rotted piece

[The-Marco]

Oh wait...

[The-Marco]

The subfloor is cut! Everything pretty much lines up. I didn't expect it to be perfect because I read about the frame skewing without the shell and subfloor on it, thankfully I didn't have to drive it around too much to get it on the other side of my driveway, and I haven't turned it on its side to access the belly pan.

That old piece is in there as kind of a corner stone to line up everything else off of since it's holes were the least destroyed from removing the bolts and I can see through them to the holes in the frame.

Next I'm going to:
1.prep this wood with resin
2.plot out my holding tanks
3.research good insulation for under the floor
4.clean and prep the frame/paint it
5.figure out what to do about the belly pan.
6.seek therapy to pinpoint why I take on hobbies like this to punish myself.





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[cwf]

Man... You may never do another one but you doggone sure are doing a fine job on this one!!!

[arktos55343]

Not a great pic of my skid plate, and my frame has been sandblasted and epoxy coated. The rectangular hole cut in my main frame rail (which weakened the rail) for the black tank drain was eliminated when I had my welder box in the main frame rails from the wheels to the bumper. There is also a hole in the skid plate, which could accommodate a drain line. It originally was for the city water connection, but I relocated that. Sorry for the grainy pic....can't located the original.

[Shaggy1970]

Sand blasting a frame is overkill me thinks, also you lose too much material in the process. Powdercoating is also prone to chipping, and having it rust from inside out. Sand, prep, base and paint is the way to go. Just my opinion.

Marco looking good bro. Your project is got me wanting to pick up a beater and do a complete overhaul but I am not sure if my wife would hang around for it! She has told me another project and she's out! Lmao

[The-Marco]

Don't do it shaggy! For the love of god don't do it!

Arktos, thank you so so much for the pic, it cleared everything up for me. The PO welded a bunch of stuff on, which left me guessing what was stock and what was him. That piece seemed very janky to me, especially the hole cut for the incoming water, must have been that factory worker's first day on the job. And the waste hole definitely compromises the integrity of that corner of the frame. I'll figure out how to spice that area up a bit.

Cwf, this will surely be my first and last time doing this. The Airstream Marco Edition is going to be a one-off, I guess that will make it worth buku bucks (spelling?). Jk btw.


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[The-Marco]

Okay team! So I started designing my new holding tank system and had a question...
Is there any foreseeable problems with having the shower drain directly into the gray holding tank? I'd hate to have to elevate my shower floor to make room for a P trap and the law of gravity. I'm 6'2 and headroom in the curved roof corner is scarce.



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