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Old 09-12-2003, 09:45 PM   #61
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Oh-No

Yeah, I saw that thread. I plan to stake it down once it's off the frame. I think I'm going to replace all the running gear with Dexter axle and brakes. That will slow me down enough to finish construction plans. I'm thinking of using marine plywood for the first and last sheets, regular exterior plywood in the middle.
Geof: I'm planning to use all SS fasteners. They're much cheaper now than when my '59 was built. BTW, I married my first wife in Norwood. Also, I was on the Loveland Fire Department. Grew up in Goshen, Ohio.
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Old 09-13-2003, 10:01 AM   #62
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Busting rivets

Geof & 59Toaster:
I found the easiest way to remove the shell rivets:
1. Get a good #21 drill bit.
2. Split the point if it isn't already. This REALLY helps.
3. My rivets had a small dimple in the center. I hope yours do also. Don't need to centerpunch. If you need a center, use a small file to flatten the crown first, and use a awl instead of a punch.
4. It really is easier than I thought. Takes about two hours to go all the way around. Work slow and you won't oversize any of the holes.
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Old 09-13-2003, 10:09 PM   #63
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Mark....You Fire departmant guys have a hammerless center punch for breaking out side/rear car windows-It makes the glass into gravel....they are $10 at Home Depot. You can dimple the rivet head as fast as you can place it on the center....if you buy your replacement rivets for interior at a roofing supply place and buy-borrow or steal a air rivet gun you can put those 1200 interior rivets back in place in one evening. The exterior rivets take somewhat longer-and cost more...I used a 3/16 pop rivet and used Alcoa gutter seam sealer to make it watertite....But then again I didn't have more than 30 exterior rivets to fool with. Most were on those friggin' top oblong windows of which I had to replace one!... geof....keep at it!
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Old 09-14-2003, 07:49 AM   #64
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Quote:
Originally posted by geof
Mark....You Fire departmant guys have a hammerless center punch for breaking out side/rear car windows-It makes the glass into gravel....they are $10 at Home Depot. You can dimple the rivet head as fast as you can place it on the center....if you buy your replacement rivets for interior at a roofing supply place and buy-borrow or steal a air rivet gun you can put those 1200 interior rivets back in place in one evening. The exterior rivets take somewhat longer-and cost more...I used a 3/16 pop rivet and used Alcoa gutter seam sealer to make it watertite....But then again I didn't have more than 30 exterior rivets to fool with. Most were on those friggin' top oblong windows of which I had to replace one!... geof....keep at it!
I had a WBCCI member that is one of my customers at work off to let me barrow his air powered rivet gun. Plan to take him up on it. I was hoping he would log in here after I talked to him about it.
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Old 09-14-2003, 04:23 PM   #65
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Progress

Toaster: How about a progress report?
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Old 09-14-2003, 06:09 PM   #66
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drilling out 1200 interior rivets takes some time....try using a High speed die grinder with a rivet drill that a roofer uses...they are called "stubbys" they have flutes at both ends and are 80 cnts each at a roofing supply store. Once I got the hang of it we were dong a rivet a second...took 2 hours to take down the interior skin....The fiberglass is the old style-use a mask and cover up well and then a cold shower and 25mg. Benedral before bed to stop the itching....when you get it all cleaned out use a leaf blower and a fan in the window to finish off all the glass dust-forget vacumming...then you are ready to start rippong wires and closing off unneeded openings.....geof
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Old 09-14-2003, 06:28 PM   #67
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Re: Progress

Quote:
Originally posted by markdoane
Toaster: How about a progress report?
Just got out of the shower after working on it.

Well it just gets worse the more I take out. LOL. I have managed to strip out the rest of the interror in the rear. The only furnature that is left is the goucho and the table. Pull the plumbing and the executive sh!tah and I can start drilling rivets. YE HAAAAA!

I need to climb under it and get the shower pan plumbing out so it can be removed. The PO was creative in the bath to say the least. Must be 10lb of silicone in there. It feels like the deck over the black water tank is completly rotten. That matches the floor under the tank. Sad thing is I really needed that section to get a pattern. Ohh well, I'll have to mock it up with card board.

I kept hearing a bang when ever I made a big movement. Finnaly dawned on me that enough weight has come out that it lifted off the stands. LOL. I think tomorrow I'll put it on the hitch of my extra truck so it doesn't roll on me. I don't need that kind of excitment.

Here is the latest picture from this evening.
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Old 09-14-2003, 06:39 PM   #68
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How is this for creative plumbing repair...yep that's expanding foam holding the line to the bowl!

Dad had no shortage of imagination that's for sure.
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Old 09-14-2003, 08:40 PM   #69
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........some things to have handy:....eye wash-bandaids-splinter tweezers-butterfly closures.....'cuz you never learned to swear real good until you redue an Airstream!....geof
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Old 09-14-2003, 09:00 PM   #70
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Full Monty

Suggestion: The drain in the shower is a single piece that screws into the cast iron P-trap. Cross two screwdrivers in the x at the bottom of the drain and it will screw right out.
I thought mine was a two piece, with a threaded bezel onto a brass tailpiece. I had cut most of the way through the bezel when my Dremel tool broke. Tried to drift it out, finally used a chisel. Only when I got it lose did I discover it was a single piece.
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Old 09-14-2003, 09:02 PM   #71
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Quote:
Originally posted by geof
........some things to have handy:....eye wash-bandaids-splinter tweezers-butterfly closures.....'cuz you never learned to swear real good until you redue an Airstream!....geof
Nah I have worked on Volkswagons after they went to water cooling. I'm going to hell from the times I worked on my Mom's Jetta. I invented quite a few new cuss words replacing a timming belt. Few more when I put a transmission in it. Haven't got that mad at the Airstream yet.
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Old 09-14-2003, 09:07 PM   #72
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Re: Full Monty

Quote:
Originally posted by markdoane
Suggestion: The drain in the shower is a single piece that screws into the cast iron P-trap. Cross two screwdrivers in the x at the bottom of the drain and it will screw right out.
I thought mine was a two piece, with a threaded bezel onto a brass tailpiece. I had cut most of the way through the bezel when my Dremel tool broke. Tried to drift it out, finally used a chisel. Only when I got it lose did I discover it was a single piece.
Ok It attaches from the top. I was getting ready to go under it to see if it had a nut from the bottom. I'll try that and see how it goes.
Thanks for the tip.
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Old 09-14-2003, 09:37 PM   #73
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Full Monty

I spent a very enjoyable day grinding off the bolts that hold the floor channel to the floor. Finally got then all out. The ones at the very back had corroded completely through the channel, so that needs to be replaced.
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Old 09-15-2003, 06:14 AM   #74
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Re: Full Monty

Quote:
Originally posted by markdoane
I spent a very enjoyable day grinding off the bolts that hold the floor channel to the floor. Finally got then all out. The ones at the very back had corroded completely through the channel, so that needs to be replaced.
Somebody in another post had memtioned cutting a peice of plate 4-6 inches long for the corner area to spread the load. That made sense to me. If the trailer is twisting the corners would take the biggest load.
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Old 09-21-2003, 07:51 PM   #75
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Well here is my update.

Finished pulling the furnature this weekend. Removed the plumbing, toilet, blackwater and freash water.

I had heard many of these coaches had a galvanized freash water tank. Ours is aluminum. Looks in real good shape as well. The foor under it was a different story but what else is new. LOL

I also found out that our Gouch slides out. Coach has been in my wifes family 23 years and she never new. The fold up dinnette we thought was factory was not. It would not alow the Gouch to slide out. A very easy modification and It will work with the Dinnette. I had planned to make it slide out so we could use a Futon. Airstream beat me to it. LOL

Ok looks like We will be drilling rivets this week after work. With luck the body will be off Sunday afternoon.

How is everybody doing on theirs? Saw Greg has the floor up and found some frame problems.


Here is a shot to show how bad the floor rot was under the black water tank. If you look close you can see the tank. It rotted the belly pan off as well. Some cross member damage in the back. Fraim rail looks ok so far. As long as the top is ok I'm good to go.
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Old 09-21-2003, 10:39 PM   #76
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Full monty

Yeah, you got it bad. Regarding the front floor under the aluminum water tank: I thought it was just a minor floor softness until I got the belly skin off and found the frame under the water tank drain was pretty well pitted. I'll need to replace that part. The rest of my frame is in great shape, except the very rear crossmember which is rusted pretty bad.
I discovered a pretty neat way to remove the floor. Forget grinding the nuts off from below, or drilling the head off from above. I will PM the details if you're interested.
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Old 09-22-2003, 04:42 AM   #77
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Mark:
How much of a fight was lifting the body? estimated weight?

Post up this trick to get the deck up. I was going to use a cut off wheel on my die grinder.

I'm hoping to find our frame is in as good of shape. I know I have some issues under the bath. From is real bad under one end of the tank. Hope I get lucky there. Looking at the bottom I think I have a light bow in the frame from the axle back. Have to get my buddies accetalin over hear and put the heat to it and true it up if it is. There is already a 3ft length of 2x2 under the frame that the spring mounts on. I may cut that off and make it about 6ft long. Weight penalty won't be too bad and it's down low.
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Old 09-22-2003, 06:41 AM   #78
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Full monty.

Getting the body off is easy, IF you build a nice sturdy base to lift from. I did it alone with no help. Build base frame of 2x4s with 1x3 and 1x2 bracing. Lift slowly so not to twist.
After I lowered it I staked it with 3 ft long stakes.
Floor removal follows in next post.
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Old 09-22-2003, 06:50 AM   #79
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Floor removal

Steps for floor removal:
1. Use chalk line to mark the crossmembers and the 1 inch angle in the center. Only mark the first two full width sections.
2. Set your circular saw to just less than the plywood thickness. Cut just outside the crossmembers.
3. Finish opening the cuts with a Sawzall.
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Old 09-22-2003, 07:01 AM   #80
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Floor Removal

4. Mark the location of the screws.
5. Chop the plywood off just to the side of the screws. I used a 10 tooth hacksaw blade, works OK for sawing short distances in plywood.
6. Turn the recip. saw sidways and saw through the screw.

Nice thing about this method is you end up with a nice stack of plywood ready to haul to the dump.

OOPS-forgot to mention: before I started, I dimensioned EVERYTHING to the nearest 1/8th inch.
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