Our Airstream Passion!

2012-01-12T14:20:00.004-05:00

We are looking forward to Springstream and Stone Mountain TAC Rallys ....

Our April 2012 will have two events, the Hiawassee Rally we so enjoy and a new addition at Stone Mtn Campground. Springstream is April 13-14 Stone Mountain TAC is April 27-28. Both should be a lot of fun.

2011 Falluminum

2011-10-24T12:36:00.002-04:00

The Rally was great! Perfect Fall weather, great colors and a large crowd of Airstream people. Enjoyed the whole weekend.

FALLUMINUM

2011-10-18T10:00:00.003-04:00

Quite a few years ago we began to have small rallies amongst like minded Airstream campers, and some with other brands too. We even had people come who had not yet bought an Airstream, as they could see what others were experiencing and decide between models, new or used, vintage or later.
This began from a desire to learn about our trailers and motorhomes, while enjoying smo elaid back time in scenic spots.
We started literally with 7 units. After a few times the number grew to 10 then 20, then 30, 40 or more. We had events in many prkas and campgrounds, and the we moved the venue to Hiawassee GA for most of the events, after we had a great time there at the GA Mountain Fair Campground on Lake Chatuge.

The views, the layout, the facilities all added up well for us. We now see upwards of 100 people at the rally, many who have never attended anything like this.
The big draw of course is seeing and sharing information about our beloved Airstreams, but also the fact that we have no rules, no dues, no requirements, really not even a club, just a group of folks loosely organized. we have a fun time with a minimal schedule that offers pot luck meals, and a tour of the trailers and other RVs. The owners can choose to show or not to show their unit.
We chose Falluminum for our October event name, and Springstream for the April one.
The names caught on and we are now coming up on 12 years or so of these fun weekends.

See more information here if you are interested.

2011-10-12T12:36:00.002-04:00

Towed the 66 up to Chattanooga last weekend for some Fall fun. It was an incredible day. We went on a boat cruise, watched the College Rowing races, hit a bunch of antique shops and malls, and then went to dinner at at superb brick oven pizza place in downtown.
Later we went to a Coolidge Park concert under the stars.

I highly recommend a Chatt trip.

2011-10-05T11:46:00.002-04:00

Polishing,,,,polishing,,,more polishing. Just trying to get a nice shine, nothing perfect. Having no indoor storage I don't want to stir that nest up.
Been using F-7 with a decent variable polisher that is doing a good job. It is getting out some of the scratches from the 1000 grit sandpaper. The panels I used toolbox polish on are looking better than they did. Too many scratches and filiform corrosion spots for the toolbox to get out. The polisher is not powerful enough to get out the deeper stuff, though.

I will go back over it with Nuvite C and Toolbox one more lap. I have been doing a panel a day after work, takes about 30-45 minutes.

The old girl has definitely got an uptown look after years spent sitting in a field.
She'll be hitting the highway to Tenn this week.

It's always something!

2011-09-18T18:42:00.002-04:00

I spent some time pulling off the cover for the hitch wiring under the front belly. My lights had been intermittent. I cleaned up all the wire connections sprayed electrical cleaner all over, rewrapped the wires and sealed it all back up. It works great now.
So then I hitched up to pull the trailer for awhile just to keep it rolling, after it has sat for a month.
Got back and intended to do some polishing...found a few rear belly pan rivets that were loose. So I set out to drill those, and re-rivet. The rivet gun kept sticking and would not release the shaft after each pull. I spent way too much time taking it apart 4 or 5 times, then finally got the rivets in. Then I noticed some sealant missing on a vent. So I got out the gun and the gutter seal... an hour later I finally hooked up the polisher .

5 hours later...I cracked open a cold one! I also striped the lower molding in burgundy and black. One more stripe to add..silver in the middle. This will match the zip dee material we will use for our vintage pole awning later.

New interior items

2011-08-30T10:00:00.000-04:00

We hit the local IKEA on Sunday, where you can get a great lunch for 3 or 4 bucks, and then peruse all the crazy and inexpensive stuff they sell. Found a great brushed metal spice shelf for our trailer, and a couple picture frames with a similar metal look to use too.
When I got home I mounted the spice rack on the kitchen wall, where it will soon be joined by a hand drawn picture of us with our dog standing in front of the Overlander.
Another story here- but we were at a great party Saturday, where the hosts invite their musician and artist friends to play or display their wares. We found a great artist there who will be coming to draw the picture of us. His work was so cool and very affordable. I played guitar with a trio for 30 minute or so too...
Hope to be able to show the picture soon.....

Still need a/c, but with Sept approaching and bringing cooler weather ( we hope) we should be back out in the trailer soon.

2011-08-07T15:15:00.001-04:00

Sanding left the grey cloudy scratchy sploches where I worked on the corrosion. It did smooth out the areas, and I attacked the grey clouds with brown tripoli polish bar. Thankfully it improved a lot, and I will be able to move on to polish with either Nuvite or Diamond brite. Might try G6 first, then go with db.

More sanding and cleaning with a side of paranoia :-

2011-07-24T12:29:00.000-04:00

I get a little paranoid when using sandpaper on the trailer. But the fact is the corrosion is looking better, probably will never be perfect, but better is good.
I wet sanded today with 1000 and 1500 grit. Used Aluma Bright acid to wash it again, restricting my work to one panel, to use as a learning curve.
Washed with mild car wash and water afterwards.
I will try some polish on that area tomorrow to see if more sanding is needed or if it is coming to the point where I will be happy with it.

Slow and steady.....

Weekend work

2011-07-23T17:02:00.002-04:00

Hate those little corrosion marks on the skin. Using the Rob Baker polishing method with Diamond Brite and Cyclo I made a lot of progress shining her up. But the little marks are still there. Tried 600 grit wet sanding then some 1000 grit. It makes the skin smoother and maybe now I can polish it out more.
I also tried getting rid of some of the "shadow" of old WBCCI numbers and stickers. It even had a Good Sam Sticker I had to pull off. What remains is shinier than the rest of the skin, as it is somewhat pitted on the front, so I hit it with the 600 grit and 1000 grit so far..hope it will look better later! Sure looks rough now..

Lastly for today- I glued up some aluminum to the cracked and ugly as heck tub surround, which I puzzled over for awhile. This seems to look pretty good, now I need an idea for the molding to cover where it screws into the floor. Needs to be curvy, so I can't use the plastic wood look molding I have used before.

Polishing more

2011-07-19T13:47:00.002-04:00

More polishing...the trailer is looking way better, but still has a ways to go. I have used only Diamond Brite and the Cyclo which has worn out a few pads. The green ones seem to hold up longer as they are more dense. Ordered 8 more pads online.
It is easier than other methods but a ways to go to produce the best effect. I odn't want a show piece, but a nice shiny Airstream that looks clean.
One more pass with this then I will try some Nuvite G6 on the tougher areas, or Brown Tripoli. If I have to use wet sanding at 600 grit I will try that too. Some of the milder corrosion and scratches are already better.
You can see where the roof has not been done, and what the whole trailer was like before...very dull and chalky.
Next I will check on some powder coating I want to get done.

Polishing and Bathroom flooring

2011-07-15T18:59:00.001-04:00

Finished installing new tile in the bathroom and trimming it out. It only needs new tub surround panels underneath. Looking into having them fabbed of aluminum.

Did a 1st pass polish using Diamond Brite and Cyclo. Not too much work even in 95 degrees. Looking better but still needs attentions to corrosion and then a pass with the same polish again, or a bit more aggressive one.

Not looking for a mirror but a nice shine sure looks great.

Camping is what it is all about

2011-04-26T09:48:00.000-04:00

So we finally camped in the 66, after redoing the inside and many systems since last Summer's purchase. we hosted our twice a year camping event in N Georgia and had well over 100 people with somewhere around 50 railers and motorhomes. Mostly Airstreams ...a '54 Spartan and a few others.
The little Overlander performed well, the slight leak was fixed and all the plumbing worked as it should.

We look forward to hitting the road this summer.

More leakage and Pex Pix

2011-04-05T19:54:00.002-04:00

I bought a shut off valve for the leaky Atwood water heater. The PEX lines and fittings seem to be holding up just fine. No leaks so far, in spite of my amateur plumbing status.
There is a drip from the Thetford toilet valve at the back, and that will be addressed somehow. Meantime I put a plastic tub under it and will turn off the water supply when hot needed.

Go ahead and laugh !

Leaks are apita to deal with for sure.

Leaks

2011-04-05T08:10:00.001-04:00

After a lot of sealing on the roof vents and seams, I still had two leaks around the windows. These curved windows evidently can let water in thru the aluminum hinge at the top. I followed directions I found to fix this with silicon sealer the anti-Airstream product for any other use. You work the silicon into the hinge by opening an d closing it with the sealer in the groove.
After a nasty storm last night I will check this morning to see if it worked. ..... Later--- it was dry inside so I guess the fix is in.

Leak #2, the PEX plumbing redo is done, looking like some crazed plumber got ahold of it, but it does not leak!! Thankfully....yet the old Atwood water heater has a crack at the bottom of the tank I did not know about until I turned the water on of course. I will bypass it for now so we can camp.
Propane- finally got the tanks updated, OPD valves in and filled. Added a regulator and hoses, and the stove fired right up. Now we can cook too. Getting there!

Our 1966 Airtream Overlander has a new image now.

2011-03-22T14:38:00.001-04:00

Our Overlander started as a pretty nasty mess. The inside had rodents living in it, and there was a lot of dirt everywhere. It had been sitting a long time, and yet through all the dirt you could see the originality and the potential.
The interior is now redone, almost finished and looking pretty fine.

We have all new plumbing, redone the flooring, refinished the cabinetry and added some nice features.

Getting there

2011-03-14T07:57:00.002-04:00

Haven't posted in awhile. Been ordering PEX fittings, buying a crimp tool and getting the pipes in. So far ok though I did not realize the shower had different 1/2" fittings from the faucets. I will have to find the corrrect adaptor for that.
The crimper tool works great and using the no go gauge makes it a cinch. Hopefully we won't have any leaks!
Shan made new curtains, we choose a solid color burgundy to brighten it up as the gaucho will be recovered in a grey and black design.Should look great.
Our Springstream Rally is 3 weeks or so away, so we want to have as much done as we can before that weekend, at least the comfort items.

Flooring going in

2010-12-11T15:07:00.005-05:00

I love Trafficmaster Allure vinyl planks for the trailer. It is waterproof, looks great to me, and holds up really well in the roughly treated interior. Also HD carries it which makes it very convenient.

I decided to go with cork look this time, as I have used the wood planks twice before.

I used a box of wood plank look under the gaucho where it can't be seen, and then two boxes of the new cork look through the living area. I hope to use carpet in the bedroom, and the cork in the bathroom. I just like having carpet to seperate the bedroom from the other areas. My own quirky taste in action.

The process of installing the living area took a few hours today, then I put back in the gaucho and some trim.

Looking so much better inside the old rig. She deserves the new look after years of sitting unused!

Frustrating wood work

2010-12-03T11:48:00.005-05:00

I refinished the beautiful large piece of ash faced plywood that caps the cabinet for the refridg and oven. It also face the door opening so it is very noticeable.
After geting it to look really fine, sealing up the small old screw holes, cleaning , staining and sealing, the board cracked as I lifted it up to move.
After a few choice words, I got out the wood glue and some strips of 3/4" thick wood, and cut then glued them on to brace where the crack happened. Luckily the crack was only in the backing plywood and did not go through the ash face.
Next I am going to add another plywood section in back to strengthen the whole piece. Hope that will make it strong enough to last and take the abuse of road travel.

More little stuff done

2010-11-20T14:33:00.003-05:00

Got the two old propane lines from the refrigerator and the aux heater off today. Disconnected from the main line and will cap it off.
Sealed the outrigger under the fridge area with JB Weld and strips of metal. Decided it was in good enought shape to not need cutting out and welding a new one in.
I will be hiring a welder to put a metal brace under the step that will bolt through the door frame, but I didn't want to order the outrigger if we don't need it. This is a low stress spot a as no one will walk over it...and it wil be behind the frame where the new all electric fridge will sit
Cheating a little but it will hold up.
I also sealed up the hole in the bathroom floor with bondo and metal strips ..I did this on a previous trailer where it did not require me puling up the plywood. It's under the corner of the bathtub and closet where again no one will put any weight.
Now we can put in the plywood piece for the living area, and figure out what florring we will go with.

Floor rot

2010-11-14T11:43:00.000-05:00

The floor rot under the refrigerator near the entry door is the worst spot in this trailer. I cut out the plywood. leaving a hole about 18 inches or so across. Not sure (since I don't weld.) how to fix this and make it strong. I am thinking a 2X10 piece of wood with l brackets for extra support and some JB Weld on those as well. might just strengthen the area, then I can screw the new plywood into to outriggers also.
If that works I can then seal up the seams with some Bondo. Really I should pull off the"banana wrap" and loosen the belly pan there, to weld in a new outrigger and metal along the outside edge. But I don't weld.
SO I have to think outside the box on this one.
Luckily for me this is the only truly screwed up floor spot I found other than one under the tub where the roof vent had leaked..for a long time. That one was easier to fix and now is sealed up tightly.
I also used some wood hardener, and Bondo as needed around the edges in the main room, where they may ever have been a leak, or might be some time in the future. The living room floor is solid.

Leaks

2010-11-10T09:51:00.001-05:00

All of the 3 or 4 leaks in the 66 are from lack of sealant around the roof. The door leaks from no sealant on the "eyebrow" above it.
I mean zero.What do I expect from a trailer that has been sitting unused for maybe 15 years?
The shower had a leak around the vent pipe next to it,,,no sealant around the vent pipe at the roof. None at all left.
The bedroom leak was from another vent pipe with no sealant.
That is actually good news as almost all those spots are now sealed, and with no other leaks found at this time, I can repair the damaged floor spots and move on to installing the vinyl laminate flooring.

I suspect this trailer had been well sealed and maintained for years, then just sat the last 15 or so while the sealant evaporated, cracked and became useless.

A tube of Seamer Mate is fixing that. I have used that as well as Vulkem and Tremco in the past. They all work well as long as they are not silicone.

Gaucho "oucho" removal

2010-11-02T08:55:00.000-04:00

The screws that hold the gaucho frame to the floor were rusted just enough to make them unremovable. They are also countersunk, so it was a problem. I tried easily prying the frame up with my flat bar, and the screws literally popped out of the floor. (Photo is where the old water tank was.)

I backed them out of the frame with vise grips. I will fix the holes in the floor and then get some new stainless screws to go an inch or so from the old location.
The oak frame of this couch is really solid and well made.

I am a little worried that the side mounted table will need trimming on the mount part once I refloor, since the flooring will be a bit thicker. Hopefully this will not be an issue.

Looking forward to putting in the planking as new flooring always makes such a difference in how the inside looks. My 78 Sovereign really cam alive when the laminate went in.
We will take the gaucho cushions to the upholstery shop soon too.

Sourcing parts!

2010-11-01T09:12:00.000-04:00

Finding the cool little parts you like is always a fun challenge. Lately I have seen a shore power inlte I liked, a water inlet I liked, and an instant hot water heater mounted in a 50's Spartan. That I ireally liked, though I don't know how reliable it will be in an Airstream, as the road vibraitons can be hard on eletrical gear.

For the price which is less than half a new Atwood water heater, I may just give it a shot. After all it is way cool looking, and for the limitied hot water we use it will work well. Also we never "boondock" except for a very rare overnighter at a Walmart of truck stop.

Seeing the water and power inlets mounted on a 60s trailer I really liked the clean look, and the modern pieces did not bother me being on a vintage trailer. Originality is fine for some, but I prefer practicality that also looks good.
More wish list items.

More progress!

2010-10-30T17:11:00.002-04:00

Pulled out the old Dometic refrigerator, found that the bottom was mostly rusted , and discarded it.

The spot where it was sitting for 44 years or more, was in pretty good shape, though the wood along side between it and the oven is shot. Too much dampness took it's toll on the wood section.

Got most of the old tile pulled up, and removed the old water tank and pump. The tank had a leak, and since we never use it, it is out permanently.
Got the gaucho apart and out, so I can add new flooring underneath it. The wood around all the edges is in very good shape! NO leaks.

In a small vent area under the gaucho I found the remains of the critter that left so much mess around the trailer.
A field mouse or chipmunk, pretty hard to tell at this point. Cleaning out that last section eliminated the last bit of odor and dirt.
Measured for the plumbing replacement, and flooring.