Exterior Lights

Last weekend I did a check of the exterior lights and noted that 3 of 4 tail lights do not work. After opening them up I saw the cause of their failure--corrosion. The corrosion was preventing a good ground for the bulb socket.

First, I decided to work on the right brake light, since that's a priorty over the two reverse lights that are still OOC. I drilled out the two rivets holding the can in and with a slight tug, the can came out. After a quick inspection I determined that the can wasn't too corroded, most of that being on the bottom. Took a wire brush, file, and sand paper and cleaned it up. Then applied two coats of black Rustoleum spray paint. Next, I soldered a small wire to the socket (bought a new one at Pep Boys) and crimped a loop fastener to the other end which was then attached to one of the mounting screws (I used screws instead of rivets to mount the can). Works great. Whooopeee!!

I got lucky with the running lights. One of the previous owners replaced them all with Peterson LED running lights with the tiny size 193 or 194 LEDs.

Today I ordered 2 clear and 2 red tail light lenses from Oasis RV. The old lenses were stained, dull, and scratched in some places. They definately needed replacing.

The "Hole" Problem

My Airstream had so many flaws when I bought it. One of these flaws were two big holes in the front bulkhead next to the reefer. These holes were very conspicuous. For the longest time I tried to decide what to do about them. Repair them? Cover them? Replace the entire wall? The choices were many. After getting some great advice from the Airstream Forums crowd, I chose the cheapest and easiest solutions. A CO2 Detector and a Route 66 license plate!!

Emblem Restoration

Time for a break from the bathroom demolition and time to have a little fun. The Airstream emblems were totally flat and listless and needed some color. I decided to use Rustoleum Spray Paint rather than using a brush. The job required lots of painter's tape and plastic for masking, and a smigin' of vaseline for the letters (just use your fingernail to rub off the paint), but the results were worth it. Here's a pic of the result. Not too shabby, eh?

Bathroom Demolition

As a result of the rear end separation problem (see earlier post), the bathroom floor had a weak spot in the center rear I just couldn't ignore. So I'm in the process of removing all the fixtures and plumbing in the bathroom so that the entire floor can be replaced. I'm not going to put the floor in myself but I can save big bucks by removing the bathroom myself. This is drugery, not my idea of fun. But it's got to be done. I started this project last weekend and, hopefully, it should be done tomorrow.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that there are an additional three benefits to removing the bathroom.

1. Pop out the dent on the rear corner curbside.
2. Fix a few bathroom fixtures (the 2-part epoxy failed in a few cases)
3. Fix the pocket door sliding mechanism

Storage Table Modification

Airstream owners who own trailers from the 1990s know all about this neat little unit. It is mounted just to the right of the main door as you walk in. It stores two Zip Dee chairs and has a flip-up small table mounted on the side, great for a laptop or light snack. Anyhow, Airstream didn't install these neat little units in the 1972 Sovereign, so I thought I would add one myself. Fortunately, my Dad is extremely good with wood and he made this one as an early birthday present.

Credenza Addition

My Airstream didn't come with a credenza/ dining table unit in the front. So, I basically had two options: (1) build a credenza, or (2) obtain a vintage credenza from a matching trailer. Fortunately, I was able to get my hands on a vintage credenza from "87MH" and a matching fold-out table from "Zeppelinium" (both members of Airstream Forums). What's remarkable about this unit is the excellent condition of the tambour, sliding door. Here's a pic of the credenza installed. Looks great, if I do say so myself.

Vintage Door Retainer Latch Repair

It appears these little, black plastic door retainers have a dubious history with vintage Airstream owners. You either love them or hate them. The reason for this hate appears to be how difficult they are to either take apart or reassemble. If you don't know much about them, the first thing you should know is that they are very durable, they are UV resistent and can be pried apart with a flat-bladed screw driver usually without breaking them. You basically put them back together the same way you took them apart--a flat-bladed screwdriver is used to push the spring back while the top is closed. This pic shows two of these repaired latches.

Additional note: Some Vintage Airstream owners don't realize this, but these retainers are also found on the inside of every door in your trailer. Don't believe me? Open one of your cabinet doors and look.

Repaired Tambour Doors

Most of the tambour doors in my Airstream were severely damaged or missing. I purchased the tambour from Winona Manufacturing in Minnesota (now out of business) and the pull handles from Inland RV in Pomona, CA. I stained each door using Minwax Dark Walnut (#2716) stain then covered each with a spray Polyurethane. A perfect match!!!

No Goucho? No Problem!

Since my Airstream didn't have a goucho, I had to do something for seating and lounging. Finding old gouchos is difficult and a matter of timing, so I did some research and discovered Flexsteel sofas. They offer several styles, colors, and prints but elected to go simple with a solid red sofa with detachable arms. In this picture you can also see my new curtains, manufactured by Ambruso.

Bathroom Fixtures Renovation

The plastic tub and bathroom countertops were discolored, stained and plain ugly after 35 years. I decided to repaint the bathroom fixtures using two-part white epoxy paint. Before I could do that, however, the existing pieces needed repair. Holes existed on a few and some were simply failing apart on the edges. Here are a few repairs I did using epoxy putty (the repaired parts are whiter than the rest of the fixture). Looks pretty good, eh?