The western myth of linear progress has me progressing along

Things are happening! It was a long cold winter. Building the cabinets helped pass the time but it wasn't until the warmer weather that things got chugging. Once the temperature reached 10C (50F) I was able to caulk all the seams as well as rivets. Yes, every rivet has been caulked on the inside of the trailer. Every seam, too. This baby ain't gonna leak, that is for sure. I'm sure I've used 10 or 15 tubes by now.

Partially completed

The 'camo' patch

Airstreams leak. Even though the mystery surrounding these trailers says otherwise, don't fall for it. Especially when they're 45 years old. The rear end of these trailers are particularly bad. I fixed the problem with a TON of caulking, added aluminum patches inside and out, and then did a little camouflage work with a cover patch. It worked out pretty well, I'd say.


A few other highlights! The badges are all on and the word "AIRSTREAM" is emblazoned fore and aft. The rock guard has been re-built and affixed over the front windows. The new AC arrived in record time and now sits on the roof. I had to make a few 'trusses' to keep the roof from sagging. Check them out! I thought it was an elegant solution.

Yesterday, I started applying insulation behind the front and rear end-caps. Ethan is here—and a good thing, too as he carried the AC up the ladder (70lbs—this lad has muscles) and helped press the rear-end cap into place.

Progress happens in tiny increments, day by day. I've been at this a year and a half and have started wondering what I'm going to do when the Airstream is completed. I'm sure my darling has been compiling a list, although I must say, I've kept up with the requests so far. I guess I can't spend all my time on the silver beast.

As far as the myth of linear progress, right now, I'm reveling in it. I have yet to make an error that demands I take stuff apart and start over. Jinxed? All appendages crossed, wood knocked and prayers to benevolent deities done.

You may have noticed there's no more silver paint on the aluminum. Another job completed!

Letters painted and clear coat applied.

I built the 'truss' out of aluminum stock and cut the wood on the bandsaw. It worked!

The trusses doing their job. 

Renovation in a time of Plague

Hello folks,

Well, thankfully it's not Bubonic or Black, but it's still a plague.

April 10 has arrived, and the snow is finally melting. The temperature was actually above freezing this morning. I guess I'll call the hit-men and cancel the contracts for all the gophers in the vicinity.  During the loooooong winter, I kept busy completing tasks that weren't weather dependent. To that end, I started building the cabinets. It's a fairly simple process—I had only a few boo boos that were easily remedied. Basically, make a box and then a face-plate. Of course, it helps to have a workshop with precision tools, the Kreg pocket hole jig, and lots of clamps (thank you Jim F). So today, I finished the doors. I have two cabinets remaining to be built, but I'll delay building those until I begin assembling the interior, specifically the bathroom vanity and the broom/coat closet.

With the warmer weather, I grabbed a few tools and completed a few tasks on the Airstream. The bolts holding the awning to the body were badly corroded. A little WD 40 later, I ratcheted them out. Good thing, too. The threads had begun crumbling. They were little more than 'super glue'. I replaced them with stainless steel nuts and bolts. That awning ain't never coming off.

When I was younger (OK, like 17) and doing crap carpentry, invariably a boss would say, "We're not making kitchen cabinets." In others words, hurry it up! Get that cut done! Tote that barge! Lift that bale! Well, the day has come when, yes, I was making kitchen cabinets. I took my time. The cabinets turned out better than anticipated. I even milled the oak for a custom fit. I know, I know, I shouldn't doubt myself but like most of this project, I had never built cabinets before. Precision is the key. Precision is all that matters. My wood mentor (Tommi) once said that the day would come when being out .5mm or 1/64 would be unacceptable. That is a good mantra to follow when making cabinets. It was actually a nifty challenge to strive for absolute accuracy. Sure, I'm out a 1000th here or there, but who's counting, right?

I have my doubts that there'll be any camping this summer. I don't think the Airstream would have been ready except as an aluminum tent. The C-19 plague will have us locked down longer than anticipated, is what I think. How are you doing? An unusual time, I think you'll agree. I've been listening to CBC (while building said cabinets). People are finding isolation difficult. I understand that. I lived alone for two years (just me and the dog) and I learned that solitude and loneliness are not the same. Self-isolation during this time isn't difficult for me, since I had an unintended time of training for the present scenario we find ourselves in. There's a lot of anxiety and fear out there. I feel for the folk who are in apartments with small kids—mine are grown and on their own; jobs lost; rent and mortgage stress. When I'm tempted to get anxious, I think about the trajectory of my dad's life. He was born two years into World War One, in Russia, of all places. When he was one, the Revolution happened. What a way to start life, right? My dad's family emigrated to Canada in the mid 1920s—no easy task, I'll tell you, especially with a guy like Stalin in charge. They nearly didn't make it. Dad was a teenager during the Great Depression. He lived through World War Two. If he ever had any anxiety about anything, I never saw it. He didn't talk much about his past but his example lives on.

Take care, out there. We hope to see you on the road, someday.

More winter? Not so happy.

Gluing face of cabinet to the carcass

The basic idea (expect for the grain mix-up. Might be fixing that before installation...)

Airstream cabinet Tetris.

Crappy corroded ancient galvanized screws

Snappy brand new stainless steel bolts and nuts.

Enough caulking to deny even the most tenacious drop of water.

And We're Back At it!

With the onset of winter, the Airstream has taken the back seat. Mostly because of the cold. We had a spell of -40 F/C a few weeks ago. Prior to that the days were usually in the negative double digits but the Pineapple Express arrived this week and with warmer temperatures, I've returned to the Silver Bullet. It also helps that SNP lent me his ice-fishing propane heater. It's a three burner unit: I could probably work in my bathing suit, the contraption has that much heat.

For the past year, I've been wrapping my head around 12 volt wiring. At first, everything electrical seemed like tossing chicken bones and divination but after much study and letting the information ruminate in my head, I've had success.

Life With Wire.

First success: all the exterior 7-pin wiring works!

New rear lights.

I have to say, the new marker lights look grand. It's amazing how new plastic lights gave the trailer a million dollar face-lift. Upon the advice of an electrician friend, I wired each light with its own ground, bolted to the body. There is no way in Gehenna that I'll ever have a short.

Now that the exterior wiring is complete, it's time to start the interior. I had nightmares about this a few months ago, but finally came to realize that wiring happens one circuit at a time, meaning there's no need to get overwhelmed: complete said circuit and then move on to the next. Sure, one needs to calculate amp draw, AWG required, distance, voltage drop, etc...sounds like more chicken bones and divination, right? Nah. Actually, not that difficult. ORGANIZATION IS THE KEY. Something I learned in university, a looooooooong time ago.

Take a look at the fan: it works!

Once the wiring is complete, then the interior needs to be sealed with Sikaflex 221, but I'll need a stretch of warmer weather for it to properly cure. Then, a whole huge pile of things need to be completed before the insulation in installed. After insulation, interior skins! Then, paint and build the furniture.

A trip this summer? I'm not promising anything, but it might just happen. 

It's Faaaaantastic!

Big day today. I removed the first vent and did a rough installment of the new Fantastic Fan. Process? First, drill out about 50 rivets that held the old vent in place. Truth be told, the old vent was a superior piece of work back in the day, but the motor was shot, it leaked, the lid was über-repaired. In short, 45 years later, it was a mess. Oh, and did I mention an absurd amount of ancient vulkem? The only way to remove the stuff is with a scraper and heat gun. And patience. The original gasket (or what was left of it—we'll let the archeologists argue that one) was paper with an adhesive.  Clearly, the makers of these trailers weren't expecting them to last as they have. Hence the later addition of butyl tape, more vulkem, more silicon (and please, if you ever work on an Airstream, resist the urge to use silicon. Even after decades, it simply doesn't want to come off).

The process of installation was simple. Use the foam gasket provided, mark the inner diameter of the hole, cut with shears, place fan in hole and use a few screws to keep it in place until spring thaw. I'm unable to do any caulking as temperatures are too low during the day. So, I'm working ahead.

Marlene figures this installation marks a turning point in the renovation process. Me? Not sure. I see this whole experience as a process: I have no end date, no deadlines, and no idea when it'll be completed. One thing I do know: if I were working full-time, working on the AS would potentially become tedious because it takes a LOOOOOOONG time. Putting in this fan took a couple of hours.

Two more to go.

By the way, don't always believe what you read on the internet (how's that for a revelation....). A fellow suggested, in one video I watched, to use butyl tape around the edges. Upon reading the installation instructions, the manufacturer specifically mentioned not using butyl tape. I think they're worried it might stress and later fracture the plastic flange (that is screwed onto the roof). The original AS vent was entirely aluminum—butyl tape would have been the perfect solution. No problem. I have many tubes of Sikaflex 221, just begging to be used. Come springtime.

Hole before cutting for new fan. Notice I'm standing on ribs.

Voila! New look inside. Sky light and fan.

Out with the old, in with the new.
And no, I'm not referring to dialectical antagonism.

And it's snowing!

Yup. Winter is a-comin' in, as expected and right on time. Or so we think. I'm very grateful to SNP for helping build the trailer garage. Without it, it would be another winter with no work done.

Moving the frame

As you may have noticed, the Airstream is back in one piece. It was an 8 hour job but not because of the difficulty. It was the finicky nature of putting the body back onto the frame. (If there is a next time, I'll build gantries for the shell as well as the frame. That would have simplified the reattachment process.) Without an accurate fit, buck riveting the two together might have been a problem. A few weeks ago, my nephew Dan came up for a visit with his wife and kids, and we buck riveted the body back to the frame. Nothing like working on a project to get two guys talking!

SNP and I dropping the body onto the frame

Wing window with new butyl tape

I've begun reinstalling windows. The stuff from vintageairstreamgaskets.com has worked very well. Without the internet, this kind of rebuild would be virtually impossible. The Vista View windows and stackers are all clean and clear. The new caulking is fantastic and holds everything in very well. But, I did run into a snag today. As I was reinstalling the curb-side wing window I came to realize that the bucking bar from vintageairstreamsupply.com didn't work. OH NO! There's a 18mm gap between the frame and the sash, and their bar is too large. Enter SNP. He looked at the bar and then after a moment said, "I can make you one in 15 minutes." Which he did. It fits the gap perfectly.

SNP's bucking bar.

So, the rebuild is coming along. Will I be done by next summer? Doubtful. Marlene and I may just head out with an aluminum tent. But the winter will be spent doing as much as possible, most likely and including installing the new Fantastic Fans, run the wiring, finish the plumbing, maybe even start insulating. There's no end of work to be done, but it's not a 'race to the bottom' (one of SNP's favorite sayings). It's about learning new skills and seeing progress in incremental steps.

At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

Axles On & Hanger Built

Hello all,

Still plugging away. A few weeks ago I began the process of installing the new axles. This including cutting the frame as the new Dexter axles are a tad larger than the original. I sweated bullets but in hindsight for no reason. I am discovering that my woodworking skills are coming in handy with metal work, particularly when you need accuracy and cutting the frame required that. All-in-all, the axles went in without too much fuss.

A few tools to insure accuracy.

Fit just fine.

Voila! Two new axles ready to roll.

All the windows now have new seals. They're ready for installation. They look great! I put together the wing windows—they'll be the only ones with two panes of glass. In '74 the 'double pane' was just a piece of plastic in an aluminum frame. Didn't make much sense to re-install them, so I chucked the plastic and reused the frame (helps to finish off the interior look).

Wing window: Installing the gasket with dessicant

After desiccant, CLR goop that dries solid but remains flexible.

Both wing windows complete and ready to be placed into their respective aluminum sashes.

And the  pièce de résistance! I'm not sure what y'all store your Airstreams in for the winter, but up here in the interior of British Columbia, we go big. Behold "The Hanger!"

The Hanger—aka The Parthenon or Long House or Something Vikingish

About a month ago, SNP offered to help me put up a structure to house the Airstream. Well, here it is! My son Ethan helped put on the roof; Noel was the official cheer-leader. Marlene supplied libations when we were off the roof for the day. 

Next up for the AS is insulation, plywood floor and then SNP is going to help me put the frame and chassis back together. I believe there may be choice language and even a few expletive deleted before that job is through. Once the body/frame are reunited, interior work can begin.

Are we having fun yet?!

Further Musings

It's been quiet on the Airstream blogging front, but lots has been happening. It looks like Christmas came for the next few decades in both the shop and the house. You wouldn't believe the amount of small stuff you need to get if you're rebuilding a trailer from the bottom up. Last week we drove to Sumas WA to pick up the axles (and a whole bunch of other stuff from Pic-It-Up). Today, we picked up plywood for the floor, Rockwool insulation from the wall and belly pan, new copper pipe and valves from the gas lines, PEX for the water lines, etc. Looks like I'll be installing gas lines next after which I can flip the trailer over, fill the belly pan with insulation, reassemble the fresh water tank and gray tank, assemble the floor, reattach the trim that will connect the frame to the body, and a couple of hundred rivets later, the trailer should be two halves of the same whole.

Oops. Forgot. Have to assemble and attach the axels first. As the new Dexter axles have a larger circumference axle, I'll have to cut the frame to make room. No sweat, I say. You say, are you nuts? Cut the frame? Apparently so. Last I heard, it's tough to shove a metal axle into a slot designed for a smaller one.

This past weekend, Smart-Neighbor-Pat came by and helped me build a 'garage' for the Airstream. We tend to get a lot of snow in this part of the world, so a garage is necessary to (a) keep the snow, rain and evergreen needles off the roof and (b) allow me to work on it somewhat sheltered from the elements (once said snow arrives).

Smart-Neighbor-Pat (forever now referred to as SNP) instructed me to get materials ready and on Saturday the fun would begin. And what fun was had. This is what we built. We had numerous rain delays, which necessitated whisky and Cokes and lots of good conversation. It looks a tad like a StoneAge Parthenon, minus the roof. The roof will be put on my when my sons come for a visit in a few weeks (SURPRISE ETHAN AND NOEL!!). This was surprisingly economical to build and relatively simple to do (if you have a SMP handy). SMP is a wizard with a chain saw, so that was helpful. I pounded LOTS of Re-Bar to keep it together, as well as 10 inch log screws. Marlene and I figure this could also be a great party room (should the sun ever decide to shine in the Cariboo once more).


























A few photos of other goings on with all things Airstream.
One tends to collect A LOT of different sized screws, bolts and rivets. Organization is key. So I built these two items to aid this brain-addled renovator keep organized.

The goal is to have the Airstream buttoned up and in one piece before the snow flies. I guess we'll all see if that goal is reached.

Inspired by the card catalogue at UBC. Remember card catalogues? Did my first degree with card catalogues. 

No inspiration here. Just had to get rivets organized.