joek
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Post by joek on Apr 10, 2017 21:23:10 GMT -8
Interesting to note that my new Fantastic fan has a much thicker body. It's about twice as thick as the first one I had, and takes about half as many screws.
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joek
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Post by joek on Apr 7, 2017 20:02:15 GMT -8
Datsun 240z
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joek
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Post by joek on Apr 6, 2017 11:23:02 GMT -8
I installed an outdoor rated 12 volt receptacle underneath the trailer, below the door. We rarely camping anyplace with hookups, so a lot of our gear is 12vdc. Handy for filling inner tubes for floating down the river, charging phones or plugging in 12vdc string lights. I plan to install a light next to it, to illuminate the step area when putting shoes on and such.
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joek
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Post by joek on Apr 6, 2017 10:54:27 GMT -8
Thanks for the replies. I did remove the entire j-rail and redo the putty tape 6 years, but it's probably a good time to redo that. I think I'll go ahead and eliminate putty between the roof and wall, and go with putty under the j-rail only. I think when trying to get it flat, you never get even pressure and may end up in worse shape because voids are created. I don't know about other trailers, but in my Shasta, all of the wood that the j-rail screws bit into is not solid wood but instead 3 layers of 1/4" plywood. Sending screws into edge grain of plywood is never going to provide a very good bite, and much less so with 3 layers of 1/4". your likely to end up going between layers and getting no purchase. I put new solid wood in the areas that I touched, but that left about 8' of the roof on either side untouched. I suppose if I'm going to pull the j-rails off both sides, it won't be much more work to lift the roof and install new blocking. Ofcourse I'm trying to avoid the "while I'm at it" disease. I did that with the car in garage, and it ended up on a rotisserie
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joek
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Post by joek on Apr 4, 2017 8:36:28 GMT -8
How thick you go will depend on how much lift you need. If you push material in there too hard, you'll start bending your ceiling down, so find the balance. You just don't want to the vent lower than the surround area, so that water could pond there. But it doesn't need bulging up either.
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joek
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Post by joek on Apr 4, 2017 5:50:56 GMT -8
Shim it up between the aluminum roofing the roof framing, so that the vent isn't in a valley.
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joek
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Post by joek on Apr 3, 2017 10:08:37 GMT -8
Hi All,
I'm a little confused on what is the recommended process for sealing the corners. When I did my trailer 6-7 years ago, I put butyl putty tape between the skin and roof lap, then again between the j-rail and roof lap. When the trailer was originally built, they didn't do anything in between the roof and skin, as all I found in there was dirt.
In doing research, I couldn't find definite opinions on whether to install putty between the roof seam and skin. Some people talk of putty, then a caulk bead to seal the putty form drying out.
On the Shasta Airflyte and most canned hams, that seam runs along the roof line, then becomes vertical down the front and back and then past vertical as it get's closer to the bottom. Without something in the joint, isn't it inviting moisture?
I'm redoing the seams in the back of the trailer. I had a leak on the curb side, that I think was actually coming from the Shasta wing attachment screws. Unfortunately I just redid the back last year to deal with termite damage, which I think we perpetuated by a leak at the rear window. This new damage is even higher up than the last repair, and involves stripping the rear even higher than I have ever gone before before, if only by about a foot. So when I put this back together, should I put the butyl tape back in the bent over lap between the rear skin and side skin? Or a small bead of Tremco 635?
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joek
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Post by joek on Apr 3, 2017 9:10:36 GMT -8
Hi All, Looking for the modern recommendations for installing the roof vent. Doing repairs now, after the housing on my Fantastic Fan cracked, water seeped through the crack and ruined the ceiling panel. When I did the install originally, I installed it with Sikaflax 1a. I'm not sure why I shouldn't just go back with the Sikaflex 1a as it didn't seem to be the cause of the failure, and getting the fan removed and all of the Sikaflex removed was fairly painless. I used my Fein multi-tool to cut the sealant underneath the flange, then a pinstriping removal tool to grind off the remaining sealant. So maybe I should use what I did before, but also wanted to get some experienced advice on what others have used with great results. Thanks, Joe
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joek
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Post by joek on Jun 11, 2016 7:35:36 GMT -8
Does anybody know of anyplace parting out vintage trailers? I broke my tongue Jack on my last trip and need a replacement. All the new jacks i find are 3 bolt with a triangular plate, but the original jack on '61 Airflyte is 4 hole and round. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Joe
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Post by joek on Jun 11, 2016 7:25:55 GMT -8
I bought LED strips to put in the back edge of the wings to tie into the brake lights, but never got around to installing them. Maybe someday...
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joek
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Post by joek on Jan 3, 2016 19:45:58 GMT -8
My space saving measures: I measured my cabinets and went Target. I bought large plastic storage containers that fit the width and depth well. Then I added shelving spaced appropriately. In the tall wardrobe in our '61 Shasta, we fit 3 containers, with space for a portable BBQ left over at the bottom and shoes at the top. Each person gets one container for clothes, in between trips they live in the attic. We pack the boxes in the house, then put them in the trailer and use them like drawers. Compression stuff sack, like for backpacking with a down sleeping bag, for dirty laundry. Spring leaf containers. Like this: www.amazon.com/Fiskars-Gallon-Kangaroo-Gardening-94056949/dp/B00004SD7D/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1451878534&sr=8-2&keywords=leaf+container they come in different sizes, we have a small one for inside the trailer, and a larger one for outside. My step is a wooden box. When not in use, it fits my stabilizer jacks and wheel chocks perfectly. Cut a cover for the sink. Adds about 30% counter space when the sink isn't in use. I like Mobiltecs idea about boat galleys. Lot's of reading here: theboatgalley.com/outfitting/
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joek
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Post by joek on Jan 3, 2016 18:45:34 GMT -8
It didn't damage the paint on my trailer, though mine is in really good condition and only 3 years old. I think it's going to depend on the bond that the residue has on the paint, if it is harder than the bond the paint has to it's own substrate, or if the paint itself is softer than the wheel, then you'd likely have some damage to the paint. I guess the smart thing would be to try it out in an inconspicuous area first.
I would think it'd work on silicone. Might still leave that final film behind but silicone remover would do quick work to that.
Do you think we spend more time fixing damage from bad repairs, or damage from repairs/maintenance that never happened in the first place?
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joek
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Post by joek on Jan 2, 2016 10:44:39 GMT -8
When I did my restore, I duct taped the tarp to the trailer for the winter. Worked great, until it was time to remove the tape and it left all the adhesive behind. I recall thinking I'd just use some nasty solvent, but didn't find one nasty enough. A combination of lacquer thinner and lots of scrubbing finally removed it, but that took a lot longer than I had anticipated and resulted in very sore fingers.
What I'm pretty sure would have worked is a pinstriping removal tool. It's like 4" diameter rubber eraser that fits on a drill motor. I've been using it to remove the left over butyl tape, on finished painted surfaces. It doesn't harm the paint and strips the butyl away pretty easily, leaving behind nothing but eraser shavings. Originally bought it to remove 45 year old vinyl adhesive on the automotive project, worked great for that too. Cheap tool too.
www.amazon.com/AES-Industries-51823-Eraser-Adapter/dp/B00488DDB8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451759514&sr=8-1&keywords=pinstriping+removal+tool
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joek
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Post by joek on Dec 28, 2015 22:09:11 GMT -8
Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I think the MDF would be a mistake. It's just a chance, but not one I want to take.
Mobiltec, I saw your post in the interior section. It does look to be a pretty good match, much better than I would have thought. I think the Amber shellac does such a good job of coloring things to its own thing, regardless of the base color of the wood. The sheets of Ash I got look similar in color to White Oak. If you could find spiral cut veneers, like what regular fir plywood typically is, I imagine it could be pretty spot on.
But, kind of to my embarrassment, when I did the original restoration I used Birch on all of the wall paneling I replaced. That basically the means the middle third of the trailer is still Ash, the rest is Birch. I was hoping to correct that mistake with this repair, but introducing Oak would be the 4th kind of wood in the trailer. (The solid wood of the cabinets is originally pine). So, as of now I'll plan to go back with Birch. It's the cheapest material out there anyway. Hopefully I won't have any issues returning the Ash.
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Post by joek on Dec 28, 2015 12:04:20 GMT -8
Picked up some 1/4" Ash plywood on Boxing Day. Got it home only to realize it is MDF core material. Not really likeing the idea of using MDF inside the trailer. Even though it's never supposed to get wet, regular plywood will be much more resistant to any moisture, whereas the MDF will act like a sponge. I can seal the back of the plywood, but it's the edges I'm most worried about anyway.
What to do, what to do. I may just go with Birch. I have a number of birch panels in the trailer now anyway but htey alwayts bug me cause the grain doesn't match. No one else notices it, they're always enamored by the warm glow of the Amber.
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