The Hodge Podge Post

I've come to the point where I have several tasks I need to get done, in order to begin the next phases of my renovation. It's a bit scattered, and that't not my favorite way to work, but I'm currently waiting on some aluminum sheet to arrive from Airparts Inc., to perform some skin replacement while the lower internal skins are out, so that I can put them back in, and then continue with installing the top-flooring.

Other tasks that make me wait involve the wait time on the paint stripper that I'm using, so I try to fill that waiting time with other productive work.

So I'll pick up where I left off in my previous post, where I had finally stripped one interior lower panel. I've been itching to use my new buffer/compounder that I got for Christmas, so I attacked the stripped panel, and I must say I was pleased with the results so far. This is about 10-12 minutes of compounding, using (sorry Frank) the Diamond Brite Truck Box Polish.





An attempt at swirl art:


I quickly polished the small lower panel too, and started on the third lower panel, but my buffing pad got caked up and would no longer polish even after raking it out, so I was done. Note to self-- pick up some more buffing pads. Looks like it's time for an order from Vintage Trailer Supply.



There are some deep scratches and heavy corrosion that were hidden behind the paint and zolatone, but the majority of surface area for these panels will be behind the vanity, black tank, toilet, and tub, and the parts that WILL be visible look like they're cleaning up well, so I think I am going to go with bare aluminum in several sections of the trailer.

The stripping inside the trailer isn't going quite as well. It's more difficult without being able to put the panels on a flat horizontal surface to work them. Here's the stripper on:



And now after sitting for 45 minutes - 1 hour, and a lot of scraping.

On the other panels, the citristrip cut through the latex house paint and most of the zolatone. But on these panels, it's only cutting through the latex paint. The zolatone will require AT LEAST one more application of stripper.

I will be re-thinking my approach to the interior design of this section.

More hodge podge, while waiting for other stuff, I have managed to fill in all of the counter-sunk holes around the elevator bolt heads.


Next steps for the floor are to take a belt sander to even up the edges, finish removing all of the old vinyl floor tiles, and then apply the self-leveler. After that, it's time to hit it with the adhesive and lay down the tiles.

On to the next hodge podge activity. My good buddy Steve aka TheByamCaravanner had kindly offered to make an aluminum adapter plate for my black tank, so that I can use the new Valterra gate valve and new-style hose attachments, rather than the old Thetford that was standard on Airstreams of this vintage, but for which parts are no longer available. He made a plate for our other buddy Frank (you can see it here), and he has been asking me for measurements for several months now.

So finally, I had some time and I pulled the black tank out of the garage. I was still not sure what exactly Steve was talking about with the need for conversion to the new Valterra gate valve, and now I know why.

You see, I already have a Valterra gate valve.


Now at first, I thought, cool, I'm done with this project. But in the back of my mind, I knew something was wrong. In the back of my mind, I knew something was wrong the last time I took the Airstream out camping. Because the last time I took it camping, my black tank was leaking. I was thinking it was the valve, and with some luck, it would just need some cleaning.

But when I took it apart, I realized that my Valterra valve wasn't installed in any way that might fit the original casting for the Thetford. Instead, the person who made this alteration drilled 4 holes though the bottom of the tank, and installed long threaded machine screws with wide washers and big rubber gaskets that I suppose were meant to stop leaks from coming around and through them. But, they didn't.


And then I discovered why the modification was made this way. A couple of the old threaded rods that go into the original casting are rusted and broken off. So even if the PO who made this modification might have wanted to use a slick conversion plate like the one Steve made, he couldn't.


So now I have two problems. First, I have the 4 holes that go straight through my fiberglass tank. Hopefully, these can be repaired with the usual fiberglass repair techniques. But I also need to get those old rusted threaded rods out of the original casting. So far, they won't turn. I've hit them with PB Blaster and I'll try again later.

Okay, here endeth the Hodge Podge Post. Enjoy the Superbowl!