VAL Digest V1 #176

VAL Digest          Wednesday, March 3 2004          Volume 01 : Number 176




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Topics in Today's Digest:

[VAL] Thank You!
Re: [VAL] Thank You!
Re: [VAL] Roof AC removal
[VAL] Call All Late 80s Airstream Owners -- Electrical Problem
Re: [VAL] Call All Late 80s Airstream Owners -- Electrical Problem
Re: [VAL] Call All Late 80s Airstream Owners -- Electrical Problem
Re: [VAL] Call All Late 80s Airstream Owners -- Electrical Problem
[VAL] Re: Hitch Stabilizer Bars on Reese
Re: [VAL] Re: Hitch Stabilizer Bars on Reese
Re: [VAL] Re: Hitch Stabilizer Bars on Reese
Re: [VAL] was hello from a new member...now searching tip.

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Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 08:26:50 -0800 (PST)
From: Chris Tognetti <ctognetti59@xxxxxxxxxx.com>
Subject: [VAL] Thank You!

Hello All,
 
I would like to thank everyone here for all the answers and help to the question I've 
asked over the past few months.  The wife and I have decide not to purchased a vintage 
AirStream as I just don't have the time to restore one.  We have decided to go with a 
new SOB.
 
Take Care and Happy Camping.
Chris, Amy, Natalie, Jordan, & Willie



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Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 11:52:16 -0500
From: "Jim Greene" <drgreene@xxxxxxxxxx.net>
Subject: Re: [VAL] Thank You!

Chris, you won't have wasted your time learning about repairing and
restoring a vintage Airstream. Most of what you have learned will probably
be useful in repairing a new SOB.

Good luck,

Jim Greene
' 68 Tradewind

- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris Tognetti" <ctognetti59@xxxxxxxxxx.com>
To: "VAL List" <valist@xxxxxxxxxx.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2004 11:26 AM
Subject: [VAL] Thank You!


> Hello All,
>
> I would like to thank everyone here for all the answers and help to the
question I've asked over the past few months.  The wife and I have decide
not to purchased a vintage AirStream as I just don't have the time to
restore one.  We have decided to go with a new SOB.
>
> Take Care and Happy Camping.
> Chris, Amy, Natalie, Jordan, & Willie

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Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 09:28:20 -0800
From: "Gary Quamen" <g_quamen@xxxxxxxxxx.net>
Subject: Re: [VAL] Roof AC removal

> Okay list, here's another one for you!
>
> Supposing I want to remove the roof AC.  What should I expect to find in
the
> opening and what do I need to get in order to put in a cover?
>
> I so appreciate you patience and help.
>
> Ruth Warren.
> 1961 Tradewind,
> almost ready to hit the road.

Hi Ruth:

I removed mine and it kinda depends on where yours is installed.  Is it
through an existing vent hole or installed in an extra hole through the
roof?  Fortunately for you the roof vents on a '61 should be square and
easily (!) replaced with an original vent or a Fantastic vent (in my case
the vent corners were rounded which made a much more difficult job of it).
If in a separate hole, I suppose you would want to just patch the skin
inside and out.  Olympic rivets on the outside and pop rivets on the inside.
I placed the holes a little over 2" apart.  On the roof you will not need to
be as particular about the quality of the material in the patch unless you
are a purist <grin>.  Seal the roof patch with Vulkem before riveting it on
and away you go.

I'll be glad to send a pic or two of my little window AC setup if you like.
Lemme know.  Works great.

GQ '67 Safari
4082 in CA

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Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 16:58:56 -0500
From: "Jim Greene" <drgreene@xxxxxxxxxx.net>
Subject: [VAL] Call All Late 80s Airstream Owners -- Electrical Problem

I'm still struggling with a 12v electrical problem in my 1968 Tradewind. I'm
getting 12V through the battery fuses to the trailer wiring and I'm getting
12V to the control panel above the fridge but nothing in the trailer that
runs on 12 volts works. Not the lights, not the water pump, not the
electronic ignition water heater or electronic ignition to the fridge, etc.

That's not the only problem.  Also, I do not have the outside marker lights,
tail lights or turn signals. It was suggested the problem was likely a bad
ground. I have grounded the battery ground to the exterior trailer skin and
I have grounded the interior 12V wiring to the outside skin. Still no
lights.

All the fuses test good with an ohm meter but I'm going to replace them
anyway if I can find them. They are MDM 40 slow blow.

What else should I try? I'm really frustrated. help.

Jim Greene
' 68 Tradewind

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Date: Tue, 02 Mar 2004 17:03:20 -0600
From: "Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer" <geraldj@xxxxxxxxxx.net>
Subject: Re: [VAL] Call All Late 80s Airstream Owners -- Electrical Problem

Jim, first you have two essentially unrelated systems, both with
problems. The exterior lights, e.g. stop/turn, license, and marker share
essentially nothing with the interior lights and appliances. They should
be wired with stranded copper wire, at least that's how they were wired
in my '68 Caravel (made in Ohio). And for my Caravel, I found I had more
problems than I had fixtures, the ground at EACH fixture was bad, then
the Bargman plug was corroded. I had to fix all those problems
sequentially. First I put on a new Bargman plug because that was far
more productive than trying to clean it on both sides (wire side and
connector side) then I applied silicone dielectric grease (with a Ford
part number) to both to keep corrosion at bay. That grease allows metal
to metal contact but keeps moisture away. I used Ford number WA-10 part
number D7AZ-19A331-A. I suspect ordinary ignition silicone grease sold
at NAPA for 1/3 the price of the Ford product will work as well with the
same longevity. I chose the Ford product because the lamp sockets in my
1986 pickup treated with it had no corrosion problems yet in the year
2000.

I found that the marker lights had plastic bases and were mounted with
pop rivets. The name plastic means, gives way to pressure, or flows
under pressure. And the washers on the rivets were loose. If I bridged
the rivet to the ground strap in the marker light, I had a working
marker light. So I completely redid the marker lights avoiding using
plastic under pressure to hold the circuit together. For three years so
far I've had to do nothing more with the marker lights. I applied a
combination of aluminum contact grease, silicon grease, aluminum and
stainless steel hardware and quite a bit of cleaning with scotchbrite.

For the interior wiring, much is in solid aluminum romex. And connected
with wiring devices made only for copper. Every connection is likely to
go open with age as the aluminum oxidizes and the aluminum oxide is a
good insulator. Every splice, every junction and every termination can
be open. There is NO MAGIC solution to the interior wiring. There is no
magic elixir to be applied to a secret spot to repair all. The aluminum
contact grease like NOALOX has to applied sparingly to EACH aluminum
wire connection in EACH circuit. Hot and ground. Its as close to a magic
elixir as there is.

What you have to do is break the circuit down by analysis. With a test
light (I prefer it to a meter because it only lights on a good circuit,
not one barely connected) grounded to the negative battery post, you
must chase EACH circuit, following the hot wire from source to load. You
can do a binary chop by testing in the middle of the circuit then
working away from the middle depending on what you find there, but I
believe the opens to be so pervasive that you can only start at the
power source and work towards the loads, the you have to do the same for
the grounds. New wire nuts should be partly filled with aluminum contact
grease before their installation. Receptacles and switches must be
manufacture/UL rated for aluminum wire. They do exist, at about $3 each
at Home Depot and Lowes. Its a benefit there to apply a bit of aluminum
contact grease (not silicone grease) at each of those connections.

For my 12 volt test light, I use a 12 volt 50 watt edison base lamp as
sold at Walmart and good RV stores. It draws 4 amps on the 12 volt
circuit to be sure its not an accidental connection that it sees. A
voltmeter can be misleading when searching for open circuits unless
there is something else there for a load.

If you work it the problems a single circuit at a time, you will
eventually fix them all. I believe there are likely problems in every
circuit so you may have to actually trace and fix each one separately,
though occasionally you will find a common problem and fix more than one
problem with one fix.

It's quite possible that every light socket and lamp in the interior is
corroded, and very possible that every lamp switch is corroded and the
corrosion is insulating at 12 volts, even though they aren't made of
aluminum.

Gerald J.
- -- 
Entire content copyright Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer.
Reproduction by permission only.

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Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 20:20:02 -0800
From: "michelle" <safoocat@xxxxxxxxxx.net>
Subject: Re: [VAL] Call All Late 80s Airstream Owners -- Electrical Problem

Hi Jim,

Since you have a vom (volt ohm meter) measure the voltage at the light or
appliance that isn't working and see if
you have 12v. If you have voltage then the ground must not be good so
disconnect the power and use your ohm
meter to see if the bulb socket is grounded. Once you get 12v at the socket
and a ground then it should work.
hope that helps.

michelle

"We make a living by what we get,
we make a life by what we give."

Sir Winston Churchill

What else should I try? I'm really frustrated. help.

Jim Greene

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Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 21:04:41 -0500
From: "Mr. Joy H. Hansen" <joytbrew@xxxxxxxxxx.net>
Subject: Re: [VAL] Call All Late 80s Airstream Owners -- Electrical Problem

Hi Jim,

Did you check the battery with a load tester?  I got one from Harbor Freight
for about $29 bucks or something like that.  Not that it's  your problem,
but a battery can register voltage, but not have sufficient amps to run
anything.  If you check the voltage, you should see 13.6 volts or higher and
not 12 volts?  Not that I know anything, just a thought.  When things set
over winter, it's usual for something to go wrong - Murphy's law - if it
can, it will.  I need my tongue jack, but it doesn't work - all interior DC
stuff works OK, but I haven't checked the fuses yet.

Too busy with reloading and CAS. :)

                                                         '69 Safari, Joy
- ----- Original Message ----- 

> I'm still struggling with a 12v electrical problem in my 1968 Tradewind.
I'm
> getting 12V through the battery fuses to the trailer wiring and I'm
getting
> 12V to the control panel above the fridge but nothing in the trailer that
> runs on 12 volts works. Not the lights, not the water pump, not the
> electronic ignition water heater or electronic ignition to the fridge,
etc.

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Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 21:10:48 -0600
From: Daniel Childress <daniel@xxxxxxxxxx.com>
Subject: [VAL] Re: Hitch Stabilizer Bars on Reese

Have a 1969 Caravel. the bars state they are for 750 lbs.  Airstream 
says that the tongue weight is 390.  Do I have the correct size? 
What happens if they are too large?
Dan 14148



>
>
>
>...
>
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Date: Tue, 02 Mar 2004 21:33:14 -0600
From: "Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer" <geraldj@xxxxxxxxxx.net>
Subject: Re: [VAL] Re: Hitch Stabilizer Bars on Reese

I'd wish for bars rated lower. The 750 pound bars will probably work but
will be harder to set for leveling and will change the equalization more
rapidly as the rig bends vertically as road surfaces bend.

Gerald
- -- 
Entire content copyright Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer.
Reproduction by permission only.

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Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 21:48:00 -0600
From: Daniel Childress <daniel@xxxxxxxxxx.com>
Subject: Re: [VAL] Re: Hitch Stabilizer Bars on Reese

I have emailed Reese and asked if I should have a smaller bar. 
Seems that the ride would be better if they were closer to the tongue 
weight of the caravel.  Looked at your 68 caravel. Nice
DAN
14148
>I'd wish for bars rated lower. The 750 pound bars will probably work but
>will be harder to set for leveling and will change the equalization more
>rapidly as the rig bends vertically as road surfaces bend.
>
>Gerald
>--
>Entire content copyright Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer.
>Reproduction by permission only.
>
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Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 20:14:02 -0800 (PST)
From: Toby Folwick <toby_folwick@xxxxxxxxxx.com>
Subject: Re: [VAL] was hello from a new member...now searching tip.

my searching tip - start now if you're wanting to buy
in the fall.  if I had waited 3 months, I could have
gotten a bambi for $1000 cheaper than I paid for my
1960 tradewind.

Toby
(outside minneapolis myself!)

- --- Craig <craigcar@xxxxxxxxxx.com> wrote:
> Graeme and List,
> 
> As a long time list reader with an Airstream dream,
> it always seems like I'm
> reading emails from quit a distance.  Every once in
> awhile I'm amazed to
> discover a message from someone who is nearly a
> neighbor.
> 
> Graeme, Congrats on the '67 Safari!  I live over
> near 98th and Penn ... nice
> to know there's a vintage Airstream in the
> neighborhood!  This weather has
> to have you anxious to get at the clearcoat ... a
> few more days like this,
> and the snow will be gone!  Of course it's March,
> and the HS Basketball
> tournament is just around the corner :-)
> 
> If all goes according to plan, I'll probably start a
> serious Airstream
> search in the fall.  Does anybody have any tips or
> suggestions for making a
> search for that "perfect" Airstream?
> 
> Craig Carlson
> craigcar@xxxxxxxxxx.com
> Minneapolis, MN
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Graeme Thickins <graeme@xxxxxxxxxx.com>
> To: <valist@xxxxxxxxxx.com>
> Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2004 8:39 AM
> Subject: [VAL] hello from a new member...
> 
> 
> Greetings to all --
> 
> Though I've been on the list for a few weeks,
> reading
> only, I wanted to now introduce myself -- because I
> just
> recently became the proud owner of my first
> Airstream!
> A dream of mine for many years...
> 
> It's a beautiful 1967 Safari Twin (22'),
> "International" model,
> with a gorgeous aqua interior!  I looked long and
> hard, and
> found just the right one for me.  One thing I
> learned along
> the way:  Airstreamers are the nicest people in the
> world!
> 
> Thanks to all who helped me out there, both by phone
> and
> through this wonderful list.  And I look forward to
> learning
> more from the group as I begin my new adventure... 
> :-)
> *especially* about polishing!  That will be my first
> order
> of business once temperatures allow here in
> Minnesota --
> beginning with stripping that optional '67
> clear-coat.
> (The interior's so nice, I don't think it needs a
> thing.)
> By late May, I hope to be able to shave in the
> reflection!
> 
> best regards,
> Graeme Thickins
> *Minneapolis, MN  *San Clemente, CA
> '67 Airstream Safari "International"
> '90 Jeep Grand Wagoneer "woodie" (black) - tow
> vehicle
> '65 VW Woodie Wagon (yellow) - tow vehicle wannabe!
> 
>
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> 


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End of VAL Digest V1 #176
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