[VAC] Re: Replumb 70' Airstream

["Mr. Joy H. Hansen" <joytbrew@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm restoring a '69 Safari that I believe has the same bathroom as your
Overlander, i.e. 27'.  According to the '72 service manual, they should be
identical with the holding tank under the floor between the frame rails.
You might not have a convenience service hatch in the rear as I do.

One of your questions or statements concerned the tub fitting.  My tub sits
on a 2X4 platform with 3/4 inch plywood to support the tub.  The tub has a
1X4 inch plywood bonded to the bottom of the tub.  The "P" trap for the tub
is very difficult to remove and I had to cut it out the trap at the bottom
of the bend as the threaded section of the "P" was glued - same thing on the
bathroom sink.  Guess A/S wanted to be sure that the joint didn't loosen.
Unfortunately, the assemblers weren't so careful when installing the vent
lines.  I see several leaks through joints that damaged the cabinet above
the tub and contributed to the damaged floor in the rear.  The holding tank
vent tube wasn't glued at all!  To get on with the Safari design, under the
floor and to the curb side of the holding tank housing, there is a plastic
cover that allows access to the tub "P" trap that is above the floor
(mostly).  The strainer is supposed to screw out of the "P" trap and the
threaded part of the "P" trap part, but it was so tight that I had to cut
the ABS plastic off to get the tub out.  The gray water from the tub is
routed on top of the floor toward the rear on the curb side, across the rear
where it joins the galley drain and then drops through the street rear
corner and joins the black water line downstream of the tank gate.  Of
course, if you have both gray and black water holding tanks, I have no
knowledge of the drain plumbing design.

I cut the gray water lines in locations that I could later repair with ABS
couplings.  The black water vent, the sink and tub vent lines are connected
and I also cut these out.  It seemed too difficult to get between the inner
and outer skin with all the plumbing in place.

I couldn't get the gate valve separated from the black water holding tank
and ended up cutting the bolts out.  I cut the gray water line where it
passed through the floor (leaving enough to join the sections with a rubber
boot rather than gluing).  So far this has worked well.  My only problem is
that new ABS fittings have different dimensions than the old.  I had to
grind off some joints to preserve the original pipe elevations and slope.  I
planned for a future black water tank failure and have arranged the
installation so I can accomplish this in the future.  In fact, I've removed
the tank and housing several times to be sure the modifications I've made
will allow removal.

I changed all the plumbing from soft copper pipe to PEX with crimp rings and
fittings.  I'm still thinking about replacing the plumbing from the mixing
valve to the tub shower and to the sink; however, I've learned a bit more
about PEX and freezing that concerns me.  It's true that PEX will expand
with freezing and not break as copper will.  However, freezing will stretch
the copper rings that hold the PEX to the fittings and they will leak.  They
can be crimped again and solve the problem, but access is not possible
unless the bathroom panels are removed for access.  The Quest fittings
seemed like a good idea; however, if the lines are not well secured, the
Quest fittings may loosen and leak.  A small matter to tighten them again,
but vigilance is the watchword.  I've installed 3/8 inch pipe to 1/2 inch
sweat coupling on the stubs from the mixing valve.  I left the stubs long
enough so the PEX an be crimped through the convenience rear convenience
hatch.

Time to figure out how to replace the nasty vinyl wall paper at fore end of
the tub.  I'm thinking to use counter top or shower enclosure wall board
rather than the vinyl.  Do you have a situation like this?  I also found
that much of the laminate in the bathroom must be reglued.  I'm thinking to
use polyurethane for the purpose.  I reglued the plywood under the bathroom
sink with polyurethane.  It is stuck, but I'm not really sure it is forever.
I couldn't get info from the list as to what A/S used as the adhesive.
Typical panel adhesives didn't seem appropriate as they wouldn't bond to the
plastic panel.

Lots of dialog herein; however, I may give  you some ideas for your
restoration and you may have ideas that will help with mine.

                                                 '69 Safari, Joy