> RJ,
> Thanks once again for your input. We removed the shell from
> the frame/floor this past weekend. Heavy is an
> understatement. I was surprised to find that the floor of
> this 1956/7 unit has 5/8" plywood. I have had to retract my
> order for 3/4" plywood and change it to 5/8" What year did
> Airstream go to 3/4"?
I don't think older Airstream ever used 3/4" plywood. Maybe somewhere I
mentioned 3/4" spacers? That was to make it easier to slide the plywood
under the C Channels.
>
> You mentioned installing a holding tank/s between the frames
> (over the axle) are you speaking about a fresh water holding
> tank? I was planning on installing Black water above the
> floor (like my 76 tradewind), a gray water behind the axle
> and a freshwater???? somewhere???? Do you recommend
> installing a fresh water over the axle? If yes do you
> recommend any particular type?
Based upon floorplan and preferences, you can place them most anywhere.
The usual locations are freshwater above the floor in the front under
the sofa or dinette.
Waste tanks can go above the floor with the toilet on top, or below the
floor (but they stick out below the belly skin). Best install I've seen
is a hybrid: the toilet sitting on top of a 10" tank supported by straps
under the frames, brackets on the frames themselves, and by a flange
where the tank came up through the subfloor. It was covered with a
welded stainless shower plan, but you could use molded fiberglass too.
As for graywater, they have to go below the level of the shower floor
drain. Secondly, you can't drain the shower direct into the tank (one
guy I know did - smelly!) You need a trap before it goes into the tank.
If the shower sat flat on the floor, that would mean that the tank would
be dragging on the ground. Obvious solution is to have the shower floor
raised too, with the trap entering the top side of a tank that is
supported just as I mentioned above for the waste tank hybrid. In the
'56 Flying Cloud, the design I came up with is the shower floor is an
extension of the stainless steel raised floor for the toilet. While the
waste tank will be a rectangle and occupy one bay on the streetside
under the bathroom, the gray water will be a long shallow tank in the
bay forward of it right aft of the axle, stretching across the trailer
to the other side between the floor and frame bottom to spread the
weight to the other side. The tank will have a square riser section
under the shower bottom and above the long section, kinda like a:
_____
___________________| |
|________________________|
Sources:
http://www.incaplastics.com/ (made the original airstream tanks)
http://www.all-rite.com/ (custom tanks)
The above are local to me, but you may find other custom tank makers in
your area. You really need to watch the total weight of these things and
avoid the tempatation to put in large capacity tanks. A 10 gal waste,
25-30 gal fresh and 15 gal gray is probably the limit. Consider that
the originals were 12 gal fresh, 5 gal waste and no gray tanks, that is
a big improvement, but still requires conservation practices. I think a
lot a modern RV'es are spoiled with their 40 gal fresh and 30/30 dump
tanks...
>
> Q: What type / thickness of aluminum should I use to replace
> the belly pan?
>
.024 2024-T3 is good choice.
> Thank you.
> Kevin & Valerie Chop
>
Best of luck,
RJ
VintageAirstream.com