To GAS: Thanks for your response. No vent stack there. Presumably it was
removed along with the shower and tub. The hole through which it passed is
covered by a professionally done round aluminum patch, and I have caulked
around it. There was leakage, I am sure, around other vent stacks but I have
sealed all of those. The wooden floor, with the body of the trailer resting
on it, seems to be the Achilles heel of old Airstreams. Bob
> CORRECTION TO SECOND PAR. OF MY INQUIRY:
>
> Something went wrong with the second paragraph of my inquiry. It should
> read
> as follows: "I had a very good repair shop look at the air conditioner
> last
> year, asking that it be sealed. They tightened it, but could not remove it
> to
> install a new gasket because it was so "gunked down" with dried old
> sealants
> that they feared it would have been destroyed by removing it to install a
> gasket. It was hose tested for leakage, but I assume that was only for
> leakage
> that would have been visible below the unit, inside the trailer, not for
> leakage in between the walls that would run down into the "C" channel".
>
>
> - ----- Original Message -----
> From: Robert Olsen
> To: VAList
> Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 9:29 PM
> Subject: Air conditioner for 1963 Safari Twin
>
>
> My wife and I are the third owners (our ownership is relatively recent) of
> a
> 1963 Safari Twin. It is in very good original condition generally, except
> the
> original shower and bath were removed by previous owners. That area is now
> carpeted, and there is floor rot under the carpet in that area. After a
> rain,
> the floor in the corner formed by the intersection of the outside wall and
> the
> curbside inside wall (next to folding bathroom door) in this former
> bath/shower areas is wet. I have sealed all other possible locations where
> water might enter, and suspect that the air conditioner is where water is
> entering, then running down between the inner and outer walls, into the
> "C"
> channel.
>
> I had a very good RV repair shop look at the air conditioner last year.
> They
> tightened it, but could not remove it to install a new gasket because it
> was
> "gunked down" with so for leakage that would have been visible below the
> unit
> inside the trailer, not for leakage making its way down between the inner
> and
> outer walls and into the "C" channel.
>
> The air conditioner is a Coleman, about 12 years old, and works well. It
> is
> not the original air conditioner. This 1963 trailer may have had an air
> conditioner installed when new--I think there are two 20 amp fuses in the
> fuse
> box (the trailer is in storage at the moment and I am not certain about
> the
> number of fuses in the panel).
>
> QUESTIONS:
>
> 1. Is the air conditioner the likely source of the leak showing up in the
> former shower/tub area? (I have sealed every other possible source).
>
> 2. If I replace the air conditioner (evidently necessary to seal the air
> conditioner area) should I replace it with a Dometic Penguin? If so, what
> size?
>
> 3. I don't want to tow the trailer to an Airstream dealer--too far. Will
> Airstream sell me the contoured mounting pan for a new air conditioner,
> and
> the drain hose used with the mounting pan?
> a. Is the mounting pan to be sized for the specific air conditioner
> used,
> or for the existing hole over which the current air conditioner is
> mounted?
> (The existing installation has no mounting pan).
>
> 4. If there is too much space between the main bows (ribs, frame members)
> to
> properly mount a new air conditioner without the addition of lateral
> supports
> (2) between the main bows, what material should be used for such lateral
> supports and how should these be attached to the main bows.
>
> Advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Bob Olsen
>
> PS: I am not concerned about scrapping the functioning air conditioner (I
> am
> assuming that removing it to install a gasket will destroy it). I am very
> concerned about the leak.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:45:55 -0700
> From: "gshippen" <gshippen@wyoming.com>
> Subject: Re: [VAL] Air conditioner for 1963 Safari Twin
>
> Robert,
>
> In that area is there a drain vent passing up through a bathroom cupboard?
> I found leaks around said vent pipes in both the Overlander and Globe
> Trotter. Good luck.
>
> GAS