Super Mario Brother Style Plumbing

I apologize for not having written an update in a while, but I assure you after reading this post you will understand entirely why it’s taken so long. Stripping the interior lasted about a week and a half, however detailing and cleaning the aluminum took another week. A family friend started to polish and buff the aluminum while I was away and when I came back I freaked a bit – the buffer was actually embedding tiny circular scratches and dulling it out. Aaaaaah, so glad that mayhem is over, just left the aluminum alone and looks great after a decent cleaning. I also started wallpapering and painting but I’ll touch on that subject my next post – this post is dedicated to the headache that is plumbing. 

 

So I know in a previous post I wrote that the trailer was in awesome condition and it only had a single blown pipe. Little did I know… it was more like a bazillion issues with the piping system and seriously at one point I was entirely ready to take a gas tank and lighter to the whole thing. Luckily, I’m not THAT dangerously impulsive. I’ll try and keep this as concise as possible.

1^st (KNOWN) issue: Blown pipe near the electrical box, not good for obvious reasons.

Solution: Pipe cutter, 1” water hosing, 2 clamps. Fixed

 

2^nd (KNOWN) issue: Plumbing not routed through water heater, slightly needed for warm showers…

Solution: Remove connecting pipe, realign copper piping, clean and reuse flared plumbing connectors into water heater. Fixed.

 

 

At this point I honestly believed everything was fixed. Completely excited to test out running water, I run over to the garden hose and hook it up, turn it on, run back into the trailer, and before I even turn on a faucet I freak as there’s a sudden rush of water coming from the bathroom – which is where the electrical box is located mind you… why the electrical box is located by major water lines on the floor is beyond me… Regardless, after fixing one leak and testing out the water lines again, another leak magically arouse. And another. And another. Fun stuff.

3^rd issue: Patched hot and cold water lines were disconnected in bathroom. Looks like old patches that were cut too short so when the trailer was moving, the swaying pulled them apart.

Solution: Had to be a little smart about this one, the two gray lines are two different sizes (1” and 1.5”), but the copper lines they were being connected to is one size (1”). Bought new water lines for the patch, but used a compression adaptor for one line and a barb coupling for the other. Fixed… hooray.

 

  

 4^th issue: Turns out someone tried to solder connecting pieces underneath the bathroom sink and didn’t do a very good job, so every time I turned on the water, it leaked.

Solution: Blow torch away old solder, wire brush clean pipe lines, re-solder. Fixed.

 

5^th issue: There was a slow but steady leak coming from the faucet lines underneath the sink. The connecting piece is too rusted and old to remove and since the faucet itself is a permanent fixture to the sink, I cant replace it without replacing the entire bathroom. Not in my near future plans lol.

Solution: Plumbers glue! Really, it’s the lazy solution but it worked. Fixed.

6^th issue: While using the garden hose as a water source, the main copper line connecting the water outside to the lines inside had an enormous leak… again right next to the electrical box. I’m surprised I didn’t blow the entire electrical wiring system. So. Much. Water. Not. Even. Funny. And I’m not about to mess around trying to bend copper piping and getting things to line up right.

Solution: Pipe cutter, remove large portion of piping, bought flexible kitchen water hose, bought my new favorite plumbing toy (Sharkbite push-fit fittings), connect hose to main connector, connect other end to Sharkbite, connect shark bite to copper water line. Viola! Fixed.

 

 

 

 

 
7^th issue: After washing dishes, there was a leak by the rear goucho but it wasn’t from a pressurized water line… weird. Found out there’s a crack in the drainage line (connector part) for the kitchen sink.

Solution: Used a tar-like leak spray my friend Brittany had. Backup plan, bought $5 replacement connector part just in case.

8^th issue: Kitchen faucet line had a slow and steady leak just like the bathroom. Plumbers glue wasn’t going to work because for some reason I could move the copper piping around. Turns out someone tried fixing this and flared the copper which was being connected to a NPT fitting. Flare and NPT = DOES NOT WORK.  

 

Solution #1: Cut off flared end and use compression fitting. Stopped the leak from the copper end, but then started to leak from the NPT.

 

Solution #2: Use bowed kitchen piping instead of copper, I honestly can’t remember what its called but it’s the silver thing in the picture. And bought a plumbing cap that had a whole for the silver piping – I also don’t remember what its called, but it worked. Fixed.

 

9^th issue: After getting the water heater connected and working, the water lines were pressurized with no leaks while using the outside garden hose as the water source. Decided to take an awesome hot shower as a reward, finished, turned off water, too much water pressure blew an old patch I had never noticed before in the bathroom. Awesome…

Solution #1: Retighten clamps, confirm no leaks. Fixed. One shower later, not fixed.

Solution #2: New patch hose, new clamps

Back-up plan: Pipe cutter, cut out larger section of piping because the patch is literally like 3-4 inches long. Short flexible kitchen water hose, two Sharkbite push-fit fittings.

10^th issue: Now that pressurizing the lines via the garden hose as the main water source has been figured out. I decided to make sure the 30gl water tank and water pump were good to go as well. For the most part yea. The pump works, no leaks from the water tank, but every other minute the water pump would kick on and then shut off… the only time the water pump should turn on is to run water when I flip a faucet on. But I wasn’t running water. And the lines should be pressurized and therefore no reason the pump should be on. Whaaa theee… LEAK! Tiny leak. Somewhere. Somewhere between the water pump and the water heater. Where? I don’t know yet, because that’s how tiny the leak is. But it’s definitely a leak.

Plan of action: pull up the carpeting and expose wood flooring, turn on water pump and visually see where the wood becomes wet, follow direction of leak, plumbers glue or patch.

Needless to say, I feel like everyone at ACE Hardware knows me on a first name basis now and I learned how to fix more plumbing issues in 2 weeks than I have ever done in my entire life. Did the Mario Brothers ever do this much plumbing? I definitely didn’t find Bower or Princess Peach during any of my plumbing “adventures.” False advertisement!

 

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Stripping

Stripping! and not the kind that requires single dollar bills. The walls of my Argosy are a vinyl clad aluminum and from what the forums at airstreamforums.com have proclaimed - it is a burdensome task. So of course I procrastinated, fearing the daunting obstacle before me but eyeing the prize at the end... a beautiful shiny aluminum interior.When I finally got around to it, I decided to try different strippers; I went to Home Depot and picked up Jasco Paint & Epoxy stripper and I already had Klean-Strip stripper. It's probably a good thing to mention this right at the beginning, if you ever plan on using this stuff seriously use gloves and long sleeves shirts... this stuff BURNS if it gets on your skin. The Jasco will burn temporarily and go away, the Klean-Strip however burns and burns and doesn't stop burning, even if you use soap and water - you will have to use a grease based remover. Needless to say I ended up only using the Jasco.

I removed the side cabinets/wall thing where the table is and tried the Jasco on a small square area. I used a razor to cut crisscross slits into the vinyl so the stripper could have an easier time penetrating it. I covered the area with plastic and waited... and waited. About 40 minutes later I removed the plastic and voila, off came the vinyl with little effort to expose the gorgeous aluminum. However, I then realize I've made a drastic mistake... I cut way too deep with the razor and ended up scratching the aluminum!!! Epic fail because there is no way to fix scratches much less the extremely deep ones I just graffiti-ed onto my Argosy. Sigh, luckily I was smart enough to do the test area behind where the cabinet wall was so no one can see it. I'm thinking of etching my name in there.

before

after

After the scratch mishap, I decided to use saw blade teeth to penetrate the top portion of the vinyl and that worked well, except every once in a while I would apply too much pressure and then end up scratching the aluminum. SO after hitting the ground running with this, I decided to stop using the covering plastic or any kind of tool to scratch the vinyl and just use copious amounts of stripper.... Copious. Amounts. That seemed to work fine as well.

before

after

This has been a 3-day process (mostly trial and error) and I should finish the stripping by the end of today. Then I can start the polish and buffing. 

This is Steve and his friend Brock, Steve works at Home Depot and helped me figure what stripper to get. I told him about my project and he was so excited about it he offered to come help out! Very cool guys.

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The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

I gave the Argosy the cleaning of a life time yesterday, which gave me the opportunity to really inspect the trailer in great detail. The assessment helps me figure out what it is I need to do to make this baby my own, what I should do first, and honestly how much moolah am I really gonna be spending. 

The Good

1. Brand new tires (with a spare)
2. Stove/Oven works – runs on propane
3. Refrigerator works – can run on propane or electric
4. No leaks! It rained most of the way back from New Mexico so I was really able to find out if it did, but thankfully not a drop anywhere from the ceilings or windows
5. No cracks in any of the windows
6. Carpeting in great shape, so it will stay for now… til I get my hands on the snap-in bamboo flooring I want
7. Exterior paint job looks original and not in too bad a shape

The Bad

1. There’s a busted water pipeline in the bathroom (about a foot long), PO said the copper line froze over the winter

2. The two gaucho covers are pretty beat, will definitely need to replace those
3. There’s a decent size dent in the outer shell on the back right had side of the trailer
4. In a few places, the cabinet vinyl wallpaper (?) has bubbled or is starting to flake away due to sun damage
5. Almost every plastic storage drawer (all original) is cracked or missing handles – thinking of using a clear epoxy paint to strengthen them in order to keep the original drawers 

6. The outer shell caulking around the windows and edges need to be redone
7. Missing outer door back latch
8. Need to replace all window and door rubber lining
9. There are makeshift (pretty pattern!) curtains in the trailer and most of the original curtain fasteners on the track are broken – will need to obtain new ones and find out where to get the accordion curtains that go with this type of track

The Ugly

1. The water pipeline that runs through the trailer looks like it has been replaced or worked on before – however it turns out they completely bypassed the water heater. WHAAAA?! >.< The original pieces are nowhere to be found, so I’ll have to mess around with trying to find the right copper connectors to have the water line routed through the water heater again. With that being said, looks like the water heater hasn’t been used in years… can’t wait to find out what’s up with that… 

2. There is no awning. Or awning arms. So I’ll have to find a used one somewhere in the country or shell out over $1000 for a brand new one by ZipDee.
3. Exterior paint job will cost a pretty pretty shiny penny
4. I decided that since I’m not able to buff and shine the exterior of my Argosy (why? See previous post), I will have my interior walls buffed and shined. This however is no easy task. Apparently, the walls are vinyl clad wallpaper that is quite stubborn according to the endless forum threads out there about it. All I know is that my walls are a creamy white and kind of sticky (even after the deep clean, yuck). So I will start this task today, with a few tips from said forums I think might help expedite and ease the process, and hopefully I will have the walls stripped and polished by the end of the week… or weekend most likely. Fingers crossed it'll be as easy as this guy made it look.

Regardless, the trailer is in EXCELLENT condition for being a ’73. The previous owner really did a great job keeping it in shape with only a few minor fixes that need to be done. Scouring these airstream forums, I’ve come across much much MUCH worse conditions and I am entirely grateful I got so lucky!

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Airstream Dreamin'!

I've been day dreaming about owning my own Airstream travel trailer for quite sometime now and when an opportunity for my "international dream job" fell through, I saw my chance to pursue this slightly different dream.

Luckily, I had already done my research about travel trailers and turns out I'm a sucker for classics. Sure there are others out there that are much lighter, have newer appliances, bring all the bells n' whistles, etc. But Airstreams are like the Bentley's of travel trailers!

• They're the best built and light - They're one of the few brands that have their first models still on the road! Built to last baby, built to last
• They retain their value (gutted 20-30 yr old Airstreams can go for a couple thousand!)
• Best DIY Support (www.airstreamforums.com)
• Tons of replacement parts out there 
• Historical Icon
• Friends don't let friends tow old square boxes

As I started my search I decided on a few boundaries because knowing myself, I'd get carried away... as I usually do. I decided I wasn't willing for pay more than 4K depending on the year and the condition it was in. The more expensive it is, the longer it will take me to renovate it the way I want. I also decided that I didn't want it longer than 26 feet, I realize the 31 footers are phenomenal, but honestly it's more space than I really need and it's difficult to find places (or parking spots) to park such a massive trailer!

I had initially found a 1968 24ft Tradewind in Walsenburg, CO for $4,300 (there I go already breaking my own rules!) and it was in seriously the best shape I've ever seen in an older model and for the price. I talked the owner down to $4,000 and told her I'd make the 2 hour drive south on the 4th of July to pick up my new home. Success! Not... the night before, I received an email stating that it had been sold. This happened a few more times actually, super frustrating. 

A few days ago I found a 1973 26ft Argosy in Espanola, New Mexico for $3,500. Now, I was a bit hesitant at first because I kind of had my heart set on the shiny silver exterior that most Airstreams have. However, the Argosy's were the first to have the wrap-around panoramic windows in the front, which would increase natural light dramatically and the potential view could be breath taking. It wasn't until the mid-80s that the silver Airstream models were constructed with the wrap-around windows. Otherwise, they just have the little square widows on each end. 

I researched info about the exterior of Argosy's and I like having the option of painting the trailer whatever color I want or a cool silver/gray to match the other models. However, it unfortunately will not be an option to make it a shiny silver bullet. Arogsy's have an aluminum middle body with swirled markings done for paint prep (which can be polished out), but have steel end caps (which cannot be polished to obtain that trademark shine). 

Either way, I got a bit anxious and didn't want to lose out on yet another trailer - so after talking the owner down to $3,000, I pulled the trigger on it and made the 12 hr round trip through northern New Mexico hoping and praying that they wouldn't sell it before I got there. It was such a gorgeous drive - so lookin' forward to more trips like this with the new Airstream.

Needless to say, I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it! It has so much potential and I'm just way too excited to start working on it. The previous owners have kept this ol' girl in great shape! I am now the proud owner of a 1973 26ft Airstream Argosy.

Instagram: jeep_chica