Buck rivet drill bit8/19/2023 You won’t know for sure about any of this until the Airstream is properly demoed, but will help you mentally prepare for the work ahead. Is the floor soft in any areas? Does it feel like it drops down (especially in the rear)? There’s a good chance the stains have turned into more permanent rotted wood which will need to be replaced. But it could also signal larger problems you need to be thinking about now. Like we mentioned above, viewing the subfloor for water stains is a great way to look for leaks. You’ll want the interior skins off to buck rivet new ones later.Ĭhecking each rivet now will give you an idea of how many rivets you need to buy and how much time to set aside for resealing. For now, just mark the problematic ones with some tape. Use this suction cup on each one, and if it pulls off easily then it’s time to replace. Next you’ll want to check the exterior rivets for leaks. Are half of them busted? It’s going to cost a small fortune to replace them, and you may have to wait months before they’re even delivered. This is important to keep in mind when planning our your renovation. Plus they may be out of stock or hard to find, even at the places that sell them. Plan on shelling out $500-$700 a piece for any broken or missing windows on your vintage Airstream. In other words, you can’t just run down to Lowe’s and grab a new one. They have rounded corners and are curved vertically to the shape of the trailer. WindowsĪirstream windows are like gold encrusted diamonds. Oh, and add a lift for good measure, especially if you plan to boondock or take it off-grid. But if you plan on traveling with it, invest in good axels and tires. That being said - if this renovated trailer is just going to sit permanently on some property you can skip this step. Shoot, we had a 3 year old axel fail so it happens. We got lucky and towed ours about 1,000 miles right after we bought it, but we easily could have had a blowout or axel failure. In fact, I’d say get them replaced before moving the RV long distances if you can. Most likely you’re going to need new axels and tires. How about the fresh tank? Can you fill it up and use the water pump to push water to the faucets?ĭoes the hot water get hot and mix properly? All of these are important features you wan to be working properly. Testing Water Systemsĭoes your city water inlet work as expected? Any leaks around your faucets? Look for water lines in cabinets and under the sink and check for leaks. You’ll likely find even more leaks once you finishing demoing, but this is a good place to start. Also, look for water stains along the interior skins and ceiling. Start by opening the cabinets and looking for water stains on the subfloor. Over the years, rivets will lose their seal, compartments will start to leak, and rear frame separation where they put steel and aluminum next to each other is a genuine concern. As much as we love our Tiny Shiny Home there’s definitely a few flaws in the design. Even if the owner tells you there aren’t. So once you’ve made the huge decision of which trailer to buy, before you do anything it’s time to start taking stock of what needs to be fixed. Buying a vintage trailer should come with its own handbook, amiright? There are so many things you want to keep in mind when purchasing one of these beauties, but much of it you’re never going to know about until you really get in there and start taking it apart.
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