Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

OP827 wrote:Your build is looking great! Can you share how you designed the windows in front to be fixed in open position?

Sorry to be so late in reply. The windows are held open with a cabinet lid support (see link). I replaced the Phillips screw in the picture with a thumbscrew.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gatehouse-Poli ... 1000390381

OP827 wrote:Your build is looking great! Can you share how you designed the windows in front to be fixed in open position?

Here are a few pics before the rain sets in.

1. Here's a pic of the cabinet lid support installed. Only one is needed for each window, and they're both installed on the center pillar so that either person can open/close both windows. You can see my hand-turned knob on the adjustment screw.

2. The weather shield is bolted to the outside pillars (you can see the round furniture bolt on the side, which threads into a brass insert on the outside pillar.) The shield was cut to match the 20d slope of the sill and header, and it is gasketed on the top and bottom. It keeps water out at highway speeds. Incidentally, the door window, door threshold, and the lower rail of the door itself are beveled at 45d, and there have been no problems with water infiltration.

We're getting ready for the next trip, and I think we'll go to the Pinery on the Ontario shore of Lake Huron.

As you can see, now I'm working on another trailer. An elderly couple saw the Nutmeg, and offered me the Airstream at a very reasonable price. The Airstream can leak through ~4000 rivets plus all of the roof vents, awning rails, and A/C unit. Renovating the Airstream is far more work than building the Nutmeg (which will never leak). What happens is the water runs down the inside surface of the exterior aluminum shell, saturates the fiberglass insulation, and eventually rots out the floor around the perimeter. I've sealed the roof penetrations and replaced the floor (a big job) in the rear bedroom, and now I'm working on a floor section in the roadside front corner. There is still one tiny leak that needs to be found.

I expect that the Aluminati might become a fixed base camp, and the Nutmeg will be used for excursions and visiting around.

Bob Hammond wrote:

OP827 wrote:Your build is looking great! Can you share how you designed the windows in front to be fixed in open position?

Sorry to be so late in reply. The windows are held open with a cabinet lid support (see link). I replaced the Phillips screw in the picture with a thumbscrew.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gatehouse-Poli ... 1000390381

Thank you for sharing your ideas here! I am thinking along the same lines. I am looking to locate a telescoping window stay hardware that does not extend inside the interior. Similar to a stay in EuroVision windows design.

OP827 wrote:

Bob Hammond wrote:

OP827 wrote:Your build is looking great! Can you share how you designed the windows in front to be fixed in open position?

Sorry to be so late in reply. The windows are held open with a cabinet lid support (see link). I replaced the Phillips screw in the picture with a thumbscrew.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gatehouse-Poli ... 1000390381

Thank you for sharing your ideas here! I am thinking along the same lines. I am looking to locate a telescoping window stay hardware that does not extend inside the interior. Similar to a stay in EuroVision windows design.

The Eurovision lift looks like a common gas strut. They're probably available at any auto parts store. But how would it be regulated to partial opening?

Bob Hammond wrote:

OP827 wrote:

Bob Hammond wrote:

OP827 wrote:Your build is looking great! Can you share how you designed the windows in front to be fixed in open position?

Sorry to be so late in reply. The windows are held open with a cabinet lid support (see link). I replaced the Phillips screw in the picture with a thumbscrew.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gatehouse-Poli ... 1000390381

Thank you for sharing your ideas here! I am thinking along the same lines. I am looking to locate a telescoping window stay hardware that does not extend inside the interior. Similar to a stay in EuroVision windows design.

The Eurovision lift looks like a common gas strut. They're probably available at any auto parts store. But how would it be regulated to partial opening?

The stays I saw in a video of old Esterel caravan assembly where having a thumb screw to fix at any window angle. The action is similar to telescoping tripod leg, but on a smaller scale.

re: Airstream … is that actual leaking or Condensation ??? Each requires a different treatment ...

GPW wrote:re: Airstream … is that actual leaking or Condensation ??? Each requires a different treatment ...

Leaking- the previous owners were unable it maintain due to poor health, and so it sat on a storage lot for ~5+ years. It's a 1995, and the mechanical systems and cabinetwork are all intact and look like new (they never cooked in it), but the floor was rotted away in the back when the Fantastic fan leaked, as well as in front where the streetside awning rail is attached, and the front roof vent. If you know Airstreams, then you''ll understand the work involved in sealing all of the seams, vents, and then replacing the subfloor. But It'll be great when it's done - comfortable, quiet, and tows excellently.

OP827 -

Before I forget, you might look at the 'nose wheels' & towbar on the tongue. Because the distance from hitchball to axle is so short, the trailer turns extremely fast when backing up. I found that it much easier to unhitch it and position it on the campsite or at home with the towbar.

Bob, kind of makes you wonder why Trailer makers put so many holes in the roof … Here in Rainy-land , we avoid any roof holes because we KNOW they will Leak eventually …

Sorry , we were never budgeted to even get near an Airstream , but I’m sure they have a method for sealing all that Aluminum… and those holes … In a pinch I’d be tempted to use some narrow Eternabond tape for a quick fix … The old sheet metal roofer around here swears by it . I tried it and it’s Very Sticky …

Since you asked -

The major seams on the exterior skin (it has an aluminum interior skin too) are sealed with Vulkem. The exterior rivets are bucked rivets, and vulkem is dabbed on the inside of them too. At the bottom is an aluminum extrusion U-channel that joins the exterior skin to the floor, with the floor fitting into a slot on the underside of the U channel. A bolt passes through the channel and floor. (This is where the bad things happen - water runs down the inside of the exterior skin, pools in the U channel and soaks the floor via the bolt holes. Over time the floor rots away if regular maintenance is not performed.) The roof vents are installed with Vulkem caulking too, but more modern materials are available. On mine, I use a 3M product similar to Eternabond tape to reseal the vents. I did make a new skylight that I can open to ventilate and get access to the roof for inspection (I'll tell you that crawling on top of a 9-1/2 foot tall aluminum twinkie can be daunting because it's slippery and easy to damage.

After the exterior shell is finished, it is dropped and bolted on to the frame, and then passed through a water spray chamber to find leaks. When it passes the test, then all of the mechanical systems (electrical, plumbing, gas, insulaiton) are passed through the door and installed, and then the interior aluminum skin is pop-riveted in place and 'mouse fur' (a carpet-like material) is glued on, and then the cabinet work is installed.

All in all, if the rot of the floor and frame rusting is caught early, it's certainly worth the time and money to renovate. Vintage Airstreams are always in demand, and so they're easy to sell if you don't want one to live in for weeks or months at a time.

There used to be a cult ( fellowship ) out west that demanded that each member have their own Airstream to live there … and as a prerequisite , you had to give all your worldy possessions to the Cult Leader … I always wondered if that included the Airstreams too … If so , somebody owns a big collection of them now …

GPW wrote:There used to be a cult ( fellowship ) out west that demanded that each member have their own Airstream to live there … and as a prerequisite , you had to give all your worldy possessions to the Cult Leader … I always wondered if that included the Airstreams too … If so , somebody owns a big collection of them now …

I'll say that Airstream owners are clannish (and sometimes snobbish), but I don't think they're anymore susceptible to cults than anyone else. But there are 'Airstream Parks' which are exclusive or offer significantly cheaper rates for Airstreamers.

Overall, the AirForums crowd have been extremely helpful with advice for problems unique to Airstreams, much as the folks here are with tiny trailers. And it appears that some are going to adopt my technique for insulating the floor by ditching the fiberglass batts (i.e. sponges) and gluing in EPS with Gorilla glue between the chassis beams.

How about this guy … https://varr.co/our-collection-of-vintage-airstreams/ We were always under the impression that they were the Best as far as Camper trailers went … probably were the most Expensive too …
Bob, yours looks pretty Sweet !!! Certainly worth making it right …

BTW , looked up that “cult" and they’re still in Business… but now say nothing about Airstreams being required. ( guess they have enough now !!! )

GPW wrote:How about this guy … https://varr.co/our-collection-of-vintage-airstreams/ We were always under the impression that they were the Best as far as Camper trailers went … probably were the most Expensive too …
Bob, yours looks pretty Sweet !!! Certainly worth making it right …

BTW , looked up that “cult" and they’re still in Business… but now say nothing about Airstreams being required. ( guess they have enough now !!! )

The 1991 Excella 29 is very similar to mine. Mine had a shortie queen bed in back that was difficult to inch around the sides. I've decided that I'm going to work out singles (as in the pics) that can slide together for those cuddly moments. The galley in mine was never used, so far as I can tell, and mine doesn't have the easy chair (hmm, the chair changed from pic 3 to pic 4!).

I"ll say that the Airstream is really quiet & comfy, even in colder weather (>20F). The 1991 in the picture goes for about $18k-$22K. A new 30" Airstream with the same exterior shell & chassis, but with computerized gizmos goes for ~$135K now (eek!). I think some of the new ones (for Europe I think) have a hydronic Roman heating system in the floor, which would be very comfy and quiet.