No Leaks! - Making it Happen.

Now the replacement Alclad panels are attached and the rehabilitated windows are back in their openings, the interior seams area sealed.  Vulkem was used as the sealant.  To me, the bold lines of the end cap look artistic.

Marmoleum Sees the Light of Day

Planning.  Changes to plans.  
So goes any project, and this vintage trailer is no exception.
In January, we found out that we chose a now discontinued color.   Marmoleum Mineral 5714 is discontinued - we needed to start again.

Limiting my choices to sheet Marmoleum, not tiles, I ordered samples in gray and cream shades in the patterns Piano, Concrete, Fresco, Real, Graphic, and Straito.

New Marmoleum samples arrived last week
I'd hoped for something that I liked almost as well, but instead there were 3 choices that I liked!
Marmoleum Real - Color Eiger is a possibility.
Marmoleum Real - Color Slate Gray is really interesting.
Marmoleum Fresco - Color Eternity very nice. 

We made these our initial preferences - comparing each Marmoleum swatch with our other fabric, curtain, Zolatone, and wood swatches.  I used a cookie baking sheet, moving them from room to room to see how different light affected the colors.  I was checking them again and again.  And again.  Finally the weekend arrived so we could check the colors all together in strong daylight - to see if our indoor-lighting flooring preferences would hold up in "real" light.

While I've never had a new house built, we've worked quite a bit sprucing up and updating our home.  Restoration of our 1955 Flying Cloud restoration is much like a stationary house.  First the structure, then the details.  I'm so excited to be in the "details" stage!

Marmoleum Real - Color Eiger is our choice.

No Interior Walls - Wires Exposed

The ceiling aluminum was removed in one large roll, with the center rivets not removed.

 









I remember seeing Airstream trailers under construction when we first took the plant tour in Jackson Center.  At the time, we were dreaming of owning an Airstream someday.  As they still make these wonderful aluminum trailers, I was excited to see aluminum cut, bent and become the cool silver bullets.  Tours occur daily at 2pm, but I suggest calling before you plan a trip.  Fortunately, we called and therefore moved our arrival date by one day.  We did then avoid inventory day when the tour is cancelled.  Our tour guide Don, a retired employee was knowledgeable and a great host!  More information on construction at The VAP - Vintage Airstream Podcast - Episode 16.

We now can see the aluminum wall studs inside our 1955 Flying Cloud.

 










Wiring in the trailer met 1955 code - scary!
Glad we are going to avoid all wire connections hidden between the skins.  All connections will be made at junction boxes to be serviceable.  Thank you Colin!

Marmoleum Mineral 5714 - Help?

It is what it is....

We may need to start the entire interior color scheme over again.

Since we made the color selections in March of 2011 – some items have been discontinued.

The materials we choose were all based on the floor covering - Marmoleum Mineral #5714.

Marmoleum Mineral #5714 is no longer made by Forbo Flooring 800-842-7839.

We will need to start again with everything…unless Colin's flooring guys have stock there?

Looking for a small miracle.

Anyone have stock?

I Want My MTV - Mobile TV

 

My dad used to own a TV repair company, but does not have any of these antenna wire fixtures. Too bad as this Braund deteriorated considerably since installed on our vintage airstream. Anyone know where I can find new old stock?

 

This antenna controller just makes me smile.  It will be cleaned up, and checked to be sure it is still working.

And normally under a protective box, the antenna gear is outside the trailer.

PanelRay Heater

Benches Make Odd Bed Fellows

Itchin' to Get into the Kitchen

It is amazing how little one needs. 
This kitchen has all I need, and all I want also!  Once it is up and running.  Ohhhhh!  I can hardly wait!

 Fifty seven years old - and built to last.

Door in-a-Door Inside Details

In contrast to the hinges, the inside latches are simple.
It's all in the details, and they all need work.

Color Color Color

Once inside Barry's 1955 Flying Cloud Airstream, one of the first things I loved was the light expansive space and the wall color.  I know green Zolatone is not to everyone's taste, but it made me so very happy!!

Scott and I spent hours upon hours looking through interior design swatches to find colors. 

• we like today 
• we will like for years to come
• will not show every speck of dust, sand, and dog hair
• are 1955 appropriate

These may not appeal to everyone, but we like these selections.
UPDATE 1/29/2014 - 
   - our Marmoleum Mineral 5714 is discontinued - we need to start again.

John Brommel - Lavatory Sink Artist

Our bathroom sink - from a sketch, to the 2-bowl mock-up, to reality. John is our favorite metal artist.

Checking the fit

From a tiny 1" x 1" Airstream specification drawing of the cross section - Scott generated a drawing, and the full-sized mock up was built. Using Barry's trailer - we checked the fit - very very very close.

Oooooo - I am getting excited to see our Flying Cloud in person.

Sitting on the Coke Cans

Sheets of cardboard, and a printout to full size, and a stick of wood - now I can finally sit in my bathroom. The toolbox was too low for the toliet, but adding a 12 pack of Coke Zero made the height just right. I spent a couple hours checking out the fit.

Nested together, the 2 stainless steel bowls made a good mock-up for the sink that will be added to the wet bath.

More Light

Another find for missing light shades.

I'm excited for the potential of the Airstream and am really happy to find another part for the restoration. It just seems a bit odd to be buying so many interior details when we need to get a new floor, electrical system, and plumbing. Seems like arranging flowers while the foundation is caving in... fortunately we have a stong frame and I am going to keep believing that until Colin opens up the floor.

Shiny New Sink Plan

We continue to work on the bathroom plan.  It must and will be functional and therefore is the area with change.  This street-side bathroom will have a wall toward the front of the Airstream.  

The above temporary mock-up is made Lauan which is a thin inexpensive material to use for figuring out the layout.  The final wall material is not yet decided. 

The top paper circle will be where the mirror is attached.
The bottom shows the lavatory sink mock-up - it is 3/4 of a sphere. Made in stainless steel, the bottom quarter of the sink protrudes from the wall, while drain will be hidden in the wall. The back splash will be the top quarter of the sphere - here the layout mock-up is only half of a discount store bowl. The faucet is hidden just behind the wall. A quick disconnect will be also part of the faucet spout, so that we can attach the hand-held shower hose with shower head. We are checking with our local metal fabricator/guru/artist, to get the possibility and details worked out.

To the left is the promised drawing of the wall's layout.

Late Arrival - Existing 3-D Layouts

This is a post a bit out of order, sorry.
Existing layouts - in 3-D
Just click here

Naked

The walls are naked! Look at all the wide open space!

Looking to the rear of the trailer, and above the back hatch, this area behind the night-stand is the original Zolatone.  Beautiful green speckled Zolatone.

The original floor is muliple colors of what I think is lanoleumm tiles - 4" x 4" tiles.  The colors may have been nice with the interior, but I'm having a hard time seeing it in my mind.  The tiles are so worn, dirty, and discolored as is the small areas of unpainted green Zolatone.


Because we are adding a shower, the cabinet layout on this wall will be adjusted. Okay, here's the thing. I am not the handy one in the family. So as well as trying to learn to be more handy (I hope!) - my job is to document the process. So if anyone has any suggestions for how to improve this vintage Airstream blog, please do share with me using the comments feature below. Seriously, I'd like to think that I am not the only one reading this....

Interior as Found - Very Flexible Seating!

So as most of the photos are self-explanatory, I will make no comments.
Except I will need to confirm with Colin -
- I expect that the upholstery material is not period circa 1955.