Marc (my sister’s sweetie) generously offered to replace the rotten floor in Rosie, in spite of the fact that he recognized what a pain it was going to be and that I would be of no help.

As mentioned earlier [1] [2] in the blog, I have a hole in the curb-side floor and a large area of punky wood from water leaks (the analogy of the punky wood to my osteoporotic bones does not go unnoticed by me).

We debated about what area of the floor to replace given our inexperience and not knowing the entire layout of the frame. At first we were going to just do a 1.25ft x 4ft area under the vista window (next to the door), but then we decided the area in front of the door was not solid enough (you could poke a drill bit in it like paper mache).

We could tell where the ribs were running width-wise, but thought there was no support for the length-wise seam between the new and old plywood. At this point, we figured it would be better to replace the whole sheet of plywood from the door to under the kitchenette. I was planning on working on the kitchenette anyway.

So Marc dismanteled the kitchenette and was amazed at how much stuff is crammed in that 8 sq.ft. of space:

• Plumbing, gas, and electrical connections
• Hot water heater (functional? replacing?)
• Water pump (functional? probably replacing)
• Furnace (don’t trust it – replacing with catalytic or new furnace)

When Marc realized he couldn’t easily remove the rusted floor screws connecting the plywood to the metal frame, he went back to the water damage hole in the floor and cut away the rot to get a better view of what was going on and found out that there is supports in the frame length-wise that we didn’t know about.

Then he ripped out a section of the floor in front of the door that was punky and we abandoned the notion of replacing the whole sheet of plywood since we had more support that we thought. I also need to ask around about the aluminum shield under the plywood in front of the door. I assume its extra protection for the entry area.

So I got good news about the floor and a BONUS of having the kitchenette and furnace pulled out! Because my body is still under restoration, I was resigned to nothing happening to Rosie in 2006. It was a real treat to see some progress made. I really appreciate Marc making it happen, WHAT A GREAT GUY!

[Marc and the displaced kitchenette in the front section of the trailer]

I’ve been reading about replacing LED’s on the Digital RV and Airstream forums. Its difficult finding replacement incandescent bulbs locally, let alone LED’s. It’s great to Google “LED replacement GE 1383” (number on the bulb) and find a few options. Of course the one I want is $expensive$, but I’m going to keep an eye on it for a while and see if they come down in price. At least I learned some lamp terminology. I couldn’t figure out what to call the base on this one. It came out of the recessed fixtures over where the gaucho was. This will be the dinette and a bed. It’ll be good to have long-lasting energy-efficient lamps there for reading.

Old one looks kinda like this one

LED replacement looks like this

BXL630 – Elevator Cab Ceiling Spotlight LED Bulbs
Replaces “R12 Style” Incandescent #1383 & 1388
15mm Single Contact Bayonet Base

I’ve also been looking at mini-speakers that I could plug into my pda/phone so I can listen to mp3’s without headphones. I think I want something more than the cheap ones on Amazon. Guess I’ll need to investigate this more.

Well, once again its been a bit since I posted. I went back to work part time June 1st and have been trying to stay caught up on my rest. No major news on the Rosie front, but I have been thinking. Besides not being able to physically work on her, I’m also alittle unsure on a few design details.

Do I really want to get rid of the old furnace under the sink to make room for a double bed / dinette setup? Do I want to shorten the kitchentte. Do I want the bed/dinette combo? I still think the answer is yes, but I’m just a little hesitant to commit to it. I think I’d be ok for counter space if I reinstall the flip counter or get a new one. I do like the idea of having the catalytic gas heaters (1 or 2). I think I could put one on the side of the fridge (by the door) on a swivel to cover the front half and maybe one for the other half somewhere that has easy access to a gas connection (other side of fridge or other side of stove location near the remaining twin).

I’m thinking I need a professional to look at the belly pan and the septic/black tank connections. I need to get down there and take a look . I wonder if I should have the belly pan removed, the frame inspected and sandblasted and a new belly pan put on. Its such a cost, but it would make me feel more secure about the trailer’s longevity. I’d like more advice on this topic sometime. I don’t have a tow vehicle right now and I can’t do the hauling myself anyway, but I would like to know before I go replacing floor and installing anything if it needs more extensive repairs.

There’s more things, but I’ll save it for another post. Need to post more often.

This isn’t directly Airstream-related, but the progress I’ve made will bring me closer to working on Rosie. Last week I drove myself to physical therapy x2 and was able to get in the pool via the ladder vs. riding the chair lift into the pool. I was honored with a round of applause from the other PT clients. Driving on my own made me feel like a teenager again! It has been over 6 months since I drove the car. These were great milestones, but the increase in activity is wearing me out, so there’s no other news. Happy Spring!

During the week, mom and I found a really easy geocache in the Newman Arboretum of Cornell Plantations. I think mom was more excited than I was. Envision my 70-something mother and a barely-mobile back surgery patient looking under leaves and logs for a plastic container.

Then over the Easter weekend, mom and I took brother Charles who was visiting from Boston back to the plantations and found another easy cache. The picture below was the hint.

For my birthday last week, Mom helped me buy a gps receiver and bluetooth dock for my Pocket PC phone to be used in future trips with Rosie. For now, I’m going to use it to start geocaching this summer in lieu of any biking. I wrote up a review at the Digital Rv if you want to hear about my mild bout of buyer’s remorse.

At work we always have to write the dreaded user and functional requirements. Surprisingly, I am doing it willingly. Even though #1 is an assumption for me since I am part alien and don’t tolerate Earth’s biomolecular chemistry, I was inspired by the recent posts about allergies in Gadget’s Airstream Chronicles and Tour of America blogs to list it outright.

#1 Allergan free (or as much as possible): No rugs, minimal curtains, hypoallergenic cushions and pillows, careful choice on chemical use, no perfume, cats, or smoking at any time.

#2 Minimal weight: Use materials that are light weight, well distributed in the trailer. Better for environment and budget, less wear and tear, smaller tow vehicle needed, less gas used.

#3 Utility independence: Efficient 12V and gas appliances, quiet electric re-generation allowing for boondocking, cheaper camping and more parking options.

#4 Comfortable and convenient sleeping arrangement for two not-small people and occasional guest, both big and small.

#5 A place to eat and play cards for four (dinette conversion).

#6 Organized and ergonomic work space with a curbside view: chair with good back support and proper desk height, storage options, layout that accomodates for laptop, dock, network, printer, audio/visual, easy off switch for things that stay on.

#7 Simple aesthetics: My taste or lack thereof, not whats en vogue

#8 Dog friendly: Fred and Jade just ganged up on me and reminded me that I had to mention this one.

#9 Vintage Airstream: Keep look and feel whenever not contrary to first eight items.

Any other suggestions?