Monday

Spring cleaning and repair

as April is coming and we have three weekends of 'streaming ahead, I started getting ready. The skin was dirty and getting dull, so I washed with a solution of TSP and water, this seems to do a great job for us. Next I fired up the Cyclo polisher with foam pads and a few bottles of ToolBox polish.The polish really goes a long way, as I only dab a bit on the foam pad each time. I found the polish at Lowes on sale for 10.00 a bottle. I polish an area of 2 feet square roughly, spreading the polish out with the the Cyclo, and running it over until the black oxidation starts to dry. Then I use a rag with mineral spirits, rubbed on and let to sit a minute before polishing off with a cleaner cloth. This method gives a good shine, maybe not a total mirror, but satisfactory for our trailer which sits out all the time. It also does not wear you out like a rotary polisher with rouge bars or other polishes. I was able to go around the whole trailer in 4 hours total. Next I moved to respraying the black paint on the entry steps, and front A frame. With a bit of protective making this is done quickly. moving inside, the wood walls, cabinet doors and bulkheads were looking a little dry, and I touched them up with a rag and an oil stain. this deepened the color and brought back the shine. I siliconed the tires and rubber trim. Cleaned the windows, and we are ready for our first Spring outing. I found some water from the black tank (nasty) in the area right under the valve. Used a shop vac to dry it out and poured a bit of bleach in that area. Then I added some fresh water to the tank through the toilet, with some coconut oil mixed in. This helps lube the seals and preserves them. I looked into valve renew liquids sold at the RV store, and they were the same mixture but for a lot more money. I found the leak, and though I was worried about a crack in the tank, it was the screw that holds the Valterra valve to the tank outlet. it's super hard to get to the screw effectively, but I will try to screw it back in, then Flex seal spray it. Not a bad repair, as it could have been a lot worse. The old trailer seems to hold up well each year and does not demand a lot of maintenance.i think the 60s were great years for Airstream, the quality being extra good. But of course I am an owner and a bit slanted in my opinion because of that. photos coming !