APPLIANCES
The original Dometic refrigerator and Magic Chef range were in states of neglect & disrepair, with rusted parts that created a safety hazard. Due to time, parts & labor costs (the work was beyond my skill set and would’ve required expert help), it was impractical to repair these appliances or to bother with selling them. Fortunately, my contractors at Tent & Trailer City have a policy of recycling old appliances for scrap, so at least all of the valuable metals from these appliances are to be salvaged & reused. The remainder will go to landfill.
The wooden face panel of the original Dometic refrigerator was saved & refinished. I swapped it in place of a damaged masonite face panel of lesser quality that was installed on a used replacement refrigerator I purchased.
CLEANING / MAINTENANCE
HVAC
The original Armstrong brand air conditioner was repaired, rather than sending it to landfill or replacing it with a new unit. The A/C’s cover and a compartment door for the electrical components were salvaged from an identical Armstrong unit on my parts trailer (detailed below). The original R-22 freon was replaced by the more up-to-code and up-to-date, eco-friendly 427A, which according to the company’s website, is a “pure HFC refrigerant [with] zero ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential) and has also one of the lowest GWP (Global Warming Potential) among other retrofit solutions since its GWP is 2138.”
The bathroom vent was repaired, also using salvaged parts.
Pre-owned, vintage, aluminum exterior vent covers were purchased to replace broken plastic ones.
SALVAGED PARTS TRAILER
The 1969 Airstream Safari parts trailer was purchased in late 2011 for a little over $1,000. In its “as-found” state, the trailer was mostly gutted, with significant floor rot and the chassis completely rusted through in areas. Due to the relatively high cost of a “shell-off” restoration of the floor & chassis just to make the trailer minimally usable, the previous owner had abandoned his project, and the trailer was a candidate for scrap or junk. Ultimately, the Safari was in an accident and was sold to the insurance company, who later auctioned it off. But before that I managed to strip it for a lot of valuable parts that I’ll either use in the renovation, or keep in my inventory just in case.
Salvaged parts include:
- Entry & screen doors
- All of the windows and window frames (except one damaged wing window frame)
- All of the compartment doors and frames
- Window hardware
- Interior & exterior outlets
- Air conditioner (original Armstrong)
- Bathroom vent fan
- Interior & exterior light fixtures
- Signal light housings
- Bath hardware
- Airstream letters and badges
- Entry stair
- Copper pipe & a few pieces of sheet aluminum from the belly pan
UPHOLSTERY, DRAPERIES & FABRICS
I primarily used 100% natural products without chemical treatments for the upholstery. A possible exception is leather (chosen for aesthetics / durability), where the tanning / manufacturing process is unknown. Cotton and tweed were used throughout for seat & bed covers and curtains. The seat & mattress filling was made of:
- Two uncut 6” Queen-size Oeko-Tex Certified 100% Natural Latex foam sheets (extra firm)
- 15 yards of New Zealand Premium Wool Batting
- 13 yards Organic Cotton Ticking
WOODWORK RESTORATION
For more information on products used on this project, please visit the Products page
