Fiberglass cap

Restoring a B190? Start a thread here so we can follow your progress!
kstills
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 126
Joined: Thu May 26, 2022 1:02 pm
B190 Year: 1996

Fiberglass cap

Post by kstills »

Are the ribs in our top filled with wood?
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2570
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Fiberglass cap

Post by skater »

Yes. You can see some pieces I've replaced in a picture in this post.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
kstills
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 126
Joined: Thu May 26, 2022 1:02 pm
B190 Year: 1996

Re: Fiberglass cap

Post by kstills »

skater wrote:
Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:11 pm
Yes. You can see some pieces I've replaced in a picture in this post.
So did yours rot out, is that why you replaced them?

Reason I ask is I'm wondering why Airstream didn't screw the luan into those ribs. Seems the perfect way to support the ceiling.
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2570
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Fiberglass cap

Post by skater »

kstills wrote:
Wed Aug 17, 2022 6:50 am
skater wrote:
Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:11 pm
Yes. You can see some pieces I've replaced in a picture in this post.
So did yours rot out, is that why you replaced them?

Reason I ask is I'm wondering why Airstream didn't screw the luan into those ribs. Seems the perfect way to support the ceiling.
Yeah, in my case the fan leaked and that wood around it was completely rotted out. I'm trying to remember, but I'm pretty sure they did screw the Luan into them. As I recall, the ceiling panels on the front were supported by the two side panels and were screwed in around the fan (under the trim piece).
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
kstills
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 126
Joined: Thu May 26, 2022 1:02 pm
B190 Year: 1996

Re: Fiberglass cap

Post by kstills »

I just pulled the ceiling panels off from the back to the hump in the middle of the rig, and none of them were screwed into those braces. There were some screws in the fan supports, but that wouldn't have carried the weight across the rig. Anyhow, good to know, it will make putting the new luan up a lot easier.
kstills
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 126
Joined: Thu May 26, 2022 1:02 pm
B190 Year: 1996

Re: Fiberglass cap

Post by kstills »

Hey, third pic down in the post you linked: the 120v line running in the channel up in the cap obviously ties into the 120v outlets outside. Where does it branch off to get to the outlet on the side of the counter near the flood light switch?
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2570
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Fiberglass cap

Post by skater »

kstills wrote:
Wed Aug 17, 2022 8:44 am
Hey, third pic down in the post you linked: the 120v line running in the channel up in the cap obviously ties into the 120v outlets outside. Where does it branch off to get to the outlet on the side of the counter near the flood light switch?
I'm not sure, I haven't had that wall apart. The only 120 volt wire that really goes up into the cap is the one for the air conditioner. I think the one you're reference just kind of bends back and forth in that spot - i.e., it's a bit too much wire, so they just crammed it into the hip (my term for that area at the top of the van/bottom of the fiberglass). The wiring in general runs through that channel.

I'm pretty sure the outlet inside is the end of the line, then it goes to the outdoor outlet, then to the outlet behind the fridge, then to the one on the wall above the fridge (which is GFCI, so all are protected). However I have not checked wiring to confirm that routing, and I also can't recall off the top of my head whether the fridge is on that same circuit or not, but I think it is. I might have recorded that in a sticky in the electrical forum.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
kstills
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 126
Joined: Thu May 26, 2022 1:02 pm
B190 Year: 1996

Re: Fiberglass cap

Post by kstills »

skater wrote:
Wed Aug 17, 2022 9:32 am
kstills wrote:
Wed Aug 17, 2022 8:44 am
Hey, third pic down in the post you linked: the 120v line running in the channel up in the cap obviously ties into the 120v outlets outside. Where does it branch off to get to the outlet on the side of the counter near the flood light switch?
I'm not sure, I haven't had that wall apart. The only 120 volt wire that really goes up into the cap is the one for the air conditioner. I think the one you're reference just kind of bends back and forth in that spot - i.e., it's a bit too much wire, so they just crammed it into the hip (my term for that area at the top of the van/bottom of the fiberglass). The wiring in general runs through that channel.

I'm pretty sure the outlet inside is the end of the line, then it goes to the outdoor outlet, then to the outlet behind the fridge, then to the one on the wall above the fridge (which is GFCI, so all are protected). However I have not checked wiring to confirm that routing, and I also can't recall off the top of my head whether the fridge is on that same circuit or not, but I think it is. I might have recorded that in a sticky in the electrical forum.
You have the older model, so your kitchen is opposite mine. I only have those two outlets on that last 120v line, and it just occurred to me I can pull the wires off both and hopefully pull that wire out of the 'hip' and then run it over the ceiling. :wink:

And yeah, they must have had a sale on wire, because they weren't shy about using a ton of it.
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2570
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Fiberglass cap

Post by skater »

kstills wrote:
Wed Aug 17, 2022 10:16 am

You have the older model, so your kitchen is opposite mine. I only have those two outlets on that last 120v line, and it just occurred to me I can pull the wires off both and hopefully pull that wire out of the 'hip' and then run it over the ceiling. :wink:

And yeah, they must have had a sale on wire, because they weren't shy about using a ton of it.
D'oh, right. I was trying to remember what year you had and forgot it's in the sidebar. Now you have me wondering how they got 120 volt power from one side of the van to the other. Oh wait, I know, it's around the back in the bathroom. In mine.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
kstills
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 126
Joined: Thu May 26, 2022 1:02 pm
B190 Year: 1996

Re: Fiberglass cap

Post by kstills »

So in order to really beat this horse to death, in this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=3316

that guy gluing up those boards probably didn't need to, correct? At least, he could have put glue on them and then screwed them into the ribs. In your case, you had to put all new wood where the ribs rotted out.
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2570
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Fiberglass cap

Post by skater »

Well glue is probably better given the vibrations it will encounter.

Just for clarity, the only wood is the strips visible in the picture - otherwise it's just the fiberglass top.

Sent from my Lenovo YT-K606F using Tapatalk

1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
kstills
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 126
Joined: Thu May 26, 2022 1:02 pm
B190 Year: 1996

Re: Fiberglass cap

Post by kstills »

skater wrote:
Wed Aug 17, 2022 8:32 pm
Well glue is probably better given the vibrations it will encounter.

Just for clarity, the only wood is the strips visible in the picture - otherwise it's just the fiberglass top.

Sent from my Lenovo YT-K606F using Tapatalk
Ok, so now I'm confused.

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=3316

First pic in that thread, the t shaped ribs right in front of the fan, what are they filled with? Reason I ask is at the back end of my rig, the rib that sits under the vent cap for the tanks has some rot in it, I assumed it was wood. Which made me think those ribs were wooden supports that Okanagon fiberglassed over.
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2570
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Fiberglass cap

Post by skater »

Right, in those strips is wood. My point is that aside from those, it's just the fiberglass top - there's nothing else. Maybe I misunderstood your question about the insulation - I thought you were asking about screwing it in, and I was trying to say that it wouldn't work very well - the screws would just go through the fiberglass top.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
kstills
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 126
Joined: Thu May 26, 2022 1:02 pm
B190 Year: 1996

Re: Fiberglass cap

Post by kstills »

Ah. No, I want to screw the luan to those ribs. Or add some nailers to them and screw the luan to that.
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2570
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Fiberglass cap

Post by skater »

kstills wrote:
Thu Aug 18, 2022 1:17 pm
Ah. No, I want to screw the luan to those ribs. Or add some nailers to them and screw the luan to that.
Yep, either one of those would work!
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
Post Reply