B190 Enthusiasts

2 Oct 2010 16:50

Dear Enthusiasts,

I noticed something interesting about the wood cabinetry inside "Baby Newell II" (not just that it's solid wood, not laminate!). The grain, color (underneath the finish) and scent of the scraped wood are pretty much identical to a wooden name tag I had made by a woodcarver in Seddon, New Zealand. The name tag is made from "rimu", a native New Zealand wood often used for the cabinetry in motorhomes in that "neck of the woods". Do any of you Enthusiasts have any knowledge of what Airstream used in 1997? I asked several people during my last factory tour, but they either claimed ignorance or ignored the question.

"Happy Cybercamping!"
Michael Canode
NZMCA #19250 / F13059S

Gosh Mike...not a clue.

Prior to Airstream buying out Okanogon in BC and moving the production to the US the rigs didn't have that oak, it was much less costly plywood with fake wood-grain covering as seen here

I would suspect the oak materials used in our rigs would be from Central & Eastern US...?

Keep digging for that answer for us, please... !

Our 93 seems to be Oak. I have a couple of panels that are split.
Someday I may have them refaced by a buddy who does cabinets for a living.
Would look nice in natural cherry I think.

Robert...if ya look closely those will be glue-seems that have let go where the pieces were originally joined. Most of the cabinet doors are actually 3-pieces

We've seen that problem a number of times...if they aren't too wide or all the way across the panel you can probably get some new glue down in there and put a bar-clamp on till it sets up...

I have had a couple that were warped enough that it was necessary to run the sections through a joiner to straighten them prior to re-gluing

The cabinet under the fridge was split when I got her.
I glued and clamped the deal and it seems fine for now.
If I have more problems then I will send have them joined.
Thanks for the tip.
Did not realize they used 3 or more pieces.

yep....look close, some are 4 sections...and cabinet doors above the couch