A downside to the amazing new bathroom is that we must move the water heater from port to starboard, as it were. Bath v2.0 places the toilet smack dab in the site of the current water heater. So, what to do? Easy, move it. This is from the same woman who insists on the floating kitchen counter.
Step 1: Find a water heater
That was the easy part. There were a couple of posts in various Airstream forums indicating that the Atwood 6 gallon water heater was a pretty good replacement for the the Bowen. The dimensions were a bit off but not by much. Most importantly, they have an electronic ignition model. No more singed eyebrows from relighting crufty old pilot lights!
The real issue was that the early Bowen water heaters have a cover that approaches art. The aluminum is formed to create this perfect sculpture.
The Atwood, on the other hand, had a completely unremarkable stamp-metal mass produced cover. Ick, not on my Airstream! The challenge: to both find the heater and figure out how to retrofit the perfect cover.
But first…The demolition!
Utica reservoir.
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This is where we have been coming as a group of family and friends for close to 15 years. The lake was covered with snow on my first trip to Utica. My son wandered off in search of a missing dog. We found him crouched under a log, crying that the dog ( a husky) had ‘gone back to the wolves’.
Since then, we spend summer evenings on the rocks sipping vodka tonics with friends. Evenings in the Airstreams playing cards or debating the political future of the country.
I may have just returned, but its time to go back.
The origin of the current Airstream remodel lies in the Mojave desert. It was there that Chris drove the Globetrotter into a sandy wash. It was very sandy. The wash ripped the belly pan off the trailer, disturbed some 40+ year old waste plumbing (yuck) and began the spiral down to the complete black water (yes, that is what you think it is) failure that we are now dealing with. So gutting the trailer and starting from scratch is his fault idea, not mine.
It has nothing to do with the cool NOS (new old stock in ebay-onics) Airstream bathroom that I found on Ebay. It has nothing to do with the Princess Marine Range that I have been lusting for. Nor, how I will just feel better in my freshly restored aluminum vacation dream house on wheels. OK, get my drift? As is the case with most remodels, there are many forces driving the insanity.
A trailer remodel is a valid opportunity for marital strife. Just as rich in potential arguments as a full blown kitchen-bath and an addition remodel. To yelling about color and trim now add dissension around power utilization and tongue weight. Chris and I have been having the same argument for three weekends now (like all insane remodelers we are do-it-yourselfers and weekend warriors). It goes something like this:
Leslie: This kitchen counter top will be beautiful on 4″ risers! The counter will float and be architecturally perfect. I can store a cutting board between the cabinet top and the counter top. Lets do it!
Chris: A floating counter will never hold the oven to the trailer. The oven will be flung out of the counter top and destroy the trailer. Oh Woe is me, all is lost!
Leslie: No it wont
Chris: Yes, it will
(repeat until someone is yelling and all productive work ceases)
At some point, I will report a happy ending to this, but Chris is off for Taiwan tomorrow and so the argument will have to wait for a week or so. However, I can pretty certain that counter top will float.
