AirBNBstream

[mat_the_cat]

On 9/5/2022 at 3:01 PM, Six-cylinder said:

It is a shame you can't tow it with the Stella, it would look great at the FoD.

Nothing we've done to it will stop it being moved, so in theory if I have a suitable tow vehicle on the road, it could be taken on a trip. I'd want to overhaul the brakes first, and have to fit a brake controller (or convert the whole thing to overrun brakes), but not impossible. 

In other news I've decided I don't like the shiny finish after all, so have started to paint it white like a normal caravan.

[mercedade]

I think that's a great shout, just needs a couple of tasteful decals too

[Six-cylinder]

6 minutes ago, mat_the_cat said:

Nothing we've done to it will stop it being moved, so in theory if I have a suitable tow vehicle on the road, it could be taken on a trip. I'd want to overhaul the brakes first, and have to fit a brake controller (or convert the whole thing to overrun brakes), but not impossible. 

In other news I've decided I don't like the shiny finish after all, so have started to paint it white like a normal caravan.

From memory US travel trailers including Airstreams have very high nose weight. The max nose rate for my Range Rover is 200Kg.

[mat_the_cat]

That makes sense given the wheel position, and the fact that the fresh water tank was located at the front. It'll have to be the BX then!

(Note the load on the rear tyres...)

[Six-cylinder]

22 minutes ago, mat_the_cat said:

That makes sense given the wheel position, and the fact that the fresh water tank was located at the front. It'll have to be the BX then!

(Note the load on the rear tyres...)

We have towed our boat with the Alfa 156 on farm roads, but I don't think it was good for it.

[mat_the_cat]

6 hours ago, mat_the_cat said:

have started to paint it white like a normal caravan.

This was a bit misleading...

Modern Airstreams have a roof coated with a solar reflective paint, and my plan is to do the same with this one.

Seeing as the roof of this has been patched up in the past, even if I polished it, it would never look good. Also, there is a small leak that we've not been  able to trace. Hopefully this will kill 3 birds with one stone. 

IMO it actually looks quite smart.

I'm hoping to get the second coat on tomorrow, and then see whether it's cured the leak!

[mat_the_cat]

Well yes, it did cure the leak! Although it then transpired there was a leak from the door seal, so a bit of experimenting with seal sizes to find one which would seal satisfactorily yet enable the door to be closed without excessive pressure. The last thing we want is mechanically inept guests slamming it repeatedly. Currently it's watertight in all but the worst weather so almost there - in the summer the seal will be more flexible so may enable a larger bead.

The polishing was 'finished' last year, but looks like it will need going over again every year as I never got any suitable weather to protect the finish. This was late September:

Next job was neatening up the decking - a fairly simple job to square off the telegraph pole supports and screw planks to them.

Onto the inside and I finished the cutlery drawer.

Before deciding I needed to stop the speaker panel disintegrating. I'd noticed when replacing the speakers it looked a bit fragile, and as soon as I poked it made things worse!

I worked my way around the outside, injecting PVA glue wherever there was a gap, then clamping; and repeat. Solid once again it was sanded smooth and varnished, along with other interior woodwork.

There used to be a roof vent fan which had long since seized up, however a PC case fan was a rather neat fit onto the original brackets rotated 90 degrees.

It's just really to promote a little airflow rather than as an extractor fan; there is one of those over the hob which is both more effective and noisy.

Less good news was the table which I'd re-covered - clearly the plastic was not UV stable in the slightest after only a few months, so that job had to be re-done. (Imagine it as below, but in white!)

Then onto the floor. We had some leftover vinyl planks from a previous job, which are both pretty easy to lay neatly and durable. Also surprisingly realistic looking and feeling.

As a complete and utterly stroke of luck there was ONE plank left over after finishing the job, and this was with using every single offcut at least once for a smaller edge piece. I was praying I didn't make a mistake but amazingly I didn't fuck up a cut at all, well at least not badly enough that I couldn't use the piece elsewhere. 

Other work priorities have meant that this has taken the last few months to do relatively little, but being self-employed you just can't turn down work if it's being asked for! Next job is to repair the burst pipes after an unexpected and not forecast early frost  Possibly laying a path through the field to it, and getting gas/electrical services tested. Then letting the general public loose on it...

[LightBulbFun]

following late night discussions at the FoD about the lightbulbs featured in this shiny bit of Americana and some comments about them costing something like £17 a piece!

I thought I could do a bit better then that! so hopefully this is the type your looking for, for a bit cheaper!  

https://www.cp-lighting.co.uk/R14-12V-25W-BA15s/

(I would double check the wattage they also come in 15W form)

[mat_the_cat]

Thanks, that looks ideal! Can't remember whether that figure was in £ or $ but either way more than I wanted to pay!

I really need to update this thread, but in a nutshell gas and electricity safety checks have been passed, decking barrier rope fitted, mains/battery smoke alarm fitted, TV installed, low flow problems with the water pump rectified etc. We've stayed the night, and are ironing through a few niggles, including various rainwater leaks. Soon!

[High Jetter]

34 minutes ago, mat_the_cat said:

We've stayed the night

How informative was that?

[mat_the_cat]

Very much so in fact. Having a shower it was evident that the water pressure was too low (partially blocked pipe), the very expensive custom shaped 'premium' mattress was on the firm side of comfortable, and the curtains allowed too much morning sunlight in. Although sunlight is a rarity in North Wales, we are now fitting blackout linings to them, and have added a softer foam layer to the mattress for comfort.

The water appears to be leaking in via the window hinges, which are/were toleranced tightly enough not to require any form of seal on the aluminium extrusion. After 55 years of wear the gap is now larger; fortunately still available, but as usual have to wait for US delivery.

[High Jetter]

I wish more airbnb or just bnb owners did that.

[mat_the_cat]

I'm surprised they wouldn't! I'd rather find out problems than have complaints; obviously you may get complaints if they have different preferences (like the unforgivable lack of a whisk), but surely it makes sense to at least try to get the basics right.

[Talbot]

1 hour ago, mat_the_cat said:

the very expensive custom shaped 'premium' mattress was on the firm side of comfortable

I found it very comfortable indeed.  But then I have my own padding...

[anonymous user]

8 hours ago, mat_the_cat said:

I'm surprised they wouldn't! I'd rather find out problems than have complaints; obviously you may get complaints if they have different preferences (like the unforgivable lack of a whisk), but surely it makes sense to at least try to get the basics right.

But have you put a whisk in this one?

 

Oh and how high is the door?

[bezzabsa]

I know its an old pic, but re posted as I love a working disco

[bezzabsa]

are you adding solar panels to the roof?? and I reckon a switch on the inside to allow the 'running lights' to come on at night for some ambiance 

[TheOtherStu]

11 hours ago, mat_the_cat said:

I'm surprised they wouldn't! I'd rather find out problems than have complaints; obviously you may get complaints if they have different preferences (like the unforgivable lack of a whisk), but surely it makes sense to at least try to get the basics right.

Pizza cutter. It infuriates me. We buy them and leave them in AirBnBs. My Mum's was the first 🤣

[gm]

reminds me of the kitchen in the canal boat we rented for our hols - was well equipped with everything we needed including a salt and pepper set, except they were both empty - were we expected to bring our own condiments to fill them with ? seems an odd thing to provide

didn’t matter, we had an excellent holiday anyway  

 

[High Jetter]

Perhaps the previous renters had nicked the condiments?

[anonymous user]

8 hours ago, TheOtherStu said:

Duck press. It infuriates me. We buy them and leave them in AirBnBs. My Mum's was the first 🤣

You can make a temporary one with an empty bean tin and a hub puller

[mat_the_cat]

14 hours ago, bezzabsa said:

I reckon a switch on the inside to allow the 'running lights' to come on at night for some ambiance 

Already ahead of you!

[loserone]

3 hours ago, gm said:

salt and pepper set,

This is fair.  We had one in the spring where everything was included except for toilet roll, and the tea bags were in a sugar cellar.  And the beds were fucked.  Was grim.

 

The gîtes we just had were much better, though one had a dishwasher and no tablets (surely leave one so you can get out to get a box?).  It did have a small bottle of olive oil though, top marks for that.

 

The second one charged extra for linen (fine), but it was only sheets and not towels, so we had to buy towels.  It did have some dishwasher tablets, but no soap anywhere despite seven different sinks.

 

I reckon there's a case for having just a bit of the basics, but I suppose what the basics are will vary between guests.

[somewhatfoolish]

No bumwipe? Dirty protest time.🤣

Having a dishwasher but no stuff for it just invites improvisation with unsuitable alternatives, the landlord will have themselves to blame when tenants wreck the thing with soap powder etc.

[New POD]

To the hosts of holiday lets:

As a customer, what should be an appropriate response to this message be.

I like cats, and we hardly ever put ours in a Cattery,  when we had cats,  but I don't think they should be asking us to feed it. 

On the one hand I'm a nice person, and on  the other I'm paying ££££ for a 4 bedroom cottage, for 7 people, for 2 nights.  So they are cheeky fuckers. 

 

[New POD]

On 8/22/2023 at 11:23 AM, TheOtherStu said:

Pizza cutter. It infuriates me. We buy them and leave them in AirBnBs. My Mum's was the first 🤣

You leave a pair of scissors ? 

[New POD]

On 8/22/2023 at 8:00 AM, anonymous user said:

But have you put a whisk in this one?

 

 

Again, forks are essential. 

[High Jetter]

3 minutes ago, New POD said:

To the hosts of holiday lets:

As a customer, what should be an appropriate response to this message be.

I like cats, and we hardly ever put ours in a Cattery,  when we had cats,  but I don't think they should be asking us to feed it. 

On the one hand I'm a nice person, and on  the other I'm paying ££££ for a 4 bedroom cottage, for 7 people, for 2 nights.  So they are cheeky fuckers. 

 

Hang on, where are the people who are hosting you going? If they're buggering off it seems a bit much to expect paying guests to look after their cat. Their grammar is not the best either.

[Noel Tidybeard]

4 hours ago, New POD said:

To the hosts of holiday lets:

As a customer, what should be an appropriate response to this message be.

I like cats, and we hardly ever put ours in a Cattery,  when we had cats,  but I don't think they should be asking us to feed it. 

On the one hand I'm a nice person, and on  the other I'm paying ££££ for a 4 bedroom cottage, for 7 people, for 2 nights.  So they are cheeky fuckers. 

 

i'm not sure they're cheeky fuckers seeing as they asked first- some people may not have a problem doing it at all

[somewhatfoolish]

15 hours ago, New POD said:

To the hosts of holiday lets:

As a customer, what should be an appropriate response to this message be.

I like cats, and we hardly ever put ours in a Cattery,  when we had cats,  but I don't think they should be asking us to feed it. 

On the one hand I'm a nice person, and on  the other I'm paying ££££ for a 4 bedroom cottage, for 7 people, for 2 nights.  So they are cheeky fuckers. 

 

If they run an Airbnb they can afford one of those electric feeder things that reveals fresh kibble once a day. Weird but not cheeky as they've given you the option of not doing it.