Tambour Door

Video 20

Airstream Tambour Door Replacement

In this segment of Classic Rides, host Kevin Tetz demonstrates how to replace the tambour in the trailer. According to Kevin, tambour doors are basically the same principle or operation as a window shade, which is a spring-loaded rod, and your material hanging off of that. The original tambour has narrow strips of wood that are glued to a backing so that the material is flexible.

Kevin chose a metallic finish for the new tambour he is about to install. He reminds us to inspect the rods to be used very well. You have to make sure that the wood is in really good shape and you have to test and make sure that your spring is still loaded. If it springs back when pressed, it is in good shape.

When selecting a new tambour, Kevin recommends that they be the same width as the original tambour. The reason for this is because you have to have clearance to go around this tight edge in the guide. Wider slats probably wouldn't have the clearance and that would not work as a functional tambour door.

He uses the old tambour as a pattern for the new. He lines the old tambour over the new and marks the edges. He is using a pair of tin snips to cut the new tambour to the same size as the old. He drills holes into the bottom of the tambour so that he can attach the wooden rod to it. The bottom edge sinks into place on the other side. He centers the tambour, the top rod and the bottom edge.

Now he is ready to install the tambour in the trailer. He installed the tambour from the backside on the guides. He then installed the rod and screwed the tambour to the rod after it was pre-loaded. He demonstrates how to do this, reminding us that there should be a lot of tension on the rod before screwing on the tambour. Now the tambour rolls down beautifully.

Kevin likes the look of the entire bedroom. The aluminum looks great, there are touches of rust, and the blinds give the room an "Industrial" look. He recovered the gaucho with some leather upholstery and fitted it with high-quality foam mattresses to ensure a good night's sleep. Now the bedroom looks and feels luxurious and comfortable.

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