1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 5. Propane
This is Part 5. of our 1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod, the subject of which is "Propane". Other parts are linked below. 1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 1. Acquisition & Evaluation 1968 Travel Queen Res...
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The recent work I've been doing over in Chapter 10. Galley & Greatroom, was just waiting next on a stove/oven range install. I could hold off on it no longer.
The range is a Sattler Manufacturing Corporation "Holiday", model number 757-TRSG. If you believe Internet stuff, indications are that "Holiday" (on the front of the oven door) is a patent term for Sattler, having expired in 1971.
Now originally, upon camper dismantle, I had bench-tested both the fridge and the range. All gas operations worked fine. In fact, the oven was even still calibrated well (dial setting to actual oven temperature). I did have to order a few stove burner parts from a used RV parts store - 5-Star RV in Denver.
But the range was dirty. There was also more rust areas interspersed among the grime and crud than I cared for. Time to clean, evaluate, and perhaps to do some touch up painting.
I took apart the top and laid things out so I could remember how it goes back together.
And scraped a little to see just what I had.
DW wasn't a real big fan of that brown vinyl faux wood-grain tape on the control panel face or the over door handle insert; can't say I cared for them either, no matter "originality points".
So while I started in on thinking about the best ways to work the whole thing, I took a side trip to the vinyl tape.
The clear outer cover piece pulled right off, leaving the under brown color with wood-grain and glue stuck really hard to the chrome. So as not to scratch the metal, I used a wood scraper (clothes pin half) and it worked okay, but it was going to take a long time and a lot of effort. Must be a better way. What about lacquer thinner and steel wool?
That worked really well. It melted, and cleaned right up.
But I wasn't going to try doing that on a simple piece of metal face plate.
Let's just cover that with our same color family high-temp BBQ paint.
Now back to the main unit. I could tell right off the bat, to do it right was going to require some disassembly; the only question was - how much. And while I am very fortunate to have some original documentation (which will be scanned and posted here soon), including the Instruction Manual with adjustment descriptions and pictures, it does NOT include an "exploded parts diagram". So I had to be very careful upon ANY disassembly to understand it as I went.
I at least wanted that metal plate out that sits directly below the burners. I'm calling it the burner shelf.
And also, inside the oven there were parts that from time to time require servicing or replacement, and I wanted them fresh to start with, and so I could learn process of removal for future possible "on-the-road" repairs. Some of the more obvious pieces came off.
Leaving me with this.
One good example of careful disassembly for later safe assembly is this picture. The chrome mounting flanges are fastened to the range's exterior metal panels with these spacer washers. They act as a thermal separator between surfaces of the two metals. That provides an engineered design for safe installation of the chrome frame against combustible surfaces (countertop). VERY Important stuff! When it comes to heat, fire, and explosive gasses, I trust the original engineering!
At this stage, I set to work on the burner shelf panel. Scraping, then wire brushing, then some sanding.
Finally painting with the high-heat paint, and setting it safely aside. But I'll show that upon re-assembly.
By this time, as I tried to blindly remove rusted/corroded fasteners from oven internals, without instructions, I decided once again, to do this right was going to require just a LITTLE more disassembly. And so I did.
After removal of further exterior metal panels and brackets, I could carefully lift and remove the insulation, which is just laid in place, and stuck in key areas from old food leaks.
That revealed hardware, making it much easier to remove this as a unit.
Which of course is the oven gas valve, and the pilot light and thermo-coupler assembly.
And this is the oven control (top front of stove) with thermostat bulb (mounts to inside back wall of the oven), along with the stove top burners.
The over burner.
Removing the exterior metal panels and insulation also provided easy access to remove the oven door hinge springs and door, as well as all the little fastened clips and stuff for the oven internals.
And to properly finish those exterior metal panel pieces, label removal was important. One was a successful peel off (had it displayed too much resistance I would have simply left it and masked).
The model number and clearances plate was installed with reusable press in rivets, while I had to drill out the rivets for the serial number plate.
Full disassembly left me with this.
But after a good cleaning in the laundry sink, I get to start a fresh assembly with this.
Let the game begin!
The range is a Sattler Manufacturing Corporation "Holiday", model number 757-TRSG. If you believe Internet stuff, indications are that "Holiday" (on the front of the oven door) is a patent term for Sattler, having expired in 1971.
Now originally, upon camper dismantle, I had bench-tested both the fridge and the range. All gas operations worked fine. In fact, the oven was even still calibrated well (dial setting to actual oven temperature). I did have to order a few stove burner parts from a used RV parts store - 5-Star RV in Denver.
But the range was dirty. There was also more rust areas interspersed among the grime and crud than I cared for. Time to clean, evaluate, and perhaps to do some touch up painting.
I took apart the top and laid things out so I could remember how it goes back together.
And scraped a little to see just what I had.
DW wasn't a real big fan of that brown vinyl faux wood-grain tape on the control panel face or the over door handle insert; can't say I cared for them either, no matter "originality points".
So while I started in on thinking about the best ways to work the whole thing, I took a side trip to the vinyl tape.
The clear outer cover piece pulled right off, leaving the under brown color with wood-grain and glue stuck really hard to the chrome. So as not to scratch the metal, I used a wood scraper (clothes pin half) and it worked okay, but it was going to take a long time and a lot of effort. Must be a better way. What about lacquer thinner and steel wool?
That worked really well. It melted, and cleaned right up.
But I wasn't going to try doing that on a simple piece of metal face plate.
Let's just cover that with our same color family high-temp BBQ paint.
Now back to the main unit. I could tell right off the bat, to do it right was going to require some disassembly; the only question was - how much. And while I am very fortunate to have some original documentation (which will be scanned and posted here soon), including the Instruction Manual with adjustment descriptions and pictures, it does NOT include an "exploded parts diagram". So I had to be very careful upon ANY disassembly to understand it as I went.
I at least wanted that metal plate out that sits directly below the burners. I'm calling it the burner shelf.
And also, inside the oven there were parts that from time to time require servicing or replacement, and I wanted them fresh to start with, and so I could learn process of removal for future possible "on-the-road" repairs. Some of the more obvious pieces came off.
Leaving me with this.
One good example of careful disassembly for later safe assembly is this picture. The chrome mounting flanges are fastened to the range's exterior metal panels with these spacer washers. They act as a thermal separator between surfaces of the two metals. That provides an engineered design for safe installation of the chrome frame against combustible surfaces (countertop). VERY Important stuff! When it comes to heat, fire, and explosive gasses, I trust the original engineering!
At this stage, I set to work on the burner shelf panel. Scraping, then wire brushing, then some sanding.
Finally painting with the high-heat paint, and setting it safely aside. But I'll show that upon re-assembly.
By this time, as I tried to blindly remove rusted/corroded fasteners from oven internals, without instructions, I decided once again, to do this right was going to require just a LITTLE more disassembly. And so I did.
After removal of further exterior metal panels and brackets, I could carefully lift and remove the insulation, which is just laid in place, and stuck in key areas from old food leaks.
That revealed hardware, making it much easier to remove this as a unit.
Which of course is the oven gas valve, and the pilot light and thermo-coupler assembly.
And this is the oven control (top front of stove) with thermostat bulb (mounts to inside back wall of the oven), along with the stove top burners.
The over burner.
Removing the exterior metal panels and insulation also provided easy access to remove the oven door hinge springs and door, as well as all the little fastened clips and stuff for the oven internals.
And to properly finish those exterior metal panel pieces, label removal was important. One was a successful peel off (had it displayed too much resistance I would have simply left it and masked).
The model number and clearances plate was installed with reusable press in rivets, while I had to drill out the rivets for the serial number plate.
Full disassembly left me with this.
But after a good cleaning in the laundry sink, I get to start a fresh assembly with this.
Let the game begin!
