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Old 06-27-2014, 10:35 PM   #1
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1959 22' World Traveler
Attalla , Alabama
Join Date: Jun 2014
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1958 World Traveler

What info can you give me on this camper...? It is a World Traveler, 22 feet and appears to be all original. According to the S/N it is a 1958 model and only four of these was made. I plan to restore this one.

I would greatly appreciate any info or opinions. Thanks
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Old 06-28-2014, 03:30 AM   #2
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Welcome great things come from 1959 so either year are wonderful campers. Some pictures please of the under side and the inside that way we can all see the true prize that you have and point out areas of concern like the axles in your first shot but many gifted and helpful people here and we ALL like pictures.
Welcome and enjoy!
Cliff
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Old 06-28-2014, 04:16 AM   #3
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1959 26' Overlander
Western , Massachusetts
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Welcome to the forums and congratulations on a great find.

Good move, starting your own thread in the correct forum. Cliff is right -- more pics equals more comments and opinions.

This forum is loaded with great information, but can be a challenge to wade through thousands of threads. This link will bring you to some of the more ambitious restorations.

If you like podcasts, you'll love theVap. Colin Hyde is the pro on the show and his company can supply the right axles for you.

First step is to stop the leaks. Repairing your windows is documented well at VintageAirstream.com. You will also find more information on your model -- not much, since there are so few. Same with Airstream's Document Archive.

Finally, you'll find a lot of parts at Vintage Trailer Supply.

I hope you're able to take your time, learn from many here and enjoy the process.

John
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Old 06-28-2014, 06:51 AM   #4
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1957 30' Sovereign of the Road
1959 28' Ambassador
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Little Flo View Post
What info can you give me on this camper...? It is a World Traveler, 22 feet and appears to be all original. According to the S/N it is a 1958 model and only four of these was made. I plan to restore this one.

I would greatly appreciate any info or opinions. Thanks
Yeah, welcome to the Forums Give her a good pressure wash & she'll look great. As you know, this is a very rare model, so make sure you do it right.
Colin
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Old 06-28-2014, 10:00 PM   #5
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1959 22' World Traveler
Attalla , Alabama
Join Date: Jun 2014
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Images: 20
Smile

Quote:
Originally Posted by RM66caravel View Post
Welcome great things come from 1959 so either year are wonderful campers. Some pictures please of the under side and the inside that way we can all see the true prize that you have and point out areas of concern like the axles in your first shot but many gifted and helpful people here and we ALL like pictures.
Welcome and enjoy!
Cliff
Thanks and yes I will have more pics to come! I just got it Friday and have not had a chance to get some pics... I am really amazed at how original this baby still is. Hope to post pics tomorrow.
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Old 06-28-2014, 10:01 PM   #6
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1959 22' World Traveler
Attalla , Alabama
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Thumbs up

Quote:
Originally Posted by Colin H View Post
Yeah, welcome to the Forums Give her a good pressure wash & she'll look great. As you know, this is a very rare model, so make sure you do it right.
Colin
Yes, I want to make sure we do everything right..
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Old 12-21-2015, 10:33 PM   #7
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1962 22' Safari
2016 30' Classic
Southeast , Michigan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Little Flo View Post
What info can you give me on this camper...? It is a World Traveler, 22 feet and appears to be all original. According to the S/N it is a 1958 model and only four of these was made. I plan to restore this one.

I would greatly appreciate any info or opinions. Thanks
Hi Little Flo,
I just discovered this posting. Very interesting. The S/N and Warranty document confirm this is one of the reported 4 World Travelers built in Ohio in 1958. It seems that at least 10 total WTs were built between 1957 and 1960. With yours, I have now seen photos of at least 8 of the 10, and have heard that at least one more might still exist.

I would love to find out more about yours? Have you made any progress on the restoration? Are there any ghost outlines of old big red WBCCI numbers above the front and rear windows? They might be very faint and there could be signs of multiple numbers being applied over the years. If there are any numbers, we might be able to make some educated guesses on past owners and possible caravan history by looking the numbers up in old WBCCI Membership Directories. Let me know if you want to do this either by posting a response or sending me a private message.
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Old 12-24-2015, 11:21 PM   #8
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1959 22' World Traveler
Attalla , Alabama
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Thanks for your post. Sorry for the delay, but I am new to the site and have not learned my way around....
Restorations- We have not started our restoration yet.. We are currently building a new barn to store our vintage trailers in as we are up to 7 now... The world Traveler will not fit in our current shop...
Numbers - There are not any numbers or any outlines. According to the previous owner (2nd owner) he got the trailer from the original owner. He said. the original bought it new and put in on a lake site. After it was given to the 2nd owner, he had it parked it on his property. Because of the great shape of the outside skins, I tend to believe it was not towed around. I would love to know more info on it!
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Old 12-24-2015, 11:30 PM   #9
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1959 22' World Traveler
Attalla , Alabama
Join Date: Jun 2014
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Images: 20
Here are some more pics..
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Old 12-25-2015, 12:22 AM   #10
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1962 22' Safari
2016 30' Classic
Southeast , Michigan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Little Flo View Post
Thanks for your post. Sorry for the delay, but I am new to the site and have not learned my way around....
Restorations- We have not started our restoration yet.. We are currently building a new barn to store our vintage trailers in as we are up to 7 now... The world Traveler will not fit in our current shop...
Numbers - There are not any numbers or any outlines. According to the previous owner (2nd owner) he got the trailer from the original owner. He said. the original bought it new and put in on a lake site. After it was given to the 2nd owner, he had it parked it on his property. Because of the great shape of the outside skins, I tend to believe it was not towed around. I would love to know more info on it!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Little Flo View Post
Here are some more pics..
Thanks for your reply and the additional photos. No apologies are necessary. Anything is possible, but the World Traveler was the most expensive Airstream at the time (more expensive than larger models) and was equipped for rugged travel away from hookups on caravans around the world. This does not seem like the best model to buy and immediately park permanently at a lake, but again anything is possible.

Probably the majority of Airstreams joined the club when new back then, but some may not have remained in the club for long so outlines can be very faint and only seen in certain light from certain angles. They can be hard to see, but such old numbers, if present, provide a chance to learn some early history. I am not saying your Airstream has any outlines, but I have seen other cases where I could seem them when the owner didn't, until I pointed them out. The photos you provided do not show the endcaps in the right light for me to check.

In looking the photos you provided of your trailer, while it does appear in very good shape, I do see several different signs of it having traveled it's share of road miles. I don't want to nit pick your very nice trailer, so I won't mention the details unless you ask. Perhaps the first owner towed it for a few years before parking it at a lake.

I have been poking around in a very unusual streak of luck may have found some information about what might be the original dealer that sold your Airstream. The previous Historian found a record indicated that your World Traveler may have been sold by an Airstream dealer noted as "Villiage Green". Poking around on the internet, I found that in April 1958 there was an Airstream dealer named Village Green Trailer Sales in Village Green, PA, which was between Wilmington, DE and Philadephia, PA. Are there any markings on the trailer to confirm this or might you have gotten the original sales receipt when you got the trailer? Is this near where the first owner lived? If not, I wonder how your WT may have made it's way to Alabama.

In any case, you have a very nice and rare Airstream that should be preserved. I hope you have a chance to enjoy it and it does not get lost behind the 6 other trailers.
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Old 12-29-2015, 08:04 AM   #11
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Here is a picture of 1958 World Traveler #3801 that I found last week. According to information I have been provided this trailer was also sold by 'Village Green" new

Here is a picture of the only dealer designation on this trailer.
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Old 12-29-2015, 12:17 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by vintageracer View Post
Here is a picture of 1958 World Traveler #3801 that I found last week. According to information I have been provided this trailer was also sold by 'Village Green" new

Here is a picture of the only dealer designation on this trailer.
Looks like some writing between the "Travel Trailer" and "Center". Of course, this could be from the original selling dealer, or another dealer that later sold it as a used trailer. I think I can make out the work "Ionia" and likely a state designation that I cannot make out after that.

There is an Ionia, MI and there is an RV dealer there currently called Caswell RV that claims to have been in business since 1958, though I suppose their name may have changed over the years. I think there is also an Ionia in New York. I wonder if there are any other cities named "Ionia" in the United States?
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Old 12-29-2015, 12:51 PM   #13
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I got timed out to edit the above post any more. A google search turned up a current RV dealer named "Travel Trailer Center" in New York, although it is currently some distance away from Ionia, NY: Travel Trailer Center | Your RV source!

That dealer was founded in 1960: About | Travel Trailer Center

If this business was previously located in or very near Ionia, NY it might be possible that they may have sold the 1958 World Traveler OI3801 as a used trailer some time in or after 1960.
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Old 12-30-2015, 08:21 AM   #14
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If you look closely "I" do not see a second "i" in what might be the city of the dealer.

It appears to me to "IONA" not "IONIA".

So far I have found an Iona Idaho, Iona Minnesota, Iona Florida and Iona College in New Rochelle New York.

Wish I took a picture of that emblem cleaned up!
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Old 12-30-2015, 09:38 AM   #15
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Looking at it again, I think you might be right IONA instead of IONIA. There is an IONA, PA east of Harrisburg, which would not be too far from Village Green, PA if that truely was where the trailer was sold new.

BUT . . . the big discovery might be that there may have been a trailer dealer using the name "Travel Trailer Center" in Iona, NJ in April & May 1960! That dealer would not be very far from Villiage Green, PA. See the attached newspaper snips from the April 20, 1960 and May 1, 1960 Philidelphia Inquirer, which also shows that Villiage Green Trailer Sales was still an Airstream Dealer at that time as well.

There are more of these newspapers from various dates available thru fultonhistory.com if you want to search for them. I am just providing two snips:
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Old 03-01-2019, 09:43 PM   #16
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1959 22' World Traveler
Attalla , Alabama
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Originally Posted by 66Overlander View Post
Hi Little Flo,
I just discovered this posting. Very interesting. The S/N and Warranty document confirm this is one of the reported 4 World Travelers built in Ohio in 1958. It seems that at least 10 total WTs were built between 1957 and 1960. With yours, I have now seen photos of at least 8 of the 10, and have heard that at least one more might still exist.

I would love to find out more about yours? Have you made any progress on the restoration? Are there any ghost outlines of old big red WBCCI numbers above the front and rear windows? They might be very faint and there could be signs of multiple numbers being applied over the years. If there are any numbers, we might be able to make some educated guesses on past owners and possible caravan history by looking the numbers up in old WBCCI Membership Directories. Let me know if you want to do this either by posting a response or sending me a private message.
I spoke with you on thu fb earlier tnight and I am sending you an email. Just posting here so you would be familier with this post an know it's the same trailer. Thanks.
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