Any help?? 1958 22' Flying Cloud

[Blackelk9463]

I found a 1958 flying cloud. The outer shell looks to be in decent shape minus a couple scraps and one puncture...the inside is trashed but I am intending on modifying it. On the outside though, where the panels meet, there is a lot of caulking on all the seems...I am assuming this was because at one point there was a leak and the owner at the time just calked every seem up...not very proffesionally looking either. Has anyone ever seen this? And, does anyone know if its a major issue to have that calk on all the seems? I am going to polish it up and remove it but im wondering. I have secured the price at $3,750

[Airslide]

Welcome neighbor! Sounds like you found a fun project... Hopefully we can meet you sometime.. maybe Casini ranch?

Would love to see some pictures..

Vinnie

[VIKING]

Welcome Blackelk,
There is a product which you are going to become very familiar with, silicone remover. I haven't had the pleasure yet but I have a couple of windows that were siliconed in place to deal with eventually. Someone with hands-on experience will have to let you know how it works & where to get it.
I will see you down the road, neighbor.

Rich the Viking

[Kevin245]

Welcome to the group.

Most vintage trailers leak at some point so moisture infiltration is something most of us deal with at some time. Ours is a rolling colander.

It's not uncommon for an uninformed owner to gob some caulk on seams when leaks are noted. The presence of caulking buildup on the exterior could indicate this was a recurring problem the PO either could not or did not know how to fix. Or perhaps the PO wasn’t worried about the appearance. Removing some sealants such as silicone can be a headache but it’s not impossible.

You mention some skin damage. Dents or damage on the skin that are located along seams are likely leak points as well.

Seam sealing is a part of travel trailer maintenance. Seams should be sealed with a suitable sealant for the construction type. With an Airstream this usually means using parbond or vulkem (depending on the seam width).

If it was a trailer I felt compelled to own I wouldn't let the caulk deter me, rather I'd use it as a price negotiation opportunity instead.

Best of luck,

Kevin

[CaddyGrn]

Welcome to the forums, this is the place to learn all things Airstream!

We have a 55 Flying Cloud that has been an ongoing project for some time... when we bought it the inside was literally "gone" and so was the floor. It had the shell (in fairly good condition) the frame, and *most* of the windows. Hubby just got the shell back on the new floor and cleaned up frame... if you want to take a look at what may be in store for you check out his thread: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f36/...wax-25692.html

The 58 FC would be sweet to have... as you appear to already have another trailer you have one to travel in for now! Post some pics and folks can give you more feedback on the FC!

Have fun!

[Blackelk9463]

Thanks very much for the quick responses. I currently own a 19 foot International CCD (Bambi) and just drove down to Palm Springs for this Vintage one. Im modifying the airstream for a food concept and will be gutting the inside and transforming it. I have the big as they say....does anyone know where to get an electrical schema for these?

[Blackelk9463]

Here are some photos...i think I am uploading these correctly...

[robandzoe]

That looks sweet... I'd say the price is a little high with a puncture and inside trashed.. but it sounds like it fits your needs. A food concept trailer.. cool! Check out the 59 Trade Wind that Frank's Trailer Works has (his December 18th post) - it is a food vendor trailer.. pretty cool.. if you end up removing that roof top vent stack, I have a 58 Sovereign of the Road that needs one in a bad way that I'd pay handsomely for! That one is exactly what I'm looking for! Good luck...

Rob

[Blackelk9463]

Hey, thanks for the feedback. The trailer has a single puncture right where the door, when open, rests against the side of the trailer. The inside is totally trashed...with several items that could be restored, like the stove and some other items. Does $3750 really sound high? I do not have any experience buying vintage arstreams...the guy wanted $5K and we walked down $3750...whatever that means. I have not really found that many out there....seems like they are being bought up by the Japanese!
Thanks for the post on FRanks...very cool. I will call them.

[robandzoe]

You are in a hot zone out west... back here, I bought a 58 Flying Cloud that was great inside for $1000... but the prices have gone up since then.... if you were going to gut it anyway... you are ahead anyway time wise.... if it's trashed inside like you are saying, that really takes value down in my mind, especially to the vintage restorers because they want it complete and somewhat in-tact, usually.

If you have the funds, get it, because you are right.. they are getting harder and harder to find.

Frank's great... give him a call... he might be able to make you a cool custom patch for that hole... that fits your end state design.

Let me know on that smoke stack!

Rob

[Blackelk9463]

The interior panels will need to come off...I think. ARe these worth saving?

[58flycloud]

post #7 -- picture in last row shows the belly pan and a metal tube of about 8" diameter. we were just brainstorming the other day trying to figure out what this was for. seller said something about waste water... husband thinks it's storage for an awning....

please advise :-) ------------- all those beautiful WINDOWS! sigh -------------------

sabine

[Melody Ranch]

The tube...most had two tubes....is for sewer tube stowage.

[mello mike]

My '58 Overlander has two storage tubes, one for the sewage slinky and the other for the awning poles.