1962 Overlander fresh from the barn

[wasagachris]

kevin did you notice the very unique front window. Sort of like a small bay window. I think it was you talking in another thread about this type of window in a model you have. What was the name and purpose of this window?

[overlander64]

Greetings wasagachris!

Originally Posted by wasagachris

kevin did you notice the very unique front window. Sort of like a small bay window. I think it was you talking in another thread about this type of window in a model you have. What was the name and purpose of this window?

Yes, I noticed the window, but I can't say that I have ever seen anything like it either. It almost looks to me like it might have been a previous owner's modification to create something of a garden window . . . it looks like an aluminum shelf may have been fabricated with side panels that would create a compact "garden window" . . . I can just picture something like this in a snowbirds coach while parked in a warm Florida campground during the Winter.

Just a guess on my part . . .

Kevin

[Shacksman]

Originally Posted by wasagachris

kevin did you notice the very unique front window. Sort of like a small bay window. I think it was you talking in another thread about this type of window in a model you have. What was the name and purpose of this window?

In the Wally Byam Stores accessories book I have, it's called a "travfilvent" price $39.95. It's a vent with a filter in it so you can drive with the window open.

[overlander64]

Originally Posted by Shacksman

In the Wally Byam Stores accessories book I have, it's called a "travfilvent" price $39.95. It's a vent with a filter in it so you can drive with the window open.

Too bad they aren't still making something like that . . . it would certainly be nice to arrive at the campground with a well ventilated coach . . . I have had modest success by partially opening the jalousies on my Overlander . . . but it allows too much dust in if traveling on unpaved roads. A device with a filter might make the option of ventilating while in-transit practical.

Kevin

[Shacksman]

Originally Posted by overlander64

Too bad they aren't still making something like that . . . it would certainly be nice to arrive at the campground with a well ventilated coach . . . I have had modest success by partially opening the jalousies on my Overlander . . . but it allows too much dust in if traveling on unpaved roads. A device with a filter might make the option of ventilating while in-transit practical.

Kevin

Also keeps the bugs out.

[wasagachris]

Originally Posted by Shacksman

Also keeps the bugs out.

Now you've done it Doug. I've ruined my flat screen trying to kill that thing with a flyswatter.

[Pies1212]

The front window has 2 filters and openings on the bottom, inside, with mesh covering them. It looks like it's used for ventilation while in tow. There's also a plastic cover for the front window, not attached.
BTW- I know nothing about repairing rivets, vulkem, or wbcci... I have alot of homework!
The trailer felt some rain Sunday night, no visible water leaks. The PO stated that when he ran the ac it leaked... made a note and added it to the to do list.
How can I find out about the history of the trailer?

[nmbosa]

Originally Posted by Pies1212

no visible water leaks.

Most leaks in an Airstream will not be visible. Water enters the outer skin through some void in a seam or loose rivet and will be hidden behind the interior pannels as it makes its way to the plywood subfloor along the edges. The rot often found in Airstreams is typically along the edges of the floor and concealed by both the shell itself and the cabinets.

A very common area for leaks in your era of trailer is in the bathroom under the sink and bathtub along the rear edge. Another couple areas to check (if you can get to them) are under the kitchen cabinet just foward of the wheel well, around the hot water heater (and under it), under the streetside front window, and under the jalouise windows. Take a screwdriver and poke along those edges to check for soft wood. Hopefully since it has been in a barn, it will be solid. But if you plan to keep it for any length of time, I agree with Melody Ranch's plan to start with a good wash and then seal all the seams with Acryl-R ($44 bucks from the Airstream store online).

Have you tested the electrical system or water lines?

Norm

[Pies1212]

I have not checked the electric or water system. My first goal was to get the first layer of dirt and spiders out of the trailer.
The water system looks pretty intimidating with the torpedo and air system. I know the water heater is newer... there is some sort of pump under the kitchen sink and an air hose valve on the city water connection.
Overlander64 left a great description of the water system.
I plan to continue round 1 of the cleanup, check electrical, and water system. I don't want to go right into the black tank system yet...

[overlander64]

Greetings Pies1212!

Originally Posted by Pies1212

BTW- I know nothing about repairing rivets, vulkem, or wbcci... I have alot of homework!

Give yourself time, many of us have been around these trailers for years and we are always happy to be of assistance to people new to the hobby. For the most part, the skills and methods that are employed aren't difficult to master with a little instruction and practice.

Originally Posted by Pies1212

The trailer felt some rain Sunday night, no visible water leaks. The PO stated that when he ran the ac it leaked... made a note and added it to the to do list.

The air conditioner leak can be from a number of sources. Since it appears to be an Armstrong, you might want to start with the following as some potential sources:

• In the early 1960s, Airstream didn't have the condesate drain enclosed inside the walls, rather, the tube typically ran from the inside unit to the front bulkhead, along the bulkhead toward the streetside wall, routed through the roof locker, then along the exterior wall snugged up against the front bulkhead, finally exiting the coach through the floor and underbelly. Should a clog develop anywhere along this length of tubing, the condesate can backup and create an identifiable leak in the coach. The actual condesate tube could also develop holes resulting in leaks, however, I have not heard of this being a frequent problem.
• Insect nests, mud daubers particularly, can create dams in the drain pan preventing the condesate from reaching the drain tube. I don't know how prevalent this problem is, but it was one that I encountered on my '64 shortly after I purchased it in 1995.
• The exterior unit is attached to the coach with a large number of rivets, and there are two round holes through the roof where the interior and exterior units are joined. These can all be points for water inflitration if the rivets break or become loose in their holes or if the Vulkem looses its seal between the roof and the exterior unit.

Originally Posted by Pies1212

How can I find out about the history of the trailer?

There isn't one method to this project. Since the Wally Byam Caravan Club International numbers are assigned to the member, and not the coach; these numbers are not always useful in the research . . . however, they are often quite helpful in pointing to the most recent active owner of the Airstream. There are two or three Forums members who have older issues of the WBCCI directories and will lookup numbers when a question is posted here on the Forums.

The ghost number that you posted from exterior endcaps is high enough, that I doubt that it belonged to the first owners of your coach. For many years, the numbers issued were sequential and inactive numbers weren't recycled. . . . so by the late 1960s to early 1970s membership numbers were over 10000. More recently (last two decades(?)), numbers that have been inactive for two or more years have been recycled . . . numbers below 1000 are typically reserved for officers.

Something to keep in mind with ghost numbers is that the coach may have had more than one owner who was active in the WBCCI. In cases where there have been multiple owners who were WBCCI member, there may be multiple ghosts superimposed one over the other making it even more difficult to ferret out information about a particular coach. It can be a very rewarding experience to uncover the lineage of your coach, but it can be a frustrating experience at times.

Good luck with your coach!

Kevin

[dwightdi]

I have a 1963 Overlander with a living room window like that. I make it out of Lexan after the P.O. made too sharp a turn and sideswiped a truck in a truck stop taking out the original two windows. I could not find replacement windows at the time, so installed the plastic one in 1986. It is getting a little yellow now, but has served the function. Lots of other windows for ventilation. I still use the original water tank but put a water pump($80) in to replace the air pump. If the system is air pressurized and develops a leak, all the water leaks into the trailer. I replaced the water heater and furnace because they were unreliable. My is a double rather than the twins. Check to see if your axles need replacement. Dead axles can cause a lot of damage, if you encounter rough roads.

[Pies1212]

I can't thank everyone enough for the advice and information!

2nd day of cleaning... cleaning... cleaning!
power and lights work, the ac sounds like a freight train, LOL!

The original flooring is covered by carpet. I assume the tile is asbestos?
The water tank is still looming in the rear. I'm not ready to tackle that one just yet.
A couple more pics from the morning cleaning session. I'm sure this warranty is void in the second pic.

Todd

[oh2bcarefree]

Welcome Pies1212 (you know what you're going to have to bring to your first rally???? Pie! )

We're just up the highway and across the river from you. We bought a vintage kin trailer in June that had spent lots of time in a barn too. It did leak a lot when it was in our driveway, so I concluded that the barn was what kept it in such great shape. We've spent a lot of time resealing the seams and it doesn't leak now.

I would say yes, your tiles are asbestos. Most manufactured during that time were, I just did a bit of research on my 9x9s and spoke with Cayo, the Avion company, and they confirmed they did have asbestos. It just means more care is going to be needed when taking out my broken ones. We have carpet over most of our tile too, but we have an area of damage under the fresh water tank from the PO (previous owner) using the wrong size hose clamps.

Take lots of photos and ask lots of questions. There isn't much that hasn't been done or researched here and everyone is great and really willing to help and give advice.

Welcome!

Tina

[Pies1212]

Thanks Tina. My wife's family is from Maryland Heights, we spend alot of time in STL with the inlaws.
Progress report: initial cleaning and secondary cleaning completed. 10,000 spiders, 2 dead mice, and a bird carcass in the toilet. All the curtains, bedding, shower curtains, and rugs are out and on the curb. We measured everything for the upholstry shop to start the reconstruction.
The water tank is not connected to the rest of the system. Alarm!
Per the post regarding leaks, I was able to inspect most of the rear flooring. The tub area is clean and dry, no rot that I could see, yet.
The next project, open the black tank to make certain there are no "surprises".
Can I use Kilz for primer on the walls? what about the shower area? The bathroom/bed area has never been painted. The front area is a beautiful faded pink. The boys can't wait to paint over it, neither can I!!

[overlander64]

Greetings Pies1212!

Originally Posted by Pies1212

The water tank is not connected to the rest of the system. Alarm!

Usually a good indicator that the tank has an integrity problem. Some have tried having the tanks repaired, but it is often a case of an invasions of pinholes such that repair is ineffective. There are typically two options. New pressure tanks are available, but are quite expensive and somewhat difficult to find in a size that will fit in the space available. The second, and more common option is to replace the metal tank with a modern plastic tank and convert the system to a demand pump (much simpler than it sounds).

Originally Posted by Pies1212

Per the post regarding leaks, I was able to inspect most of the rear flooring. The tub area is clean and dry, no rot that I could see, yet.

The place that I would most suspect for rot at this point is the floor below the pressure water tank. Since the tank isn't connected to the system, my fear would be that the tank had a leak problem and may have damaged the floor immediately below the tank. Hopefully this won't be the case, but it is somewhat suspect.

Originally Posted by Pies1212

The next project, open the black tank to make certain there are no "surprises".

It appears that the former owner was attentive to maintaining the coach so the indicators are good that you won't find a "surprise". What you may find, however, is that the dump valve and related hardware is a now totally obsolete mechanism. The old Thetford valves were metal with metal adaptors . . . if this is the case and all adapters are present and operational, you are in good shape . . . if, however, anything is missing, you will find it necessary to rebuild the dump valve assembly with new parts from either Thetford or Valterra . . . or you can search the web for NOS parts to make the original setup operational.

Originally Posted by Pies1212

Can I use Kilz for primer on the walls? what about the shower area? The bathroom/bed area has never been painted. The front area is a beautiful faded pink. The boys can't wait to paint over it, neither can I!!

Since the interior has already been repainted by a previous owner, you will want to insure that whatever paint products you utilize are compatible with what is already present. My guess is that the paint is probably an oil-base, at least that was the case with my '64 Overlander when I acquired it (it was painted "hospital" green). My suggestion would be to consult a professional paint store about the best sealer/primer and top coat products to utilize for the project given the existing conditions and materials.

Good luck with your project!

Kevin

[Lothlorian]

Welcome! What a nice looking trailer. You will really enjoy restoring it. I have two vintage Airstreams. One is finished and the other is being restored. We have property in Southern Illinois and we camp in that neck of the woods all the time. When I am up there I always keep my eyes open looking for airstreams sitting in the weeds. We like to hit the country roads and check out the landscape.

Brian

[farmer_smith]

I'm working on a nearly identical one, in about the same condition. Look forward to seeing your progress.

[Pies1212]

Full disclosure: Found 2 leaks at the front of the trailer in heavy downpours, near front windows. Can the rivet seams leak?
Electrical system, including 12 volt works great.
Propane system, untested.
Water system, untested ????? I'm not excited about the pressurized tank/torpedo.
Tires, need to be replaced.

We're still looking at pictures of restorations and trying to find some "inspiration" for our little barn find.

Thanks again for all of the hints and suggestions!! You guys/gals are fantastic!
Todd

[Pies1212]

BTW-

back to "inspiration" for a minute. I have read about the full monty, retrofitting vs restoration, painting, customizing, etc etc etc. There seem to be alot of AS owners interested in the classic artistry of their rigs. On the other hand there seem to be alot of AS owners that are interested in customizing and creating their own statement with Airstreams.

What are some of your thoughts regarding restoration vs retrofitting?

Todd

[Wabbiteer]

Often there will be twinned rivet holes that don't get quite covered - rivets left a little loose - overlap seams & window frame joints that had an air bubble in the original caulk that time opened up... So yes, rivet seams can and do leak.

Our trailer had the formica - plastic wood interior. We condemned the entire 1973 interior due to horrible unknown smell permeated in everything. We bought a Craigslist $1500 1972 parts trailer w/ bent frame and body damage that has a good interior to keep the restoration option open and have spares. The thinking now is selective restoration... ...just because we can. You have a wood veneer interior that probably should be kept as complete as possible just because it has soooo much potential!!