Early Tradewind Registry

[flyfshr]

Congrats Lee and Judy. So good to hear your trip was uneventful and the fridge decided it wanted to work again for its new owners. I already had your TW listed with the prior owner so I've updated the registry with your info.

As for the window, it sounds like you need the inner window frame that is the non-fixed portion of the frame since you're able to read the number on the outer frame. The 1009 number is the style of Hehr window and the 2140 is the size of the opening it fits into on the trailer shell; i.e.: 21" x 40". I hope you checked with the dealer in Tucson where you picked up the TW as I've been told they have a huge lot of vintage parts in one of their sheds. Finding a replacement will be a bit of a challenge but they're out there.

Thanks for the update and keep us posted with your restorations and travels.

Brad
FF

[wagndragnfc]

Thanks Brad
I asked about the window at the dealer when we picked up the trailer and they said they did not have a window. Maybe I need to talk to one of the workers there instead of the owner.
I figured out that the 2140 is the size of the opening, but it is nice to know what the 1009 means. So far I have spent a bunch of time fixing little things, and have a lot more to do, but I am enjoying it.

[Aluma-Naughty]

I am brand new to the site but here is my 1959 Tradewind mumber 24D0128. As far as I know we are the third owner, the first one only had it less than a year, then my mother's cousin has had ever since until last May when we drove back east to pick it up and bring it here. Lots of work to do.

[flyfshr]

Welcome to the group Laurie. Thanks for adding your serial number. You are one number before Rod in northern Utah. So can you share a bit more info like whether you have a couch or a dinette? What color is your stovetop, oven and fridge along with your bathtub? What kind of shape is your TW and have any modifications been made over the few prior owners? How about a few photos too?

I know, I ask alot of questions.

Brad
FF

[Frank's Trailer Works]

Brad, I have a feeling you might help me with a mystery. I am working on a 1961 Safari

Back in the day the cabinet guy was very proud of his work and signed all the parts with his signature and the serial number of the unit he was building for. I love finding these signatures when we work on them. While getting one of the wardrobes ready for stain I happened to notice something I had missed.

Whoa, hold on here. Gary didn't make this cabinet and it doesn't have the same serial number as the trailer. This cabinet was intended for a trailer much much further down the line.

[flyfshr]

Whoa!! That's interesting Frank. Although the TradeWind sequential number is higher than the Safari, the sequential numbers only applied to the model of Airstreams. By that I mean the Safaris had one set of numbers and the TradeWinds had another. It makes sense that these two vintage units were in the factory at the same time and either intentionally or by mistake, this TradeWind cabinet was put in the Safari. I wonder which cabinet ended up in the TradeWind. Also indicates to me that there were more TradeWinds made at the time these were being made than the Safaris but it could be that TradeWinds started an earlier year than the Safaris. I'll have to look that up as now I have to know.

Thanks for the bit of info Frank. I find this all so fascinating.

Brad
FF

[Frank's Trailer Works]

The second I noticed this I thought of you...

[Aluma-Naughty]

Brad, thanks for asking, and no, you don't ask too many questions, as a novice genealogist, I believe you can never ask too many questions and the "ancestry" of my airstream and others like it fascinates me as well. Here is a little information about where it has been and I will add details later with photos of what is in it.
My mother’s cousin kindly wrote up a little history of the airstream that we acquired from him. He writes that he purchased the Airstream from a professional photographer who had used it for one trip around Kansas and then offered it for sale and it that time, in 1959; it was licensed and titled in Kansas. Cousin Bill was assigned to Air Force Bases around the country managing construction and installation of USAF radio communications facilities on missile launch control sites. He was paid per diem for lodging and determined that the airstream was a great alternative to hotels.
He has towed the airstream with everything from a Lancia Flaminia sedan to a Chevy Impala. It has followed him from Kansas to Cheyenne Wyoming, to his home in Upper New York State. He asked his fiancé to marry him, flying her out to meet him in Cheyenne. Their honeymoon was a trip from Cheyenne to their new home in Ney York. Since then it has traveled to Virginia, Pennsylvania and finally to Maryland where he currently lives. It had been in storage for over 15 years. My enthusiasm over the possibility of owning cousin Bill’s 24 foot Tradewind must have been well timed; his desire to stop paying exorbitant storage fees led to his decision that if my husband and I were willing to travel clear across the country to pick it up, then he would sell it to us for a very fair price.
We did exactly that, drove to Maryland last May, towed it home after a some tricky lost title issues and have parked it in our garage, where it is waiting to be restored. The interior is in fair shape but the exterior has a lot of work to do.
Cousin Bill had made some modifications to the interior including replacing the original refrigerator with a slightly larger later model and some modes to the sofa bed in the dining area. It pulls out to a double bed, as does the main bed. The rest of it is pretty close to original, the stove in excellent condition. Colors seem to been coral, white and gray. The upholstery had been redone but was rotted. I am redoing it at. He added some drawers under the bed in the dining room. Any pictures I have are not great but I will post them soon.

[SalandViv]

Seeing some activity on this thread made me realize I'd never supplied any photos of my Tradewind- here's a shot in Yellowstone last summer (my maiden voyage with her). This is pretty much how I found her.

[flyfshr]

She is a beauty Richard. Thanks so much for posting this picture. Have any others you'd like to share? Maybe of the interior?

Brad
FF

[SalandViv]

Thanks for the compliment Brad!

I will attempt to get some interior shots taken yet this summer- including my water heater, furnace and other updates plus a grey water tank addition. The goal right now is to keep all updates hidden but I am considering a dinette build in place of the original gaucho (a little more functional for a family of three in a laptop world).

[steveirving]

Originally Posted by flyfshr

Since its been awhile since posting, I thought I would post all of the serial number on the registry to try and spark some interest in those who's serial numbers I am missing.

CA plant - 24T0114, 24D0129, 24D0130, 24D0132, 24T0138, 24D0146, 24D0152, 24D0158, 24D0160, 24T0167, 24D0170, 24D0175, 24D0185, 24D0186, 24D0202, 24D0203, 24D0205, 24T0216, 24T0255I, 24D0273I, 24D0279, 24T0303, 24T0316, 24D0324, 24T0328, 24D0340, 24TS0348I, 24TS0395, 24DS0406, 24TSS0447, 24TS0448, 24TS0365, 24TS0447, 24DSS0467, 24DSS0470, 24DSS0478, 24DSS0529, 24T0536, 24TSS0547

OH plant - 249007, 249011, 24902?, 249021, 249033, 249040, 249043, 249055, 249065, 249081, 249082, 249104, 249114, 249123, 249131, 249141, 249146, 249149, 249165, 249173, 240206T, 240216D, 240253T, 240261T, 240279T, 240291D, I240298T, 240301T, 240302T, 240309D, 240310T, I240312T, 240331T, 240338, 240384T, 240391D, I240409D, 240430T, 240440, 240456D

There are 45 other '59 and/or '60 TradeWind's that I do not know the serial number. This brings the total to 126 listed on the registry with just about the same number made at each factory, not counting the ones where I'm missing serial numbers. I expect the numbers would still reflect the same balance between factories though. Not many International models though, which surprises me because I would have thought a 24 foot size would be great for the long caravans. It also seems odd to me that the Ohio plant starts with number 7 but the California plant is 114. I have heard that a few CA trailers were special order for government use so maybe this is where the earlier CA serial numbers were utilized.

If you can add any info to the registry, please contact me via a PM.

Thank you for your continued support.

Brad
FF

Hi,

My wife and I bought our first Airstream (a '59 Tradewind 24') serial number 24D0239.

Here's our blog...rivoting: an airstream story

[richardallen]

Originally Posted by flyfshr

Since its been awhile since posting, I thought I would post all of the serial number on the registry to try and spark some interest in those who's serial numbers I am missing.

CA plant - 24T0114, 24D0129, 24D0130, 24D0132, 24T0138, 24D0146, 24D0152, 24D0158, 24D0160, 24T0167, 24D0170, 24D0175, 24D0185, 24D0186, 24D0202, 24D0203, 24D0205, 24T0216, 24T0255I, 24D0273I, 24D0279, 24T0303, 24T0316, 24D0324, 24T0328, 24D0340, 24TS0348I, 24TS0395, 24DS0406, 24TSS0447, 24TS0448, 24TS0365, 24TS0447, 24DSS0467, 24DSS0470, 24DSS0478, 24DSS0529, 24T0536, 24TSS0547

OH plant - 249007, 249011, 24902?, 249021, 249033, 249040, 249043, 249055, 249065, 249081, 249082, 249104, 249114, 249123, 249131, 249141, 249146, 249149, 249165, 249173, 240206T, 240216D, 240253T, 240261T, 240279T, 240291D, I240298T, 240301T, 240302T, 240309D, 240310T, I240312T, 240331T, 240338, 240384T, 240391D, I240409D, 240430T, 240440, 240456D

There are 45 other '59 and/or '60 TradeWind's that I do not know the serial number. This brings the total to 126 listed on the registry with just about the same number made at each factory, not counting the ones where I'm missing serial numbers. I expect the numbers would still reflect the same balance between factories though. Not many International models though, which surprises me because I would have thought a 24 foot size would be great for the long caravans. It also seems odd to me that the Ohio plant starts with number 7 but the California plant is 114. I have heard that a few CA trailers were special order for government use so maybe this is where the earlier CA serial numbers were utilized.

If you can add any info to the registry, please contact me via a PM.

Thank you for your continued support.

Brad
FF

Hi

Just purchased tradewind 249055. It's in the uk ready to be collected after a refurb. I have a few reg docs but wondered if you had the full history?

Regards


Richard

[richardallen]

Just seen another pic of my uk based tradewind 16377 serial 249055 on this site. Amazing!!

[flyfshr]

Hi Richard ~

I do know abit about this trailer's history. It belonged to a long time WBBCI member on the east coast who passed away and his widow contacted a friend who is a restorer/repair facility in Maryland (actually his name is Frank and he has posted in this thread). He put it up for sale and a guy from over the pond bought it with plans on making it a food vendor trailer as the side had already been set up for this. Frank took it to the shipping yard. That was the last I heard of it.

In fact, I have the white oven door and cooktop from this trailer and they both are now part of my '59 TradeWind. Small world.

Brad
FF

[flyfshr]

Hi Steve ~
Somehow I missed your posting about your TradeWind. I've just added it to my registry. Can you share a bit more info with me? Can you pass along the date stamp on the ID tag where the serial number is located? Also does it have a booth or couch up front? The 'D' tells me it has a double bed so that info I have.

Thanks and congrats on your find.

Brad
FF

[epperp]

Hi Brad,
Could you post your registry list again with all your recent updates? Or maybe there is a location on the forums that has a link to it?
It's interesting to find our trailer's siblings....
Eileen

[flyfshr]

Hi Eileen ~

I don't have the registry available online as it has person info regarding ower's names, phone numbers and email addresses so I want to keep that private. In the next few days, I'll update the numbers in a new post on this thread. Yes it is very interesting.

Brad
FF

[Mark Wiltrakis]

Brad -
I still have the registry info from 2006 on an MS Excel spreadsheet. My listing (249114 - your trailer's Ohio S/N brother) includes "Sioux City, IA" and "couch." This is where I purchased the trailer, but the trailer and I reside in Astoria, OR. It originally was configured with a couch from the factory, but now has been converted to dinette.
Mark

[richardallen]

Hi Brad

Thanks for your reply. That sheds a bit of light on the history of my tradewind 16377 even though a bit perplexed by its history. Strangely enough i found two reg docs in the trailer dating back to keepers from 1971!!!!! Not sure if I need to add it to the registry or not but here is the history so far...please let me know if you can complete the picture.....

1959 - 1971 ?????
1971 - 1984 owned by Cecil Alexander Pennington - gibsonville
1984 - ???? Owned by kingswood Apostolic Church - kingwood
???? - ???? East coast member
???? -???? Frank?
2012 -2012 while coyote Southampton UK
2012 - present Richard Allen, UK