1950's trailer info

[Jsnider]

Hi, I have purchased what I assume to be a 1950 something airstream that has been sitting in a farmers field for 20+ years. I have no supporting paperwork and I'm hoping someone can help me determine what year and model it would be. It's 18 feet long from bumper to tongue and serial number is 3148

Thanks

[uncle_bob]

Hi

*If* you can find a full VIN number, that will help you work out exactly what you have. There are lookups on the web that will help you decode the number.

Bob

[DDickey]

It's a whale tail, so it's relatively rare and highly desirable. I think whale tails were only made in California, and only from the early 50's to 1957, so that narrows it a bit. I think that model was called a Wanderer, or maybe a Clipper. Great find!

[Jsnider]

Thank you for your replies! That does narrow it down and at least gives me a good starting point. Thanks DDickey

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Jsnider

Hi, I have purchased what I assume to be a 1950 something airstream that has been sitting in a farmers field for 20+ years. I have no supporting paperwork and I'm hoping someone can help me determine what year and model it would be. It's 18 feet long from bumper to tongue and serial number is 3148

Thanks

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the photos. Great find!

If you go up one level to this sub-forum's list of topics:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f142/

. . . you will find many different Airstream models and years listed, within each of which there are many threads to read.

There is a Clipper sub-forum:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f53/

. . . and a Wanderer sub-forum with two threads in it:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f95/

As you dig down into these and other various sub-forums and threads, hopefully you will see photos matching yours. Also some of the old timers here can probably help point you in the right direction.

Good luck!

Peter

PS -- In Post #2 by Stefrobrts in this thread:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f96/...am-125381.html

this unit looks pretty similar IMO, although the rear lights are somewhat different:

http://vintageairstream.com/photo-ar...5-wanderer-18/

[DDickey]

What does the inside look like?

[Jsnider]

It's not in very good condition, I'll take some more pictures when I have time,

[Overlander & Sea]

According to vintageairstream. com it's a 1954 California "18 Footer" globetrotter.

http://vintageairstream.com/photo-ar...-globetrotter/

Very cool Airstream!!

[Jsnider]

Perfect, thank you for finding that info. Now I have something to work with when I start the registration process.

[Overlander & Sea]

You're welcome! We have a 1955 Flying Cloud whale tail that has had a complete shell off/frame up, restoration/renovation. Enjoy!!

Originally Posted by Jsnider

It's 18 feet long from bumper to tongue and serial number is 3148

Thanks

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

*If* you can find a full VIN number, that will help you work out exactly what you have.

Bob

3148 is the full VIN for that year and model. Airstream used 4 digit VINs on many models during the 1950s.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Overlander & Sea

You're welcome! We have a 1955 Flying Cloud whale tail that has had a complete shell off/frame up, restoration/renovation. Enjoy!!





3148 is the full VIN for that year and model. Airstream used 4 digit VINs on many models during the 1950s.

Hi

How did they keep from duplicating / overlapping VIN's with only a 4 digit number as the full VIN?

Bob

[Overlander & Sea]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

How did they keep from duplicating / overlapping VIN's with only a 4 digit number as the full VIN?

Bob

In the 1950s the California Airstream plant had one VIN system and the Ohio Jackson Center Airstream plant had a different VIN system and not all of the VINs were 4 digits. If you go to www.vintageairstream.com (Vintage Airstream Photos at the bottom of the home page) it shows the different VINs by year and model for each plant. I guess after Airstream reached more than 9,999 with the 4 digit VINs, they just change the system to include more information about that individual trailer.

[Shacksman]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

How did they keep from duplicating / overlapping VIN's with only a 4 digit number as the full VIN?

Bob

They did overlap. Here's an explanation from Fred Coldwell

"Here's what happened. In 1951, the new 21' Flying Cloud began its serial number series at 7000 and the new 15' Cruisette began its serial number series at 8000. No one at the California factory foresaw any conflict because each model had 999 more numbers available to issue as serial numbers. After two years the Cruisette ended production around s/n 8075 but the Flying Cloud was popular and continued in production longer than first imagined.

During the 1956 model year the Flying Cloud had reached serial number 7999, exhausting all 7000 series serial numbers. Rather than jump to an unused 5 digit serial number, such as 10,000, the California factory continued consecutively numbering Flying Clouds into the 8000's, duplicating some 75 or so older Cruisette serial numbers. I imagine the factory thought the difference in trailer lengths would distinguish one 80XX Airstream from another 80XX Airstream, so didn't perceive much of a problem . . . or ignored it. I also imagine the California Motor Vehicle Department was not amused.

I don't think this would be much of a problem today unless one of the 80XX duplicate serial number trailers was reported stolen and afterwards the new owner of the other duplicate 80XX Airstream tried to register it. It might show up on a national data base as stolen. There'd be some 'splaining to do, but I think eventually registration could be worked out with the state motor vehicle department once they were shown the facts of the matter.
__________________
Fred Coldwell, WBCCI #1510, AIR #2675
Denver, Colorado - WBCCI Unit 24
Airstream Life "Old Aluminum"
Airstream Life "From the Archives"
*

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Obviously there's a world of difference between how we do VIN's today and how they did things pre-1981. I never realized things were quite as chaotic as having the same factory re-use numbers.

Bob

[Overlander & Sea]

Funny, when I registered my 1955 Flying Cloud, VIN 7929, in the state of Mississippi a few years ago, the state had already recorded that VIN on another trailer, but it had not been used since the 1980s. The state employee said it may have been a homemade trailer, but didn't know for sure. So, to solve the problem, the state titled my Flying Cloud with the VIN of DOR7929. DOR for Department of Revenue.