Tell me what this oldie is...

[aircooled4]

Originally Posted by 47WeeWind

Hi Jay:

Serial number 8435 tells us this is a 1958 model year California built 22' Airstream. The 1958 model year for California trailers began at serial number 8400, so this is an early 1958 22' trailer. Slightly higher serial number 8442 was delivered on 12-2-1957, so this trailer was built around the same time.

It obviously is more than a plain 22' Flying Cloud. I think it is the unnamed and unbadged California equivalent of the 22' World Traveler then also being built in Ohio as a specific model. In 1958, the California plant seemed far more casual about trailer models and names than Ohio. California just built and delivered travel trailers to customers or dealers as it had since 1947.

This trailer has the floor plan and tandem axle chassis of the 22' World Traveler built in Ohio. The absence of a black tank vertical vent pipe up through the bathroom lavanette (bathroom sink counter) tells us this trailer was built before the California Mobile Home Code became law around 9-15-58. The Code made residential building code specifications applicable to all mobile homes and even travel trailers built in California. Once the Code became law in California, Airstream moved all custom trailer manufacturing to the Ohio plant which was not subject to the Code and thus retained flexibility in plumbing and electrical utility placement. On 8435, the black tank vents from underneath the eyebrow located on the curbside front of the rear end cap.

WBCCI # 918 initially belonged to Archie and Mary Ann Leuenberger of Los Angeles, 25, California. As of 1964, they had not been on any national or international caravans. The fact they lived right in Los Angeles suggests the California plant built an unnamed 22' World Traveler trailer for them locally rather than forcing them go to Ohio to get one. It's a very neat old Airstream.

So what you're saying is we wouldn't be completely off base by calling this a one-off CA made World Traveler... maybe not so far as to say "and then there were 8"

[flyfshr]

Thanks Fred. I knew you'd know or at least have a very educated guess. This just gets better.

Is there by chance a paper trailer warranty on the inside of a cabinet door?

Brad
FF

[aircooled4]

Brad....NOPE...thats one of the first things I looked for when i got inside...

[66Overlander]

Originally Posted by 47WeeWind

Hi Jay:

Serial number 8435 tells us this is a 1958 model year California built 22' Airstream. The 1958 model year for California trailers began at serial number 8400, so this is an early 1958 22' trailer. Slightly higher serial number 8442 was delivered on 12-2-1957, so this trailer was built around the same time.

It obviously is more than a plain 22' Flying Cloud. I think it is the unnamed and unbadged California equivalent of the 22' World Traveler then also being built in Ohio as a specific model. In 1958, the California plant seemed far more casual about trailer models and names than Ohio. California just built and delivered travel trailers to customers or dealers as it had since 1947.

This trailer has the floor plan and tandem axle chassis of the 22' World Traveler built in Ohio. The absence of a black tank vertical vent pipe up through the bathroom lavanette (bathroom sink counter) tells us this trailer was built before the California Mobile Home Code became law around 9-15-58. The Code made residential building code specifications applicable to all mobile homes and even travel trailers built in California. Once the Code became law in California, Airstream moved all custom trailer manufacturing to the Ohio plant which was not subject to the Code and thus retained flexibility in plumbing and electrical utility placement. On 8435, the black tank vents from underneath the eyebrow located on the curbside front of the rear end cap.

WBCCI # 918 initially belonged to Archie and Mary Ann Leuenberger of Los Angeles, 25, California. As of 1964, they had not been on any national or international caravans. The fact they lived right in Los Angeles suggests the California plant built an unnamed 22' World Traveler trailer for them locally rather than forcing them go to Ohio to get one. It's a very neat old Airstream.

Fred, you are the expert! I just found this thread and exterior photos and floor plan immediately said "World Traveller" to me, but the California wheel wells were an issue. You had it pegged before I could even read through the thread. Great analysis!

But I have a surprise! I have previously found a photo of this trailer on the WBCCI Sierra Nevada Unit web site (photo credit to them) a long time ago. I can't find the link to that photo on their web site at the moment, but I'll attach a copy to this message. The photo is from the 1960 International Rally.

[47WeeWind]

Originally Posted by aircooled4

So what you're saying is we wouldn't be completely off base by calling this a one-off CA made World Traveler... maybe not so far as to say "and then there were 8"

For the time being. Today we know something we didn't know yesterday: that the California plant built at least one World Traveler. This trailer taught us something new! But now we don't know whether the California plant built more than one such trailer. This trailer not only establishes that one was built, it also opens up the possibility that more than one unnamed World Traveler might have been built in California.

That's what I love about this still new hobby of vintage Airstream trailers. We don't know everything and new surprises crop up regularly. It's a hobby that keeps on providing us with excitement and wonder, with new things to learn and ponder. It also forces us to rethink and often discard old assumptions and beliefs in light of new facts. It's an exciting time to be in this hobby.

[47WeeWind]

Originally Posted by 66Overlander

. . .But I have a surprise! I have previously found a photo of this trailer on the WBCCI Sierra Nevada Unit web site (photo credit to them) a long time ago. I can't find the link to that photo on their web site at the moment, but I'll attach a copy to this message. The photo is from the 1960 International Rally.

Hi Joe:

Great photo! That's wonderful detective work linking that photo to this trailer. Personally, I think the owners should have left that trailer in Colorado Springs and should have sent me a time-released note with the key and its location.

[aircooled4]

Originally Posted by 66Overlander

Fred, you are the expert! I just found this thread and exterior photos and floor plan immediately said "World Traveller" to me, but the California wheel wells were an issue. You had it pegged before I could even read through the thread. Great analysis!

But I have a surprise! I have previously found a photo of this trailer on the WBCCI Sierra Nevada Unit web site (photo credit to them) a long time ago. I can't find the link to that photo on their web site at the moment, but I'll attach a copy to this message. The photo is from the 1960 International Rally.

Joe, we're sitting here laughing right now because we JUST came across the same pics on the web! We found a series with probably 5-8 pics of that same rally... the photographer of the parade just happened to be standing in front of that trailer! The pics are on the sierranevadaairstreams.org site and are from the 1960 CO Springs rally. CRAZY!!! Going back to the pics we took of it yesterday, we can now see the line where the roof was painted white at one time.

[aircooled4]

Here's the link...

Airstream rallies of the 1960's

The 1960 rally is the first one listed on that page...

[fotochop]

awesome! you guys are better than the History Detectives on PBS! and the photos at sierranevada are totally priceless... like my friend Jim said about a local '48/49 (*that's still sitting in someone's backyard) just BUY IT!

[aircooled4]

Since we're Wisconsinites, we thought this pic was awesome of the then-native CA trailer in the background with the WI unit parade entry going by... PRICELESS...

[66Overlander]

Originally Posted by aircooled4

Joe, we're sitting here laughing right now because we JUST came across the same pics on the web! We found a series with probably 5-8 pics of that same rally... the photographer of the parade just happened to be standing in front of that trailer! The pics are on the sierranevadaairstreams.org site and are from the 1960 CO Springs rally. CRAZY!!! Going back to the pics we took of it yesterday, we can now see the line where the roof was painted white at one time.

Originally Posted by aircooled4

Here's the link...

Airstream rallies of the 1960's

The 1960 rally is the first one listed on that page...

You guys found the link. I downloaded that photo years ago and when I saw the number 918 on the photos you posted, it sounded very familiar. I just didn't have the time to go find the link. I followed it after you posted it and see that trailer in 6 or 8 photos as you noted. That will be great documentation if you succeed in getting that unique trailer.

BTW, I checked my 1960, 1966, and 1975 WBCCI Directories and the Leuenbergers are listed in 1960 and 1966 without any caravans, but they are no longer listed in 1975. I think this confirms that they were most likely the owners of the trailer at the time of the 1960 International Rally in Colorado Springs.

I can also tell you that the WBCCI number 918 was first assigned in 1957 as the highest number in the 1957 Directory is 1209. So if the trailer is an early 1958 model that was produced in late 1957, those numbers may have been applied when new. Otherwise, the original owners of WBCCI number 918 (assumed to be the Leuenbergs, but I don't have Directories from 1957-8-9 to confirm) upgraded from their original Airstream to this one in 1958.

That's all I have. Good Luck!

Edit.: I should also not that this trailer has the round globe "International" badges on it that I believe should be on all "official" World Travellers (Fred can confirm if this was a fact, but I think it was).

[66Overlander]

Originally Posted by aircooled4

So what you're saying is we wouldn't be completely off base by calling this a one-off CA made World Traveler... maybe not so far as to say "and then there were 8"

The number of World Travelers is growing, currently numbering at least ten depending upon how strict you are in the definition:
- Wally's 1957 Gold World Traveler
- Four 1958 Ohio built World Travelers (not sure if all of these have been rediscovered)
- One 1958 California built World Traveler (unbadged - the topic of this thread)
- Three 1959 Ohio built World Travelers (all three of these are known)
- One 1960 Ohio built World Traveler (22' single axle trailer with with the World Traveler badges, Warranty document, and floor plan, discovered a couple of years ago)

I have also seen pictures of a 1955 26' Cruiser that had World Traveler badges on it, but they must have been added at a later time as those badges would not have existed in 1955.

What other discoveries are waiting to be made?

[Xbob2]

Originally Posted by 66Overlander

The number of World Travelers is growing, currently numbering at least ten depending upon how strict you are in the definition:
- Wally's 1957 Gold World Traveler
- Four 1958 Ohio built World Travelers (not sure if all of these have been rediscovered)
- One 1958 California built World Traveler (unbadged - the topic of this thread)
- Three 1959 Ohio built World Travelers (all three of these are known)
- One 1960 Ohio built World Traveler (22' single axle trailer with with the World Traveler badges, Warranty document, and floor plan, discovered a couple of years ago)

I have also seen pictures of a 1955 26' Cruiser that had World Traveler badges on it, but they must have been added at a later time as those badges would not have existed in 1955.

What other discoveries are waiting to be made?

Actually Joe hasn't there been more than 1 gold trailer? I did a search a few days ago to see how this trailer compares and in the pictures are 2 different wheel arches ... was it 1 trailer remade or 2 trailers?
Bob

[66Overlander]

Originally Posted by Xbob2

Actually Joe hasn't there been more than 1 gold trailer? I did a search a few days ago to see how this trailer compares and in the pictures are 2 different wheel arches ... was it 1 trailer remade or 2 trailers?
Bob

Bob,
The gold trailer has been through quite a number of changes through the years, including more than just the wheel wells. But specifically on the wheel wells, it started life in 1957 with flat top wheel well openings. Sometime before the Cape Town to Cairo Caravan it was modified to then current ('59-'61) middle peaked wheel well openings. At a later point, there were patch panels about the wheel wells (at least on the curb side, maybe there was damage from a blow out), possibly converting them back to flat tops. Then in the 1980's or early 1990's the wheel well openings were updated to then current wheel well opening trim (way to big and fat for a 1957 Airstream). And then after the gold trailer was repurchased by Airstream (in the late 1990's?), it was restored and the wheel wells were returned to a flat topped shape that is similar to that from 1957 (not sure it is exactly the same).

[aircooled4]

...Im thinking if I get this one, Ill turn it into a chicken coop...just a thought ;-)

[flyfshr]

If you do, I'll be making a trip to Wisconsin...just a thought.

Brad
FF

[Xbob2]

Originally Posted by aircooled4

...Im thinking if I get this one, Ill turn it into a chicken coop...just a thought ;-)

Baiting us all! Evil, evil ...

[aircooled4]

...Im sure a gaggle of cats would make in not-so-pleasant inside

[aircooled4]

..the 'rolling bee hive' isnt a bad idea..although i hate bees...there appears to be a few hornet nests in it right now also...

[Xbob2]

Originally Posted by aircooled4

...Im sure a gaggle of cats would make in not-so-pleasant inside

Is that along with the chickens?