Jason, we're speechless, thank you for the offer. Thanks again for your help. I'll send you a PM. Did spend the day getting the 66 closer to ready, still have another 3-4 days of work to have it ready, but made good progress.
The overlander is licensed, I'm down to just a couple hours of little projects and it is ready for the treck to Rob's. New window glass, New rubber, brakes, all new wiring, new insulation, reinstalled skin, patched openings, new exterior lights, and we're getting the maps out.
Week from Friday she comes home. thanks to all that have offered/given help.
Impressive very impressive. I hope Bob realizes what a deal he is getting. Can you encourage him to stop in and let us know more about his plans and progress.
I, too, am happy to see that this piece of Airstream history is being preserved, and that both parties seem to be getting a more-than-satisfactory resolution.
Going to celebrate thanksgiving tomorrow, get some sleep and roll out very early AM on Friday (while everyone else goes shopping). The Overlander is ready for Rob, he's got everything loaded for us down there.
Thanks to those along the route that have offered assistance. Hopefully we won't need it, but we have your contact info just in case. Lastly, we hope to have some photos up by mid-day Saturday.
32 hours in the truck or hooking up to the truck but we're home safe. Friday morning we left at 5:00 AM home and arrived at the Kellers in Napa CA at 7:30 PM (non-stop except gas stations etc).
We had two cameras, the other is with by brother so I will post those later. Great weather on the way down, just a little rain by Portland Oregon. My brother Eric and his son Alec came along (Alec to watch, Eric to switch off driving).
Rob and his wife were as pleasant in person as they were over the phone. These are amazing people and did what they didn't have any obligation to do and should be complimented for doing so. I hope that anyone that reached out to these individuals with less than wonderful means of communication can overcome that with the Kellers. They are truely great people who did what was best for the trailer despite some very negative attacks, and ultimately I think it worked out great for everyone.
Pictures of the switch at his house will be posted later, but my nephew had never seen the Golden Gate Bridge so we made a detour before heading home for a few photos (11:30 PM).
We drove through incredibly dense fog, stopped at In & Out Burger (we love it, but none of those around our state) and finally pulled into a rest stop around 3:00 AM and rested in the truck until 4:30 AM and headed out again. 4:45 this evening I arrived at the house and backed into the driveway.
The Overlander was outstanding, but having good axles, greased bearings, overhauled brakes and new tires made that simple. 8671 had one bias ply (newer) and one radial (brand new) and such a shot axle that the tires can't be removed without deflating and distorting the skin out to get the tire around. Neadless to say the trailer didn't have its smoothest ride.
We had tied the door shut just in case because the latches didn't seem to catch well and the door had a lot of play in it. Discovered just north of San Francisco that the top hinge and broken around the pin and the door was sagging and in danger of falling off entirely. After some carefully engineered (no jokes please) use of duct tape and rope the door was carefully attached so it could not (short of a natural disaster) come off the trailer.
I do have the pin, the center spacer and one of the 2 loops of the stainless hinge that broke, the bottom loop is on I-505 somewhere. I know it can probably be welded and ground to look good (After being removed of course) but are these hinges available new/used through anyone?
I have spent maybe 5 minutes in and around the trailer beyond inspecting of bearings, checking wiring, tires and getting going. I'll take some good pictures tomorrow throughout and document the trailer as it stands for those that are interested. We are excited, though other than inventory, some glass replacement, weatherstrips and leak checks not much will be done for some months now while we pay for the trip, the improvements to the overlander and other aspects of getting this worked out with Rob.
Many many projects to deal with, just to start a basic list:
Full replacement of all plywood floor, frame repairs as necessary, stripping and redoing interior paint (stain etc as well) and other finishes (with as close to original as possible). Updated but inkeeping appliances (all are beyond reasonable restoration) and other mechanical systems. New Inland Andy axle with brakes etc. Restoration of exterior will repair some minor body damage but will preserve the "character" of the exterior in most cases, though I really do want to polish the exterior, perhaps not mirror finish but at least remove the oxide as much as I can (I have a cyclo and I'm not affraid to use it).
Interior of inner door's lettering (will post tomorrow) will be preserved somehow, TBD as the paint is fading rather quickly.
Please help me with the hinge dilema, the bottom hinge is rather distorted, guessing the top hinge was compromised already and the bottom was doing more than its fair share. Also just an FYI I really want to go back to the stock rear tail lights and am looking for the socks and backing plates for these if anyone runs across them give me a hollar. Right now someone (pre-Rob's ownership) added truck style rubber mount recessed lights. Repair will be necessary but can be done so without being visable whatsoever with stock lights reinstalled.
Thanks Joe, purman and others for all your help in the matter, and those that offered help along the route that thankfully we didn't need.
We'll be starting a blog on this but will keep 100% of that content included here on the forums as we go.
(Photo 1, Golden Gate)
(Photo 2, Dinner)
(Photo 3, Driveway at home)
Last edited by Janet; 12-08-2008 at 07:45 PM.
Reason: requested
ahha got it to let me upload more photos again, first two are photos of top broken hinge, last picture is the bottom hinge. Will take clearer ones tomorrow in the daylight with the ropes out of the way. Anyone recognize them and know of a source? Thanks!
Hey! Welcome back! Well... I've certainly had some good karma come my way via the forums... I do have two stock lights from my '64 TW... since you don't seem in too much of a hurry... could I donate mine to you around Feb or so? Both wedding cakes are intact.. the bases would need to be wired with new sockets (I think).. although the brakes lights still work. I also have three teardrop bases and (I think) lenses... let me know.
I'm in Seattle...
Marc
Scott,
Congrats! Glad you and 8671 made it home safely (more or less). I wish I was closer and could offer more help, but for now it'll be only advice from a distance, if you so desire. And I too was thinking that putting 8671 back to original tail lights shouldn't be too big of a deal (I believe they were changed out a couple of years and three owners ago, by Cecil Copley that sold 8671 to the guy that flipped it on eBay to Rob).
As for the hinge, I'm sorry to hear about your troubles, but glad you were able to save the door. I'm sure someone will eventually come up with something to help out, but I did recently notice that 1963 Airstreams have unique door hinge setups (relative to earlier and later door-within-a-door setups): 1963 Door-Within-A-Door
We'll have to investigate that further to see if the hinge base that attaches to the body is the same as earlier and later hinges (which do have different parts that attach to the door and door-within-a-door), or if it is unique to 1963.
__________________ Joe
Vintage Airstream Club Historian WBCCI/VAC #5533
'55 22' Safari / '63 28' Ambassador / '94 28' Excella
I am very impressed with the actions you have taken. I sure hope you are proud of your self because you deserve to be.
What 62Overlander said, times 2. Thanks for taking on this project!! I wish I had money to send to you, butt all my money is being eaten up by a certain 1954 year old 25' lady. Good luck to you - that just doesn't seem to cover my feelings tho - but never the less, good luck .
__________________
Whitsend in Central Texas
Parts Needed ~ 1954 Cruiser
A Working / Safe Panel Ray Heater?
Lower "Face Cover" for bottom of Marvel
Upper Storage Bins (Kitchen?)
Quick Links
Here we go! 
1994 F-350 Crew 7.3 IDI Turbo, C6, Dually
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Parts Needed ~ 1954 Cruiser 
Hybrid Mode
