Wrap around windows - front and rear?

[SilverToy]

Hi all!

Just curious about the wrap around windows - are they only available with certain 'option' groupings, or how do they got to be on some trainers, but not others?

What about the Front AND Rear Wrap arounds?? Have been looking pretty well all over the photos and haven't honestly seen any that I can recall, period. SInce I have both F + R's on mine, I am curious to see how numerous they are, and would also like to get an idea of the coach sizes they are on.

Any other 34's with double wrap arounds out there!?

Hey, this double wrap group could become a whole sub-grouping of AS - the "Let there be Light at both ends" group. Probably need to work on that, huh?

Anyway, looking forward to the replies.

Ciao

Axel

[CanoeStream]

Howdy Axel -- Vintageairstream.com states "The 1969 models were the first year with the aluminum framed rounded corner Corning windows, replacing the frameless style of the previous 3 years." Take a look there for many examples of these mini-panos. The full wraparound windows were experiments first offered in the Argosy line I believe -- I think I can go so far to say that all Argosy trailers of the 70's had them. I have a rough impression there was a double-ended pano trailer some time back in the 70's.

It's interesting that you have this excellent feature too. It most likely requires mid-bath, so would more commonly be found in longer Airstreams. Pano windows in recent years are principally on the Classics and CCD lines. The new Special Edition Safaris will all have one pano window, usually at the front. The rear door FB (front bedroom) SE model is an exception. In these the pano is at the rear over the dinette and a rectangular window is standard at the front. Since the FB has a mid-bath, a front pano window is an available option -- at discount it cost me $700. My photos at http://www.airforums.com/photo...imageuser=2950 show the latest offering for double ended panos.

[66Overlander]

Here is the history of "double wrap arounds" as I know it:

1. Available as an option on 30' rear bedroom Argosy's in the late 70's ('77 to '79?).

2. Aparently available as an option on most rear bedroom Airstreams in the 1984-1987 timeframe (years not exactly known). I have seen double wrap arounds in this timeframe on 25', 29', 31', & 32' models. I assume that it was also available on 34'. I doubt you could get it on a 27' in this timeframe, because they were all rear bath. (And I should note that it appears the front wrap arounds were first offered on Airstream in 1982, apparently as an option, because you occasionally see one without them, but it is rare to find an Airstream after 1982 that doesn't have them up until the new Safari was introduced in 1997 with a non-wrap around front window.)

3. I have seen a picture of at least one early 90's 34' Limited with double wrap arounds (about 1992 - perhaps yours?). Not known if this was an option or a custom order.

4. The current 16' CCD Bambi (2004+) has an option for double wraparounds, with them being standard on the 2006 "QuickSilver" special edition, I think.

5. The new 2005+ 25' Front Bedroom CCD and Safari Special Editions have an option for double wrap arounds.

In all cases, double wrap arounds seem to be pretty rare. Perhaps they will be more common on the current 25' FB's than ever before.

In a related note, The Vista View windows that were introduced in (I think) 1967 as an option (they are pretty rare on '67's and 68's, but much more common on '69+) were discontinued after about 1982. Most Airstreams than have them only have them over the front living room windows, but I have seen a few that also have them over rear bedroom windows. Vista Views were reintroduced in 2005, except that I have seen one or two early 90's 34' Limiteds (again around '92?) that had them. Again were they an option at the time, or a special order? Does your unit also have vista views?

[66Overlander]

Originally Posted by Canoe stream

Howdy Axel -- Vintageairstream.com states "The 1969 models were the first year with the aluminum framed rounded corner Corning windows, replacing the frameless style of the previous 3 years." Take a look there for many examples of these mini-panos. The full wraparound windows were experiments first offered in the Argosy line I believe -- I think I can go so far to say that all Argosy trailers of the 70's had them. I have a rough impression there was a double-ended pano trailer some time back in the 70's.

I consider the front windows on '69 to '81 Aistreams (and occasionally on post '81 Airstreams) to be semi-wrap arounds. They don't extend as far around the corner as the "true wrap around" windows used on '82+ Airstreams and on the '70's Argosies. I guess I should point out that to my knowledge, all Arogosy trailers ('72 thru '79 had front wrap arounds.) Somewhere along the line they started offering rear wrap arounds on the Argosy Motorhomes (which eventually carried over to the Airstream Motorhomes), but I don't pay much attention to Motorhomes, so I can't give you any more detail about them.

[66Overlander]

While looking at an old 1994 Airstream Brochure and Order Sheets today I noticed that rear wrap around windows were listed as an option on all Excellas and Limiteds 25' thru 34' in length (i.e. all except the 21' Sovereign), although they were not available with the rear queen bed that got the closets in the rear corners of the trailer, for obvious reasons. The option was called "S.P. Solar Grey Rear Panoramic Windows" with a price was $493. It's funny that I've never seen an Airstream of this vintage ('94 or never - which got the new "squarer" roof shape) with rear wrap arounds, so it must have been a very rare option.

[SilverToy]

Joe et al....

Thanks for all the great info on the history of the F + R panoramic windows. Really good info! I feel SO inadequate... Sigh.

No really, great info. Thanks for that. And No, SilverToy doesn't have the Vista Views. Would really be a rare bird if it did, huh?!

But seriously, I really haven't seen very many (any?) units that have the F + R pano windows in any length or model year. None that I can recall - sorry if I haven't yet perused your photo montage. I'm trying.

Could anyone that has this feature on their trailer just give a shout out so that I can get a sense of relative rarity here. I mean, if you stop and think that AS's are relatively rare ( compared to SOB's) and then start thinking about obvious features like this, they can become quite the rare little thing, can't they? I read it all the time in the 'vintage' car ads - "very rare combination", "only 6 ever made", etc... Just wondering if anyone else is staying awake thinking about this..??? Not that I a.... Snnnnzzz.

OK, looking forward to the outpouring of hits on my question!!!!!

Ciao!

Axel

[Aunt Siver]

1984 29' Sovereign I hunted for 2 years to find one in good shape. Im slightly claustrophobic so windows are important. We converted the twins to one giant bed. The great feature is you back into what is going to be your view...no to vehicle to look at and wake up to spectacular scenery. We remodeled kitchen... living room and bathroom. Shes a keeper..