1966 was a very good year...Safari

[ND10CentCan]

DH and son in law from MN launched into demo on the 1966 Safari yesterday. It is getting kind of cold here and the wind is blowing but they were not deterred. Working like crazy people I think their goal is to strip it down and have it detached before the snow flies. It is going way faster with two people working on it than it did with one.

No idea on how it will be finished up but one step at a time. Big goal is to have it camp ready by spring even if it means a big aluminum tent. Son in law is getting a hands on view of Airstream restoration. This will be their family trailer with the little ones so we are really excited to help them get it done.
Sandy

[68 TWind]

Boy do those pics bring back memories. We used ours as an aluminum tent on several trips as the work progressed. Have fun!!

[Splitrock]

I'll be following the thread. Thanks for posting.

[ND10CentCan]

Originally Posted by Splitrock

I'll be following the thread. Thanks for posting.

Thanks Gary,
It will be strange not to be in control of all the decisions on this one. Wish they lived closer so we could consult more easily.
Sandy

[ND10CentCan]

Son in law worked steadily along side DH and they got it almost separated. By the time I got back from the airport, DH had them pulled apart. Can't believe how much work they got done over the last three days. Wow! Now the final parts of figuring out how bad the Safari frame may be. Three Airstreams all separated....two back together and one more in demo stage. A sure sign we are all certifiably nuts.
Sandy

[Splitrock]

I had all I could do to do one. :-)

[ND10CentCan]

Originally Posted by Splitrock

I had all I could do to do one. :-)

If someone had told me a couple of years ago that we would be working on three different Airstreams and looking for a fourth, I would have said they were batty. Now I am on the hunt for number 4, anxious to finish #2, and thinking the work has just begun on #3, and can't wait for camping season with #1. Good thing we only had four kids.
Sandy

[Splitrock]

I have 4 sons but they're not getting any Airstreams from me. :-)

Well . . . maybe one . . .

[ND10CentCan]

Originally Posted by Splitrock

I have 4 sons but they're not getting any Airstreams from me. :-)

Well . . . maybe one . . .

We decided trying to divide the Albatross into four pieces so each child could have a piece of our recreation time, attention, and a whole lot of money would be more difficult than we could accomplish. From that came my brilliant idea to have four Airstreams so each one gets their own. Now I see how crazy that idea is but too late. We're in too deep at this point!
Sandy

[ND10CentCan]

DH got the frame exposed today after removing all the plywood floor and power washing the frame clean. He sees some repairs but not anything like the Albatross. Phew! Looks like some outriggers and a cross member and some step repair. Fixable. Of course the rear is the worst as in all Airstreams.

He is going to start grinding on the frame tomorrow to expose the true picture before he devises his frame repair plan of action. Once that is done, he wants to get the door back on the Pacer so he can move the Safari in to get the frame repaired and painted with POR15. This all seems so familiar the third time around.

In the meanwhile, I am supposed to find out from someone how the tanks or tank in the back was set up. This one came with a big hole in the back under the toilet seat where the black tank was at one time. Was there even a gray tank originally in the Safari at all? Anyone who can respond to me on those questions or where to look would be most appreciated.
Thanks.
Sandy

[ND10CentCan]

DH got a lot of work done on the frame with the clean up and power washing. He has started frame repairs and hopes to finish the welding tomorrow. Not as much rot on this frame as the Albatross but still needs some work. Notice the rotted away cross member in the rear and the new steel that replaced it. He also made an outrigger for one that was beyond repair on the curbside.

Soon the welding will be done and then it is on to Marine Clean and then POR 15. Great day to work outside today. Every day we get now that is decent is a plus so we can pull the frame in when it is time to paint.

Note the cute little Pacer you can see in the last photo sitting quietly in the Rookery...
Sandy

[Splitrock]

Another Airstream classic being saved from time and water . . .

Good job! Looks good!

[helmsman]

Hello ND10CentCan:
Wow! - I envy your ambition and energy! - In answer to your query, My 1967 Safari did not have a grey water tank. Enjoy your family project.

[mimiandrews]

Originally Posted by ND10CentCan

In the meanwhile, I am supposed to find out from someone how the tanks or tank in the back was set up. This one came with a big hole in the back under the toilet seat where the black tank was at one time. Was there even a gray tank originally in the Safari at all? Anyone who can respond to me on those questions or where to look would be most appreciated.
Thanks.
Sandy

There is no grey tank in a '66 Safari. The black tank is under the floor, under the rear compartment. In ours, someone has built a plywood riser to connect the toilet to the black tank. I'm also pretty sure we don't have the original toilet--think it was replaced by a PO.

The black tank is 10 gallons, or thereabouts. We filled it thru the toilet one gallon jug at a time to find out.

That's about all I can give you, since we've not had to disassemble our Airstream to the extent you have.

I don't have pictures of that area, and the trailer is at the storage location right now. If you need pics, PM me, and I'll get them next time we go out there.

Hope this info helps a little.

[dbj216]

Hi ND,

You folks go right after it! Hard to believe you had the thing apart in a week! I agree, the sixties were great for Airstreams.

Here is a photo of the dump valve and rear compartment floor on my 66 Trade Wind. It appears you Safari has the same bathroom fixtures. I hope the photos help a bit. The black water dump system was not designed for convenience of use, unless you dug a "gopher hole" as the owners manual describes. Maybe the Airstream engineers back then were too fixated on their own bodies.

We camped in Mandan on our first night out last August, just south of Bismark. It was Lincoln State Park if memory serves me right. It was very nice.

David

[ND10CentCan]

Originally Posted by helmsman

Hello ND10CentCan:
Wow! - I envy your ambition and energy! - In answer to your query, My 1967 Safari did not have a grey water tank. Enjoy your family project.

Thanks.....Just as we suspected...no gray tank. Trick will be to figure out how to add one in the frame. One thing about these Airstreams is trying to outwit the designers and find ways to put modern conveniences in. Might be a challenge to a bunch of Norwegians. Uffda.
Sandy

[Hittenstiehl]

VTS and other suppliers sell flat tanks that fit in the frame below the floor we just installed 2 in a 65 Tradewind.

[ND10CentCan]

Originally Posted by Splitrock

Another Airstream classic being saved from time and water . . .

Good job! Looks good!

We are trying to pay it forward and hope that in years to come, something will be appreciated and loved overall when we are long gone. We started from not much and still have most of that left but want to try to leave something for this generation and the next to enjoy. I can only imagine the comments and karma to come....
Sandy

[ND10CentCan]

Originally Posted by dbj216

Hi ND,

You folks go right after it! Hard to believe you had the thing apart in a week! I agree, the sixties were great for Airstreams.

Here is a photo of the dump valve and rear compartment floor on my 66 Trade Wind. It appears you Safari has the same bathroom fixtures. I hope the photos help a bit. The black water dump system was not designed for convenience of use, unless you dug a "gopher hole" as the owners manual describes. Maybe the Airstream engineers back then were too fixated on their own bodies.

We camped in Mandan on our first night out last August, just south of Bismark. It was Lincoln State Park if memory serves me right. It was very nice.

David

Thanks for the info. I will pass it along to the man in charge who asks the questions, then I post the questions to the Forums, we get the answers, and he does the work. One thing I can never accuse DH is of being a slacker. He usually gets up before 6 and is at work soon after. No moss grows under his feet. Good thing because this is #3 of 4.

Glad you enjoyed Ft. Lincoln; ND has a lot of beauty if you can stop long enough to see the soul of the prairie. Stop by Sanger campground in the Cross Ranch park if you really want to find your place in this world.
Sandy

[ND10CentCan]

DH unceremoniously dumped the Pacer out of her warm cozy spot in the Rookery and put the Safari frame into the spot. He has it cleaned up pretty well and has done the welding repairs on it. Now goes the POR 15 and it is looking much better than before.