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Pacerized · 03-12-2011, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garamax

We are currently in Florida panhandle. Looks like we passed by your location off I-75 a few days ago. We too are looking forward to using our 1980 Excella II this year. Fortunately we have the Shacksman and Wasaga Chris nearby who can do most repairs. They are both in Air Forums. Will be having the axles and brakes checked out in early April. Good luck getting your AS camping this summer.

Gary

Gary:
How wide is your excella 2. I have a 25" 1981 Excella 2 that's only 7' wide. I haven't seen another 25" unit but what I've seen in other Excella 2 units have been 8' wide. I'd love to see some pictures if you have any posted.
Charlie

Garamax · 03-12-2011, 09:34 PM

As far as I know our 1980 Excella II is 8' wide. It is in winter storage right now so it is a little difficult to check. Don't have any pictures in the Forum as I have not got around to figuring out how to post them yet. However I will send you some privately.

wahoonc · 03-18-2011, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garamax

As far as I know our 1980 Excella II is 8' wide. It is in winter storage right now so it is a little difficult to check. Don't have any pictures in the Forum as I have not got around to figuring out how to post them yet. However I will send you some privately.

The 1980's were still the narrow body trailers, just under 8' wide. Don't recall the actual numbers right off. I know that it is narrower than my dually Ford, if the truck goes the trailer will follow

Aaron

Pacerized · 03-19-2011, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wahoonc

The 1980's were still the narrow body trailers, just under 8' wide. Don't recall the actual numbers right off. I know that it is narrower than my dually Ford, if the truck goes the trailer will follow

Aaron

Airstreams of the 70's and 80's where normally 8' wide, they went to 8 1/2' wide in late 1994 from what I've read. For some reason my 1981 25' Airstream is only 7' wide.

timzog · 03-28-2011, 11:05 PM

I have a 1980 20' model that is 7' wide. It is called a Caravelle. They also made a 24' Caravelle according to my manual. Could you have one of those??
Tim

Pacerized · 03-31-2011, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timzog

I have a 1980 20' model that is 7' wide. It is called a Caravelle. They also made a 24' Caravelle according to my manual. Could you have one of those??
Tim

No, mine is definitely and Excella 2. I've seen pics of the 24" Carvelle's which cosmetically are quite a bit different. It's possible that the basic layout could be based from that platform though.

Big Bertha · 04-02-2011, 03:01 PM

Hey, I bought a 1980 Excella II last summer. She's 31' and boy o' boy was she one sad looking AS. I won't even go into how she smelled. But she's been adopted by the family, and we have since gutted her and are just wrapping up the remodel of the interior. 2 weeks ago I was able to spend an entire day stripping the clear coat, and my hope is to have her polished and the stripe back on by memorial day. Oh yea, mine seems to have the wider body closer to 8'. Not real big on personifying trailers, but my kids thought "she" looked like a Big Bertha...so that was that!
Greg McCall
Billings MT

Big Bertha · 05-01-2011, 07:22 PM

Just thought I'd drop some pictures on here for anyone who is interested in an old Excella II. Couple more things to do on the exterior, but the interior is finally done. What a project!

Pacerized · 05-02-2011, 09:29 PM

Nice job on the old girl, it's great to see someone restore any Airsteam but I'm partial to the Excella 2. It looks like you're ready to take her camping. With me it was just one big bite every year until I had mine where I wanted it. Polishing, rock guard and battery/charging upgrades 1st. year. More polishing and carpeting in yr 2, then counters, curtains, and tires in yr 3. ect., ect. ect. The next major change will be for new cabinets buy I hope to hold out for several more years on that one.

Charlie

Big Bertha · 05-02-2011, 09:40 PM

Hey Charlie,
Pick away pick away! Your polish job floors me. Once I started polishing, I knew I had my work cut out for me for a while. Goal for this year was to make it at least one compounding all the way around so I could at least get my stripe repainted. After I repainted the stripe and the banana wrap I think I will start around again. But man do I want it to shine like yours.

not sure if I'll ever get all those blank clouds to go away!
Greg

Pacerized · 05-03-2011, 07:31 AM

My attempt at polishing the first year wasn't as nice. The second year I broke down and bought a cyclo polisher and plenty of pads. It makes the job a 100 times easier and it's still grueling. I never bought the 3m products, just Mothers aluminum polish, Eagle polish wool, and the cyclo. I'm happy with the results at a fraction of the price. I had my blue stripe painted instead of replacing the decal. I guess the decals are available, but I hope the paint holds up longer.
Tell us what you did in the interior. It looks like a new floor, curtains and re-upholstering furniture. Are the cabinets, counters, beds and stove also replaced?
We camp a lot in Montana, this year we'll be in Glacier in July before going into Canada. Maybe we'll run into each other sometime.

Big Bertha · 05-04-2011, 09:18 AM

I bought a cyclo too. I followed all the polishing recommendations also, but found although you burn through pads pretty quick they definitely seem to do a better job than wrapping a microfiber towel around the cyclo. That method just takes to long. Yea, we pretty much gutted the interior down to the bathroom and started over. When we started digging into it we found more and more wrong with it so it became clear it would be better to just start over. We were able to reuse some of the appliances. We only changed out the refrigerator and the AC. I found one of the last low profile carrier heat pumps. They seemed to be a dime a dozen last season. I didn't know that Carrier was going to stop making RV equipment. But yes most of the interior we rebuilt from scratch and my wife sewed all of the curtains and cushions. She is sick of sewing that's for sure. It would be fun to run into each other sometime. Not sure we are going to make it over to Glacier this July however. Hope you have a great season!

lookin1 · 07-08-2011, 06:32 PM

we've just become new owners of a 1980 excella ll. she already has been named by the previous owners, so we have decided to carry on the name, as well as everything staying as it is. it seems to be in very good shape, and if possible, we would like to try to trace the history. it has the owner's manual, and seems to have had very little remodeling done to it. our first outing is planned for labor day weekend, but we will be setting her up at home to move in, precleaning, and moving out of our 68 aristocrat that we remodeled ourselves.

Disneysue925 · 01-28-2013, 09:41 AM

Well this threads been inactive for awhile! Found it while trying to figure out what Excellas were made when. There seem to be Excellas, Excella IIs, Excella 500s and Excella 1000s.

Do the names just designate different years, lengths, trim and amenity levels or what?

Our trailer was made in June, 1979, but has a serial number that seems to make it an 80. The title says Excella II, but not sure where the II comes from. Was it made by Beatrice or Thor?

I'm sure someone here knows the answers. Thanks in advance for the help!

Sue

Disneysue925 · 01-28-2013, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Disneysue925

Well this threads been inactive for awhile! Found it while trying to figure out what Excellas were made when. There seem to be Excellas, Excella IIs, Excella 500s and Excella 1000s.

Do the names just designate different years, lengths, trim and amenity levels or what?

Our trailer was made in June, 1979, but has a serial number that seems to make it an 80. The title says Excella II, but not sure where the II comes from. Was it made by Beatrice or Thor?

I'm sure someone here knows the answers. Thanks in advance for the help!

Sue

Anyone?......

timzog · 02-03-2013, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Disneysue925

Anyone?......

Hey Sue,
I wish I knew the answer. This thread has been pretty quiet for a while so there may not be many people who check it. There may be a better place to post your question but I'm not sure where.
Good luck.
Tim

maggieevans · 05-29-2013, 04:13 PM

That is some beautiful refit you did to your interior!!!

Any more pics of the bathroom area? I'm curious as to how that went - I assume you had to move it from the rear?

Did you need to move the water tanks or were you able to plumb into existing ones?

Very NICE!

KEIZER · 07-22-2015, 12:11 PM

This tread may be dead. But taking a chance.
I am looking at a AS Excella II manufacture date 7-16-80 sequential number 1673. This is a 31' model. Any advantages or disadvantages of a 31 over a 25?