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07-08-2006, 01:54 PM
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#1
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2 Rivet Member
1998 28' Excella
Great Northwest
, Washington
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 37
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WBCCI numbers and 5 Red Stars
Our 1998 Excella that we bought 2 weeks ago (Very happy first time streamers =) has 5 stars and two sets of numbers. The latest number is 25182 and the older number which is still visible from the residue underneath was 4138. Does anyone know what the 5 stars mean? It actually is 3 stars then a Wally sticker and then two more stars. I will post a photo. The Wally sticker was 75% falling off so I took it and put it in our scrapbook. =) Is there is a web site where we could look the numbers up to see where our AS spent her first 8 years of life? We might wait a year to join WBCCI and see if the previous owner of the 25182 number renews their WBCCI membership. If they do not renew, then we could choose that number and not have to put new red numbers on right? She has some clear coat issues and it is pretty bad where the numbers are. Specially on top. The spot where the Wally sticker was is now a large discolored spot. I need to go find a new one to put back up there. I would like to get her clear coat stripped and redone... not cheap. Someday... Baby steps =) We are just thrilled to finally have her. =)
Dana
__________________
Macintosh + Airstream = Think Different
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07-08-2006, 02:28 PM
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#2
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Patriotic
1973 23' Safari
North of Boston
, Massachusetts
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 4,546
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per wally club rules, you get to display 1 star for every 5 years off wbcci membership, so the previous owners have been in for 25+ years.
why don't you just call 'em up and ask them if they're staying in the club; if they aren't, you can call the wbcci headquarters and ask to have the number transferred to you. If they're staying in, you'll have to change the number.
when you join the club, they'll send you a pair of new wally stickers, along with a set of numbers.
the membership list isn't available on line. you have to be in the club to get the directory.
on edit: if you bought the trailer from a dealer or someone other than the person who owned the numbers, you can just call wbcci and find out if its still available. the PO is listed in the 2005 directory....I'll check the '06 directory and post back....
ok..they're in the '06 directory, too, so it may not be available.
__________________
Air:291
Wbcci: 3752
'73 Safari 23'
'00 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 QC
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07-08-2006, 02:52 PM
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#3
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Rivet Master
1977 31' Sovereign
1963 26' Overlander
1989 34' Excella
Johnsburg
, Illinois
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,944
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The Club website is WBCCI.org. It will give you an outline of what the club is and why you might want to join. You can either become a member associated with a local chapter in your area or become a Member at large. Member at large cost $70 per year but only $55 for international dues if you are a member of a local. Then you have to pay the local dues which can be $10-15. There is a cyber unit called The Washington DC unit that only charges $1.00 per year so most Members at large are going that way instead of spending the extra money. I think there is a link on the WBCCI website or the VAC website. VAC is the vintage airstream club which you can not become a full member of because your unit is less than 25 years old. VAC website is Airstream.net. Depending on how you intend to use your unit, it might pay to become a member of WBCCI. They have a lot of events which you might want to attend and the club is a non-profit so costs are kept in line.
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07-08-2006, 05:23 PM
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#4
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2 Rivet Member
1998 28' Excella
Great Northwest
, Washington
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuck
per wally club rules, you get to display 1 star for every 5 years off wbcci membership, so the previous owners have been in for 25+ years.
why don't you just call 'em up and ask them if they're staying in the club; if they aren't, you can call the wbcci headquarters and ask to have the number transferred to you. If they're staying in, you'll have to change the number.
when you join the club, they'll send you a pair of new wally stickers, along with a set of numbers.
the membership list isn't available on line. you have to be in the club to get the directory.
on edit: if you bought the trailer from a dealer or someone other than the person who owned the numbers, you can just call wbcci and find out if its still available. the PO is listed in the 2005 directory....I'll check the '06 directory and post back....
ok..they're in the '06 directory, too, so it may not be available.
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Thanks for the info. I will call the Airstream dealer who sold it to us on consignment. He might have more info on the trailer. I think we will leave the numbers and stars alone for now. People will just have to wonder if I have been with the WBCCI since I was 10 years old. =) I am worried if we go pealing stars and numbers off right now we will have more of a clear coat problem there. Without stripping off all the clear coat, what would be the best way to go about getting all the previous numbers and stars off... buffed away to put new ones on? I will have to go search the forum. =)
Dana
__________________
Macintosh + Airstream = Think Different
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07-08-2006, 05:43 PM
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#5
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2 Rivet Member
1998 28' Excella
Great Northwest
, Washington
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dwightdi
Depending on how you intend to use your unit, it might pay to become a member of WBCCI. They have a lot of events which you might want to attend and the club is a non-profit so costs are kept in line.
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Yep... I have been through all the Airstream sites waiting for the day we finally had one of our own. =) As for what we plan on doing with our AS... my husband's parents bought Thoughsand Trails memberships for us kids to get us to go camping with them more. We used to go more often when we were younger, but having small children now it is not so much fun waking up in a floating tent when it rains all Memorial Day weekend. =P We love long road trips and we can't wait to take our new AS with us on our next one. We have used her for 10 of the 12 days we have had her. She was a guest house for my brother last week. =) Going to a few AS events in the area would be fun. Is the only WBCCI unit in Washington State the one in Lacey? We live in Northwest Washington. Above Seattle, closer to the Canadian border. If we join the online one, does that mean we can not go to any local events? I had read about it in other forums a while back.
Dana
__________________
Macintosh + Airstream = Think Different
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07-08-2006, 05:51 PM
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#6
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Moderator
1968 17' Caravel
Battle Ground
, Washington
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,253
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There's also a North Cascades unit, and a Vancouver BC unit. When you join a unit you are welcome to attend any other unit's activities. I think the online one you are talking about is the Washington DC unit, which has cheap dues and has members all over the country. You would still be welcome to attend any other WBCCI unit activities.
We have regular forum rallys (informal get-togethers, not affiliated with the club, organized on the forum - thus the name) here in the NW as well. We'll be at Trout Lake, WA next weekend. It's a bit of a drive, but if you want to join in and bring the kids, you'd be very welcome
__________________
Stephanie
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07-08-2006, 06:22 PM
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#7
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2 Rivet Member
1998 28' Excella
Great Northwest
, Washington
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 37
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Thanks Stephanie =)
I am looking at the North Cascades unit site right now. I Mapquested Trout Lake and see that it is near Yakima where I have lots of family. Maybe next year. =) Next weekend we are going on a 3 day campout with my work to a lake in Whatcom county. We get to show off our new silver addition of the family. =) In August we are going to camp near Long Beach to take the kids to the Washington State Kite Festival. http://www.kitefestival.com/ Our new Airstream will be busy this summer =) Thanks again for the info. We will have to join the WBCCI soon as we find out what numbers we can keep or not.
Dana
__________________
Macintosh + Airstream = Think Different
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07-08-2006, 06:51 PM
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#8
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Patriotic
1973 23' Safari
North of Boston
, Massachusetts
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 4,546
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easiest way to get the old decals off is with a wet rag and a steam iron, and a plastic putty knife. just slap the wet rag over a number, and iron away...they'll loosen up shortly.
I've they've etched the clearcoat...well, there's not much you can do about it, other than polish the segment, and believe me, you don't want to get involved with that!. If you can't get the number transferred from wbcci, you might be able to get something close. anything is better than the bare scars. mine had the remnants of several old numbers...I would've needed #88888 to completely cover the "ghosts"...but I found that my nice new shiny numbers draw attention away from the old mess. its hardly noticeable now...but it looked really awful when I first took the old numbers off.
__________________
Air:291
Wbcci: 3752
'73 Safari 23'
'00 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 QC
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07-08-2006, 09:43 PM
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#9
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Argosy/Airstream since 79
1989 29' Excella
Newport
, Oregon
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 97
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Congratulations on your Airstream!
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do. We were in Washington last week, and spent several days at the Washington Unit Land Yacht Harbor.
We have been members of the Oregon Unit since we bought ours 5 years ago (guess I need to get a red star!). We have also joined the Washington Unit as associate members since we stay there several times a year.
Best wishes,
jim
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07-08-2006, 09:53 PM
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#10
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Moderator
1968 17' Caravel
Battle Ground
, Washington
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,253
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Jim, the OR Unit had a special luncheon earlier this year and presented all the stars at once, I think it was in Jan or Feb. So you'll probably get yours next year. Congrats! I'm another year away from a star, and my trailer has the shadow of several stars on it from the last owner!
__________________
Stephanie
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07-08-2006, 10:32 PM
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#11
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Cartoon Character
2004 34' Classic
On The Road
, U.S.A.
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 885
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Speaking of stars ...
There is an Airstream motorhome parked in the disabled section at the Washington Land Yacht Harbor ... It has NINE stars!
I had to stop and count them twice (I thought I would have to take of my shoes) ... I could not believe my eyes. Isn't the club 50 years old?
__________________
Porky
TrailerGypsies.com
WBCCI #3405 — Escapees #80360
I live the life I love and I love the life I live.
-- Willie Dixon
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07-08-2006, 11:22 PM
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#12
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Moderator
1968 17' Caravel
Battle Ground
, Washington
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,253
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WOW! I'd like to talk to them, I'll bet they have stories to tell!
__________________
Stephanie
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07-09-2006, 07:23 AM
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#13
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Rivet Master
1977 31' Sovereign
1963 26' Overlander
1989 34' Excella
Johnsburg
, Illinois
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,944
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The people at Lacey have a real nice park. People who pay their international dues thru them get a special deal on $ parking. Makes it worthwhile if you go there a number of times. Belonging to wdcu for a buck saves money and officially any member can attend any other units events as often as they want but I would presume if you show up regularly and do not kick in some dues or volunteer to help out a bit, you could wear your welcome thin. Sounds like you have a pretty full schedule of things to do without becoming a member of the club. Now days, less that 10% of Airstream owners are members of the club. Most chapters have buddy rallies and usually allow non-members to sample their events a couple of time before you need to make the commitment.
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07-09-2006, 12:19 PM
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#14
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Rivet Master
1968 26' Overlander
Wenatchee WA
, Cape Cod
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 871
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MacStreamer
I am looking at the North Cascades unit site right now. Our new Airstream will be busy this summer =) Thanks again for the info. We will have to join the WBCCI soon as we find out what numbers we can keep or not.
Dana
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Welcome to the forums Dana! We are a member of the North Cascades WA unit. We only get to about 1 rally a year since we live in Wenatchee and East Coast in the summer. They are a very sweet group of people, very welcoming, and excited about new people. They tend to have their rallies at fair grounds and scenic rv parks, at one time their group was quite large. BC unit tends to have more camp outs at provincial parks. They are also a real fun bunch.
We on the forums get together 4 or so times a year as well. We usually go to Beverly Beach on the Oregon Coast in October. Keep your eyes open for more details. On the NCW site click on Jim Kolhoff's email at the bottom of the home page. He can give you any info you need to know.
Kathleen
__________________
Jim & Kathleen 1968 Overlander - WBCCI #5793
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07-09-2006, 02:29 PM
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#15
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2 Rivet Member
1998 28' Excella
Great Northwest
, Washington
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 37
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Willing to use some elbow greese
Quote:
Originally Posted by chuck
I've they've etched the clearcoat...well, there's not much you can do about it, other than polish the segment, and believe me, you don't want to get involved with that!.
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If we can't get the number that is up there, and since the clear coat is pealing pretty bad above the numbers on top, would it be a good idea to polish that area even though it would take off more clearcoat? It might looks best to have it all off instead of parts pealing here and there. The sides of the coach is doing pretty well. But the top front and back are looking like a snake starting to crawl out of it's skin. Actaully the average person would not notice. But I think the loose flakes call attention to the area up there. At least to me. What happens to the metal that has no clear coat on it? Is there something we should put on it to protect it until we sell a kidney to pay for it to be stipped and reclearcoated?
Dana
__________________
Macintosh + Airstream = Think Different
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07-09-2006, 02:52 PM
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#16
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Patriotic
1973 23' Safari
North of Boston
, Massachusetts
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 4,546
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you have to take off ALL the clearcoat in order to polish...and then you'll wind up with something that is way shiny-er than the rest of the trailer. might make for an interesting accent piece, just polishing the center segment, though. believe me, I've considered it.
When bare alluminum is exposed to the atmosphere, it immediately begins to oxidize, just as bare steel begins to rust. (essentially, the same process...only slower). after removing the failing clearcoat, the next step is to remove that oxidation. once thats done, you can polish the alluminum with gradually finer (less abrasive) grades of polish, 'till it shines like a toaster. Then it immediately starts oxidizing again, and you'll have to repeat the process every few months, for ever and ever. wax will slow it down, but not stop it. the only thing that stops it is to either shoot the trailer into outer space....or encapsulate it with something that seals it off from the atmosphere...like paint. (which is what "clearcoat" is. paint that has no color).
Oh, and some people have reported that the stickers have not only eaten through the clearcoat, but also penetrated deeply into the alclad layer of alluminum so far that even polishing didn't completely remove the ghosts.
__________________
Air:291
Wbcci: 3752
'73 Safari 23'
'00 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 QC
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07-09-2006, 03:07 PM
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#17
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2 Rivet Member
1998 28' Excella
Great Northwest
, Washington
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Uberlanders
Welcome to the forums Dana! We are a member of the North Cascades WA unit. We only get to about 1 rally a year since we live in Wenatchee and East Coast in the summer. They are a very sweet group of people, very welcoming, and excited about new people. They tend to have their rallies at fair grounds and scenic rv parks, at one time their group was quite large. BC unit tends to have more camp outs at provincial parks. They are also a real fun bunch.
We on the forums get together 4 or so times a year as well. We usually go to Beverly Beach on the Oregon Coast in October. Keep your eyes open for more details. On the NCW site click on Jim Kolhoff's email at the bottom of the home page. He can give you any info you need to know.
Kathleen
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Thanks everyone for all the info on the different units and options. We live in Skagit Valley, tulip country, 1 hour north of Seattle. We mostly go camping with our family and are hoping since we now have a trailer we will go more often. I think we would join the WBCCI to keep in touch with events we might want to go to and be able to look up red numbers on other streams that pass up by. =) I don't think we would get much out of the discounts. As for rallys, don't you need to have a vintage coach to join in? We really wanted a 1960's decade but the ones I kept coming across needed work with plumbing and other restoration. We would LOVE to get into that someday, but right now we have 1 and 3 year old girls on the go. And two dogs, two geese and a cat. Right now it is nice to have an AS that we can get camping in right away. Her layout and size if perfect for us. =) And even though she is only 8 years old she still looks like the older ones. Two people have been puzzled when they looked inside and said.. "This is not that old? They still make these things?" *laugh* And another things we get is.. "Wow.. it is not dark inside like I thought they would be." or... "Does it get really hot in there?" You would think people would think of it more of a light reflector than a heat absorber. =)
What is the rally at the Lynden fair like? My company has a booth there every year. I will have to volunteer my time to man it so I can go up there and check out some other Airstreams =)
Dana
__________________
Macintosh + Airstream = Think Different
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07-09-2006, 03:13 PM
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#18
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Rivet Master
1956 22' Safari
2015 27' Flying Cloud
Vintage Kin Owner
Conifer/Evergreen
, Colorado
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 12,701
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuck
you have to take off ALL the clearcoat in order to polish...and then you'll wind up with something that is way shiny-er than the rest of the trailer.
<snip>
Oh, and some people have reported that the stickers have not only eaten through the clearcoat, but also penetrated deeply into the alclad layer of alluminum so far that even polishing didn't completely remove the ghosts.
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It appears that MacStreamers trailer is a 1998 Excella. If that's the case, it isn't the same aluminum as the vintage ones are, thus no alclad. However, it will have a heavy grain to it which makes polishing more difficult, not impossible*, but you would have to remove the grain too.
Shari
*There was a late model (Norman Rockwell Editon) trailer in Salem that was sporting a pretty spiffy polish job...I was told it cost $10,000 to have the job done in CA. So they can be polished...
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07-09-2006, 03:17 PM
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#19
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Rivet Master
NOVA SCOTIA
, CANADA
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 5,448
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Hi Dana,
First of all,welcome to the forums.If you do decide to join the WBCCI and are not going to do any repair work to the existing area the red number 25182 is I would suggest requesting either number 26182 or 28182.Both those numbers seem to be available as of the 2006 Directory.That way you would only have to cover up one number and leave the others as they are.The 6 or 8 would cover the ghost of the 5 fairly well.
__________________
Mike
AIR # 7916
Ex WBCCI #32083
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07-09-2006, 03:29 PM
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#20
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2 Rivet Member
1998 28' Excella
Great Northwest
, Washington
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuck
you have to take off ALL the clearcoat in order to polish...and then you'll wind up with something that is way shiny-er than the rest of the trailer. might make for an interesting accent piece, just polishing the center segment, though. believe me, I've considered it.
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Well.. a shinyer middle section on top might look better than the photo I posted at the top of this forum. =P I read that the later model coaches do not shine up like the older metal does. Maybe polishing a 1998 will not show that much difference.
If I need to take the 2nd set of numbers to put on a 3rd set, and take off the 5 stars, and the already ugly large circle where the WBCCI sticker was, I will need to do something. *sigh* The large WBCCI sticker I can replace when we join and get a new one. But I think there was one on the back as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chuck
When bare alluminum is exposed to the atmosphere, it immediately begins to oxidize, just as bare steel begins to rust. (essentially, the same process...only slower). after removing the failing clearcoat, the next step is to remove that oxidation. once thats done, you can polish the alluminum with gradually finer (less abrasive) grades of polish, 'till it shines like a toaster. Then it immediately starts oxidizing again, and you'll have to repeat the process every few months, for ever and ever. wax will slow it down, but not stop it. the only thing that stops it is to either shoot the trailer into outer space....or encapsulate it with something that seals it off from the atmosphere...like paint. (which is what "clearcoat" is. paint that has no color).
Oh, and some people have reported that the stickers have not only eaten through the clearcoat, but also penetrated deeply into the alclad layer of alluminum so far that even polishing didn't completely remove the ghosts.
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Well it sounds like to me not even an exorcist can get rid of the spesky ghosts. =P Oh well.. just something we will have to live with.
Dana
__________________
Macintosh + Airstream = Think Different
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