Polished Airstreams from the 60s & 70s

[ambrosemario]

I am in the market for a used AS, preferably something from the 60s or 70s as I am planning on doing a restoration. I came close to buying a late 60s model Avian, but canceled when I discovered that those trailers came with a brushed aluminum shell that cannot be brought to the mirror-like finish as the AS. Before I buy, can anyone out there tell me if there is a cut-off year at which AS no longer made trailers that could be polished to the mirror-like finish. I attended a classic car show late this summer at which one of the participants brought his fully restored 1963 airstream. I never before saw one that looked so beautiful. It looked like a work of art and has inspired me to try to restore one myself. Thank you in advance for your assistance....

[InsideOut]

They all can be polished...it just takes more work on any that have been clear-coated, plasti-coated or have the matte finish. Clearcoating was an "option" in 1963/64 and became "standard" a couple of years later. Not sure what year the current plasticoat began...but it was post-70's.

Shari

[bredlo]

To confuse matters a little bit (but not much) there's also a difference between the Alclad aluminum used in the 50's, 60's, etc. that isn't used on the more modern trailers of today. Alclad, as I understood it, was a micro-thin layer of pure aluminum that gives you a teeny, tiny bit more shine than the newer trailers are able to buff out to.

I don't know the real world differences between the degree of difference, or when the cut-off date was, but rest assured that as Shari says - any Airstream can be polished up to an impressive degree, given enough patience and the right tools.

Hmm... Valparaiso to Chicago isn't very far. Maybe you'd like to help me finish the polish on mine come spring... it'll be good practice for you!

And welcome to the forums.

[Becky B.]

I polished my 1986 Sovereign. I live in Schererville (two towns over for those of you who don't know NW Indiana) if you want to give it a look. I previously polished a 1976 Overlander. The newer one was definitely more work to achieve the shine.

[Kevin245]

Hello ambrosemario,

Avion was manufactured by Cayo. They started using anodized aluminum panels in the early 60's (62 or 63 if I recall correctly). You could polish one of the anodized Avions if you wanted to remove the finish, but you would still not achieve the mirror shine you desire. This is because of the material grade Cayo used. Cayo used alclad like Airstream until the switch was anodized skins was made.

Welcome to the group, and good luck on your AS search. You should be able to polish most most 60's or 70's vintage airstream though. Please keep us posted as to your progress.

Regards,

Kevin

[ambrosemario]

To: Shari, Brad, Becky and Kevin,

Thank you for helpful input. I've got a line on a couple of trailers that appear to only need some TLC and sweat equity. I hope to have one before the end of the year and work on it through Winter. My goal is to have it ready for a trip to Montana in late spring or early summer. I do have one more question if you don't mind. My tow vehicle is a 2008 Ford F-150 V8 with 2-wheel drive. I'm looking at twin-axle trailers in the 26 - 28ft range. I had always assumed that this was enough truck, but I read another thread today in which someone recommended beefier vehicles for towing the larger trailers and used the F-250 as an example. Any thoughts?....thanks

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by ambrosemario

Any thoughts?....

The older the trailer the lighter they are...newer trailers of equal length are much heavier than trailers from the 60's & 70's.

You may find this vintage trailer weight chart helpful...check your owner's manual for your truck's towing specs and compare it to the trailers you are considering.

Shari