New old guy in town

[joyful2]

Hi everyone,
My wife and I own a 1968 18' (or 19') Globetrotter. (That's the year we were married!!) We've used the old girl as a storage unit while we lived on a 36 foot sailboat for 8 years, and since moving back on land have just recently unloaded all the junk that filled her insides, cleaned her up a bit on the inside, and are preparing to refit her for some more time on the road. I'm probably going to be pretty active on this forum once we get started restoring her. I'd like to bring her back to near original condition, but have a feeling that the wallet won't be able to do that very quickly. I'm going to have to replace the water heater right away, tune up the gas range and oven, replace the water pump and perhaps some plumbing, replace most of the interior lighting, the flooring, the upholstery, the head and holding tank, and then try to attack the exterior! Over the years, I've managed to lose one of my hitch torsion bars, so that needs replacing. The propane tanks are ancient, and not compliant anymore, so those need replacing. Our awning ripped in twain during a hail storm on the Arizona rim about 15 years ago, so that also needs replacing! She also received a rip in the skin from running over a prickly pear cactus that was hiding a small dead tree. It's a good thing Airstream makes such a sturdy trailer, or I wouldn't even consider starting this project. Looking forward to chatting in the near future..

Don and Candy Miller
Avondale, Arizona

[azflycaster]

Welcome to the forum Don and Candy!

It's great to have another vintage unit in the valley. Sounds like you have your work cut out for you getting your baby back in shape. I can relate to the storm on the rim and the awning. We were camped just south of Willow Springs Lake (Young Road) last year when a downpour bent the arms of our awning.

Keep us posted as you progress with your project.

[Fyrzowt]

Well hi "old guy" - I hear old guys rule! I'd like to think so, I'm getting there.(Already there?)
Good luck in your new phase of life. It sounds as though you have enough to keep you busy for a bit getting the trailer updated. I hope it all goes well for you.
Welcome to the forums! If you run into any questions, there are sure to be answers buried here in some of the thousands of posts. Sometimes you have to do a search and dig a bit - but they're there. Can't find the answer? Post away.
Dave

[joyful2]

Thx azflycaster! Looking forward to joining up on some outings in the future. I checked out the Dead Horse 2 outing, but know I'm not going to be ready by then. Besides that, I think that may be right in the middle of my javelina hunt. By the way, nice puppies!! I'll have to put our two scotties on line!
Don

[joyful2]

Old guys don't really rule, their wives do!! We just think we do... At least that's my perspective from 39.5 years of marriage. I'm going to be all over this place real soon, searching for techniques and shortcuts. Thanks!
Don

[Fyrzowt]

Originally Posted by joyful2

Old guys don't really rule, their wives do!! We just think we do... At least that's my perspective from 39.5 years of marriage. I'm going to be all over this place real soon, searching for techniques and shortcuts. Thanks!
Don

I'll defer to your wisdom. I'm learning....
Dave

[TBRich]

Welcome to the forums, Joyful2...glad to welcome another Arizonan aboard... Never too many! Sounds like you have your work cut out for you, but it will be a labor of love, fer sure...good luck with it, and be sure to poke around in the subforms for a wealth of information, and of course, ask any questions you may have...you'll be amazed at the depth of knowledge these fine folks have!

Ease on down the road...
TB

[U.PenAir]

Hello Joyful2! Welcome to the forums, it sounds like we will be on a parallel journey this year. However, my restoration needs to wait until the summer due to the weather. Good luck and don't forget to post pictures! We love pictures!

[flyfshr]

Welcome to the forums. Glad to hear of another vintage owner (trailer that is) from the metro area. As has been mentioned, put that search tool to good use and enjoy the restoration process. I know your list is long but take it one step at a time and you'll make great progress. Keep us posted on your restoration and ask for assistance when you can't find the info.

Brad
FF

[urbanfood]

welcome don and candy!

here's a link to major renovations that have been done.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f44/...ons-35399.html

don't get overwhelmed, if you read thru you'll find lots of tidbits that may be applicable to your application.

my first priority on your globetrotter would be making sure the axles, tires, and brakes are all in good working order. there's a forum set up for just those things on here.