I just bought a 1963 Globetrotter and it's a basket case, I love it! It looks so-so on the out side with a few dents and the inside hase lots of water damage and some one tried to start repairs and really made a mess. Good news its all there. My wife thinks I'm nuts.
I will have pictures very soon and plane on documenting the process. Hope to meet locals (Santa Cruz, Ca. area) who know Airstreams and can help me with bacic computer skills.
I'm a woodworker and plane on makeing the inside like a lear jet with supper high end burial wood & upholstery & appliances etc. You can see some of my work at WWW.wildhorsewoodworks.com Am I crazy to do this to such a little sweethart of a trailer; is this a no-no for Airstream owners ?
I'm into gold prospecting and treasure hunting and want it for my little getaway home.
Any way HI, my name is Joe hope to have fun with this project. Happy Trails
Wow, Joe, your work is GORGEOUS!!! I LOVE the trains - how cool!
In answer to your question - the main thing is to make your Airstream one YOU are comfortable and happy with. I think your interior idea is fantastic, and would LOVE to see pictures as you progress. Don't let people tell you that you have to keep it original or period - make it the way you want it.
Congrats, and good luck with the project!
Susan
__________________
"Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains?"
1984 310 Limited Motor Home "The Rockin' A"
1974 31' Excella (soon-to-be carhauler)
1974 20' Argosy Motor Home
Hi Joe, welcome to the forums! That's some fine work you do! I think you'll really make a showpiece out of that poor old trailer. I agree, do whatever makes you happy. You might want to look at some of the threads here on the forum and see how vintage cabinetry was done. It's strong and light, with a simple framework, and then you can make it beautiful on the outside. Keep it light for easy towing! And try to keep the weight balanced from side to side so it won't be squirrly. Otherwise, have at it, I'll bet we'll all be impressed with the results!
Joe, if you can build trains you can rebuild an Airstream. Your work is outstanding and your 'trotter will make an excellent canvas for another project.
We'll be watching for updates as you move through the rebuilding process. There's several Airstream groups in CA and they have rallies often - check out the rally section and you and your wife should go meet them. Drop-in's to meet the folks are always welcome. You'll get a ton of good information, and a chance to meet some wonderful people.
Barry
__________________ The best things in life are health, family, friends and enjoying your Airstream in a campground. Wally on Bro
Barry & Donna Life is short - so's the door on an Flying Cloud (ouch)
No Wild Horse, you're not crazy at all. From your website it looks like you have the talent to do your vintage gem justice. Welcome to the forums. Make your Globetrotter your own.
With those mad wood skills Joe, I know you're gonna put together a show-stopper. A few points:
-yes, you are, in fact, crazy. a pre-requisite for your undertaking. some call it "aluminitus"...no cure. terminal...
-welcome to the "my wife thinks I'm crazy" club, there are thousands of members here. we have regular meetings with virtual coffee and donuts most every night of the week. stops very few of us from plowing forward...fools rush in.... etc etc..
- I know you know (having seen your website) these projects never happen as quickly as we would like. weaken not your resolve, sir joe, rome wasn't riveted in a day!...
- prepare to have your mind blown by the sheer generosity and engineering skill of those who lurk and post here. just about any problem you will encounter, someone here has solved it.. a good google search before asking will always be appreciated though..
- get a good, long-term thread going that we can follow along and so we can bug you with unsolicited advice...these threads become the knowledge base that we all work from...
-if you get an advice tidbit from those I call the 'metal gurus' think long and hard before you ignore it....almost every single time I tried to ignore them they turned out to be right!
-having said the above, don't be afraid to 'go your own way' with a problem if it feels right...here's why: my project this afternoon was to repair my cracked blackwater tank. I did A LOT of research and none of it was conclusive. some said 'yes, you can weld it' others said 'no way'. In the end I tried what a couple of others said worked for them which involved harvesting some plastic from a too-long vent and welding it into the crack with a soldering iron. I just looked at the full tank (testing it) and lo and behold, I think it's gonna work! 30 minutes full and Not A Drop leaking! There is NO feeling like this when you try a repair that requires a fair amount of ingenuity and guts (ok, craziness too) and the damn thing works. and ya know what? if it breaks a year from now I'll buy a new tank, but I'll know that I gave it my best shot. I had the same thing happen on a stove repair (love my Magic Chef!) and that one worked too. just do your homework, gather your tools, and go for it!
WoW! Joe, I'm speechless. That is some mighty fine work. Welcome! Once again I am amazed at quality of the people that inhabit this syte. Check out the What I Do For a Living thread. You'll feel right at home.
Welcome to the forums! Welcome to the wonderful world of Airstreams! Hey, we used to live in Scotts Valley, but that was before "San Jose" found it! We left in 1980....
Anyway, to your question. Most people "customize" or decorate their A/S to their liking, so if you are starting with one that needs a lot of TLC, go for it and make it special!
Here is a older thread, but awesome one on a guy who had a 22' and he did a wonderful job of his woodworking as well. Might give you some ideas: 1962 22' Safari
Good luck. Post lots of pictures and keep us all informed. We love to see what others are doing!
Mrs. NorCal Bambi traveling in S Tardis ~ from the Great State of Jefferson
Quick Links
Linear Mode
