Howdy folks,
Been lurking a lot and posting a little but thought I'd properly introduce myself.
I'm about 6 weeks into what I can tell is going to be quite an adventure. I'm down here just outside Atlanta near Stone Mtn. and have been pop-up camping with my wife and 2 kids for a few years. We absolutely love family camping trips and have always talked about how awesome older Airstreams are. So...I sold the pop-up and pulled the trigger on a 1971 23' Safari. It's the perfect size and floorplan for us with the front gaucho, two twin beds and rear bath. It's (almost) all original and overall in great condition. Furnace needs to replaced and fridge doesn't work on propane but all other systems check out.
I've been slowly and thoroughly going through it from front to rear and have been mostly pleased with what I've found. I've dropped the belly pan in a few areas and discovered it does have some typical problems like a bit of floor rot and a suspect cross member at the rear that will need to be fixed sooner than later (i'm still wrapping my head around the thought that I have to remove the bathroom, but it is what it is
).
I've been in electrical construction since I was a teenager and although I've been riding a desk for the last several years I haven't completely lost all my mechanical skills, plus I have a really good friend who's in the Auto Body Industry and has all the cool tools and resources I don't have. Did I mention he's a
really good friend?
I must admit I really didn't know what I was getting into, but I've developed a bad case of A/S fever and have become completely addicted to this site. The attitude of helpfulness and friendliness is quite refreshing compared to some forums you come across and the moderators are to be commended.
I needed a project like this as it is a kind of therapy for me. Now if I can just plug the leak in the checking account for a couple of weeks
Anyways, I'm sure I'll be talking to some of you soon (or reading what you've written).
Todd