'53 Clipper and '49 Curtis Wright.. Clipper

[JayDigger]

Hi my search is to find others who may be restoring or have restored a 53 Airstream Clipper or a 49 Curtis Wright ....Clipper....I reside in Washington State and would like to hook up with someone close if possible. These are my first restoration but I have been streaming for a couple of years....buying and trying various models and then selling them to try another......I think I have found the one I want to tackle......maby,,,,,any assistance will be very much appricated......Jay

[juel]

Welcome to the forum. We like pictures here. I would love to see what your trailers look like. I'm currently looking at a 58, 26ft, I don't know what it's called, Airstream. I hesitate to take on a trailer that old, so I would like to see what you've done. This 58 says "International" on the side, but I don't find anything listed as just "International" so I'm sure it called something else.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by juel

Welcome to the forum. We like pictures here. I would love to see what your trailers look like. I'm currently looking at a 58, 26ft, I don't know what it's called, Airstream. I hesitate to take on a trailer that old, so I would like to see what you've done. This 58 says "International" on the side, but I don't find anything listed as just "International" so I'm sure it called something else.

Juel,
It would be the Overlander

Aaron

[CaptainJones]

Welcome Jay, A large part of your "restoration" success will depend on how much is original on your trailers now. Parts for units that old will be difficult to obtain. That is why I have decided to modernize the interior of my 51 Flying Cloud. Too many earlier renovations have left me with virtually nothing of the original interior. The outside I want to make look as retro as possible. I am not local to you (I'm in Kentucky), but will cheer you on from a distance. Good luck and as others have said, post pictures.

[cuyeda]

Originally Posted by JayDigger

Hi my search is to find others who may be restoring or have restored a 53 Airstream Clipper or a 49 Curtis Wright ....Clipper....I reside in Washington State and would like to hook up with someone close if possible. These are my first restoration but I have been streaming for a couple of years....buying and trying various models and then selling them to try another......I think I have found the one I want to tackle......maby,,,,,any assistance will be very much appricated......Jay

Jay,

I just purchased a 1947 Curtis Wright. Like you, I am also interested in meeting other people with these trailers. Not only for info on restoration, but to find answers to actual history. I posted a list a question on a different thread. I emailed the webmaster to possibly make a sub-category for the "Curtis Wright".

I believe from preliminary fact gathering that a 1949 Curtis Wright may not exist. That it may be tagged an Airstream, or you have the year wrong. Curtis Wright sold his trailer business rights (I believe) prior to 1948. Can you send pictures. there are trailers that are tagged Silverstreak in 1949, because the rights were sold from Curtis Wright to another company. Wally Byam in 1949 was then directing Airstream Inc.

If you decide not to buy the Curtis Wright, could you pass along the contact info of the owner. I would like to follow the ownership of any Curtis Wright owners. My trailer is a model 5. Any info on other models would be helpful to put together a repository.

Cliff Uyeda

[Magpie]

Hi..I know for a fact that Curtis Wright made a 1949 trailer called an airstream because on the front of mine I bought from Jay it has two emblems on either side of the front below the broken windows and the first one on the left reads 1949 and the one on the right reads Curtis Wright Airstream. It is hard to see but each emblem has it ingraved and one has to get the light just right in order to see it. I could send a pic if you want. It is still listed in ebay. Look at the last pic of the front of the trailer and you can make out the two placks. The writing is sort of styalized writing and is not crude but sort of well done as if from the factory. It almost looks like somebody made it special to make a point of it. The other trailer Jay had that was also a 1949 CW didn't have this I am pretty shure.
120089481163

[47WeeWind]

Originally Posted by Magpie

Hi..I know for a fact that Curtis Wright made a 1949 trailer called an airstream because on the front of mine I bought from Jay it has two emblems on either side of the front below the broken windows and the first one on the left reads 1949 and the one on the right reads Curtis Wright Airstream. It is hard to see but each emblem has it ingraved and one has to get the light just right in order to see it. I could send a pic if you want. ... The writing is sort of styalized writing and is not crude but sort of well done as if from the factory. It almost looks like somebody made it special to make a point of it. The other trailer Jay had that was also a 1949 CW didn't have this I am pretty shure.

Hi Magpie: I look forward to learning the facts that support your above statement that Curtis Wright in 1949 made a trailer named the "Airstream". Please post the picture of the plaques. Who made the plaques? Who installed the plaques? How do you know to a factual certainty the plaques were actually made and installed at the factory and not by someone else, such as a prior owner, during the past 58 years? Why would the factory make the plaques hard to read if they were meant to describe and advertise a trailer model? If the plaques were installed at the factory, why did the other CW not have them? How many identical plaques have you seen on other Curtis Wright trailers? What contemporary factory sales literature and factory documents show this "Airstream" name and these plaques in actual use by the Curtis Wright factory? Please share them with us. I'm always excited to learn something new. Best regards,

[Magpie]

Hi..ok I will photograph the two placks and you can see them up close. The reason it is hard to see the writing is because the original ink or whatever made them readable has deteriated but it is ingraved.
Like Jay said in the auction , it is a Curtis Wright airstream.
The two tear drop shaped taillights were supposidly not original Jay said but it seems they had been on since the beginning judging by the cavitation behind where they were. I think I have saw one other with the big taillights somewhere but I have to search all my pics saved since I scoured the internet for pics and vaguely recall someone saying "check out the big taillights"..they were ladybug shaped. I could write Jay and ask if he still has them. Anyway perhaps the big taillights and the placks were a way to make the trailer a little special but it seems like it was done very early on. I will take some close up pics of placks and area where the big tail lights were.

Mark

[cuyeda]

Magpie,

At this moment you are "online". I tried contacting you, but no contact return. To bad this forum doesn't have a feature to page online users. We could meet in the chat room. I have collected various pics of a few other CW, and would love to compare notes with you.

[Magpie]

Hi..you can write me at ohjeeze00@yahoo.com or just post the pics or whatever. I would love to see any other examples of Curtis Wright layouts because I am in the process of totally redoing mine and eventhough it has been remodeled some was original but basically a white paint job and new stove water heater tanks toilet and all wiring and just a total redo but the floor still needs to be replaced because of leaks that just keep seeping and water lays stagnant in the belly pan with wet insulation. So I am going to do a single bed crossways in the back instead of the double beds and toilet in the back. Want to keep it open . Have just tore out the table and frame of the seats that was original. Just have to gut it to get to the floor. I sort of don't like the table taking up all the room with the large seats. That plywood is heavy too. Maby will do it original but want to keep it light. I think that old lanolium has asbestos in it so have to be careful. This trailer is not original at all and is missing all the old light fixtures, heater, cupbord doors and windows but has the outer frames. I seems a gas lamp was in at early on.
I can post some pics of my progress too.
I also have the pics of the placks saying "1949 and Curtis wright Airstream" I will try to post the pics tonight . I just have to figure out how to get them on the computer with my Cannon Rebel XT program. Have done it before but only a few and need to figure out how to get the pics on the table top of the computer.
Oh . I wanted to say that judging by the dates on my new plastic water storage tanks under the table seats that were included in the remodle , it says 3/15/91 on the sticker so that might mean it was redone then.

[Magpie]

Hi..here is a pic of the plack if I can get it to download.

Mark

[karlclipper]

hi,there are three i know of in england

[cuyeda]

karlclipper,

Do you have contact information on the three in England? Do you have any pictures, and or serial number references. It would be great to keep track of the Curtis Wright trailers, and owners. I am interested in conneting with other CW owners.

Cliff Uyeda
SN: 8060
cku1@verizon.net

[firefallfarm]

Jay Digger, Do you still have the 1953 Clipper? I too have one (17') and have almost completed restoration with all original interior. Would love to see yours!