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Old 11-27-2014, 02:33 PM   #1
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1969 23' Safari
Mohnton , Pennsylvania
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 44
Images: 10
Newbe, '69 barn find

Hello everyone, Im new to this site, to RVing, and Airstreams. Major Newbe.

Anyhow my wife and I joked for the last few years about finding a old airstream and fixing it up and trying our hand at camping. We been motel people all our lives.

So her I am, I found a barn find 69 safari airstream. My wife approved the purchase and now its home in our driveway. The trailer was at the farm I would guess for at least 10yrs. So now the project is on, just started to clean the trailers inside. New axle on the list also. It has a broken drivers side front corner window, I know glass is no longer available, Im considering doing my own repair with lexan glass.

Ive been involved with restoring old cars and motorcycles for some time so this should have some similar properties in repairing.
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Old 11-27-2014, 02:59 PM   #2
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1962 28' Ambassador
1961 19' Globetrotter
1962 26' Overlander
Mesa , Arizona
Join Date: Jun 2013
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Welcome to the obsession. Your MC skills will likely come in handy. She looks lovely
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Old 11-27-2014, 03:07 PM   #3
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2002 31' Classic
Currently Looking...
Monroe , Iowa
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Hi and welcome. From the pics she looks pretty good. Keep us posted on your progress. BTW, you did good on the first pics, keep 'em coming.
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Old 11-27-2014, 04:21 PM   #4
The Sign Lady
 
1969 23' Safari
1974 Argosy 22
1964 24' Tradewind
Victoria , British Columbia
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 677
Congrats

I have the same baby different layout inside though. I have just finished replacing my "69 Safari wing window with lexan and have posted a step by step how to on here under windows. I'll get my butt in order and get the rest of the photos posted for you. The one thing you will need is to purchase is an Olympic rivet fastener kit, regular rivets have holes in them that water travels through so they cannot be used on an airstream. also ensure the rivets your purcase are all aluminum construction si you don't get rust I got my rivet kit from Vintage Trailer supply, but Inland RV or OutofDoorsMart may carry them as well. (or gut your interior wherever you need to rivet and do buck riviting) Always put a sealant on each of your rivets before installing. I dip mine in Sitkaflex.

Good Luck and have fun!

Leya
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Old 11-27-2014, 10:49 PM   #5
cwf
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1999 34' Excella
Currently Looking...
Hillsboro , Texas
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Welcome!!! Great a Thanksgiving gift!!!
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Old 11-28-2014, 06:37 AM   #6
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look at the classified at top of page . the windows are for an 1969 maybe
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Old 11-28-2014, 06:57 AM   #7
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1964 22' Safari
1968 26' Overlander
Beaver County , Pennsylvania
Join Date: May 2008
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Welcome to the forums and enjoy the process.
Roy and Marie
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Old 11-28-2014, 06:29 PM   #8
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1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer , Colorado
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Wow, what people keep in their barns. Lucky for you it wasn't the chicken coop! And lucky for you the wife approved it. Must have been in a weak moment!

Welcome to the Airstream community. I think you will enjoy renovating your old Safari. Do a thorough assessment of its "bones", like tires, axle, belly pan, frame, subfloor, plumbing, wiring, appliances, and yes windows. All Airstreams leak at some point, and the moisture raises heck with the plywood subfloor and frame.

After you know what your trailer needs and what your budget is, then you can plan your projects.

Take a look at the Airstream Knowledgebase. Find it on the home page toward the bottom, click on travel trailers, and then on Safari, then 1969. There you can meet folks who might know where to get a replacement window.

Here is a photo of my son's 69 Globetrotter. The 69s were the first year of the dramatic new body style. My 66 Trade Wind is the old "twinkie" body style. The 69s have better windows in my view. The Globetrotter is one size smaller than yours. Yours has a full bath where his has a "wet bath", truly a "water closet". Very efficient though. You can brush your teeth and use the toilet without moving your feet.

David
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Old 11-29-2014, 07:52 AM   #9
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1978 31' Excella 500
Barrie , Ontario
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 217
Hi, Welcome, I see your 69 has WBCCI numbers on front, you can research them and find out who owned trailer at the time it belonged to club.
I have a 1978 and I traced it back and exchanged e-mails with relatives of the original owner in Greensboro N.C (he had passed on) they were surprised and pleased to hear the old tin can was alive and well and living in Canada. Also when cleaning it you may find info on caravans its been on. If you put up the numbers I can try to check them out as I am a WBCCI member.
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Old 11-29-2014, 08:14 AM   #10
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2001 30' Excella
Somerset , New Jersey
Join Date: Jan 2009
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Bye-the-way, should you decide to join the WBCCI you can specifically request the numbers you have on your trailer. IF they are not currently in use I think they will
re-issue them to you. Enjoy your project.

See ya on the road sometime.
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Old 11-29-2014, 08:46 AM   #11
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1957 30' Sovereign of the Road
1959 28' Ambassador
1949 24' Limited
Peru , New York
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 745
Quote:
Originally Posted by 69bullet View Post
Hello everyone, Im new to this site, to RVing, and Airstreams. Major Newbe.

Anyhow my wife and I joked for the last few years about finding a old airstream and fixing it up and trying our hand at camping. We been motel people all our lives.

So her I am, I found a barn find 69 safari airstream. My wife approved the purchase and now its home in our driveway. The trailer was at the farm I would guess for at least 10yrs. So now the project is on, just started to clean the trailers inside. New axle on the list also. It has a broken drivers side front corner window, I know glass is no longer available, Im considering doing my own repair with lexan glass.

Ive been involved with restoring old cars and motorcycles for some time so this should have some similar properties in repairing.
Greetings & welcome to the Forums,
I too have a 69 as part of my "fleet". As you may have discovered, 69's have a bunch of unique features that later models do not have, along with some features the previous models had. The real wood interior in probably the biggest difference, but the fact that the overhead cabinets are "swing up" rather than those pesky tambours is a plus. Sadly the wing windows were only used for one year, so they are basically "unobtanium". I was fortunate that both were intact, probably because of the stone guard protection..............yeah I was very lucky. As my trailer is an Ambassador (29'), it is somewhat larger than yours. I also own a 59 28' Ambassador, however the 69 has a much better layout, & one that I haven't seen on new trailers. It has a front "L" couch with the gaucho running down the streetside. This allows a much more comfortable "entertaining" space, plus it has a mid fold out double bed. The storage space in this trailer is incredible. The door handle is also fairly rare, in that it has the Airstream name cast into it.
Anyway, good luck with your resto & be sure to check out The Vintage Airstream Podcast | Vintage Trailer Restoration for more tips on restoration & upgrades.
Colin
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Old 11-29-2014, 09:18 AM   #12
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1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer , Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,278
Images: 1
Oh, hello Colin. Thanks for your input on the unique features of the 69 model year. I thought those wing windows in front were used throughout the 70s until Airstream went to the bigger panoramic windows. I didn't know they were unique. I did see a thread where an Airstreamer made new exterior end cap skins and covered the wing windows. That made sense to me as it eliminates a leak spot and a big hole. Your business should make a "Wing Window Cover Kit" for folks who can't get the parts and just want to cover them up. There are certain models of new Airstreams that just have a small window in front like my old 66 Trade Wind.

Expect to hear 69bullet on the VAP soon. I'm sure they will have a ton of questions just like I do.

David
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Old 11-29-2014, 11:25 AM   #13
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1957 30' Sovereign of the Road
1959 28' Ambassador
1949 24' Limited
Peru , New York
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 745
Quote:
Originally Posted by dbj216 View Post
Oh, hello Colin. Thanks for your input on the unique features of the 69 model year. I thought those wing windows in front were used throughout the 70s until Airstream went to the bigger panoramic windows. I didn't know they were unique. I did see a thread where an Airstreamer made new exterior end cap skins and covered the wing windows. That made sense to me as it eliminates a leak spot and a big hole. Your business should make a "Wing Window Cover Kit" for folks who can't get the parts and just want to cover them up. There are certain models of new Airstreams that just have a small window in front like my old 66 Trade Wind.

Expect to hear 69bullet on the VAP soon. I'm sure they will have a ton of questions just like I do.

David
The wing windows on the 69 were "square cornered" on the outside lower corners, everything else had rounded corners throughout the 70's. Most trailers of the 69 era, with broken windows have been replaced with Lexan (polycarbonate), which works, but is not exactly the right arc. Some "deer camp" specials had aluminum riveted over the broken glass. The modern Airstream's that lack the large wrap around windows are typically the cheaper smaller trailers, or equipped with a front galley. I had one client with a 94 34'er front galley who purchased the large wrap around stone guards because he thought the trailer looked cheap without the large wrap windows. The layout of the front galley just wouldn't allow full wrap windows.
Colin
PS Glad that you're going to call into the VAP.
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Old 11-29-2014, 12:47 PM   #14
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1964 22' Safari
Catawba , North Carolina
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 12
I'm glad I'm not the only one with this Airstream bug! We have a 64 Safari and a 68 Sovereign. Can't decide which one will work best for us. They are both such beauties. Will try them both this spring and see which one works for us.
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Old 11-29-2014, 03:33 PM   #15
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1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer , Colorado
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Thanks Colin! I never looked closely at those square cornered windows in the 69s. Learn something new everyday.

69bullet, You can learn more about your new "barn find" from reading other threads in this Safari forum. And after you see how much is involved, tow your trailer to Colin's place and he'll do an excellent job on it for you.

David
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Old 11-30-2014, 07:23 AM   #16
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1969 23' Safari
Mohnton , Pennsylvania
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 44
Images: 10
Good Morning everyone, With my wife and I busy schedules I havent had alot of time to start work yet. What I didnt mention was the mishap on the way home with the trailer. Lug nuts on driver side came loose after new tires were installed, rim snapped off 10 miles from home and bugger up the wheel well some. Nothing that cant be fixed.

Anyway we did get the trailer and us home safely. I took off the broken hub and got it down to the local trailer dealer. Im in the process of ordering a new axle. Also working on the Lighting inside and out. Half the marker lights outside arent working from sitting all these years.

So for christmas im asking for olympic rivets.

Priorities for now are: New axle and brakes, working on marker lights and tail lights, correcting my 7 wire harness to match this years wiring, checking trailers ground wiring, work on removing front window frame.
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Old 11-30-2014, 08:03 AM   #17
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1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer , Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,278
Images: 1
Wow, tough luck on the lug nuts. Someone didn't torque them to spec, like in the 95 foot pound range. And check to see the lug nuts weren't installed backwards. I've read about that one too. I'm glad you didn't suffer even more severe damage. You are going to experience lots of ups and downs with your Airstream. Everyone does. We fix our set backs and start to move forward again.

As folks taught me, more than half of 12v problems are inadequate ground to complete the circuit. I found I could get marker lights to work by removing the screws, brightening up the connection points and replacing the bulbs. My marker lights are screwed to the shell, not riveted. I think a rivet would break the plastic base.

Here is a very interesting thread on the renovation of a 68 Safari. The 69s are a bunch different, but this story is chock full of all the issues involved in a complete shell off renovation. And has some great ideas for an interior layout.

1966 - 1968 Safari - Airstream Forums

Glad you got your Airstream home safely.

David
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Old 12-01-2014, 05:00 AM   #18
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1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer , Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2009
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Oh 69bullet, here is another Safari thread I enjoy following. It is a 72 Safari, more similar to yours but still different. Anyway, many of the steps will be the same approach.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f420...d-98384-2.html

Just think, you have many, many weekends of your free time now scheduled! Rebuilding these vintage Airstreams is a lot of fun.

David
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Old 12-02-2014, 06:51 AM   #19
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1978 31' Excella 500
Barrie , Ontario
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 217
In my former life as a long haul truck driver I met up with a young couple and their 2 little kids. They had a 60 something AS polished like a mirror with nothing inside but the walls, he said he had bought it when the former owner tired of the project, all the running gear , brakes and lights had been repaired and they just used air mattresses and a little propane stove while they travelled. He said he would finish the AS when his kids went to school.
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Old 12-03-2014, 08:20 AM   #20
The Sign Lady
 
1969 23' Safari
1974 Argosy 22
1964 24' Tradewind
Victoria , British Columbia
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 677
Hmm, Bev1940 looking at how much wear and tear my three kidlets put on my argosy wrestling around in the mornings I can totally see where that trucker is coming from. ☺
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