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davcarv · 10-01-2012, 07:28 PM

They sure don't care much for this site.
P&S Trailer Service - Airstream Restoration and Refinishing

Ganglin · 10-01-2012, 07:37 PM

I'll bite - why do you say that....

Big C · 10-01-2012, 07:54 PM

Same...
References for the refinished Airstreams maybe

dwightdi · 10-01-2012, 08:11 PM

I have seen some nice finish work done by them. I have also seen some not so good technical work done about three years ago. They did fix the problems after the trailer was brought back to them.

WineStream · 10-01-2012, 08:21 PM

I've heard of them and had work done by them. They put all the awnings on my motorhome. It was cheaper to have them install them than it was to buy the awnings direct from ZipDee and install them myself. I've also known many satisfied and repeat customers of them. They do more than polishing and refurbishing... they will do pretty much any work on Airstreams.

I don't see what about their website makes them look questionable?

IndyAnne · 10-01-2012, 08:23 PM

Yes, I visited there a couple of years ago. I would be glad to share my impressions and some photos. They do good work, from what I saw finished and waiting to be picked up. They were putting finishing touches on a very nice theme trailer in the shop when I was there. The polishing shop goes non-stop. I understand they do polishing jobs and some other repair work for the factory at Jackson Center. I will try to find my photos of the visit.

DKDarrow · 10-01-2012, 08:34 PM

Kevin and Stever are a pair of the nicest, giving, and honest craftsmen around. They not only care about what they do; but about their clients. Enough has been pointed out above about the quality of their work so I feel obliged to point out the fine type of folks they are..........thanks GUYS.......God bless........Dennis

PS.....YES they did a total rehab on my 88 several years ago that still has folks bragging about it.

IndyAnne · 10-01-2012, 08:55 PM

I called them and made a visit a couple of years ago. I have photos I will post later. When I got there, I got the impression that they were snowed under with backed-up jobs and were short-handed. The phone rang non-stop in the office.

In terms of the actual physical plant, they have three big dairy barns and separate spaces for polishing, for welding, frames and structure, and sheet metal, and for interior work. All of those spaces were humming along.

I wonder why they would give that kind of negative message about the forums. But, I get that kind of negative vibe from people sometimes about the forums. If I had to say who and why, my experience has been with people who have a favorite hometown repair shop -- of which there is NONE in Indianapolis. The negative people were of an advanced age, and they generally did not trust the internet -- a generation gap. I have been warned to stay away from the forums, don't follow the advice, get second and third opinions. I usually respond saying I am very happy with all I have learned here, and if it were not for the forums, I would not have bothered to buy a fixer-upper. This is an amateur enthusiast meeting place, although many professionals participate, and for whom I am grateful, and I mean "amateur" in the best possible sense: ama-teur - Latin for, "We do it for the love of it."

I betcha this kind of drama goes on in other restoration forums. Arguments, differences of opinion and method, down-right rudeness and hostility, etc.

I am guessing, they might have been dissed on the forums by some other business, or they were second-guessed by someone here on the forums. I can think of one member whom I have not seen posting in a couple of years. Is he sick? Hurt feelings? Off climbing Mount Everest? I have seen some negative stuff here, (do NOT mention "catalytic heater") but there is so much helpful info, I don't pay much attention to the negative people.

IndyAnne · 10-01-2012, 08:59 PM

Have I understood correctly? P&S gave negative feedback to someone about the forums, right?

P&S were not given negative feedback by someone on the forums?

overlander64 · 10-01-2012, 09:00 PM

Another satisfied customer of P and S Trailer Service. My understanding is that they have been in the business of polishing Airstreams since about 1964. They polished and Plasticoated my '64 Overlander eight years ago, and the finish is still very nice today . . . and my coach came out with the "original sheen" finish that I had wanted . . . not mirror bright, but with the sheen that it had when it was new in 1964.

The photo above is of my Overlander a few months before the Ruths polished and Plasticoated it to original sheen.

The photo above is of the Overlander a few weeks following its trip to P and S Trailer Service for its exterior restoration.

I am very pleased with the results of the restoration and its durabiity. The Plasticoat has held up well with little more than Walbernize coatings twice per year.

Kevin

Ag&Au · 10-01-2012, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IndyAnne

Have I understood correctly? P&S gave negative feedback to someone about the forums, right?

P&S were not given negative feedback by someone on the forums?

That's what I understood also, but I guess the crowd's off and running on the other track until the OP comes back and clarifies it.

Ken

IndyAnne · 10-01-2012, 09:23 PM

Herding cats!

davcarv · 10-02-2012, 04:57 AM

When I mentioned about some of the advise that I've received here about the challenges of buying a used coach he said I needed to turn off the site. That the site was full of hooey. That if I'd established a relationship with the seller I should go with my heart and my head.
It was kind of endearing actually.
It's kind of like telling your doctor that you read something on the online.
They hate that stuff.
Lol

WineStream · 10-02-2012, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davcarv

When I mentioned about some of the advise that I've received here about the challenges of buying a used coach he said I needed to turn off the site. That the site was full of hooey. That if I'd established a relationship with the seller I should go with my heart and my head.
It was kind of endearing actually.
It's kind of like telling your doctor that you read something on the online.
They hate that stuff.
Lol

That's a different impression than I got from the OP and thread title.

I would say their advice is sound given the situation. When buying an Airstream, there's no way someone can give you a better assessment on the forums or by digital means versus seeing it in person. People on the forums will give you opinions all day long about pictures of a coach. A great thing about airforums in this perspective is the searchability for an inspector. Get one that will look at it in person or take it to a pro, like p&s.

inTransit · 10-02-2012, 07:19 AM

The response you quoted is the OP. He or she is simply saying he spoke with someone at the shop that said not to use airforums for restoration advice.

One thing I will agree with is that a DIY restoration is not for everybody. But the problem is not the forums, its the seduction of the silver trailer and the misconception of 'how hard could it be to clean it up and polish it' vs the reality of what is usually involved. That said, it comes off as a bit of a hard sell to 'turn off the site'. Knowledge is power, and there is more here with regards to AS than in any other place.

polarlyse · 10-02-2012, 07:26 AM

Hey Kevin, NICE TRAILER. But they put your number on backwards

DUH.

AWCHIEF · 10-02-2012, 07:59 AM

Impressive work, now I only have win the lottery. $$$$$$$

mccrosti · 10-02-2012, 08:18 AM

My 72 Overlander was plasticoated by P&S about 15 years ago. Still has good shine, granted it's experiencing Airstream pattern baldness on top a little but that is to be expected. That is a picture of it in my avatar. When I called I got right through and spoke with a very helpful gentleman.

Ag&Au · 10-02-2012, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davcarv

When I mentioned about some of the advise that I've received here about the challenges of buying a used coach he said I needed to turn off the site. That the site was full of hooey. That if I'd established a relationship with the seller I should go with my heart and my head.
It was kind of endearing actually.
It's kind of like telling your doctor that you read something on the online.
They hate that stuff.
Lol

There is a certain amount of misinformation* posted here but much more valuable posted also.

RVs are no different than any hardware item sold used.

"Try to "establish a relationship" with someone who is selling you a product", sounds like advice that I would expect from someone who makes a living selling used products.

If I buy a used product, I seek out advice from informed third parties, not the individual selling said product.

Ken

*Definition of misinformation - Stuff I don't agree with.

overlander64 · 10-02-2012, 11:10 AM

Greetings polarlyse;!

Quote:

Originally Posted by polarlyse

Hey Kevin, NICE TRAILER. But they put your number on backwards

DUH.

The number on the pre-restoration photo was my fault . . . can't stand heights so I had my eyes closed while trying to place the number and managed to attach the 3 backwards making it look more like an "E". I was going to change it after the 1998 WBCCI International Rally in Boise, ID . . . but friends in the Vintage Airstream Club encouraged me to leave it that way as it made my Overlander easy to identify.

Kevin