How do I get Home

[mdprez13]

1959 24ft. not moved for 10 + years.

OK, Please direct me to someone who would be willing to guide me home. That would let me ask and ask lots of questions.

How should I get this on top of tow trailer? hook and drag?
Where do I lift or jack it up from (floor pan or frame exposed?) to maybe put rolling tires and rims? What size rim lug pattern is this? Ford , jeep , opel rims fit?
I want to do the safe and most careful. It will get restored.

[TouringDan]

What a fun challenge. I wish that I was there to help you. Are there any wheels on the trailer now? I can't tell from the photos.

Step one is wheels and tires. The wheels are 15", I believe, and 6 lug. Go to any trailer place and they should be able to sell you/order you the correct size and proper load rating wheel. Then purchase some trailer tires for the wheels.

There should be a box frame running down each side of the trailer. I would start by jacking up the frame near the rear and putting wood supports under it. Keep jacking it up and build the wood supports higher. When it is high enough you will be able to install the new wheels and tires. This is an iterative process. You will need to jack it up and add supports many times.

Good luck.

Dan

[TouringDan]

BTW you may need to buy a hydraulic jack. I would go after a 3 ton low level type jack. I got mine at Harbor freight or a similar retailer.

Dan

[altnbndr]

How about telling us how you approached the owner, what you said, and what his initial reaction was. It appears as if you were able to score this beauty that you showed us in your post http://www.airforums.com/forums/f353...ld-102599.html
My wife and I were talking about you last night and wondering if you would be able to be the one to put this trailer (that you looked at daily as you drove the school bus by) back on the open road. We have been sending you our positive thoughts and energy and "BELIEVED THAT IT WOULD HAPPEN FOR YOU".

The McCoys

[BIGED52]

Does the trailer still have a viable A-frame and tongue? Were you able to get the owner to sell the trailer to you yet? Have you been able to look at the interior? What condition are the tires and axle in? Are they buried into the soil? Are you allowed on the property yet? Do you have a floor jack? Can you get to the tow ball hitch? Can you get a tractor or backhoe to the hitch so you might pull it straight out from where it sits now?
So many questions before you get to the issue of towing or flatbedding this great find. Keep the pictures coming and update us as you proceed. Ed

[Bill M.]

tires, bearings, hook it up and pull it? I bought a much newer trailer that had been sitting for 20 years I was luck enough to find a local truck tire shop with a small service truck that came to my site and installed tires and did a quick grease job on the bearings.
My knowledge does not cover trailers of the age of yours. If it has the torsion axle you have to be careful where you jack it.

[Melody Ranch]

First....be sure about those wheels. I got my 56 Cloud and it had 5 on 5 1/2 wheels. My 56 Bubbles had 6 on 5 1/2.
If the coupler and A frame are OK and solid (take some PB Blaster with you and soak the coupler, jack and wheel lugs first off....to get them loose.) It is a 2" ball.
Dan's suggestion for a Harbor Freight floor jack is right on. Get an aluminum one and always take it with you....the first time you need it you will understand. Support the jack with a hunk of 2 x 8 board if the ground is soft.
I suggest taking a can of bearing grease with you and at least do a "quick and dirty" bearing lube. It sounds like you trip will be short...and that should do.
If you don't feel good about that......get the use of a low flat bed trailer. You can use a "come along" to slowly pull the Airstream up and on. Heavy two inch tiedown straps will hold her down for the trip. If there is a better place to work on it close at hand....just hook up and pull to that place...don't even worry about the tires and wheels on there now...they are trash anyway....then work in better conditions.

[altnbndr]

First try to air up the tires. If they will take air great if not that's OK. With a shovel dig out around the front and sides of the tires. Look at the A frame to make sure it is somewhat structural sound. If it looks OK use a nylon recovery strap choked to the opposite side that you will be pulling from. Use a truck that has front recovery hooks (4 wheel drive would be best but not really necessary) approach the trailer at a slight angle (30 degrees max) using reverse (a really low gear) pull the trailer slowly at this angle. The trailer will pivot on the inside tire pulling the outside tire out of the hole. Back fill the hole on the far side, chock(block) the back side of this tire really well then reverse this procedure coming from the other angle for the other side
(remember to change the strap to the other side of the A frame so that you will be pulling from the opposite side). Pulling from the opposite side will draw the strap to the front of the tongue otherwise you risk bending the steel. Once you get it out of being sunk in the mud you will be able to get a jack under it, then follow the excellent advice in the above post to assess the tow-ability of your "DREAM STREAM".

One other point is pulling in reverse will help to keep from shooting a rooster tail of dirt onto your trailer if you happen to break traction with your tow vehicle. What ever you do be sure to take your time.

[mdprez13]

:Thank you all. Lots of great ideas. Have my growing list of needed items for the recovery. Now just wait two weeks for a call. I am sure this will be the hard part. Great help here is easy. Doing more then looking.

[ventport]

Originally Posted by mdprez13

: Now just wait two weeks for a call. I am sure this will be the hard part.

Does this mean that you have not bought it yet? Please fill us in on the on going negotiations and what's in the works.

[Phrunes]

Originally Posted by Melody Ranch

First....be sure about those wheels. I got my 56 Cloud and it had 5 on 5 1/2 wheels. My 56 Bubbles had 6 on 5 1/2.
If the coupler and A frame are OK and solid (take some PB Blaster with you and soak the coupler, jack and wheel lugs first off....to get them loose.) It is a 2" ball.
Dan's suggestion for a Harbor Freight floor jack is right on. Get an aluminum one and always take it with you....the first time you need it you will understand. Support the jack with a hunk of 2 x 8 board if the ground is soft.
I suggest taking a can of bearing grease with you and at least do a "quick and dirty" bearing lube. It sounds like you trip will be short...and that should do.
If you don't feel good about that......get the use of a low flat bed trailer. You can use a "come along" to slowly pull the Airstream up and on. Heavy two inch tiedown straps will hold her down for the trip. If there is a better place to work on it close at hand....just hook up and pull to that place...don't even worry about the tires and wheels on there now...they are trash anyway....then work in better conditions.

When I picked up my trailer the electric jack was busted...I spent the next hour rewiring and powering it with jumper cables to the tv...finally got it up, over the ball, then...the electric tongue jack quit. This time the trailer was on the ball and the weight was on the truck, but the jack was fully extended into the ground...what a dilemma! I had to retrieve my hilift jack from the truck, lift the entire trailer off the ball, remove the entire electric jack assy. and lower it back down onto the ball. It is a 26ft. tandem axle AS...lesson? Always carry a jack.