Help with stripping and polishing...please!

[fancy pants]

Hi, I just bought a '64, i think it's a safari- 20' long. It appears to have clear coat because it is very splotchy all over.
anyway I want to hire someone to restore the exterior to that shiny new look.
I live in small town BC and the only person I can find to do it has no idea what to do, and doesn't have access to a computer. So I need to print information and mail it to him.
So what I'm sincerely hopeing for is information and products for this project in a format that I can just print out in a couple pages- the many pages with pictures and stories from this site will take me days to sort through!
Thank you, your help is very appreciated!
Tracy

[azflycaster]

This is a good guide from Vintage Trailer supply...
http://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/...hingAdvice.pdf

[Stefrobrts]

Travel trailers are meant to travel. Id say take it somewhere where they have experience doing this work. I would not trust anyone who does not know what they are doing to just jump in and follow printed instructions and do a good job, especially with something as precious as a 64 Safari! If you were doing it yourself, than at least you know you will do your best, but I wouldn't trust anyone else to just give it a shot', if you know what I mean. Theres a place in Oregon which has an excellent reputation for stripping, polishing, and re-coating Airstreams, you might want to make the trip. Just my two cents. Being splotchy for a while is better than being damaged by a bad strip and polish.

[fancy pants]

Thanks for the info, I'm affraid realistically I will have to rely on someone else to do this job, so I really do appreciate some good solid info on this topic for the individual doing the work.
Thanks, Tracy

[edmelik]

Does any any one know of a place in Ventura County or Los Angeles County, California any outlet that does the stripping and coating on Airstreams? One guy "the polish guru" wants $14,000 to strip and polish it. I think its a bit too steep for most of the A/S owners. Any tip? Thanks
Ed

[azflycaster]

Originally Posted by edmelik

Does any any one know of a place in Ventura County or Los Angeles County, California any outlet that does the stripping and coating on Airstreams? One guy "the polish guru" wants $14,000 to strip and polish it. I think its a bit too steep for most of the A/S owners. Any tip? Thanks
Ed

Wow, that's a bunch of money! The only one I have heard about is the one you mentioned in Riverside, CA. Polishing is an expensive job, but $14,000. The numbers I have heard are around $150 x the length of the trailer. In your case a little over 5 grand. Still not cheap, but alot better. Good luck on your search for a polisher.

[Pacerized]

I wouldn't pay 14k, but the average body shop in this area is from $50-$60 per hour, plus parts. I just finished polishing mine, and have about 40-50 hours of my own time, plus my 2 sons in it. I then paid a friend to redo the blue excella stipe, and letters. I like the way it turned out, but it's not even close to perfect, and I've read of others taking over 200 hours, and one lady I ran into at the Denver airstream dealer said she had almost 400 hours in hers. If you took 200 hours labor, and supplies, I'd say 14k may not be out of the ballpark.