1969 31' window screens

[CJ of Okla]

Has anyone replaced the inside screens in their 69? The screen is held in with a decorative plastic strip to cover the raw edge of the screen. We are going to have to replace all of our screens. What or where can you get the decorative plastic strip? I have looked on the vintage parts websights and don't see anything that looks like the present plastic strip. I wish the screens were removable, but now I am dreaming.

[BIGED52]

CJ, 31 foot screens......... those are big windows! You must have Lucy and Rickys' "Long Trailer"! Lol, Ed

[Lumatic]

I wonder if yu r describing the common system which is in my 71 and 73. Could the "decorative strip" be a flexible grey spline? If so there is a simple hardware store toosel called a spline tool which looks like a pizza cutter. It is used to drive the spline into the spline track on the screen frame and both tensions and secures it. It looks like you can do it without the tool, but I can't. It's a bit of an art.

[commander31]

I also have a '69... Mine is a 23' Safari... I have wondered the same thing about screen replacements....

I looked closely a while ago, and i notice that strange grayish plastic strip that seems to retain the screen into that aluminum channel. Mine are pretty much deteriorated, and half the screens are gone anyways, in my trailer.

I am gonna investigate this a little further here today, and compare the width and depth of the channel on the Airstream screens to the screens here in my home. I know that guys that repair and replace the screens use a rubber or plastic "cordage" that they just push in place, down in the channels, with a wide "putty knife like" tool....and I am thinking that this grayish whitish strip we see on our Airstreams is just a fancier version of the same cordage we could maybe buy at our Hardware store or Home Depot for a couple bucks a roll...

I have to also replace all the screens in my Safari this summer...... I will let you know what i find out.

By the way, much on the same subject... How are your plastic strips where the window props (on either side) come thru to the inside of the trailer??? They modified this design after a couple yrs to a "cat whisker" type thingy...but 1969 used this one year thing.....on my trailer, the plastic is all hard, and disintigrated....I hafta devise a new fix for this... I was thinking about trying to find some strips of white pliable rubber or plastic, and putting a long slit in them, and gluing them in place where the original pieces were....

Aaaah..the trials and tribulations of a "one year only" trailer!!!

[Lumatic]

Forgot. If you haven't figured it out, the "strange grey plastic strip" is called spline.

Also, in my 71 and 73 there is a brush like material where the window levers come through to keep the skeeters out. It is readily available at the vintage .Airstream suppliers

[CJ of Okla]

Originally Posted by Marshall

Forgot. If you haven't figured it out, the "strange grey plastic strip" is called spline.

Also, in my 71 and 73 there is a brush like material where the window levers come through to keep the skeeters out. It is readily available at the vintage .Airstream suppliers

Marshall, thanks for the correct name "spline"

I know how to replace the screen if I use the spline, but there is a flat plastic cover that goes over the edge of the screen to dress it up. If I only put the spline it would look ugly with that raw screen edge showing. Was hoping someone else has had the same problem and what their solution was.

[CJ of Okla]

Originally Posted by commander31

I also have a '69... Mine is a 23' Safari... I have wondered the same thing about screen replacements....

I looked closely a while ago, and i notice that strange grayish plastic strip that seems to retain the screen into that aluminum channel. Mine are pretty much deteriorated, and half the screens are gone anyways, in my trailer.

I am gonna investigate this a little further here today, and compare the width and depth of the channel on the Airstream screens to the screens here in my home. I know that guys that repair and replace the screens use a rubber or plastic "cordage" that they just push in place, down in the channels, with a wide "putty knife like" tool....and I am thinking that this grayish whitish strip we see on our Airstreams is just a fancier version of the same cordage we could maybe buy at our Hardware store or Home Depot for a couple bucks a roll...

I have to also replace all the screens in my Safari this summer...... I will let you know what i find out.

By the way, much on the same subject... How are your plastic strips where the window props (on either side) come thru to the inside of the trailer??? They modified this design after a couple yrs to a "cat whisker" type thingy...but 1969 used this one year thing.....on my trailer, the plastic is all hard, and disintigrated....I hafta devise a new fix for this... I was thinking about trying to find some strips of white pliable rubber or plastic, and putting a long slit in them, and gluing them in place where the original pieces were....

Aaaah..the trials and tribulations of a "one year only" trailer!!!

Scott, hope you come up with a idea, I am all ears.

[Lumatic]

If the screen is installed correctly there should be no unfinished edges showing outside of the spline line, just as in a window screen with a metal frame in your home. Doing a good job does require some practice. If the window can't come to Mohammed can you take the coach to a window guy?
It takes me quite a while to do one of these screens but a pro can do a window in a minute or 2.