My heart's in the '60s but my head's in the '70s

[Wazbro]

Originally Posted by CA_Tallguy

It looks like I'll be picking up the trailer in exactly 1 week from tomorrow and the excitement is starting to kick in. I'm flying out to pick up my new tow vehicle on Tuesday and then will make my way from there (Wichita) up to South Dakota to register it and get my drivers license, and then over to Michigan to pick up the trailer!! Can't wait!

So do you have a hitch, getting one with it or buying one?

[perryg114]

My 81 Center bath has the beefed up frame and real plywood. Sometime in the mid 80's they went to chip board which has more rot issues. I would go 80's over 70's trailers. You would have a better chance of not having to do a shell off restoration.

Perry

[Globie64]

it's been interesting to see the posts about OSB (oriented strand board) for flooring instead of plywood- the engineer I use for all my projects won't allow it to be substituted for plywood in projects because it is more sensitive to moisture, and loss of strength, than plywood.

[perryg114]

That actually looked like a nearly mint 70's trailer compared to some I have seen on here. What you are seeing is typical of a 30-40 yr old trailer. Keep in mind the majority of them look like this under the floor where you can't see because the PO remodeled with new laminate flooring (the PO did a quick and dirty "eyewash" restoration). Rear bedroom models are easy to see the floor condition because usually you can lift the carpet under the beds to see the real condition. I did not do this an ended up having to replace the back 4 ft of floor.

Perry

[QUOTE=CA_Tallguy;1217530]This is indeed something on my mind. I'm very interested in the trailer that has had a lot of work done to it and the frame repainted, reinforced along with the new subfloor. But while knowing that has been done is great, I'm a bit worried about getting into a unit where I know it had pretty bad floor rot and rust to begin with. I'm assuming that most 30+ year old trailers are going to have some of that? Or are there some good units out there that have never had those problems, like in the warmer climates? I figure it is difficult to really discern the condition of the frame though, so with most trailers I wouldn't even know?

Below are some photos of what it looked like when the current owner went in to make repairs. As you can see, he REALLY got into the subfloor and frame area for this project.

[slowmover]

And go easy on yourself. It is difficult to hit the nail squarely on the head the first time. I'd set some goals, as with: I wish to be able to boondock up to two weeks sort. I wouldn't just spend money, but experiment and keep some notes about how it feels as opposed to just numbers. But numbers are central. Etc.

If one were to go through three trailers to find the right one, it wouldn't matter so much. But being over-enthusiastic might mean spending too much on the first one (and so forth).

Bring all the road performance stuff up to date first (LED exterior lamps, new safety chains, new 7-way, best hitch rigging and nose-bleed brakes, etc) as how it rolls down the road is central to being mobile. Plus, it isn't expensive or time-consuming as are some other areas of work. That and some "polish up" can make it "ready for sale" and give quite a bit of satisfaction on some honest work. Then, just go and use it awhile.

Pics are always welcome. And WELCOME!

[CA_Tallguy]

Originally Posted by Wazbro

So do you have a hitch, getting one with it or buying one?

I'm thinking that I will pick one up on the road after I get the trailer, just in case the one I get has them with it. (I'm pretty sure the one I've settled on will not, however.) I have a new class IV receiver for the truck I bought shipped and that will be waiting for me in at my new address at Alternative Resources in Sioux Falls. Been reading up on the options, however!

[CA_Tallguy]

Originally Posted by perryg114

That actually looked like a nearly mint 70's trailer compared to some I have seen on here. What you are seeing is typical of a 30-40 yr old trailer. Keep in mind the majority of them look like this under the floor where you can't see because the PO remodeled with new laminate flooring (the PO did a quick and dirty "eyewash" restoration).

Whew! That is great to hear. Makes me feel like I'm doing the right thing, going for the unit that has had some serious frame and subfloor work.

[perryg114]

You need to make sure it was documented and done right. The connections to the frame at the rear are very important that they are done right. There is also an L-Shaped steel plate at the back that should be bolted to the rearmost cross member. The plate is riveted to the flat panel below the license plate.

Perry

[CA_Tallguy]

Originally Posted by purman

A couple of other things to consider. 1968 and earlier were only 7 ft wide. 1969 and up were 7'6" and wider.

That, along with availability of a rear bedroom layout in 70's on, is probably going to rule out the 1968 and earlier models. I'm 6'8" tall so space is very important. Thanks for pointing this out.

[CA_Tallguy]

Originally Posted by perryg114

You need to make sure it was documented and done right. The connections to the frame at the rear are very important that they are done right. There is also an L-Shaped steel plate at the back that should be bolted to the rearmost cross member. The plate is riveted to the flat panel below the license plate.

It was definitely documented and he has sent me 250 pictures of it being taken apart. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the photos he took of the reconstruction in digital form... only in an album. But I will look for this plate and will ask him about it. And if you have any more info on what to look for in this regard, please let me know. I'll try to search other threads too.

[CA_Tallguy]

Hello from the Airstream Terraport in Jackson Center! What better way to mark the start of a journey with a new (to me) Airstream than spending your first night at the mother ship? When I realized it was possible to get from the location where I was buying the trailer to Jackson Center the same night, I simply could not pass up such an opportunity.

I did indeed end up buying the trailer with the work done as described earlier in this thread. I'm both excited and overwhelmed -- it seems like there are 1000 things to learn and 100 projects that I need to do in order to make this trailer my own. Absolutely everything is a mystery and a puzzle -- down to closing the front door smoothly!

The biggest issue is getting the furnace running so I can boondock on my way home (hoping that the service dept might be able to help me with that tomorrow). The previous owner thinks that it may need an ignitor -- at least that is what his troubleshooting led him towards. It would probably be a repair that I would try to tackle myself if I knew this trailer better. But as I'd like to use the trailer on the way home I will prob just bite the bullet and see if they can fix it for me.

The next pressing issue is that the shower is going to need a rebuild. Unfortunately, the previous owner never used the shower due to a cracked pan. I was hoping that was all that was needed and was going to attempt a repair, but as I've spent time looking more closely, it looks like the fixtures were removed when the previous owner redid the plumbing through the whole unit. He didn't bother to replumb the shower nozzle and faucet as he didn't plan on springing for a new shower pan anytime soon. Hopefully the drain is still in place, and it looks like it might be. Since the sink is right next to the shower, the faucet and head should not be too difficult. But the shower walls and pan are not in great shape so they will need refurb in the process.

Well, I just wanted to update this thread to say HEY and HELLO from Jackson Center! I now live among you, and I can call you FELLOW Airstream owners!