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02-12-2011, 08:44 PM
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#1
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2 Rivet Member
1983 31' Excella
2002 31' Classic
Troy
, Ohio
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 34
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A sad end to a wonderful trailer
Does anyone know the history of this trailer? It has been offered for sale on ebay several times. If I am correct, it was custom built for Donald and Carolyn Putnam of Ohio. If so, the trailer was the model trailer for the China Clippers used in the 1980's China caravans. They had the trailer custom built as they preferred to tow with a passenger car rather than a truck. The trailer had many one of a kind features. The Putnams sold it to Lloyd and Ruth Kress in 1988 or 1989. There is no current WBCCI # 25960 in the Membership Directory.
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02-12-2011, 09:12 PM
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#2
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Site Team
2002 25' Safari
Dewey
, Arizona
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 15,606
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The number was last seen in the 2006 directory. The Colleys of Belbrook, OH.
Looks like the trailer fell on it's side.
__________________
Richard
Wally Byam Airstream Club 7513
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02-12-2011, 09:13 PM
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#3
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Moderator
1968 17' Caravel
Battle Ground
, Washington
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,253
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Whoever had it last was a longtime member, look at all those stars across the front. It's always sad to see one wrecked. Could have been an accident, could have been in a storm, who knows.
__________________
Stephanie
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02-12-2011, 09:16 PM
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#4
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2 Rivet Member
1983 31' Excella
2002 31' Classic
Troy
, Ohio
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 34
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Thank you very much. I remember the Colleys. They were in the same WBCCI unit as the Kresses. I'll do some checking around, but that is most likely the trailer that was custom built for the Putnams.
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02-12-2011, 09:17 PM
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#5
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Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
West of Fort Worth
, Texas
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,699
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Hitch lock works....nobody has stolen it!
__________________
AIR #15800
"Wimpy" 1/2 ton 2002 GMC Sierra 4X4 Z-71 Gasser
2000 Safari SS 25'
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02-15-2011, 03:08 AM
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#6
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Rivet Master
1962 22' Safari
2016 30' Classic
Southeast
, Michigan
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,986
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rmk110761
Does anyone know the history of this trailer? It has been offered for sale on ebay several times. If I am correct, it was custom built for Donald and Carolyn Putnam of Ohio. If so, the trailer was the model trailer for the China Clippers used in the 1980's China caravans. They had the trailer custom built as they preferred to tow with a passenger car rather than a truck. The trailer had many one of a kind features. The Putnams sold it to Lloyd and Ruth Kress in 1988 or 1989. There is no current WBCCI # 25960 in the Membership Directory.
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I noticed that trailer the first time they tried to sell it on eBay several months ago. Then as I was writing a story for the WBCCI Blue Beret magazine about the 1985-1988 China Caravans I tried to contact Airstream Inc. to learn more about it, because it does have the exact interior layout of the China Clipper trailers that were made specifically to send overseas. I wondered if it was some sort of prototype model. Airstream never returned my emails and once the story was submitted (and was published in the December 2010 issue), I stopped pursuing details about this trailer. I appreciate what you are able to tell me about it and prior owners. Is there more?
__________________
Joe
Wally Byam Caravan Club International Historian
Vintage Airstream Club Historian
WBCCI/VAC #702 & #6768
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02-15-2011, 05:19 AM
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#7
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Rivet Master
2007 23' Safari SE
Central
, Connecticut
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,652
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Thanks for this thread. I spent a while looking at the last eBay listing, scratching my head, trying to figure it out. It's very similar to my Minuet, just more plush inside. Too bad it came to this end - this one looks $$$ to fix...
Tom
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02-15-2011, 08:27 AM
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#8
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4 Rivet Member
1978 28' Ambassador
Kenton
, Ohio
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 459
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Don and Carolyn lived in my community but I don't remember that trailer. I had an opportunity to buy their last Airstream a few years ago, a late 80's model, and didn't...kicking myself. They towed with station wagons. They were wondeful people and Airstreamed with my Grandparents at times back in the day. They lived about 45 minutes from Jackson Center and were involved in designing some trailers I believe. Carolyn died about 8 years ago and Don died about 2 or 3 years ago. I used to go visit them in their later years and listen to their story's. Great folks, that's for sure. They had a lot of A/S knowledge and knew a lot of the history of the company.
Tom
__________________
"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid." -- Frank Zappa
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02-15-2011, 08:50 AM
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#9
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3 Rivet Member
Currently Looking...
OO
, OO
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 174
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This story touches me very much.... How did it probably come that nobody wanted to have the AS of the family?
Now he stands somewhere, defective and sadly.
Werner
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02-15-2011, 09:12 AM
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#10
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4 Rivet Member
1978 28' Ambassador
Kenton
, Ohio
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 459
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None of the Putnam kids Airstreamed. It is something that their parents did...they didn't grow up with it. When Mr. Putnam died, their last trailer attached to the station wagon was in front of their house for sale. Car and impeccably maintained trailer was sold for an unbelievably low price. Like I said, I should have bought it.
__________________
"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid." -- Frank Zappa
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