FOUND!! Wally Byam's '55 Cruiser - 1956 European Caravan trailer

[Ameneon]

That's awesome. Do you get to officially put the "1" back on it?

[goransons]

Inside and out the plan is as an extract restoration as possible and in some cases practical. Yes the outside will be put back as exact as I can including lettering

[goransons]

DDickey’s box arrived today. What a beauty!! Thank you!



Another item arrived today..

[goransons]

I recently purchased a very rare Caravanner newsletter from October 1955 that outlines the Mexico and European Caravan. I’ll have to work on getting access to a large scanner but thought I’d share. Cool article by a teenage Pee Wee, info about Jackson Center and the new California plant, an article outlining the creation of the WBCCI among other things


On the 55, nearly half the interior skin is finish sanded, I hope to complete that by the end of the weekend and start metal prep and masking (and cleaning).

I found a stove, I needs major porcelain work but can be redone or at least do until I find a better one.

I also have leads on a few other missing pieces but won’t share until they are for sure

[Hittenstiehl]

Very cool newsletter. I have read several of Wally's books and the feats they were able to accomplish during their travels are quite remarkable. It is always fun to visit with Pee Wee when he comes to the 4cu gatherings.

I been meaning to ask do you work full time on the Airstream. And if you are retired what type of profession we're you in. (If you mentioned this in the beginning I have forgotten)

Your pace, skill set and learning curve seem incredible. It seems like you were MEANT to do this.

[goransons]

Wow well thank you!

This summer I worked 6 days a week on it, seemingly 8+ hours a day. Progress slowed this fall. My wife and I are both music teachers, we have 2 kids. My almost 11 year old son has come to be good with a bucking bar, and my wife is good at it too. I've had a lot of help from a different Wally who collects Airstreams (I call him Wally Buys-em). Lately I work weekends from about 5:30-AM until 10 or so and spend the rest of the day being dad, some days my son comes out and works with me while my wife and daughter do ladies day activities. Mixed in with lots of baseball and other stuff too. It's a big learning curve. I couldn't do it without the knowledge and assistance from many others, mostly here on the forums and some of the facebook groups as well. It's a whole lot of a work, and a whole lot of being in the right place a the right time, asking the right questions and getting help from the right people!

[Hittenstiehl]

Well even more impressed to know you are still working, being a husband and dad with a full life in addition to The Airstream.

Keep up the good work. This thread and it's good documentation will serve many well in future endeavors.

[goransons]

Well thank you!

I’ve been sanding every evening after school before the kids get home and last weekend. It isn’t pretty but it’s smooth!

The kitchen and living/dining area is ready for final cleaning and masking so the hippies have left that area (no offense). No more birds butterfies, sun, moon, stars, stickers, puff paint artwork etc. I have about 2/3rds of the bedroom to sand yet, then the rear endcap and upper cabinets.

I can’t say enough good about the Diablo brand sanding screens for my random orbital sander. $19 for 10 screen material discs. Last 10 times longer or more than sand paper and don’t clog up even with thick latex paint, tape residue, sticker gunk, puff paint and other crud I’ve sanded. Another 4-5 hours and I can start wiping everything down and get ready to epoxy prime the inside.

Just an fyi, negative test result for lead, still wearing an OSHA approved commercial style double canister respirator for particulates when sanding.

[goransons]

Today I finished sanding all but the bathroom. I got distracted with kitchen layout. I’ve realized that I think I have the wrong Krefft refrigerator, and I have a lot of time and money in it. I think I need to have the 36” tall model (mine’s 46+) to have a cooktop on top. I can’t make the layout work any other way. I’m sick to my stomach knowing what I’ve invested in time and money All to potentially have the wrong one.

I think I need one of these, two different styles used in the 50’s.





Looks like they were used in Shasta’s too. Forwarded I may have a tall Krefft for sale soon if the layout is what I think it is. I’ve got $1300 into it but it works.

[goransons]

I'm officially selling my Krefft (or trading if you have a small one). It's listed on the classifieds here: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f534...or-175212.html

I'm really hoping to find a below counter model. Please keep an eye out. They were in Shastas too. I'm hoping to find a home for the Krefft, I'm selling it for what I have into it, which I know is a lot but where are you going to find another? (trust me I know )

[goransons]

I have finished sanding inside skin!!! A few hundred more rivets, a couple more little patches and trip pieces and I can clean and prime. Test fitted the roof lockers, almost done prepping those for primer too. I hope this weekend to prime and paint. Fingers crossed!!

I did a test on stripping the paint off the laminate sliding doors. Before and after. Some discoloring (guessing that’s why they sprayed them). Should we live with the “character” and keep original or remake them all?

Before



After






Bathroom sanded


Test fitting. Will come back down to paint

[goransons]

A long long day! I finished up all the window trim, scrubbed everything down, took almost every tool I own and put it away, and primed the interior. First color coat tomorrow, prime and paint tomorrow on the metal upper cabinets.





I found last week what I needed for the Krefft but now I need to find a smaller krefft to do the right layout.

[goransons]

First coat on

[TouringDan]

goransons

Looks great! What a transformation!

Dan

[chrisetmike]

You are doing a great job.It looks real good. I hope you find your fridge!

[MsRivet]

Originally Posted by goransons

First coat on
Attachment 299775

Attachment 299776

We are beginning restoration on a 1948 Liner and I have a few questions for you:

On the interior ...

What was your sanding technique and tools used?

Which type primer and brand? Applied how?

Which type paint and brand? Applied how?

Thanks so much!

MsRivet

[goransons]

MsRivet



I used a random orbital sander (palm sander) with the round Velcro pads. I found the 80 grit Diablo sanding screens from Home Depot worked the best, self cleaned (didn't clog up with paint) and lasted as long as I didn't hit a sharp edge of metal or or shard of an old pop rivet.



I sanded the entire thing, probably 50-60 hours of sanding, but ours was a huge huge mess.



Bare aluminum was sanded as mentioned, then hit with the epoxy primer I used on the outside. The entire interior was then primed with killz high build primer. It has extra solids in it, helps things layout better, fills in the rivet holes etc a little better than regular primer which is really thin and often water like.



After that I went over it with a good quality interior/exterior paint + primer in the color we wanted using an eggshell finish. I found using a 3" roller (thin), a 10 inch roller and good brush took care of everything well.



I should mention this trailer was painted this way because photos on the caravan showed the interior was a solid, not the zolatone I found under the paint. Guessing it was zolatoned at build, but painted when they adjusted the interior layout a bit before Europe. We copied as best we could to the original color.



I've sprayed Zolatone, with a basic pressure pot paint gun (less than $200 you can spray zolatone as long as you have access to a good oxygen mask and supply. I learned that the hard way. I enjoyed working with it, but even with my spray mask from the body shop supply store wasn't good enough for the fumes on that. My neighbors even commented on how strong it was from their driveway. It's a far stronger finish but at least I can touch this up easily if need be.



I cleco'd in the upper cabinets today. Spent most of the day working on the solex bike and helping get Christmas decorations up.

[MsRivet]

Originally Posted by goransons

MsRivet



I used a random orbital sander (palm sander) with the round Velcro pads. I found the 80 grit Diablo sanding screens from Home Depot worked the best, self cleaned (didn't clog up with paint) and lasted as long as I didn't hit a sharp edge of metal or or shard of an old pop rivet.



I sanded the entire thing, probably 50-60 hours of sanding, but ours was a huge huge mess.



Bare aluminum was sanded as mentioned, then hit with the epoxy primer I used on the outside. The entire interior was then primed with killz high build primer. It has extra solids in it, helps things layout better, fills in the rivet holes etc a little better than regular primer which is really thin and often water like.



After that I went over it with a good quality interior/exterior paint + primer in the color we wanted using an eggshell finish. I found using a 3" roller (thin), a 10 inch roller and good brush took care of everything well.



I should mention this trailer was painted this way because photos on the caravan showed the interior was a solid, not the zolatone I found under the paint. Guessing it was zolatoned at build, but painted when they adjusted the interior layout a bit before Europe. We copied as best we could to the original color.



I've sprayed Zolatone, with a basic pressure pot paint gun (less than $200 you can spray zolatone as long as you have access to a good oxygen mask and supply. I learned that the hard way. I enjoyed working with it, but even with my spray mask from the body shop supply store wasn't good enough for the fumes on that. My neighbors even commented on how strong it was from their driveway. It's a far stronger finish but at least I can touch this up easily if need be.



I cleco'd in the upper cabinets today. Spent most of the day working on the solex bike and helping get Christmas decorations up.

Attachment 299856Attachment 299857

Thanks so much! Guessing thats a latex paint (off the shelf from a big box) that you used for the interior?

We have a long way to go to get to where you currently are. New frame ... shell off ... you know the drill. Many layers of paint inside ours ... a hot mess! I will not be using Zolatone as it did not come into play in Airstreams until 1952 I believe. Current plan is to paint interior center and polish end caps. Also we have paneling (that is nicely riveted) on the interior just in the front under window that wraps from entry door to galley. Not painted ... pheeewww! Hope to determine if original during disassembly. Pulling wardrobe & dresser out today! We, like you, are looking for piecey parts. All our overhead lockers are intact. Interior was a horrid re-do in the 60's? The original galley removed ... gasp. Just got a range and ice box!

Thanks so much for taking time to do this thread and your attention to detail. We have enjoyed watching from afar and can't wait to see your finished project. This is a great inspiration to us and others who are about to take the plunge!

Funny how we were waiting for cooler weather of our winter to start as to not be doing this in the heat and humidity of Florida. LOL

[goransons]

What have a accomplished the last few days? Nothing! But I did accept my cork floor order today.

200 sf of presealed pre glued custom cut and beveled 9x9 tiles to match the originals.

Here’s 9 set out as a sample



Here’s the pile face down 10 deep.



The reality is as bad as I want to put them in tomorrow I have several dozen more elevator bolts to install, all the holes to fill and sand, a second coat of paint and the black tank and tub to set in place first.

[tallytwo1994]

Originally Posted by goransons

What have a accomplished the last few days? Nothing! But I did accept my cork floor order today.

200 sf of presealed pre glued custom cut and beveled 9x9 tiles to match the originals.

Here’s 9 set out as a sample

Attachment 299974

Here’s the pile face down 10 deep.

Attachment 299975

The reality is as bad as I want to put them in tomorrow I have several dozen more elevator bolts to install, all the holes to fill and sand, a second coat of paint and the black tank and tub to set in place first.

Scott,

I had no idea cork was an original finished floor material in Airstreams. What year and models used it, do you know? I love cork and have often thought of putting it in my Spartan but to my knowledge was never used in one. Now I'll really have to look out for an old Airstream just to restore with cork.

Carol