'55 Flying Cloud ID

[BarryIowa]

My 1955 Flying Cloud is serial number 7945 so it is either a 1955 or 1956. Either way very nice find!!

[Melody Ranch]

Hey Barry...that thread is almost 6 years ago. Good just the same.
It leads me to the question....1956 Flying Cloud design continuity. I see different wheel wells, and and window layouts. See the 56 thats for sale on Ebay now...very different than ours...and its a whale as well. I have many other pictures of other 55 and 56 clouds...same story.....The baths seems to vary too?
CLASSIC! ORIG 1956 AIRSTREAM FC Travel Trailer Camper : eBay Motors (item 220646374371 end time Aug-07-10 10:00:59 PDT)

[InsideOut]

The different wheel wells are a CA vs OH thing....

Shari

[Melody Ranch]

Shari,
I thought so too. But they are both whales....ie, Calif. But, have different wheel well cut outs. Got any clues?

[InsideOut]

Hmm, I dunno - maybe Fred will weigh in on this one... :

Shari

[47WeeWind]

Originally Posted by Melody Ranch

. . . It leads me to the question....1956 Flying Cloud design continuity. I see different wheel wells, and and window layouts. See the 56 thats for sale on Ebay now...very different than ours...and its a whale as well. I have many other pictures of other 55 and 56 clouds...same story.....The baths seems to vary too?
CLASSIC! ORIG 1956 AIRSTREAM FC Travel Trailer Camper : eBay Motors (item 220646374371 end time Aug-07-10 10:00:59 PDT)

Hi Melody Ranch:

The 1954 and '55 Calif built whale tail Flying Clouds (below about s/n 7980) had flat topped wheel wells. These changed to the sloped (or teardrop shaped) wheel wells at or near the beginning of the 1956 model year. Rule of Fat Thumb (meaning there will be hit or miss exceptions): California-built FC's with a s/n below 8000 will have flat top wheel wells, while those with a s/n 8000 and higher will have sloped or teardrop shaped wheel wells.

The Flying Clouds with one curb side rear window and a storage compartment door underneath had a rear double bed on the curbside and the bathroom opposite in the street side rear corner.

The FC's with the two curb side rear windows and no storage compartment underneath were the "Sleep Two" models that had two single beds at a right angle in the rear, one along the curb side and another across the rear. The bathroom was forward of the rear cross way single bed and to the rear of the kitchen, and it stuck out in the hallway.

The 1956 FC on eBay is s/n 8143. It's a late '56 FC Sleep Two model with the 2 single rear beds at a 90 degree angle and the stick out bathroom.

Hope this helps.

[BarryIowa]

Excellent information. Thanks!

[Melody Ranch]

I love this place!

[Landshark]

[QUOTE=47WeeWind;878847]Hi Melody Ranch:

The 1954 and '55 Calif built whale tail Flying Clouds (below about s/n 7980) had flat topped wheel wells. These changed to the sloped (or teardrop shaped) wheel wells at or near the beginning of the 1956 model year. Rule of Fat Thumb (meaning there will be hit or miss exceptions): California-built FC's with a s/n below 8000 will have flat top wheel wells, while those with a s/n 8000 and higher will have sloped or teardrop shaped wheel wells.

The Flying Clouds with one curb side rear window and a storage compartment door underneath had a rear double bed on the curbside and the bathroom opposite in the street side rear corner.

The FC's with the two curb side rear windows and no storage compartment underneath were the "Sleep Two" models that had two single beds at a right
angle in the rear, one along the curb side and another across the rear. The bathroom was forward of the rear cross way single bed and to the rear of the kitchen, and it stuck out in the hallway.
The 1956 FC on eBay is s/n 8143. It's a late '56 FC Sleep Two model with the 2 single rear beds at a 90 degree angle and the stick out bathroom.

Fred, Just bought a 1955 FLying Cloud, only numbers available are 425 on the frame; plate beside the door is gone. It has one curbside window, no (outer) storage door/compartment underneath. It has a double bed across the entire rear of the trailer; seems original. the bathroom is street side forward of the dbl bed and sticks out and is to the rear of the galley. The fresh water tank is underneath the double bed in the rear, but could be after market, although I don't see any sign of a water tank having been in the front in the little console built across the front of the unit. A storage compartment is in the rear across the whole rear of the unit, accessed by large door across the rear above the bumper. It does not have door-within-a-door, but a solid door with a screen door made of 1/2" (?) pipe bent to the correct curve of the door and doorway. Is this a 1955??? Or something else? Seems to have some anomalies?

thanks for any observations. Vivian Schultz. Idaho.

[Byams55FlyCl]

Originally Posted by Landshark

Fred, Just bought a 1955 FLying Cloud, only numbers available are 425 on the frame; plate beside the door is gone. It has one curbside window, no (outer) storage door/compartment underneath. It has a double bed across the entire rear of the trailer; seems original. the bathroom is street side forward of the dbl bed and sticks out and is to the rear of the galley. The fresh water tank is underneath the double bed in the rear, but could be after market, although I don't see any sign of a water tank having been in the front in the little console built across the front of the unit. A storage compartment is in the rear across the whole rear of the unit, accessed by large door across the rear above the bumper. It does not have door-within-a-door, but a solid door with a screen door made of 1/2" (?) pipe bent to the correct curve of the door and doorway. Is this a 1955??? Or something else? Seems to have some anomalies?

thanks for any observations. Vivian Schultz. Idaho.

Please share photos?

[Landshark]

I have taken a LOAD of photos on a digital Leica but have no idea how to get them here. My husband, the family techie, is out of town; when he gets back we'll figure it out. I finally got the title from the PO and the official #is 7841, so it is ' 55 Calif-built, right ? So what is the 425 on the hitch frame??

I paid too much for it but had been chasing it for one and a half years, it is terminally cute, and the PO and I both knew I was going to finally pay his price.

Having lived its life in dry, desert-like Idaho, we think the frame has only minor rust but it needs a new subfloor from window, door, and internal leaks.

What is everyone's weigh-in on keeping our leaf springs (probably with a new axle) vs a new torsion axle? At some point the axle has been replaced, hiking the trailer higher off the ground than usual for this year. I want to keep it as original as possible (with comfort and common sense in mind!) but is there a good reason for going to the torsion axle?

Thanks! Vivian