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Old 03-15-2013, 01:45 PM   #1
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1957 26' Overlander
Los Angeles , California
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The rebirth of Phoebe, my 1957 Overlander!

So after owning her for the better part of a decade but seeing her and working on her only a few times, my Overlander is finally home with me where she belongs! I've longed for this for a long time, and finally last month it happened-- she was towed to my house and I have begun work on her.

The name "Phoebe" came to me a few weeks ago because she is like a song bird to me- something about her lightens my heart and makes me happy. All of this from 56 year old aluminum?! Yes, absolutely! As it turns out, Phoebe means "bright, shining"-- who knew? Well, we aren't there yet (not by a long shot) but I'm hoping that in a few years the name will fit perfectly.

It has been challenging finding time to get things done on her with a full time job, but my motto is "slow and steady"- as long as I can make measurable forward progress, I am absolutely satisfied.

So far, I have removed some of the interior and begun stripping latex paint and the zolatone beneath it. My husband and I have been trying to have a child, and each month that we aren't successful, while depressing, at least has a silver lining in that I can work with chemicals (stripper, etc) without hesitation. So Phoebe is very good for me- something to look forward to and find comfort in. Pictures of my progress so far will follow shortly (once I figure out the best way to locate what I want to attach... bear with me).
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Old 03-15-2013, 02:09 PM   #2
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A few pictures

Pictures from the last few weeks: Phoebe in her new spot on the driveway, the tent shed I put together in the back yard for my staging area as I remove furniture and other "stuff", and a few interior shots as the stripping begins:
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Old 03-16-2013, 09:02 AM   #3
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From your photos your trailer looks to be in great shape. You have a beautiful trailer. I look forward to watching your progress. Congratulations on getting your trailer home
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Old 03-16-2013, 11:42 AM   #4
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Great work! Like the tent shed, too.
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Old 03-22-2013, 09:45 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BradS View Post
From your photos your trailer looks to be in great shape. You have a beautiful trailer. I look forward to watching your progress. Congratulations on getting your trailer home
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Originally Posted by eljay View Post
Great work! Like the tent shed, too.

Thank you both. Gosh, time flies! Since my last post, I have removed a lot more of the interior, and I've acquired a Bargman H20-2 (excited about that, though obviously, it will be quite a while before the exterior gets attention and I install it).

I'm finding myself in awe of the many folks on these forums who have done or who are doing a full restoration and seemed to somehow remove the complete interior in like 2 days. How??? How did you do it that quickly???

In order to make myself feel better, I am telling myself that it's because I'm dismantling it carefully (read, trying hard not to break anything!)... But still, I know all of you out there have gone through the same frustrations (a bazillion flat head screws, anyone?!), so tell me, how did you do it so efficiently?
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Old 03-23-2013, 09:44 PM   #6
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Had a nice day off from work today... And couldn't do what I.wanted because I've lost my broken screw extractor, and can't get some pesky rusted screws out without it. Worse, I've lost a driver and a bit set I had it stored with. I love that driver (a supercompact Bosch workhorse)! Grrrr! I've looked and looked, and it is nowhere to be found.

Ordered myself a new improved version via Amazon, which is great... I mean, who doesn't like getting new tools, right. But what it means is that I won't be buying highly desired Airstream odds & ends this paycheck! And THAT is disappointing. Phoebe needs a lot, starting with a few replacement window cranks and new gasket for the door... And anyway I want to buy NEW (new to me!) tools (like an oscillating multitool, which I could really use) vs replacing things that are in good working condition. Ok... So the moral of this story is don't misplace things! And don't leave nice tools in an unlocked Airstream overnight, either!

Since I couldn't finish dismantling cabinets, and I couldn't drill out rivets, and I didn't feel like using stripper today, I did something fun: I opened up a small test patch of the floor. I can see frame! I can see belly pan, from the top down! Yahoo! Things are getting interesting!

What I found beneath the ancient yellow fiberglass insulation was a glimpse of frame with surface rust, but solid looking. How exciting! And my glimpse down at the belly pan? A few acorns and an insulation nest. I didn't see any resident rodents, but the hole I made was small and I couldn't see much.

Have to work tomorrow, but taking a few days off midweek... Will do my best to put up a few pictures of my progress.
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Old 03-25-2013, 09:34 PM   #7
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Worked on Phoebe after work this evening... I removed the pieces of aluminum that trim out the inside of
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Old 03-25-2013, 09:47 PM   #8
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Ok, can't type on my phone! Anyway, removed the pieces that trim the insides of the windows (4 per window). Rear bath pieces were coated liberally with vulkem. After reading about the stuff on these forums, I'm finally experiencing it. It feels just like plumbers putty, slightly tacky and very workable... Not as intimidating as I imagined.

Removed the trim from one of the ceiling vents, too... But that didn't come out so cleanly. It was held in with a product that was quite brittle, almost like wood in appearance, and broke off in chunks. I have no idea what it is, other than some sort of sealant.

It's neat that with all of this trim removed, I can actually start to free the inner skins. Exhilarating but a little scary! Looking forward to a day off tomorrow-- I feel like I'm starting to make some good progress.
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Old 03-26-2013, 09:21 AM   #9
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Last week's progress

Furniture removal in progress:

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Twin bed frames, bathroom cabinet, and other odds & ends are out! In the yard, before moving to the shed:

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Old 03-26-2013, 10:50 AM   #10
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the furniture and cabinets look to be in great shape. i LOVE that bathroom cabinet! Will you be reusing them? I have a 57 overlander if you want to get rid of them!

Edit: More photos, please!
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Old 03-26-2013, 04:05 PM   #11
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Thank you, yes the furniture (for the most part) is in good condition. Right now I'm planning on restoring to original, but we'll see. It seems a lot of folks change their minds along the way. I see how that could happen- after stripping skins, the thought of reapplying zolatone is not appealing! It also seems a lot of people switch out the twin beds for a rear queen... But for now, I just want to put her back the way she was. It worked for the first half century, right?!

If I do change my mind down the road I'll let you know and you can have "first dibs".
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Old 04-01-2013, 07:18 AM   #12
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Making a lot of good progress on disassembling Phoebe... Such good progress, in fact, that I'm running out of room in the shed! And it's pretty big (12x6x8)! Going to have to do some rearranging.

I've removed some of the inner skins, so I finally know what the C channel looks like! Yay, after reading about this stuff for so long here on the forums, I'm doing it myself. It's a great feeling.

Most of my progress is limited to the street side of the trailer... Curbside, the wet bath and panel ray heater are slowing me down. I have the panel ray loose from the top (I found those hidden screws) but the bottom is more of a challenge. The wet bath has so much sealant everywhere that I can't free anything. I'm going to try using a putty knife, just haven't had a metal one handy. Plastic isn't thin or flexible enough to get the job done.

Hoping to post pictures soon.
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Old 04-01-2013, 07:57 AM   #13
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Those are great looking curved cabinets. I hope you save them and go with the vintage look. Good luck with the rest of the tear-down.

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Old 04-01-2013, 08:09 AM   #14
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Those are great looking curved cabinets. I hope you save them and go with the vintage look. Good luck with the rest of the tear-down.

Norm
Totally agree, LOVE the curved cabinets.

Thanks for posting your progress, and good luck!

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Old 04-01-2013, 08:51 PM   #15
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Those are great looking curved cabinets. I hope you save them and go with the vintage look. Good luck with the rest of the tear-down.

Norm
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Totally agree, LOVE the curved cabinets.

Thanks for posting your progress, and good luck!

-Marcus


I agree with both of you! I love the curves everywhere! Not just on the cabinetry, but also on the panelray, and the Kreft fridge... I love it all! It makes me ridiculously happy, it's so beautiful! I love it all!
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Old 04-01-2013, 08:54 PM   #16
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Oops, didn't mean to attach that picture there! Still getting used to posting my progress! That picture shows that I found some shiny aluminum! The insides of the panels are so bright and clear looking. Amazing! Just a bit of powdery white stuff at the bottoms of some.... I guess it's the beginnings of corrosion, right? Not sure how to treat it, I'm thinking it will just rub off?
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Old 04-05-2013, 12:05 PM   #17
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Finally, a day off. It started out overcast, which was perfect for reading a few of the many wonderful restoration threads here on the Forums! Amazing how fast the time slips away when reading... I so appreciate all of you for documenting your progress!

Well, the sun is shining now, so I'd best take advantage and get to work. I'm going to do my best to remove the Kreft fridge today. I've been jumping around a lot with my projects, I guess I should do things in a more organized manner... Working alone I'm not always up for the more challenging tasks, so I tend to do what seems manageable at the time. My husband considers the Airstream my project... We'll see if I can get him hooked at the Vintage Trailer Academy next month!

Phoebe won't be joining us, not even as an aluminum tent... unless by some miracle the frame, floor, brakes, wiring, etc get done in less than a month ha ha ha!!! But we will no doubt pick up some great skills so that maybe next year she'll be ready!
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Old 04-29-2013, 05:51 PM   #18
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I'm loving this thread!!! Congrats on all your progress. I just put in an offer on a '57 Overlander. Fingers crossed that he accepts my offer, and I will join you in restoration!
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Old 04-29-2013, 06:53 PM   #19
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I'm loving this thread!!! Congrats on all your progress. I just put in an offer on a '57 Overlander. Fingers crossed that he accepts my offer, and I will join you in restoration!
Awesome, Lonewolf! Good luck to you! I love my Overlander! Seriously, I think it's just the right size. I've read all of the threads over the years about how the smaller trailers are worth more... And I just don't get it. Sure, they have that cute factor going on... But the Overlander is still easy on the eyes, and it's practical! What's not to love? I think 57 is a great year! Hope your offer is accepted!
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Old 04-30-2013, 04:36 AM   #20
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Well, only after a couple of back & forth emails, we agreed on a price. It will be a couple of weeks before we can get her home. I think you & I are gonna be close friends
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