1962 24 foot Tradewind Project: Rosie the Riveted

[62rosie]

Before we began

We are a young couple. We want to live in an airstream before and during building a house, and of course take it camping after we have a house. After scouring classifieds, we purchased a 1962 Tradewind Land Yacht. It is 24 feet long. It had been sitting in a field for about 20 years, so it had a mostly original interior but wasn’t in the best shape.

We took a lot of photos and measurements and did some reading, but it sat until this week, when we got my husband’s brother and our nephew (who are both awesome at cabinetry, automotive work, and general contracting) to help us start work.

Here’s what it looked like before we started.

[62rosie]

Four of us pulled everything out, labeled it, and took photos. We are storing everything with the hope of being able to reuse a lot of original pieces, or at least use them as templates. It was cool to see how everything fits out the door!

[62rosie]

You know the saying, “To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail?”
To a man with an excavator, ...

[Bubba L]

Looks good. You’re well on your way.

[JohnnyRV]

Hello, We found the same exact year, model, and size 2.5 years ago on a 500 acre farm in Michigan. I am close to finishing the complete remodel and just finished polishing the first cut on the exterior. Getting 50+ years of oxidation off the skin was a tremendous task indeed. With help, you'll no doubt get it done much faster than I working alone. I can almost guarantee you'll have to remove the sub floor after you gut it. Be ready for a shock when you lift that first section. but cleaning it all out will be the only way to get rid of the old 'varmint' smell I'm assuming you have in yours. I'll try and post a few 'before and afters' now:











Woops, I forgot one my puppy's ate my phone earlier today, Ill have to send the after's next week. Good Luck! - John

[dbj216]

Well, I was going to make a link to this section of Airstream Forums and found you here already. Yep, this is a good place to post a photo of the body of your 62 Tradewind being lifted with a excavator. I've never seen that before.

David

[TouringDan]

Originally Posted by 62rosie

Before we began

We are a young couple. We want to live in an airstream before and during building a house, and of course take it camping after we have a house. After scouring classifieds, we purchased a 1962 Tradewind Land Yacht. It is 24 feet long. It had been sitting in a field for about 20 years, so it had a mostly original interior but wasn’t in the best shape.

We took a lot of photos and measurements and did some reading, but it sat until this week, when we got my husband’s brother and our nephew (who are both awesome at cabinetry, automotive work, and general contracting) to help us start work.

Here’s what it looked like before we started.

62rosie

Congratulations on finding your Tradewind and I really like your plan of renovating rosie, living in her while you build your home and then camping in her, for future decades I presume.

You were fortunate to find one in original condition that hadn’t been modified by previous owners. It is nice to start with an original Airstream and renovate it to suit your needs.

I built our home as a young man. The Airstreams came decades later. Both of these projects have been extremely satisfying although the Airstreams are still not finished yet.

Welcome to Airforums.

Dan

[Klatawa]

Congrats on your Tradewind. Love the size of ours.
We did the same thing, without lifting the shell.
Good luck!

[bobstock]

Wow, You guys are going first class ! I have a 1960 Tradewind twin bunk that I refurbished but did not remove the shell or floor. It still has the original Zolatone. I added an AC to the kitchen area. All new appliances. I wish I did a cooktop and microwave instead of the complete oven. No gray tank but added a new freshwater tank and pump.

Bob

[bobstock]

PICS !960 Tradewind

[dbj216]

The interiors really didn't change much from 60 to 66. I know the bath plastics were improved in 67. Here are a couple of interior shots of my former 66. Might be useful to you in your project. Note, my original bath was shot, so I elected to build new. Renovated, not restored.

David

[62rosie]

Windyhill here,Thanks for the replies! Nice to see some finished Tradewinds! We are down to a bare frame! The excavator worked well, man the floor was a PITA to get off, the tiles where so glued on we had a hard time chipping them off to find the bolts. We used a 7/8" hole saw bit without the centering bit to drill the floor at each bolt. then pull the sheets off. The belly pan is all one sheet, so we lifted up the frame at both ends and removed the axle then slid the pan out and put the axle back on so we could move the frame around better. I was thinking we would use the original axle, but it's shot. The rear two cross members are rusted and the front one is as well. we will be addressing that Monday as well as laying out for gray water tanks.
My thought is to not have all the weight in the rear, I was thinking of putting one 4" x50" gray tank from vintage trailer right in front of the axle and one in the open space behind the axle. then tying them together and hopefully venting them all out the original location. The kitchen sink would tie into the front one and the rear sink and shower in the rear one. The black tank would stay up on top of the subfloor in the original location.


What better vehicle to move the frame around with then a period correct 60's early CJ5!

Well I guess when your down to the pan your as far as you can go! Looks deflated! Time to start cleaning and rebuilding!

[Bubba L]

In reference to your grey water tanks, we did what you are considering with tanks fore and aft of the axle. There was no issue venting the sink. I did fabricate a 4” steel plate, drilled holes in it, then puddle welded it to the inside of the two main frame rails from the axle toward the rear. I did this to reinforce some of the rear chassis in the event I had to travel a distance with the tank aft of the axle full of water. I have pictures of the two tanks in place with the vent piping run. Post #46 on our rebuild thread. Good luck

[62rosie]

I haven’t been as involved this week, but the guys did lots of work on the frame... cutting out cross members and frame rails, and fabricating and welding in new ones (look at the very front cross piece in the photo... brand new!). They also did some rust removal.

Thanks again for the replies and encouragement. I’ve enjoyed reading through similar rebuilding threads and will keep going on the ones I haven’t finished!

[dbj216]

Frame evaluation and repair is job #1 when rebuilding an old Airstream. Looks like your crew knows what they are doing.

You can tell them an Airstream was designed as a "semi-monocoque" structure. The thing is like an egg shell: round, strong and light. I like to say it is similar to a suspension bridge. Think Golden Gate. The frame holds the body up, and the body holds the frame up. My 75 Overlander had rusty rear frame members, and the body became detached from the frame rails. Now the whole structure becomes very week and wobbly. Sometimes frame rails actually bend. You could bounce on the rear bumper and watch the frame rails separate from the body in the rear. We've repaired it and it is now back to strength. I think the 60s trailers were built stronger than the 70s. Just my opinion. Those outriggers you are replacing are very important as they are the body attachment points along the sides.

Go Rosie go.

David

[62rosie]

We got stalled looking for Gray water tanks. Vintage trailer supply has the perfect 4" tanks we need, but thy have been out of stock for 4 months at least! Anyone have a tank options?? Frame has been done for awhile. I'm ready to just move forward and try to add tanks later although this seems like a nightmare of a way to do it. Looking for suggestions.


My plan now:

cut and seal new floor and install.
Remove axle again and flip trailer over.
Work on insulating floor with either blue board foam or spray foam (this seams messy) Bat insulation seams easiest, but I hate the thought of a mouse palace under the floor again. Any ideas?

Leave bays open where tanks go and plumbing.
Rework / install pan wrapping up around edge. (leave most of the back half open for tanks etc. that I can add flat removable panels later after I get tanks.

flip back over, axle and put shell back on.

[Hittenstiehl]

62 Rosie, Inca Plastics for tanks possibly.

[Klatawa]

We got ours through Plastic Mart.

[62rosie]

Well, Inca tanks looks like the ticket, and it's also where Vintage Trailer gets some of theirs. With the current climate it seams near impossible to get ahold of people at either Vintage trailer or Inca but the great news is I finally got a tanks! Well, I got one of the gray water tanks (hoping the other didn't get lost in transit And we are able to start moving forward again. We'll be working on mounts for the under floor tanks then plumbing etc.

[dbj216]

You are right. It is tough to do business during the pandemic. So much has been reduced or cut. Glad to hear Inca got you the tank your ordered, and hope the other one will show up soon. The delivery business is really chaotic now with so many folks ordering on line from home. Me included.

David