Dan's '66 Tradewind Improvements

[TouringDan]

The Tradewind has been off the road now for one year. We have really missed camping in it, but I finally finished installing the disc brakes and so we were finally able to take it out camping and could test all the improvements.

We went to Oregon Inlet CG in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore about 290 miles from our home.

The new disc brakes worked really well. There is a write up about the installation in the braking section. Operation of the disc brakes was even better than expected. No brake delay at all. No more panic when the light turns red and you now need to stop your towing rig right now and you are not sure how well your trailer brakes will work.

The 1000 watt inverter worked great. When we need a/c power, in this case for Brenda’s hairdryer and the toaster, all we do is turn the inverter on with the remote button in the bathroom and then all the receptacles are live.

The street cleaning outlet valve for the gray water tank worked great also.

No the work is not finished, but at least we can now go camping when we want to.

The next major improvement will be new soft goods for the interior.

Dan

[TouringDan]

I also wanted to comment on how well the 66 Tradewind towed with the all new running gear- New axle and suspension, shock absorbers, wheels and tires. It towed so well that most of the time I didn’t feel the Airstream behind me. I felt like I was driving the Tradewind solo. The thought also occurred to me that our 66 Tradewind, now equipped with a state of the art disc brake system, was safer to tow than any new Airstream that you can buy today IMHO.

Based on how well the new disc brake system operates, I am really disappointed that Airstream doesn’t provide this as standard equipment on New Airstreams.

Dan

[Slats]

Originally Posted by TouringDan

I really strive for simple and light. That is the Curve toilet plus no need for a black tank.

Dan -

I'm currently getting bleary-eyed reading the Curve toilet reviews. The main gripe among the praise seems to be pump failure. I'd be interested in your take on the pros and cons of the Curve, as I am leaning towards one.

[dbj216]

Heck, why not go all the way to a composting toilet. People seem to really like them. I wonder where does all the paper go?

I think TouringDan's Curve potty is used as a #1 potty only. #2 potty is in the corn field. Plenty of cobs there.

Me, after 70 years of flush toilets, outhouses and grandpa's corn field, I've decided I'm too old to change.

David

[TouringDan]

Originally Posted by Slats

Dan -

I'm currently getting bleary-eyed reading the Curve toilet reviews. The main gripe among the praise seems to be pump failure. I'd be interested in your take on the pros and cons of the Curve, as I am leaning towards one.

We really like our Curve. Reply #10 and #23-32 cover installation of the Curve toilet. Here are some recent photos I just took.

The only problem we have had with our pump is that sometimes the batteries loosen up. We take them out and tighten them up. I have read that a European replacement pump is available that is more reliable and it may be manual. If my pump dies I will search the internet and find the source. You can also just use a cup of water in a pinch. The only thought that has crossed my mind is to spend $125 on an extra toilet and just store it until I need it.

Pros- cheap, light, simple and does fit into the console after enlarging the opening, remove the top and the bottom can be removed from the rear hatch and the contents dumped into a regular toilet. We only pea in it except for emergencies. None yet in 4 years. No need for a dump site.

Cons- cheapy pump, probably not much fun to empty into a toilet if you poop in it.

[TouringDan]

Originally Posted by dbj216

Hi Dan: I'd give your Tempro patch a shot. The gray tank is rather small and doesn't have a lot of water weight on it. And if you starting seeing drips from the belly pan and it isn't raining, all you're out is some time a belly pan rivets. You likely can "weld" the hole shut with the tank in place. You're good at working on your back.



David

David

Just wanted to let you know that the Trempro 635 I used to patch the hole that I drilled in my gray water tank worked fine. No leaks at all after 590 miles of towing. Yippie!

Dan

[TouringDan]

Slats

I just thought of a couple more pros for the Curve. Even with the composting toilet you need to dump the urine. The tank is much bigger with the Curve toilet so you don’t need to dump it as much.
Another big advantage is that when you remove the Curve toilet, which is very easy because it is so light, you have easy access to the batteries, the inverter and the converter.

Dan

[Slats]

Originally Posted by TouringDan

We really like our Curve.

Dan -

Thanks for the quick reply, with pics, no less. I like the way you incorporated the Curve into the existing bench. I may have to rethink my inclination to chop the bench off at the shower tub and replace it with a cabinet and sink. The whole assembly is still setting in back of the Tradewind, serving as a jungle gym of sorts for the mice inhabiting the outbuilding where it resides.

This plan-the-next-stage-when-you-get-there approach of mine, although allowing for spotaneity/flexibility, can entail some frustrating do-overs and workarounds later. But having lived my whole life and career as a non-linear guy who could never get the hang of coming up with an outline before plunging into a writing project, I'm pretty much used to it. I paid for my first word processor with the money I saved on white-out.

Folks like you help keep me between the rails.

[ttbikes]

Originally Posted by Slats

Dan -

Thanks for the quick reply, with pics, no less. I like the way you incorporated the Curve into the existing bench. I may have to rethink my inclination to chop the bench off at the shower tub and replace it with a cabinet and sink. The whole assembly is still setting in back of the Tradewind, serving as a jungle gym of sorts for the mice inhabiting the outbuilding where it resides.

This plan-the-next-stage-when-you-get-there approach of mine, although allowing for spotaneity/flexibility, can entail some frustrating do-overs and workarounds later. But having lived my whole life and career as a non-linear guy who could never get the hang of coming up with an outline before plunging into a writing project, I'm pretty much used to it. I paid for my first word processor with the money I saved on white-out.

Folks like you help keep me between the rails.

Hi Slats. You need to look at this tread BY StPierre "65 SAFARI Toilet Replacement" It is the best one I have seen and the one I used for a model to replace my toilet. I contacted StPierre and he has very helpful. Even sent me a tempet to cut the hole.


1965 22' Safari
Rescue , California
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 99
Images: 15
'65 Safari Toilet Replacement

[jcslocum]

As a recent buyer of a ‘65 Trade Wind and an Airstream noob, I LOVE this thread!! Thanks for updating it and doing it in the first place. It is my go to reference for improvements.

[ttbikes]

Originally Posted by jcslocum

As a recent buyer of a ‘65 Trade Wind and an Airstream noob, I LOVE this thread!! Thanks for updating it and doing it in the first place. It is my go to reference for improvements.

Welcome to the club!

[TouringDan]

jcslocum

Welcome to the group. Glad to have you here. Glad that my thread is helping you. That is what it is all about. Tradewinds are one of the best Airstreams ever designed and built.

Dan

[jcslocum]

Thanks for the welcome.

We have been slowly working on the TW as time and other projects allow. We have the standard rotten bathroom floor in the last 3 feet. I’m working on replacing that before moving into the other areas.

[TouringDan]

I have completed a 1,700 mile road trip from Virginia through Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas. I left the Airstream in Texas to get new soft goods installed. Some of the roads I traveled on in Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas were in incredibly poor condition and I was so thankful that I had new axles and new shock absorbers. I am sure the Airstream took some abuse traveling on the rough roads but at least the new axles and shocks minimized the abuse.

I also would like to report that the new disc brakes and the Goodyear Endurance tires worked flawlessly.

Dan

[dbj216]

Great news your Trade Wind running gear all worked as you knew it would. I'm sure the new axles easd the jolts on rough roads quite a bit. My Overlander's axles are hard as a rock. I have found many fractured pop rivets in the interior, some of which are surely related to worn axles.

The new soft goods will be a major improvement to your trailer. Make sure you post before and after photos to book the improvement.

David

[TouringDan]

David

I have taken our Tradewind to Matney’s Upholstery in Bridgeport, Texas. They do superb work, having already restored two Airstreams, and are now working on their third. Their restoration style is to disassemble the Airstream, restore or replace each piece and reassemble better than the Airstream factory.

They are installing new foam with new Sunbrella fabric in our Tradewind. We can’t wait to go camping Memorial Day weekend.

Here is a photo of Dan and Steph Matney in their shop with their 67 Overlander, they are currently restoring to new condition.

Dan

[Hittenstiehl]

Wow what a mirror finish!

[dbj216]

Your 66 Trade Wind will be like new inside when you get the new "soft goods" back. We did cushions and curtains (wife made them) in her Limited. It was a dramatic improvement for us. And the "ultra leather" which is marketing speak for "fake leather" had held up well these last few years. Even the beagle hasn't figured out a way to ruin it. See photo:

Be sure to post interior pictures when you get the trailer back.

That vintage Overlander does look good. Someone spent many hours getting that baby polished. As the wife says, a guy can enjoy polishing an Airstream if his IQ is low enough. That's my job for next winter and I enjoy doing it. I wonder what she meant?

David

[TouringDan]

Dan and Steph of Matney’s Upholstery in Bridgeport, Tx did an amazing job of installing new soft goods in our Tradewind. The fabric is Sunbrella so it will hold up well and looks great, but the most significant improvement is in how comfortable the new gauchos are to sit on and sleep on. Our hearty thanks to Dan and Steph! I traveled to Texas because I wanted the best work possible for our Tradewind and that is what we got.

Dan

[TouringDan]

TIPS ON REPAIRING HEHR VENTS

Our Tradewind has 3 Hehr vents. Only about half the operators worked properly and one of the vent covers wasn’t original and badly rusted. I finally found a replacement original vent on Air Forums Classified in Chattanooga, TN. After working on the roof for a while I finally realized that the lower connection for the operator was not riveted in, but was just a snap fit. This means that you can remove the cover with both operators attached to the cover to work on it.

Dan.