New to airstream have several questions about a 1964 Tradewind

[mitsy]

for starters I have always wanted ine and now that I have it I need to do alot of work, will post pics as I work on it. My main focus is the inside but, there are some things I have never done before.

The top vents are one. the two small one have fans, one cover works and the other has been capped over and screwed down. The larger one has been boarded up with plywood on top of the camper and taped over with metal tape. What is missing there? And Where can I find replacements for what is missing?

Another problem is dents, I read most of these forum pages and see that there is really nothing to do for it, The previous owner opened up the arean where it is, which is at the rear, bathroom area, top rounded area. Which seems to be even a more hard place to fix, any ideas before i seal up the hole? Also the area inside, Is that fiberglass? and since its rounded what would be the best fix, fiberglass?

the bathroom toilet seat is there with some kinda fabric cover that closes over the lid. My problem is after you raise the lid there is the bowl, it has a ring cap around the edges of it, it's mounting holes are broken and it just laying there. any one know where to get a new ring?

I really want to restore it to, at least original layout, but a bit prettier color sceme. The frig area has been removed I would like a clear straight on pic to go by to replace it. Got one ?

the bed in the hall is a single, not twins. anyone have a pic of one without the matteress on it, they have made a platform that is a bit ugly and I want to make it right.

the gas heater have been unhooked, no line there. anyone know where the line was suposed to run, or have a drawn out set of plans for gas, water, and holding tanks? they redone the water but it looks as if they didn't run them right.

the couch is gone and I know its not original but have bought a really nice futon that looks like a real couch for it, What do you think about that?

The kitchen stove thats in it was also put in by the previous owner, but i will keep it, its Turquoise reminds me of a '57 Chevy, it has a oven too! so would it be bad to design the interior in the 50's since it was built in the 60's?

The floor is ugly indoor outdoor carpet was thinking i might put in a laminate wood floor, thoughts?

The cabinets are in great shape, needs cleaning and shellacked. Missing 3 latches. anyone know where to find them? thay are a round knob that turns to open, inside is a metal peice that has a hole for the front knob to insert in.

For now thats all, this much should keep me busy all winter..........

Thanks for reading!

[silverleeper]

Hi mitsy, Welcome to the forums. Wow! You've asked a lot of questions for your first post. Be patient the answers will come. Good luck with your project.

[goransons]

Originally Posted by mitsy

for starters I have always wanted ine and now that I have it I need to do alot of work, will post pics as I work on it. My main focus is the inside but, there are some things I have never done before.

The top vents are one. the two small one have fans, one cover works and the other has been capped over and screwed down. The larger one has been boarded up with plywood on top of the camper and taped over with metal tape. What is missing there? And Where can I find replacements for what is missing?

Another problem is dents, I read most of these forum pages and see that there is really nothing to do for it, The previous owner opened up the arean where it is, which is at the rear, bathroom area, top rounded area. Which seems to be even a more hard place to fix, any ideas before i seal up the hole? Also the area inside, Is that fiberglass? and since its rounded what would be the best fix, fiberglass?

the bathroom toilet seat is there with some kinda fabric cover that closes over the lid. My problem is after you raise the lid there is the bowl, it has a ring cap around the edges of it, it's mounting holes are broken and it just laying there. any one know where to get a new ring?

I really want to restore it to, at least original layout, but a bit prettier color sceme. The frig area has been removed I would like a clear straight on pic to go by to replace it. Got one ?

the bed in the hall is a single, not twins. anyone have a pic of one without the matteress on it, they have made a platform that is a bit ugly and I want to make it right.

the gas heater have been unhooked, no line there. anyone know where the line was suposed to run, or have a drawn out set of plans for gas, water, and holding tanks? they redone the water but it looks as if they didn't run them right.

the couch is gone and I know its not original but have bought a really nice futon that looks like a real couch for it, What do you think about that?

The kitchen stove thats in it was also put in by the previous owner, but i will keep it, its Turquoise reminds me of a '57 Chevy, it has a oven too! so would it be bad to design the interior in the 50's since it was built in the 60's?

The floor is ugly indoor outdoor carpet was thinking i might put in a laminate wood floor, thoughts?

The cabinets are in great shape, needs cleaning and shellacked. Missing 3 latches. anyone know where to find them? thay are a round knob that turns to open, inside is a metal peice that has a hole for the front knob to insert in.

For now thats all, this much should keep me busy all winter..........

Thanks for reading!

Vents: replacement lifters if yours are missing or rusted beyond repair, and the replacement vent covers can be purchased from most airstream dealers. www.inlandrv.com or www.vintagetrailersupply.com are just two off the top of my head. The bigger vent up front (rectangle?) is an astrodome, and those covers are available, somewhat expensive (likely the reason for the plywood version).

Is the inside end cap already down? More than likely fiberglass, easier to repair if its down on the floor so the repair can be done from the back side, the filled on the front and sanded, then can be prepped and painted.

Pictures would be helpful for the interior and exterior damage back there, otherwise its just a guess. the metal segments on the back can often be found used or I think are still available through Inland or probably most airstream dealers.

All your gas lines run under the trailer (below the belly pan). I bet if you look under the trailer from the heater you'll find a shut off valve or a "T" that has been capped off that you can hook new soft copper pipe up to and connect your new furnace.

For interior photos for reference try www.vintageairstream.com/archives/index.html

you can find your year and model there and figure out between that and holes/shadows on your trailer how the refrigerator area worked out.

Best bet before winter is to protect that interior you plan to restore, get the weatherstrips replaced (same vendors as above can help) and make sure to get the appropriate sealers from them (don't use silicone) and seal up around vents, sewer vents, top of window areas etc so that you don't have water getting in all your new work.

Take your time, have fun, take lots of pictures to share, and BTW Welcome!!

[Norm1234]

Im with goransons on this one. I cannot tell you how important it is to make sure the outside is sealed up before moving to the inside. You dont want to fix the inside if the rain is going to come in and tear it back up. Look close at all your openings to make sure they are sealed.

[mitsy]

Originally Posted by Norm1234

Im with goransons on this one. I cannot tell you how important it is to make sure the outside is sealed up before moving to the inside. You dont want to fix the inside if the rain is going to come in and tear it back up. Look close at all your openings to make sure they are sealed.

The previous owner tells me it doesn't leak, I hope not. The vents are closed off, one works, one has a metal cover screwed to it and the other had a peice of plywood over it and screwed down, the open fiberglass area that exposes the dent from inside looks sealed, used flashlight at dark to see if any light would shine and there was nothing..whew thank god! but i need to buy thoses replacement items before snow sets in. Thanks for all the posts.

[clydecrashcu]

The Vintage Airstream Club usually has rallies around the country. Recently my wife and I attended the rally in Gillette, WY. There were very good workshops that pertained to exactly what you are adddressing in you post. The Gillette rally was sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Vintage Club and this next summer the rally will be in Salida, CO. I am not familiar with rallies in your part of the country. At the Gillette Rally there were trailers from across the country, Texas, California, Oklahoma, New York, you get my point. I know you will get very good information from the AS forums, be it this one or the WBCCI forum. Some cross over in questions, but they usually are answered by people just like you and me that want to refurbish a older trailer.

If you search the web, you will find other rallies that the RMVAC has hosted. I don't believe the 09 rally photos have been posted yet.

index


Good luck with yours.

[mitsy]

there are 3 vents in my 1964 airstream. the large on is about 14X26 in size. someone has put a plywood board over it. I called a dealer in Calf. he suggested that I remove, clean and replace it with piece of plexiglassis. will this really work?

[overlander64]

Greetings Misty!

Welcome to the Forums and the world of '64 Airstream Ownership!

Originally Posted by mitsy

there are 3 vents in my 1964 airstream. the large on is about 14X26 in size. someone has put a plywood board over it. I called a dealer in Calf. he suggested that I remove, clean and replace it with piece of plexiglassis. will this really work?

While it is expensive to replace, I would definitely suggest obtaining the correct replacement parts to insure a long-term solution. As was posted earlier, these Astrodome covers are most easily sourced from either Inland RV or Vintage Trailer Supply. When I purchased my '64, it had the "Plexiglass" repair that was a source of leaks until I relented and purchased the correct cover and operators. Since you are missing the cover, my suspicion is that you are also likely missing the "La Due" operators which are obsolete. A functional replacement operator is available from Inland RV that while different in appearance, will fulfill its purpose.

Good luck with your Tradewind!

Kevin

[overlander64]

Greetings Misty!

Originally Posted by mitsy

The top vents are one. the two small one have fans, one cover works and the other has been capped over and screwed down. What is missing there? And Where can I find replacements for what is missing?

The 14" x 14" square roof vents are often in need of attention on a restoration/refurbish project. The one that is screwed down probably has either missing or broken "La Due" operators which are obsolete. Modern replacements are available from Inland RV, and while slightly different in appearance from the originals they are functional (I have a pair on my '64's Astrodome). The closest replacement cover that will be similar to the originals is available through Vintage Trailer Supply. Another option with the 14" x 14" vents is to replace them with Fantastic Vents -- this is exactly what I did with my Overlander, and while not original they are a vast improvement over the originals.

Originally Posted by mitsy

Another problem is dents, I read most of these forum pages and see that there is really nothing to do for it, The previous owner opened up the arean where it is, which is at the rear, bathroom area, top rounded area. Which seems to be even a more hard place to fix, any ideas before i seal up the hole? Also the area inside, Is that fiberglass? and since its rounded what would be the best fix, fiberglass?

The original interior endcap panels in the '64 models were ABS plastic according to my notes. You have a real project ahead to patch one of these panels as the work will almost need to be done in-place as I suspect trying to remove the panel with an access hole cut in it would cause cracking around the weak spot created by the hole.

Originally Posted by mitsy

the bathroom toilet seat is there with some kinda fabric cover that closes over the lid. My problem is after you raise the lid there is the bowl, it has a ring cap around the edges of it, it's mounting holes are broken and it just laying there. any one know where to get a new ring?

The trim ring in the original bathroom enclosure for the toilet is obsolete, so there are two alternatives. First, you might find someone who is switching out an original non-working toilet who might be willing to offer you the trim ring that is usually removed as a part of that process. Second, you might check in an automotive store selling standard aluminum trim pieces -- looking for something that might be adapted to the purpose.

My suggestion would be to be certain that the original toilet is truely operational and leak free. Replacement parts for the original toilet are virtually unavailable. The trim ring will be a moot point if you need to replace the toilet as modern replacements are typically just enough different in size that the opening in the enclosure must be modified to work with the new toilet. If you do find that you need a new toilet, careful measuring will be necessary as finding a modern toilet as close in dimensions as possible to the original will reduce your need for modification to the built-in bench.

Originally Posted by mitsy

the gas heater have been unhooked, no line there. anyone know where the line was suposed to run, or have a drawn out set of plans for gas, water, and holding tanks? they redone the water but it looks as if they didn't run them right.

The original furnace used in the '64 coaches was an International Oil Furnace (operated on LP gas). These furnaces are obsolete, and it is unusual to find one that doesn't have pin holes in the heat exchanger at the very least. I know that when I had my initial LP Gas appliance inspection after purchasing my '64, the furnace was the main component condemned. A modern Suburban furnace can be attached to the original duct-work with some modification and will result in a furnace that is safe while offering electronic ignition so you won't have to fight with a cantankerous pilot light.

Originally Posted by mitsy

The kitchen stove thats in it was also put in by the previous owner, but i will keep it, its Turquoise reminds me of a '57 Chevy, it has a oven too! so would it be bad to design the interior in the 50's since it was built in the 60's?

Your turquoise range may not be all that far from what may have been available as optional equipment. The range in my '64 Overlander is a desert sand color which is the color most frequently seen. A little later in the decade, a turquoise range would have been OEM factory for some Airstreams.

The original interiors in most '64 Airstreams were traditionalist, featuring golden oak finished veneer cabinetry with pulls that could just as easily come from the 1950s as the 1960s. I think that your idea of retro 50s look should work out beautifully with your Tradwind.

Originally Posted by mitsy

The floor is ugly indoor outdoor carpet was thinking i might put in a laminate wood floor, thoughts?

Laminate flooring is a rather common solution to the floor covering question. I have Armstrong laminate floors in my Argosy with Armstrong Quiet Step Underlayment. I have found them to be very durable with easy upkeep -- once installed, it is necessary to maintain vigilance in fixing any leaks as the laminates do not like to get wet. In my Overlander, I went with seamless sheet vinyl -- I am very happy with its durability as well, and for my Overlander I was watching additional weight closely and the sheet vinyl saved almost 100 pounds over the laminate and was just a little lighter than the coach's original carpeting.

Originally Posted by mitsy

The cabinets are in great shape, needs cleaning and shellacked. Missing 3 latches. anyone know where to find them? thay are a round knob that turns to open, inside is a metal peice that has a hole for the front knob to insert in.

The original finish on your cabinets was likely Watco Oil. A quality paint store should have a selection of Watco Oils or similar oil-based finishes. For my Overlander, the cabinets were lightly sanded with repairs to any damaged/missing veneer -- then the oil-based stain was applied with a top coat of polyurethane. A concession to modern practices that resulted in a finish that very closely reproduced the original.

Those original cabinet latches were only used for two or three years of Airstream production. My notes indicate that they were imported pieces. Today, these latches are obsolete and quite difficult to replace as the usual source is salvage from a coach that is being gutted or salvage from a coach that has been toatled in an accident.

Good luck with your '64!

Kevin

[kevinb]

in a post somewhere I think Andy said that the furnace in the 64's were especially dangerous so take overlanders advice-replace it. You will probably find that the toilet will have issues, if you find a new one that will fit under the bench please let me know. If you can; try to get it under shelter that way you can take your time and enjoy the process, especially if you are as slow as me!

kevin

[Inland RV Center, In]

The 64 furnace made by International Oil Burner, was a mellon from day one.

During it's early life, there were over a dozen modifications that had to be made to it. It had problems even a mother would scream about.

The worst of it's problems, is that the gas valve would not completely shut the supply of LPG off. The burner would go out, the LPG would leak, and then "BANG".

Additionally, the main burner log, would quickly rust, destroying itself, and allowing the LPG to burn whatever way it could. That also lead to many explosions.

That furnace is a total hazard, even if you bury it, and please don't say nice things about it at it's funeral.

The headliners, until the late 60's and early 70's, were all made with fiberglass.

Andy

[mitsy]

Just thought I would add some before pics so I came get feed back as my restoration begins






.

[Aage]

Welcome to airforums.com, Mitsy! Except for the bad bump on the rear endcap, from what I can see in the photos you kindly posted, your unit looks like it should clean up real nice!

Please post more photos, especially of the areas you are asking for help on. It helps the readers to understand, and therefore they can offer better advice.

Best of luck with your Airstream!

[kevinb]

Hi Mitsy
Love your trailer, tradewind's are one of my favorites. I see you've got the big Whip AM antenna those are really cool and they work great! The first thing I would address is the large dent. That can be a very expensive repair, check with some of the great repair folks on the forum. Then decide if its something you can live with or want to fix. Thanks for the pics and keep us updated.
Kevin

[64airstream]

Welcome to the forum, Mitsy.

First, a lot of good posts and the only thing I might add is about the "Astrodome" cover for the large opening. Because we reconfigured the dinette in our 64 Safari into a bed, we wake up able to look through the astrodome and watch the sun rise as it hits the the trees. It's kind of a neat effect. If I were to design a replacement, I might make it photo sensitive, so we could also see the stars at night.

I also had a thought on the dent in your end cap. A friend, (Ace with the WDCU) had a very similar dent. He stopped at Vintage Campers in Peru, Indiana on the WDCU's caravan to the Internation this summer. Using suction cups and experience, they were able to pull the dent out. It wasn't perfect, but Ace was extremely satisfied. Enough so, he no longer intends to replace the panel. You might track them down at "VintageCampers.com". (Sorry, I don't know how to do those fancy links.)

You might also find some ideas on the website my wife and son made for our 64. It's "64airstream.com". Most of the exterior stuff is under the "Restoration" tab and most of the interior stuff is under "Renovation".

Good luck with your project,

Roy and Marie

[VIKING]

Hi mitsy, welcome to the forum! It's great to have another '64 owner to converse with.

You say that the PO opened up the area at the back where the dent is? That sounds like they cut a hole in the fiberglass endcap above the window, or they removed the whole piece. If they cut a hole it can be repaired from below but you should consider how far your restoration will go before you consider that. You may want to remove the whole piece depending on what other things you will be doing there. My first question about this would be how does it smell inside the thing? I found mouse trails in the fiberglass insulation above the front and rear endcaps. They never made nests up there but they could have. I was glad that I pulled mine out after I saw mouse droppings in there. Yours might not have suffered this at all, but I mention it because it's not something thats easy to get at. You have to have a lot of the interior out to remove the endcaps.
In your pics it looks like you might have more than one dent. is that correct, and can you post CLOSE-UPS? The one at the back looks like it may affect the window frame. Better pics could help to tell what needs to be done with the dent(s). I recently saw a quote for endcap segment replacement at something like $1250.00 per segment. The parts are about $400.00 to $500.00 per segment. If your interior is removed by you it may save you some money if you go the replacement route.
The futon matress is usually quite heavy. Are you using it at the front or on the side bed? Weight and weight distribution are critical with any travel trailer but more so with an old Airstream. You may be able to use it but you need to know how much it weighs first. Possible option: keep the frame and replace the cushion with 4 or 5" thick foam pads, fabric-covered, of course.

You need a new heater. So do I. Welcome to the club! Do not even hook up the old one if it's the original. I discarded mine and will be using a 120volt oil-filled radiator type heater until I come up with a good propane heater that I like. I won't be replacing the furnace with another one. I will use a radiant type propane heater eventually instead, and I put my air conditioner where the furnace was to keep the roof clear.
I am also going for the fifties look even though it's a '64. The original color scheme in mine was this HIDEOUS putty-puke color that was totally 1964! I can't live with it and going retro is the only appealing way to go, as the '65s and later had some WORSE colors even, and lots of plastic! WHOOPEE
On the flooring, I would say that you need to do a through inspection of the perimeter of the floor before you do anything on it. If you haven't removed the indoor/ outdoor carpeting yet, you should go ahead and do that so you can do a through inspection. What you are looking for is rotten plywood and I found enough in mine that it made sense to replace the entire subfloor, which is a big job. I found it at the front and back of the entry door, and along the entry itself, under the aluminum trim piece. Also, under the front window, and below the jalousie windows in front of the entry door, and pretty much the whole rear end. When the PO told you it didn't leak, he was talking about something else, 'cause they all leak after about forty years, and our are 45! The question is where and how much.

I like the looks of your Airstream and I think it will be a real beauty. It would be a good idea for you to look at the Major Restorations in the forum and if you want, check out my blog in the link below. It's not been updated recently but there are some links to others with '64s there as well as my project. The Major Restorations threads take you through the disassembly and reconstruction of several Airstreams and has GREAT information. Also look for threads on how to inspect an Airstream for purchase and how to inspect your floor for rot. These cover a lot of how-to-check-things-out items like how to check your electrical system, water system, etc. The floor rot is a serious issue and is very common. The floor is held up by the shell at the ends, and the shell is held up by the floor in the center, by the wheels. So the integrity of the flooring plywood is very critical everywhere.
A few more things to consider before being road-worthy will be your lights, axles and brakes and your tow vehicle and hitch set-up. We can go into the rest of the bad news at another time ; I don't want to burn you out.

Best of luck to you!
If you have specific questions post them here or send me a PM.
Rich the Viking

Originally Posted by mitsy

for starters I have always wanted ine and now that I have it I need to do alot of work, will post pics as I work on it. My main focus is the inside but, there are some things I have never done before.

The top vents are one. the two small one have fans, one cover works and the other has been capped over and screwed down. The larger one has been boarded up with plywood on top of the camper and taped over with metal tape. What is missing there? And Where can I find replacements for what is missing?

Another problem is dents, I read most of these forum pages and see that there is really nothing to do for it, The previous owner opened up the arean where it is, which is at the rear, bathroom area, top rounded area. Which seems to be even a more hard place to fix, any ideas before i seal up the hole? Also the area inside, Is that fiberglass? and since its rounded what would be the best fix, fiberglass?

the bathroom toilet seat is there with some kinda fabric cover that closes over the lid. My problem is after you raise the lid there is the bowl, it has a ring cap around the edges of it, it's mounting holes are broken and it just laying there. any one know where to get a new ring?

I really want to restore it to, at least original layout, but a bit prettier color sceme. The frig area has been removed I would like a clear straight on pic to go by to replace it. Got one ?

the bed in the hall is a single, not twins. anyone have a pic of one without the matteress on it, they have made a platform that is a bit ugly and I want to make it right.

the gas heater have been unhooked, no line there. anyone know where the line was suposed to run, or have a drawn out set of plans for gas, water, and holding tanks? they redone the water but it looks as if they didn't run them right.

the couch is gone and I know its not original but have bought a really nice futon that looks like a real couch for it, What do you think about that?

The kitchen stove thats in it was also put in by the previous owner, but i will keep it, its Turquoise reminds me of a '57 Chevy, it has a oven too! so would it be bad to design the interior in the 50's since it was built in the 60's?

The floor is ugly indoor outdoor carpet was thinking i might put in a laminate wood floor, thoughts?

The cabinets are in great shape, needs cleaning and shellacked. Missing 3 latches. anyone know where to find them? thay are a round knob that turns to open, inside is a metal peice that has a hole for the front knob to insert in.

For now thats all, this much should keep me busy all winter..........

Thanks for reading!

[mitsy]

I found this on one site and it dont have prices. anyone replaced this area before and have an idea about what it will cost, I have pics of dent on this thread.

Part #: 91091

Segments 1964-1968 PRICE VARIES

[VIKING]

I buried it in my post above. It comes to around $1250.00 per segment. Maybe less if you remove the interior yourself. It looks like it would be a lot of work to do this yourself, and a few hundred dollars in tools and supplies.
Rich the Viking

[mitsy]

The rims are the original rims on my 1964 tradewind, my dad suggests i change them. what rims are compatible with this year?

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by mitsy

The rims are the original rims on my 1964 tradewind, my dad suggests i change them. what rims are compatible with this year?

The correct wheels are 15 X 6 inches, with 6 holes on a 5 1/2 inch bolt circle, and rated at a minimum of 2600 pounds each.

Andy