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Frank's Trailer Works · 11-15-2009, 08:35 PM

Scott, 63 was an odd year. There are actually three versions of the 63 trailer. Now hold on folks, let me explain.... Before Wally died he was troubled by the differences in trailers between the two plants. It made warranty work very hard. In 1962 the engineers studied the differences in hopes of consolidating the final product. That report is fascinating and is owned by Dale Schwamborn. Any way, 1963 was the year both factories got on the same page and started building the same product. 1963 had three versions of the same product as it evolved into the 1964, a one year very unique trailer year. If your 63 was an early in the year version you had the drip caps above the windows that were curved at the ends and from the trailer to the edge. If those are the ones you refer to, they had a thick ribbon of putty behind them. The bent flat type drip cap was just riveted on the skin.

still working on your parts list, have not forgotten....

goransons · 11-15-2009, 08:45 PM

Thanks Frank, not sure where we end up on the production exactly, all the holes in the last picture are from an awning that someone had added at some point. I was reffering to the long awning rail down the curbside, whether that was intended to be sealed or let water pass through

3Ms75Argosy · 11-15-2009, 11:11 PM

Frank, that's fascinating! Looks like I have a slightly older model '63 (straight drip caps)... Scott.. mine too had a long big glob of silicone above the drip rail.. and above the AS nameplate too.

So what was the other "third" version like? Any other differences that you know of? I believe mine is a OH version..
Marc

Frank's Trailer Works · 11-16-2009, 05:35 AM

This is drip cap I am referring to...
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A wide ribbon of putty goes behind it. This is a notorious spot for leaks.

utee94 · 11-16-2009, 09:05 AM

Looks really good, Scott!

Now that the weather is finally cooling off a bit, I'm preparing to embark on my own Great Polishing Odyssey.

No doubt, I will be asking for lots of pointers from you and other polishing experts on the board!

66Overlander · 11-17-2009, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62overlander

Scott, 63 was an odd year. There are actually three versions of the 63 trailer. Now hold on folks, let me explain.... Before Wally died he was troubled by the differences in trailers between the two plants. It made warranty work very hard. In 1962 the engineers studied the differences in hopes of consolidating the final product. That report is fascinating and is owned by Dale Schwamborn. Any way, 1963 was the year both factories got on the same page and started building the same product. 1963 had three versions of the same product as it evolved into the 1964, a one year very unique trailer year. If your 63 was an early in the year version you had the drip caps above the windows that were curved at the ends and from the trailer to the edge. If those are the ones you refer to, they had a thick ribbon of putty behind them. The bent flat type drip cap was just riveted on the skin.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62overlander

This is drip cap I am referring to...
Attachment 91106

A wide ribbon of putty goes behind it. This is a notorious spot for leaks.

Frank,
Do you have a copy of that letter? If so, I'd love to get a copy for the VAC Archives. Up to now I have always considered that large style drip cap to indicate a 1962 or earlier trailer (at least I have never seen an Airstream with a documented 1963 serial number trailer with them). All 1963's that I have seen had the lower profile drip caps.

It would be interesting to see if that drip cap change corresponded to other 1963 changes or not (e.g. common bath layout, flush door within a door, fridge fiberglass wall duct, slanted kitchen counter orientation on longer units, etc.). I guess that might clarify if these changes also occurred at the start of the 1963 model year, or early in production.

Certainly it is possible that these changes didn't occur on an exact model year break point. I used to own Corvette's and their changes often didn't quite align with model years. The National Corvette Restorers Society was very good at determining the serial number (or a small range) at which some of those changes occurred. If a large corporation like GM wasn't able to precisely control changes at model year breakpoints back in the 50's and 60's, there is no way Airstream could either, because they were just a small company making hand built trailers.

goransons · 11-26-2009, 10:59 AM

I recieving a Thanksgiving greeting this morning from Cecil (the owner that sold to the guy that put this on ebay that Rob then bought from). In that greeting he attached a photo of when he was the owner of the trialer, with his hewly adopted teenagers. Anyway, I think a small back and white version of this was printed in the first VAC article about 8671 going to Rob.

goransons · 11-28-2009, 11:32 PM

I was speaking with my brother today, and it occurred to both of us that black friday and today were much more relaxing than last year, then we realized that this evening we'd have been returning from the 30+ hour non-stop trip to pick up 8671. Not near as far as I hoped to be 1 year later, but looking back at photos this afternoon with him we've come a long way!

66Overlander · 11-29-2009, 09:47 PM

Scott,
You indeed have come a long way in a year and you have inspired a lot of us in the process! Keep up the good work!

goransons · 12-01-2009, 07:34 PM

Today I ended up taking the day off, sick, and on my way out the door to work this morning I discovered the window on my wife's car had been broken out and her car gone through.

While I was waiting for the car to get the new window in I decided to tackle the rear window which was leaking pretty bad in the last rain storm (one of the couple I hadn't yet rebuilt).

I finished cleaning the skin-to-window frame seam and sealed that, then proceeded to remove the bulb seal. Man I forgot how dangerous that stuff can be when its that brittle, breaks like glass and very sharp. Was disappointed to realize that the bottom "gasket" was really about a 3/8" bead of gray silicone that had been built up to serve as a gasket, well sorta.

Some silicone remover, and over an hour with dental tools I finally got all the silicone out of the groves that receive the bulb seal and the frame cleaned up. New bulb seal in.

New glass is ready for me to pick up at lunch tomorrow, then can remove the old really etched glass, install new tape, glass, and glazing seal and get the hose back out and check for more leaks.

Not real exciting stuff, but need to get this thing water tight before my water tests turn to ice instead.

goransons · 12-02-2009, 06:47 PM

Joe emailed us some great photos that answered some more questions.

First, finally we can confirm that the rear window was covered with metal (the studs with wing nuts still exist, but will be replaced with stainless, since not much is left).

Second, I confirmed the dent in the rear bottom, curbside panel was indeed a result of the caravan, which regardless would have stayed as "character".

The exciting thing is finally clarification on the something that has confused me/us for awhile.

100% of this is to the credit of Joe's research, but wanted to share for all.

Photo 1 he provided me last year showing the rear of the trailer, note the reflectors on the rear.

Photo 2 shows the same trailer later in the caravan, but you'll see a dark line of something, reflector or something between those two reflectors quite visible..

rest to be continued in next post....

goransons · 12-02-2009, 06:58 PM

Joe's scan has much higher resolution of the previously located Kremlin photo. 8671 is clearly located in this photo (just past the group of people in dark jackets next to trailers). There you can see the metal cover on the back window, the dent in the lower passenger corner, and there is that black line, but you can make out it is text. If you scan other trailers in the row, you can more clearly read the message. (zooming in will be required, you may need to click the image to enlarge, then click again to open it in its own window and zoom in a lot)

"WE HAVE ALSO VISITED
IRAQ"

Of course I figured this out at work, and thought about it all day. I only had a couple minutes at home before running to pick up my son, so out came the cyclo and I started polishing this area, which I hadn't done yet. After a few minutes of cutting I was looking down, and nothing, I mean nothing, so figured I had been removed so quickly it didn't leave a mark. I unplugged things and walked away, and as I turned around to close the door on the garage I saw it, very clearly. IRAQ and ALSO were easy to see at just the right angle. I did a tiny bit more (but was out of time). I then tried to photograph it, which was a problem, its pretty faint, and reflections captured in the picture make it hard, so I added letters on the picture to help you see it, I found it is easier to see if you click the image to open it slightly larger, we'll see how it posts.

Mystery of the added "blob" of a line solved....

Frank's Trailer Works · 12-02-2009, 07:23 PM

I am going to need some clearer images...

goransons · 12-02-2009, 07:26 PM

Frank try over at my blog, they seem to not get as compressed during the post. The original is almost 4 meg and it won't let me post without compressing.

Frank's Trailer Works · 12-03-2009, 05:40 AM

I believe you brother, just funning with you....

66Overlander · 12-03-2009, 07:30 PM

Try this. I cropped the original photo at full resolution to show 8671 and another trailer that says "WE HAVE ALSO VISITED IRAQ".

goransons · 12-03-2009, 08:09 PM

Joe - looks good, that makes things much easier. Any idea on what the correct color for the text would be? I'm guessing its not red (like the inner door) since it appears much darker than the WBCCI numbers. Black? airstream blue? Going to try to get a template made to repaint them, but will need to figure out what color.

66Overlander · 12-03-2009, 08:58 PM

OK - Here is the only other photo I have that shows trailer #8671. This photo is on the docks waiting to ship at the beginning of the ATW Caravan. I can even see a 1959 Cadillac in the background when I zoom in. This photo also clearly shows the rear window guard that was installed on #8671 for the ATW caravan.

Interestingly, Bob's trailer #6472 is right in front of #8671 in this photo, but it's telltale air conditioner is not yet on the roof (just like the photo being hoisted aboard ship).

I am attaching a scaled down complete photo and a full resolution closeup of #8671 and #6472.

66Overlander · 12-03-2009, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goransons

Joe - looks good, that makes things much easier. Any idea on what the correct color for the text would be? I'm guessing its not red (like the inner door) since it appears much darker than the WBCCI numbers. Black? airstream blue? Going to try to get a template made to repaint them, but will need to figure out what color.

From this black and white photo it is hard to tell color. Black seems like an obvious possibility, but for not reason at all I am also thinking red (maybe a dark red) might be appropriate.

I'll have to see if I have any color photos that show this writing on any other trailers. The assumption being that it would be the same color on all trailers.

goransons · 12-04-2009, 08:00 PM

Cold out today, hit a high of 27 degrees this afternoon. Too cold to finish polishing that panel

As mentioned in one of the last posts I discovered that some of the water getting in the back was leaking around the glass itself on the rear window (I still had 2 windows that needed to be rebuilt).

I realized the plastic strips were holding the glass pretty tight, but the glazing tape had dried and failed in several areas on the window, allowing the water to pass through, and drip down the wall.

The back window had been covered with many stickers over the years and was pretty pitted, so had fresh glass cut (which was good because the old piece broke coming out). Polished the frame, new bulb seal, glazing tape and glass. Ran short on the glazing strips, need to order another roll, but got top and bottom done, and it still should be plenty water tight for the next week.

If it gets above freezing for the weather coming in I'll get another reality check to see where other leaks may be. Next on to new gaskets on the two refrigerator doors and the side storage compartment, and found a small leak at the police antenna up front that I need to remove about 1/2 of clear (hard) silicon first.

I know its not exciting stuff, but just documenting progress.

Oh, also in case other AWC guys are wondering, the first line of text "WE HAVE ALSO VISITED" (second line was "IRAQ") is 32" long, 3" tall block letters, and full width letters are 1.5" wide.