61 Globetrotter Questions

[Hittenstiehl]

Does anyone know what these drawer lock twist buttons are called so we might source some new ones. Thanks in advance.

[HiHoAgRV]

Ive never seen those before, they are different than my '61 or the '63's that I've seen.


Could they be a previous owner mod?

[Hittenstiehl]

Thx HiHo, they're on most of the drawers so I think they're original.

[Hittenstiehl]

So here is what these locks look like taken apart. Sent a msg to Steve at VTS also and he's not familiar with them.

Anyone else?

[InsideOut]

Our '64 didn't have those - wish it did....'64 is just enough "newer" to not have the same components as your '61. Sorry ~

Although, these look like they might be a nice functional replacement...



Shari

[azflycaster]

Originally Posted by InsideOut

Our '64 didn't have those - wish it did....'64 is just enough "newer" to not have the same components as your '61. Sorry ~

Although, these look like they might be a nice functional replacement...



Shari

My 2002 Safari has about 10 of those latches on various doors and they work very well and are still available.

[Hittenstiehl]

Thanks InsideOut we'll keep trying. I'm going to post more vintage Globetrotter questions here as they come up.

[DremStremer]

Maybe something like this would work for you. It's called a thumb turn cam latch.

[Hittenstiehl]

Thx Az and Dream those are going choices.

[redthies]

Hitt, we are restoring a ‘61 Bambi for a forum member, and all his drawers had holes in them that those catches would fit in, so it’s a very safe bet they were factory installed. His is a California build. Is yours CA or Ohio? I haven’t seen any of the actual catches in the shipping container full of parts, but I will be asking if he took them out. (The trailer arrived as a bare chassis, shell, and 20’ sea-can full of bits and pieces, so it’s a jigsaw puzzle with no picture of the finished puzzle on the box!)

My newly acquired ‘63 GT uses a twist locking knob similar to a dzeus fastener on the wardrobe doors and cabinets. I don’t see any catches on the drawers, but it’s pretty gross in the trailer and I haven’t done much looking around yet.

Some pics of “Junebug” as she arrived at our place (since everyone loves pics). Having not been licensed or moved other than once on a flatbed tow truck in 36 years, I opted to squeeze her on my car trailer rather than be stranded with tire/axle issues on the side of the highway.

[Hittenstiehl]

Thx Red, even though I haven't found them online yet I still think they were original.

All the drawers in this 61 had the holes.

As I understand it back in those days Airstream was very flexible about parts, bits and odd additions. Maybe they used them just for a short time and then moved onto another style.

We are out camping in the Globe now and it's quite cozy (snug) but lovable. We're no where near any completion but little fixes here or there.

Your recent bring home looks like a nice challenge. But your business does nice work. Very attractive.

[redthies]

Thanks. It will need some love, but it’s in the right place for that now. We got it very cheap, so it’s not a bad starting point.

[66Overlander]

While Airstream did provide twist locks on many 1961 thru maybe 1964 Airstreams in response to a Wally Byam mandate after experiences on the 1959-60 African Caravan, I no not beleive the ones asked about by the OP are original. They differ from the known 1961-62 style and the known alternate 1963-64 style. At least I have never seen that style before and I have never seen them not located on the drawer centerline. I beleive those specific ones were added by a previous owner, a supposition supported by the fact that the drawer fronts have been refaced.

[Hittenstiehl]

Thx 66Overlander for responding. Appreciate your vast historical knowledge.

I also have not seen them online or found them yet.

The drawer fronts look original but they look like they had a white wash or pickling stain applied to them.

The drawer and cabinet tops, (furniture grade oak ply laminate?) is peeling and SO dry but some of the fronts are still pretty good and straight.

[66Overlander]

Originally Posted by Hittenstiehl

Thx 66Overlander for responding. Appreciate your vast historical knowledge.

I also have not seen them online or found them yet.

The drawer fronts look original but they look like they had a white wash or pickling stain applied to them.

The drawer and cabinet tops, (furniture grade oak ply laminate?) is peeling and SO dry but some of the fronts are still pretty good and straight.Attachment 386216

Unfortunately I am certain your drawer fronts are not original as the original drawer fronts had finished edges, while your photos show raw edges. The wood looks nice, but is not original. At least that is the case for the closeup showing the drawer lock. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

[redthies]

I’m going to throw another cat amongst the pigeons... I rifled thought the bins in the container today and look what I found:

Cabinet refinisher filled the hole on one, but I asked him to not fill them. Unless the latches were a dealer added thing, they look original to me. But alas, I was not yet born in ‘61, so I wasn’t at the factory that year to confirm 100%.

[Hittenstiehl]

We'll Red there you go. Thanks.

Those are exactly like the ones we have. And match my photos directly. We have one hole in each of the four "under the Gaucho" drawers. And one hole in each of the two kitchen silverware drawers. The four for the front drawers are missing but the two silverware ones were the ones I was looking at. I'm not intent on finding a match but since the holes were in the drawers I thought of filling with the same object if they were easy to source. Doesn't seem like that's going to be the case so we'll see.

Based on 66Overlanders insightful looking I'm going to go back out and take better pictures of the cabinet drawers and doors. He is quite certain those have been refaced as they should have finished edges.

[redthies]

The finisher is picking up some more parts to spray tomorrow, so I’ll try and remember to get him to send me pics of the drawers. I don’t recall if they are edged or not.

I do respect the knowledge and experience of the old”er” timers on here, but there were so many different things going on between the two factories in the early 60s I find it hard to believe they did this one thing exactly the same in both places.

[66Overlander]

Well, you are never too old to learn and were definitely do not know everything about vintage Airstreams and I will admit that most of my first hand knowledge involves Ohio built Airstreams, as we see very few early 60s California built out here in Michigan. It is possible that California used different locks than Ohio and their cabinets were no doubt built by someone different, so I will slightly retract my statement to say what both of you have is not consistent with what I have seen for Ohio built Airstreams of that age. I will have to watch these details more closely on California built Airstreams in the future.

[redthies]

Originally Posted by 66Overlander

Well, you are never too old to learn and were definitely do not know everything about vintage Airstreams and I will admit that most of my first hand knowledge involves Ohio built Airstreams, as we see very few early 60s California built out here in Michigan. It is possible that California used different locks than Ohio and their cabinets were no doubt built by someone different, so I will slightly retract my statement to say what both of you have is not consistent with what I have seen for Ohio built Airstreams of that age. I will have to watch these details more closely on California built Airstreams in the future.

Joe, your Airstream knowledge likely far surpasses mine, so if I can be part of expanding both our cerebral Rolodexes, I’ll call it a win.

I (and the president of our WBCCI chapter) learned something today. He dropped by to check out our new ‘63 and we were looking at the old appliances and I showed him the old water “pump” and he said “I bet it still works”. I picked it up and stuck it on a battery. It worked. Then I noticed it only had one copper line connected. Hmm. Then it dawned on me. It is a compressor, not a pump! He had never seen that set up before either, despite restoring many 1960s Airstreams. Learning is still cool!