looking at buying my first airstream

[386kustoms]

hey guys couple questions for you. ive done some searching and found some of the answers already so thats good lol. but a few more. im looking at a 66 safari. its all there and has a great body on it. the forward out rigger for the step is rusted and where it welds to the frame rail the rail is rusted as well abotu a 1 1/2 by 3 inch hole. the rest of the frame that i can see looks decent. the wood above that outrigger is rotted as well but that dosent seem like a hard fix. well question is do you think that the rest of the frame under the belly pan is rotted to? this is a fl trailer so it may have never seen snow

one of the curved glass above the center couch on the road side is now plexiglass, can that glass be bought?

needs all new seals for glass and doors is that just the common D shaped seal?

the orig ac unit and ref is not in working order, are they expensive to fix or replace? i know thats a tough question cause i dont even know what is wrong with the two.

i noticed that some of the plastic clips that hold the doors of upper shelves closed and one metal clip that help close and seal the side windows are broken, can they be bought?

and finally the tow vehcle, i have accsess to a truck for now so that is no big deal but i would like to tow this with my 1996 impalla. the car has the stiffer springs and bigger brakes/sway bars installed from the factory just like the caprices did for towing. i know the engine is powerfull enough but will the frame handle the 3400 lbs and 350 lbs tounge weight? i cant see why not cause back in the 60s cars towed these trailers. and im also planing on gutting the bathroom and tanks completly and put a bed in the back so that should save on some weight, maybe

[TouringDan]

Kustoms

I will try to help you. The parts you need should be available from either Inland RV or Vintage Trailer supply. I would go to Inland RV's web site and look for the needed parts- glass, clips, weather stripping.

The A/C is probably an Armstrong unit. These are good units. I don't know about parts availability. Mine unit still works fine.

The refrig are quite simple and use an ammonia cycle. It should work on either propane or elect. First check to make sure that the chimney is getting hot. If it does not get hot the refer can not work. A new A/C is about $600 and a new 2 way refrig is about $800.

For the frame and floor post some photos and I am sure that others will chime in.

Sounds like your 96 Impalla should be able to be set up to work, but I know that you will need a weight distribution hitch and a brake controller.

Dan

[386kustoms]

the frame is my biggest concern. i forgot to bring the camera so i couldnt take pics and the trailer is 2 hours away. let me ask this though. it is a 66 safari like i said w the dinette on the right as you walk in floor plan. has a lot of goodies like the orig ac unit, orig awning, hot water heater, and the electric and propane work. also has a title. and a very nice outer skin. no real dents or dings on it. i can get the trailer for 1500. if the frame ends up being bad there is no way i can afford right now having a new frame made or anything like that. do you belive i can still get my 1500 back out if it reselling it?

[wasagachris]

386kustoms for the A/C and fridge will not be able to get parts. The same holds true for most of the appliances parts will not be available. It is worth at least $1500 for the shell as a restoration project. If you plan to restore it expect to spend at least another $5000 to $10000 for a decent restoration. If you can't afford to fix it up then just sell it or let someone else buy it for restoration.

[TG Twinkie]

I don't kmow about the AC, but I was able to get some parts (the ones I needed) for the original refer in my '74 Argosy and was able to make the repairs. Be sure to look at the back of the refer for signs of serious rust and maybe a yellow powdery looking substance. If you see this or smell ammonia, then the sealed part of the refer is bad. It can be replaced by a specialty shop, but it's not cheap.
I would see if it will work on gas and cool down. It may need a new thermocouple for the burner to work. The flue may also need to be cleaned. If the instructions for starting the refer are not available and you can post some pics of the refer front and back, I may be able to assist you in trouble shooting the problem.
If the overhead cabinets are like those in my Argosy you can get the plastic clips that hold the doors shut. I am not sure about the window parts but take a look at the Out of Doors Mart website, they have a lot of stuff.
Is the 34003 the GVW of the trailer? If so I would think your car would handle it.

[TouringDan]

386Kustoms

I agree with Wasagachris. Go for it. It is easily worth $1,500. Hope you buy it and keep it.

Dan

[61Ambassador]

For $1500 - it's well worth it!

I'd buy it.

[biggoofball]

I'll add my .02. I would buy one as close to done as possible. I would be leery of the visible frame rot being a hint of more that is hidden. I've been the "buy cheap and fix" route. I spent way more fixing than if I bought a good unit. I bought a ready to camp trailer that was indeed ready to camp and still had to put money into it.

As to your SS. It should tow fine, I tow with my 96 Buick wagon and all goes quite well. Double check that you have the tow package. You can do this by checking the VIN and going to Impala SS Forums .com and searching for the VIN decoder. If you do not have the tow package, just be sure that you have a good tranny cooler.

As far as weight distribution I have a Reese dual cam WD/sway control system. works great. I had installed a Reese Class III receiver as well. I recall that that bit needed to be ordered and was getting harder to get. You might want to check that item first.

Good luck!!

[Stefrobrts]

I would go for it, but I've already been through a floor repair with rusted out outriggers and breaks in the frame. it really wasn't that bad to fix. One winter (after using the trailer for a couple years) I pulled up the front half of the floor, had a welder come out and fix the broken welds in the frame, and replace the outrigger, and then I put it all back together. We were camping again by spring. If you're handy, it's probably a doable project.

On a trailer that old you will probably need a new axle as well. I handed my trailer over to a local RV shop, and they measured and fitted it with a new Dexter axle.

At that price I would go for it, but there is a lot of wisdom in what Skip says as well. If you're not handy and don't enjoy tinkering, then find one ready to use and enjoy.There will always be some tinkering with a vintage trailer, but if you don't like to do the big jobs, then don't make yourself miserable by starting out with a project - it's pretty much guaranteed to be three times as much work as you think it will be!

[68 TWind]

The curved glass should be available from Inland RV. They are very expensive, but if you want to stop the leaks, you have to replace the plexi. They have the gaskets as well. I had plexi in all 4 of my curved windows (ouch). Armstrong A/C's can many times be repaired with a simple relay or capacitor. Lot's of info on the forums about repairing them and well worth a try. If the compressor is gone you will be better off with a new unit. The Armstrong on my 68 works great (knock on wood).

[Stefrobrts]

Originally Posted by 68 TWind

They are very expensive, but if you want to stop the leaks, you have to replace the plexi.

I have a plexi window in the trailer and it was there when I bought it in '03 - and it hasn't leaked or caused us any problems. I don't plan to replace it until I have to - those curved glass windows are horribly expensive. I don't know if the glass windows are still available from Vintage Trailer Supply, but that's where we got one when I broke my kitchen window a couple years ago.

[kidsgone]

It may have never seen snow, but if its close to the coast (anywhere in FL for that matter) salt will do alot of damage to anything metal, aluminum,etc...Just a thought.
Andi