'67 Sovereign Land Yacht Intl $2,375 Craigslist Find

[67Airstream]

I'm new to this website... when I would search for anything "airstream" this site comes up... so why not join it?
I'm a New Zealander living in the middle of the oil boom in Williston, North Dakota. If you know anything about this area, you'll know that housing is scarce. More people live in trailers than houses... an RV or camper hook up is $850/mth!? Fortunately I live in a house but I thought I'd have to find other accommodation over this last winter. So, I was looking on craigslist and saw a '67 Sovereign for sale, but it was in Duluth, MN. Over 600 miles east... I called the advertised number a few times and left a message and never heard from anyone. I figured it had sold. A few weeks later I saw it still posted on craigslist so I called again and this time I got a call back. Long story, longer... the seller had traded it for a truck from a guy who had traded it for a tattoo! lol He was getting rid of it after a couple of years of good renovation intentions. It hadn't been registered since 1981 but was in decent shape, considering. The deal sounded ligit so we agreed on a purchase price of $2,375 and I paid him half down via paypal and he was in no rush for the balance. I needed a tow vehicle first and I decided to buy a black 2003 Z71 Suburban that I found on craigslist, again. This time in Bozman, Montana. 600 miles west. Combining a pick up with a ski trip to Big Sky Resort I was set to pick up my AS... So, after a couple of months I was off with my dog Bentley, to pick it up 600 miles east in Duluth. Thankfully I didn't get scammed and there was actually an AS there when I arrived. I was happy with it's condition when I saw it, albeit realizing how much work would be involved to bring it up to the condition I want it to be in. I didn't realize that the trailer plug was different so I rewired it with a new plug, to no avail. Off to the uhaul trailer shop I went. After about 4 hours of trying to figure out the brake and running lights, we gave up and I bought the magnetic brake lights to get me home. The only charged me $10 for their time! By this time a snow storm had blown in with huge snowflakes and 3" worth of accumulation in no time. With a total of 2400 miles, no trailer brakes, sliding through an intersection and losing the rear access panel I made it back to Williston the following morning with my behemoth AS, loving every minute of the adventure. And I'm only getting started...

It's been 4 months since I picked it up and haven't done anything with it yet, other than using it for storage. I will be transferring to Vernal Utah soon and I would love to live in it full time down there but I'm not yet sure to what extent of a rehab I want to do? I may do basic improvements now to enjoy it for a while, then more extensive over time...? then again I may just tear into it because it will be easier for wiring etc!? The windows seem inadequate in cold climates, are there any modern replacements for this year? The bathroom is not well insulated at all either, gaping openings around plumbing lines!? It may be easier to just tear it all out and start from scratch? I have "flipped" over 100 homes but I am more excited about renovating the AS than any of those homes!? I have always loved Americana and AS's are the epitome of that! I'm looking forward to creating my man cave! Thanks in advance for the help available here. I'll post pics as I go... Cheers, James.

[67Airstream]

P.S. I'm having difficulty posting pics... I get the following response.
"Your submission could not be processed because a security token was missing."
any ideas what I'm doing wrong??

[BIGED52]

James, I am sorry to tell you there are no replacement type windows for '66 thru '68 A/S trailers as the glass is curved to match the exterior panels of the trailers. The replacement glass is available from a few sources but latching and hinge hardware is non-existing unless you find it on Ebay or a donor trailer. If any of your windows are replaced by Plexiglas you may want to replace that with real heat tempered glass. I suppose if you wanted to you could make up your own insulated panels to install inside where the screens are now. That would help some with heat retention. Any openings on the plumbing area or holes in the cabin (other than for venting purposes for furnace, stove, fridge & water heater) should be sealed up as much as possible. These years of Airstreams have aluminum wiring and if you are going to update yours with copper (much safer) you most likely will also want to install newer insulation. Use the search function on the above toolbar to find threads and posts regarding this by using keywords such as insulation, Prodex, wall insulating etc. Good luck and keep us posted. Ed

[ALANSD]

great story. I have a 66 and wish you a lot of luck with your trailer. They are a challenge, but truly fun to work on and camp in.

[67Airstream]

Thanks for the welcome Ed and Alan.
Great idea with using custom panels to replace the screens Ed! Have a window company make up some argon filled units with a good seal... then replace them with screens in the summer? I'll look into that. My brother -in-law works at Window World. Also, today I determined I have a pretty decent rear end sag, so, I may be stripping the unit down to the bones to do it right. Who knows what else it needs? At that point I'll probably rebuilt from scratch. I like the idea of modifying some IKEA cabinets. They can be heavy, but perhaps using the router to strip unnecessary bulk while maintaining rigidity. If I go that route I'll have a great set of original cabinets and fixtures if any one needs some?

I'm still struggling to add pics here? hmmm

[BIGED52]

Originally Posted by 67Airstream

Thanks for the welcome Ed and Alan.
Great idea with using custom panels to replace the screens Ed! Have a window company make up some argon filled units with a good seal... then replace them with screens in the summer? I'll look into that. My brother -in-law works at Window World. Also, today I determined I have a pretty decent rear end sag, so, I may be stripping the unit down to the bones to do it right. Who knows what else it needs? At that point I'll probably rebuilt from scratch. I like the idea of modifying some IKEA cabinets. They can be heavy, but perhaps using the router to strip unnecessary bulk while maintaining rigidity. If I go that route I'll have a great set of original cabinets and fixtures if any one needs some?

I'm still struggling to add pics here? hmmm

Great! Let us know what you find out. I'm sure that if it is possible to do this it may be worth the cost involved. Hope so, Keep in touch. Ed

[67Airstream]

Thanks Ed,
Will do. I've got a feeling I'm going to be in touch, a lot! haha

[mtbguy]

I have the opposite problem- its hot where I live and I wanted better insulation. Home Depot sells rolls of metallic foil insulation that is about 1/4 thick and can be cut with scissors to fit the window panels. I opened my windows and put velcro tabs on it, then secure the insulation and close the windows. No need to modify window or screen and its so much cooler in summer now. Its also easy to open the window and remove it for light when you are camping on a nice day.

[67Airstream]

Thanks for the suggestion. Maybe a temporary solution like that is easiest and best? They double as shades too!
Have I read on here that people use that insulation on the floor too? I might look into that...
I've decided I'm doing a full monty and I'm half way thru pulling out the interior... over 100f in there today! lol

[mtbguy]

They are great for sleeping- its very dark inside trailer when they are installed. When you wake up, open some windows and remove them as needed. It has been the best ten dollar fix for anything in the trailer so far!