Restoring my great uncles 73 overlander

[B7blues]

Okay, i know zero about these. However, I was very close to my great uncle and somehow needed up with his ‘73 overlander. I have started demo and plan to do a full resto. I have a shop, most tools and just finish total resto of a 1990 ski boat to include engine rebuild. I just know nothing about these wonderful trailers. I plan to completely modernize and will have a lot of questions. All help/advice is welcome. Ironically, this trailer was used for a photo shoot August’23 Elle magazine with the actress Ana De Armas. I have had it for a while and had some work done back in 2011 to get it road worthy and used it as a promotional trailer. Now is time to do it justice and make it so that my wife and I can enjoy it for years to come

[Bubba L]

Congratulations on having the desire to bring your great uncle’s 73 up to snuff. No one who has ever worked on a vintage Airstream had experience on the first day. Page down to the “SITEMAP” at the bottom of the page and read the information on the 73. Also, start a renovation thread. You can get a lot of pointers from the experienced members. Good luck and have fun.

[B7blues]

thanks for the tip on going to sitemap. I will create a reno thread as suggested

[B7blues]

Ok, I have started demo. As I am doing this, I am contemplating best layout. Specifically at this point, here are questions.
1. Add grey water tank?
2. Should I add Solar?
3. Plan to go to lithium batteries
4. I will use gas for dc/heat but should fridge be dc only or dual?
5. In planning cabinets should i make one central easy to access place for all electrical (inverters/distribution/monitoring Etc)

[Bubba L]

You’ve started the demo, great. Don’t throw anything away until you’re finished. I would install the necessary tanks whether you use them or not. Better to have things and not use them than to need them and not have them. During the construction you can prep for the future. It’s just easier and educational to prep. If you’re considering solar someday, run the wires or conduit where needed. Our fridge is 120vac/12vdc. It runs on 120 if available, otherwise defaults to 12. Just a few pre-construction thoughts. Good luck

[AlbertF]

Having owned a 1975 Overlander, I really believe Airstream optimized that layout. I don’t think you can really improve on it, so I’d encourage you to keep as much of the original as you can.

You have the original Dometic refrigerator. Does it work? Can it be repaired? It does not need DC power to operate.

Grey tank is a must. The 1975 only had a 10 gallon grey tank, and we needed to travel with a “blue boy.” The black tank was under the toilet, of course, and the grey was under the bathtub. You will want to figure out how to fit a bigger tank than that.

Removing everything will allow you to identify needed floor and frame repairs.

From the photos, the trailer appears to need new axles.

[coloradoup]

Looking foward to your build. Add all that you spoke of. I built a fat wall as I call it for all my electronics as well as my head unit for my mini split HVAC system. This mini split is really nice and super quiet. It does require some planning, in my case I made the A frame a foot longer to hold the exterior unit. Looks at lots of threads and see what they did.

[Aerowood]

I will be following your thread.

[B7blues]

thanks for the tip. I took a look at your FAT wall. Good idea. I also like how you did the shower. Was contemplating something similar and noodling around as to how and get it done. lot of work before i get to that point....

[coloradoup]

Figuring out the drain and where to put the grey tank is the hard part. I used one of those waterless traps that are very low profile. One key thing I did was have a sheet metal shop do all the pan work and over the wheel well. They build my wheel wells also. That is something that really makes a difference for me and needed to be subbed out. They did an awsome job!

[Justen]

1. Add grey water tank?- Absolutely. The more capacity you can add for gray the better.

2. Should I add Solar?- If you want. But I'd at least go ahead and run the wire and make it "solar ready" so if/when you add some panels you don't have to work as hard. Personally I think a few panels are a great idea, but not necessary right from the start. Figure out what you really need before jumping in by using it for a while.

3. Plan to go to lithium batteries- Good idea, but again I'd build with the future expansion in mind rather than trying to build an off grid, totally eco friendly, survive the zombie apocalypse, ultimate boondocking rig right from the start. It gets expensive fast.

4. I will use gas for dc/heat but should fridge be dc only or dual? If your propane/110 fridge works, I'd just use it. 12V require a fair amount of battery power.


5. In planning cabinets should i make one central easy to access place for all electrical (inverters/distribution/monitoring Etc)- Now you're talking. When we restored our 65 I made a couple of relatively easy access areas- (plumbing/electric/monitoring) so I could repair things as needed. Whenever I've done a house I always build a mechanical room and bring all mechanical things to a common point so I have easy access. If I were gutting and Airstream and starting from scratch I would do the same, as best as I could within the space limitations.

As noted above, save everything, at least for templates. You might also realize that, while not perfect, Airstream has decades of RV layout and design experience and usually their layout is better than what the average person will come up with. That doesn't mean you can't do something better, but the original layout is probably pretty good.

Our camper is older and smaller, but we have a lot of restoration stuff on our website you might find useful.

[B7blues]

Made some progress on demo this weekend. Rivets, rivets and more rivets….

[Glenritas]

Congrats on your new Project .

Take a look at my build tread lots of info and ideas .
Just click on the link in my signature .

[B7blues]

I know i will need them. Suggestions?

[Bubba L]

As far as axles go, I just called Colin Hyde Trailer Restorations in Plattsburgh, NY. I’ve ordered several from him. I think he is the most knowledgeable in Airstream axles. There are other methods of ordering axles that members have used. Good luck

[B7blues]

Made significant progress. still a days worth of work to finish interior demo and clean it up to my satisfaction. Already soaking bolts in Seafoam penetrating oil but see a grinder of torch to break loose the nuts, in my near future. Regarding replacing floor, what is best plywood for subfloor. If using exterior grade, should I epoxy to further waterproof?

[Bubba L]

We used exterior grade plywood and purchased penetrating epoxy from TotalBoat. We made sure the 12” perimeter was well treated top and bottom and one rolled coat on the top and bottom plywood field. It’ll probably outlive me. I’m sure there are other materials that will get the job done. Good luck

[coloradoup]

I used Coosa board. It wasn't cheap but it's strong, light weight and will last for a long long time. No need to epoxy, just put it in. Not sure if you are doing the entire floor but if you are, It's a good option, at least for me it was.

[overlander64]

Greetings B7blues! Welcome to the Forums and the world of Vintage Overlander ownership!

I have owned my 1964 Overlander Land Yacht International for nearly 29 years and have know it since it was purchased new by family friends in 1964. I suspect that you may find, as I have, that the Overlander is a near ideal size -- large enough to be comfortable on a long trip yet not so large as to be difficult to maneuver.

You have received lots of good advice hear from seasoned Airstreamers. The one question that you have that I will add an opinion to is that of refrigerator selection. I had to replace my Overlander's refrigerator very early in my ownership and went with a Dometic Americana 3-Way, and in my 1978 Argosy Minuet, I still have the original Dometic 2-Way. My decision has been made when either one of these fail or becomes too expensive to repair it will be replaced with a Nova Kool 12-Volt DC/120-Volt AC refrigerator. I rarely camp more than two nights without full hookups particularly in warm weather as I require air conditioning at temperatures above 70 degrees. With two AGM batteries and disciplined usage of electricity, I figure that I can make two nights of dry camping when necessary (I have solar on Overlander so even easier with it).

I take a slightly different route when it comes to my water heater. I prefer the old fashioned model with a pilot light -- I do not like the added the complication of the automatic ignition. I generally light and start my water heater upon initial setup and it runs for my entire stay. I am a bit different when it comes to my replacement furnace -- I sought out a model with automatic ignition as I do not like crawling around on the floor to light the furnace pilot.

Good luck with your project!

Kevin

[B7blues]

Okay, interior demo is done. You will see that evidently, someone named Lorna originally helped build the trailer as I found her name on the outer skin. We will officially name he “miss Lorna”. Removed the trim that covered the belly pan seam. Now starting on belly pan removal. Any tips on that process? I have learned that one needs a lot of drill bits and patience……. I have noticed that on the c channel there are mostly square nuts on the bolts. I have not had luck finding a deep 4point socket. Any ideas here? Thanks for all comments and advice.