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09-30-2006, 09:22 AM
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#1
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1 Rivet Member
Edge
, Texas
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 12
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Yet another "What have I *HERE* thread
So, I just bought my first Airstream. "Just" as in half an hour ago :: grin ::
So, after hiking back to where the trailer sits, I start looking for some information about the model and such and find the information plate just to the right of the front door. Remembering the various serial decoders on the net, I write everything down and race home to find... The info on my plate doesn't fit the serial decoder.
Hence this post.
So- here's what I know: It's an Airstream. It's Rear bath, and I think twin bed (hard to tell, the interior is SHOT) It's a Sovereign International.
The plate has on the top: L32 a long space and on the other side of the plate: FG
The serial number ( I think that's what it is) on the bottom of the plate reads:
I308-S201-2754 The initial "I" may be a "1"
I would think that the L32....FG means Length 32' but I could very easily be wrong. Not sure of the year yet (have to file for a lost title and all that)
Anyone with an official AirStream Secret Decoder Ring care to lend a hand, and a bit of information, so I can start pricing parts to see just how much my $200 trailer is going to really cost?
Thanks everyone!
Merlyn Graves
Edge, Texas (this week)
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09-30-2006, 11:08 AM
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#2
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Rivet Master
1967 22' Safari
MILAN
, Illinois
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,013
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ID trailer...
Merlyn, It is an I for international trim package and the S is for Santa Fe Springs, CA plant where the trailer was manufactured. the last four numbers is the Run of the Sovereign model made by that plant for the year of manufacture IIRC. Someone else may be able to jump in with more info as to year and configuration by the rest of the coded numbers. Remember they also identify as to rear/center bath, twin/full bed and so on. If you can post pictures it would help to ID your new coach. hope this helps. Ed
__________________
1967 Safari Twin "Landshark" w/International trim package
2014 GMC Sierra 1500 Double Cab SLE
FORUMS MEMBER SINCE 12/16/2004AIR#7110
"My tire was thumping, I thought it was flat. When I looked at the tire, I noticed your CAT!" Burma Shave
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09-30-2006, 11:23 AM
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#3
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Round on both ends
1979 31' Excella 500
1975 28' Argosy 28
Rutledge
, Georgia
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 783
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And our favorite Inland Andy says that Airstream, for some unfathomable reason, liked to actually use a "1" instead of an "I" for the Internationals. Maybe it saved on metal stamps? Who knows?
It'd be hard to go wrong with a $200 Airstream if ANYTHING at all works on it.
Lamar
__________________
1975 Argosy 28 "Argosy"
1979 Excella 500 31 "Betsy"
1992 Lincoln Mk 7 LSC
2003 Dodge 2500 Cummins "TowHog"
"Lucy Loosehair" the cat - Airstream mascot
Klaatu barada nikto
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09-30-2006, 11:34 AM
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#4
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5 rivets, 1 loose screw
1966 20' Globetrotter
Saginaw County
, Michigan
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 1,555
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The serial # seems to indicate it's a 1968 30' Sovereign. Check out the photos on the Vintage Airstream archives to see if it matches up.
http://www.vintageairstream.com/arch...ign/index.html
Good luck.
__________________
Rog
May you camp where wind won’t hit you, where snakes won’t bite and bears won’t git you.
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09-30-2006, 12:29 PM
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#5
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Site Team
1964 26' Overlander
1964 19' Globetrotter
OlyPen
, Washington
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 13,930
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I308-S201
I - International package
30 - length (30')
8 - 1968
S - made in CA
201 - Sequential production number (over 500 = double bed, under 500 = twins)
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09-30-2006, 01:58 PM
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#6
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Rivet Master
2006 25' Safari FB SE
St. Cloud
, Minnesota
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 13,280
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Here's the gold mine of VIN information: http://www.airstream.com/product_lin...e/faq.html#vin
Now, you did give the secret handshake, right? Right?? Darn!! I gave away the store ...
And a hearty welcome to the Forums! Also cool -- I lived in Bryan from 1960 thru 1965. Home was actually San Antonio -- headed there tomorrow in fact (without Airstream).
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09-30-2006, 02:10 PM
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#7
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Rivet Master
1956 22' Flying Cloud
1953 32' Liner
1955 22' Safari
Valley View
, Texas
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,971
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More here than meets the eye
I love this Guy!
Excitement of the new Airstream. Curiosity and enthusiasm. And the signature block that says even more... Edge, Texas (this week). That is great! "this week" connotes the whole adventure to come .
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09-30-2006, 03:49 PM
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#8
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1 Rivet Member
Currently Looking...
league city
, Texas
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 10
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congratulations on finding your Airstream!
I am still looking for mine.
Bill
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09-30-2006, 03:49 PM
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#9
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Tramp Streamer
Commercial Member
1995 28' Excella
Artist
, at Large
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 2,002
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Melody Ranch
I love this Guy!
Excitement of the new Airstream. Curiosity and enthusiasm. And the signature block that says even more... Edge, Texas (this week). That is great! "this week" connotes the whole adventure to come .
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Melody Ranch,
Where is Mt Springs?
I'm in Roundtop.
Michael
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09-30-2006, 05:44 PM
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#10
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1 Rivet Member
Edge
, Texas
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 12
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Thanks folks!
:: happy dance ::
Now that I know what it is that I've bought, I can start looking at replacement bits.
In case anyone was wondering, here's the full story on my newly acquired AirStream:
It's sitting far back in the woods on someone's 100 acre trash collection. The place looks AWFUL- one fullsized trailer house that's rotting slowly into the ground, a pile of trash fully 60 feet long in front where I'm told a doublewide use to sit. And so on. When I finally got out there to look at the AS, I almost left just seeing the condition of the property.
So the fellow that I am buying from leads me back into the woods for several hundred yards, and there she is, sitting under a huge oak tree. SHe's mostly green right now, missing 3 or 4 windows, and all the ones that are still there appear to be held in mostly with silicone. The interior is literally knee-deep in trash from stem to stern. The hot water heater is completely trashed, the AC and heater may or may not work. There is a huge wasp nest on the ceiling of the living room (did I mention that I am allergic to wasps?). The interior that I could see looks better than I actually expected, but it definately needs some serious work.
I start looking around inside and out (very carefully, so as not to annoy the wasps- they live here, I'm just visiting) and low and behold- the tires (buried to the axle in the ground) are HOLDING AIR! The frame is straight (no droop). The cabinets appear to be salvageable. It has an almost full-sized fridge. The control panel is still there and looks to be in good shape. No leak marks except around the missing windows. Hmmmmm. So I am standing between the beds, looking back tward the living area and I start to see what it CAN be. Lightweight bamboo hardwood floors. Refinished cabinets. A tankless hot water heater to avoid the dreaded 2 minute travel trailer shower. New wallpaper. New bedframes, couch and table. Newly covered kitchen counters. Etc Etc Etc.
So I come out and the fellow who's selling the trailer for the widow that actually owns it is starting to look a bit worried- Drops his asking price to $200, and offers to drag her out and deliver her to my current residence for another $150. That's reasonable, as he is going to have to brush-hog a path and cut down 3-4 trees to get it out. I hemmed and hawed a bit and he threw in a late '70s model Kawasaki KZ750 basket case. SOLD! I love rural Texas sometimes.
So now I own most of an AirStream trailer. Strangely enough, this is going to be the first "home" I've ever owned, and my wife and I are going to live in her full-time. Delivery is slated for next Saturday or Sunday, more likely to be the week after. The instant she gets here I am going to be snapping digital pictures like mad- and I'll post them both here and probably to a before/after website.
Thanks again for the info! That's going to make it SOOO much easier to start planning the coming restoration.
Merlyn
-More mobile than yesterday!
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09-30-2006, 06:11 PM
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#11
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Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
West of Fort Worth
, Texas
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,699
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Some guys have all the luck!
It sounds like there is lots of work to be done, but the price tag gives you a head start. Good luck with your new project home.
When you have questions (and you will), use the search tab at the top of the page, and you can usually find many postings on any restoration or other questions.
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09-30-2006, 06:50 PM
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#12
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5 rivets, 1 loose screw
1966 20' Globetrotter
Saginaw County
, Michigan
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 1,555
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floor plans- '68 Sovereign
I admire your ambition, Merlyn. These floor plans might help you to figure out what goes where. Let the fun begin!
__________________
Rog
May you camp where wind won’t hit you, where snakes won’t bite and bears won’t git you.
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09-30-2006, 08:10 PM
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#13
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Rivet Master
1958 22' Flying Cloud
1956 30' Sovereign of the Road
1963 16' Bambi
Southeastern Area
, Tennessee
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,116
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Congratulations Merlyn, I admire your bravery just going out to look at it, trash, green mold, wasps and all! Sounds like you have vision and don't discourage easily, That's a good thing. Its remarkable what we willing to do to salvage a chunk of aluminum with an "Airstream" plaquard. Post pictures when you can. I'm sure you will do her justice.
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09-30-2006, 09:43 PM
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#14
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Rivet Master
1963 16' Bambi
1962 22' Safari
Yreka
, California
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,937
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Why 1 or I????
Quote:
Originally Posted by SafeHarbor
And our favorite Inland Andy says that Airstream, for some unfathomable reason, liked to actually use a "1" instead of an "I" for the Internationals. Maybe it saved on metal stamps? Who knows?
It'd be hard to go wrong with a $200 Airstream if ANYTHING at all works on it.
Lamar
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I am not sure, but as a old (older than I would like to think...) retired business teacher... years ago, in the days of manual typewriters and other machinery that was configured in similar fashion... the typewriters did not have the number 1 on the keyboard. We always taught our students to use the letter "L" in lower case for a #1. On old typewriters with a typeface similar to Times New Roman, the lower case L looks just like the number 1. Perhaps the I and 1 was something in a similar case??? Well, that is my guess.... old technology might be the reason.
Hey, I agree, if the trailer is $200 and rolls down the road, it is a good deal!
Mrs. NorCal Bambi (traveling in S Tardis)
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10-01-2006, 09:18 PM
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#15
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Rivet Master
2005 25' Safari
Salem
, Oregon
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 8,369
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1 or l
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10-02-2006, 06:53 AM
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#16
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Rivet Master
1958 22' Flying Cloud
1956 30' Sovereign of the Road
1963 16' Bambi
Southeastern Area
, Tennessee
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,116
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I'll confirm this, looking at Mom's old Royal manual typewriter circa 1951, it has no number 1. I seem to barely remember questioning this as a child and she told me to use the small "L".
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10-05-2006, 03:26 PM
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#17
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1 Rivet Member
Edge
, Texas
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 12
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She's HERE!
Got a call from the seller this morning, and he was ready to deliver the trailer. So out I went, snapped a few pics of her in place, and we got to work. And WORK we did. Took a comealong and his old Dodge deisel to drag her out, along with a lot of digging, axe swinging, cursing and sweating. But she's here now, and better yet- while I was helping with the cursing and sweating, Caliann (my wife) found the glass from 2 of the missing windows. There's $520 we don't have to spend.
Few pics, both as we found her and here, in better light:
Outside
Inside :: shudder ::
And at Home:
Current Residents:
Well, it's a start!
Merlyn
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10-05-2006, 03:44 PM
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#18
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Rivet Master
1967 22' Safari
1960 Caravel
Edmonds
, Washington
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,445
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WOW! Those are some impressive "before" pictures. Glad you got it home okay and good luck!
__________________
Mel
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10-05-2006, 03:52 PM
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#19
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Rivet Master
2016 25' Flying Cloud
Sunnyvale
, California
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,894
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Wow...
I too admire a person with "Vision"...
Welcome Merl and good luck with the project.. It's a shame the October photo contest requires an "After" picture, because your "Before" pictures are worth a prize of some sort....
Congratulations for not "over-paying" either, and the KZ750 might be worth enough to cover your original investment, unless you plan to fix that up as well and ride it. Check out www.cjmc.org for information on restroation of classic japanese motorcycles, and sources for parts and services.... (You're not alone owning old Japanese motorcycles either...)
John McG
__________________
Condoluminum
In Theory, there's no difference between Theory and Practice, but in Practice, there is usually a difference...
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10-05-2006, 04:05 PM
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#20
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Rivet Master
1960 22' Safari
in the wilderness
, The great Mojave Desert
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,077
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Heck. All you gotta do to get in the Oct. before and after contest is clean out the interior. That will be a big before and after.
Prizes so far...
Cash!
Blue Air #'s!!
Yes they still make them T-shirt!!!
What are you waiting for??
Enter the contest you could win win!
(End of shameless plug.)
__________________
I'd rather be boon docking in the desert.
WBCCI 3344 FCU
AIR# 13896
CA 4
Yes, we have courtesy parking for you. About an hour North of Los Angeles.
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