needing some specs

[Mikie]

Help! I just purchased a 1969 Overlander with the International package. Long story, but am needing some specs on this particular mode. Like gross weight, power source~electric or gas~, electric brakes. Any answers deeply appreciated.

Thanks,
Mikie

[83Excella]

Mikie,
Contact Secretarial Services listed in the Dealer Vendor forum and order an owners manual and a service manual, they will tell you everything you want to know about your trailer.

John

[JW84345]

Hi Mikie,

I also have a '69 Overlander, though not the international layout (you should have the curb side L shaped galley with 3 burner range top on the bottem leg of the L). The Overlander is a nice size. Big enough for comfort, small enough to get into lots of nice sites in the National and State parks and forest camp grounds.

The factory advertised weight is around 4500 pounds. I have the sales brochure, so I'll have to look it up. We had our trailer weighed, loaded with the stuff we normally leave in it and propane it weighed 5300 pounds. Figure 300 - 500 more pounds for clothes, food, water, bikes, and expect 5600 - 5800 pounds fully loaded.

The trailer is wired for 30 amp service. Brakes are 12 volt electric, powered by the tow vehicle. The univolt converter provides 12 volt power for the lights, water pump, etc when plugged in. It must be run with a battery on the circuit. You can run off the battery for a few days if you are conservative.

Let me know what else you need to know. Again, congratulatoins on your new coach.

Jim

[Mikie]

Hi,
It's me again. Thanks for the info. This is a really neat site, I know I'll be back again and again.

Since the interior needs some work, I'm curious. Is it better to try and restore it as it was originally or up-date? I'm brand new to this, and excited about owning one. I've wanted one since I was 18~we won't go into how long ago that was!!!!

Again, any advice is welcome. Also since it has been parked for the last three years, any tips on getting it ready to tow? Need to get it about 150 miles to its new home. And what are some things that need to be checked out before using it? Pipes, wires, etc?

That's all I can think of for now.

Mikie

[Pahaska]

How old are the tires? Seven years from manufacture is considered by many to be the safe limit for tires due to deterioration from sun and time. There is another thread here where a tire blew and caused much sheet metal damage. A set of new tires may be prudent. I have previously had 3 blowouts over the years (non-AS), all caused damage to the trailer. If you need to replace tires, now is the time.

Brakes and lights, for sure. Not a bad idea to pull at least one wheel and inspect the brakes, especially if the trailer was in a humid area. Friend bought an old trailer and found that the brakes were solid rust inside. I would pull at least one wheel and see what the brake condition is.

When were the bearings last repacked? If they need a repack, a good time to do it would be before you tow 150 miles. At any rate, check the hub temperature after a few miles and periodically during this first trip. You can expect the hubs will be warm to hot in the summer, but you should be able to lay a hand on the hubs without burning ourself. If anything is worse than a blowout, it is a bearing failure.

Good luck with your new trailer.

[kzener40]

I have a 84' 310 (Limited...not sure what that means) MH. It came with an owner manual that gives information about the operations of the vehicle but the previous owner didn't have a Service manual or anything that really gets into the guts of the mechanical side of the MH. Does anyone know if they came with such a manual and if so, do you think the secretarial service below would have one?

Thanks
Ken

[JW84345]

Limited was a trim level.

The airstream owners manual has wiring and plumbing diagrams along with information on some of the appliances (furnice, air, etc), the air ride suspension, and stuff like that. You need a shop manual for the P30 chassis to get info about the engine, brakes, etc.

Hope that helps.

Jim

[JW84345]

There are probably some specific coaches that really should be kept original for historical reasons. Unless your coach is in exceptionally good original shape, I'd think how you restore the interior of your trailer is a subject of personal choice.

Our coach's interior was in good shape and it was one of the main reasons we bought it. The previous owner replaced the drapes and put carpet in. We reupholstered with material of our choice. It matches the original decor, but was different (and nicer) than the original. So our coach is mostly original. We'd look for a different coach before we'd change the wood, remove furniture, or alter the layout. However, if the interior was a mess and needed to be completely redone, I'd probably do whatever I wanted with it.

Jim

[kzener40]

What do you mean about limited trim level?

Thanks
Ken

[InsideOut]

Limited...as in "limited edition" aka top of the line.

Similar to an "Eddie Bauer" package on a Ford vehicle today...or any of the special "trim packages" that car makers offer as upgrades.

Shari

[Inland RV Center, In]

Mikie. Before you invest in repairs of changes, check the condition of your axles. Unfortunately, from 1974 and down, there is a high number of failures.
You can learn how to check yours out. Go to inlandrv.com

Click on articles and then click on "Dura-torque Axle."

Andy
inlandrv.com
airstreamparts.com