Checking Out of the Rat Race

[Granny68Air]

Hi fellow Airstreamers! My husband and I just purchased step 1 in my retirement plan for us, it is a 68 Ambassador 28', I think it has to have just about a complete new interior, outside is pretty good. My problem is none of the 68's I have look at on the internet look like mine. I think ours may really be a 65 or 66 and who ever had it before the people we bought it from had it set up as some type of a commercial deal. Huge stainless steel counter with sink and metal drawers, a full size bath tub and all walls were redone in sometype of tan metal. Weird. Title says 68 and 31'. I know the 31' is wrong because inside measures right at 25', that would make it a 28' right? We are pulling it to a friends to pull everything out this weekend, so we can see what we have to work with. Good thing we have 2 years to get her ready to become our "retirement home" full time. I am so excited its about all I can think or talk about. I have committed (probably should be) myself to the polishing outside. Here are some pictures (hopefully) the serial number is J1286519. Can anyone help if 68is correct year or not. Thanks to bullydogsmom for sending in correct direction.
Vicki in Florida

[Diesel1]

I think it is a 1966 from your serial number. Adios, John

[azflycaster]

Based on the VIN, it is a 1966 Ambassador (28') made in Ohio with the International trim level and double bed layout.

[ArtStream]

Hi Vicky and welcome to the forum!

Congratulations on you and you're husbands first step to the rest of your life.

I checked out in 2000, been one big adventure since.

Looking at your interior photos, maybe it was some sort of mobile massage parlor

Check those axles, they look shot. inspect the sub floor for wood rot. Save the decorations for last!

Best,
Michael

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Granny68Air

Hi fellow Airstreamers! My husband and I just purchased step 1 in my retirement plan for us, it is a 68 Ambassador 28', I think it has to have just about a complete new interior, outside is pretty good. My problem is none of the 68's I have look at on the internet look like mine. I think ours may really be a 65 or 66 and who ever had it before the people we bought it from had it set up as some type of a commercial deal. Huge stainless steel counter with sink and metal drawers, a full size bath tub and all walls were redone in sometype of tan metal. Weird. Title says 68 and 31'. I know the 31' is wrong because inside measures right at 25', that would make it a 28' right? We are pulling it to a friends to pull everything out this weekend, so we can see what we have to work with. Good thing we have 2 years to get her ready to become our "retirement home" full time. I am so excited its about all I can think or talk about. I have committed (probably should be) myself to the polishing outside. Here are some pictures (hopefully) the serial number is J1286519. Can anyone help if 68is correct year or not. Thanks to bullydogsmom for sending in correct direction.
Vicki in Florida

Hi Vicki.

Welcome to Airstreaming.

The AC has been replaced.

The entrance door is warped which will allow rain water to get on the floor leading to rotted plywood at the door.

It appears the axles are shot. The following will teach you how to check them out yourself in 30 seconds.


The windows near the rear on both sides, are not original Airstream windows.

It appears that the furnace has been removed.

The trailer has metal damage at the left rear and the left side.

I have no ides what the boxes are for on the left side.

Since the trailer is new to you, check all the exterior gaskets. The very first thing you want to do, is to make the trailer water proof. You can then deal with the rest of the trailer as your time and budget permits.

If you have questions, ask away, as this is the place to get answers.

Andy

[wahoonc]

Hi and "welcome" to the f-u-n world of Airstream repair

Check our my 68 Ambassador Album for some pictures of how yours might have looked originally.(Even if it is a 66)

Aaron

[bullydogsmom]

Hello Vicki, see I told you that you would get a warm welcome. This is the best group of people you could hope to meet when it comes to Airstreams. They will offer you tons of advice and encouragement.

Start with a list of things to check out and go from there. We choose to jump in with both feet. Some chose to take baby steps. Figure out what works for you and then GO FOR IT!!!


And remember there is no such thing as a stupid question. Boy did I ask some winners when we first got our airstream! I didn't know what a blackwater tank was, or what a grey water tank was, but I sure leaned quick!

Annette

[VIKING]

Welcome Granny68,
It appears as if the boxes on the side are electrical breaker boxes. Quite strange. This may have been used as a guest house or something like that. You wouldn't find those on a trailer going down the road, typically. (wire management and conduit issues!)

Have a great time with your new baby.

Rich

[Alumatube]

With the bathtub out in the main area and the steel counter (and probably the electrical boxes), I wonder if it was used as a pet grooming studio.

Nice find! Enjoy making it the way you want it.

Susan

[Granny68Air]

Thanks to everyone for the input!!
Printed out the info on Dura Torque Axle from Andy for my husband to check out. Yesterday we pulled everything out including the ceramic tile on floor, discovered several "weak" places, so new floor going in.
I thought it might be a 65-66 from the numerous pictures I compared ours to. Doesn't really matter, just wish the title was correct, but suppose that would require alot of red tape with tag agency to get corrected.
I want to get an Owners Manuel but was waiting to be sure on correct year. We also have a 71 Shasta Starflyte that we love,which is also at our friends house (they have 6 acres) so sleeping in Shasta on weekends and working in airstream. They have a 28' dutchman, so we put all 3 in a triangle position had a campfire at night and cooked out. Was alot of fun, same plan for this coming weekend.
Floor and holding tanks I think are first on his agenda, so I need to find correct layout and information on that for him. Not sure if that info would be in owners manual or not? The WBCCI number on it is 10705 and below that is 5 31632722 any ideas what that number may be for.
At a surf club party last night everyone I told about our plan thought it was great, no negative comments at all. Maybe we can get a surfing caravan together....So goodbye yard work and hello adventure(eventually)

Vicki & Robbie

[bullydogsmom]

Since you are going to put in a new floor do a lot of reading or question asking first. The floor is slide UNDER what is called the C-Channel, actually the plywood was installed first at the factory and then the C-Channel was bolted to that, See I've learned a lot from these guys.

Anyway to remove the plywood, first you must remove the lower interior skin so you can get to the C-Channel to remove the old bolts. Or if you can remove the floor because it is so rotted that it sides out from under the chanel you still have to remove the skins to remove the rusted bolts that USE to hold down the floor. Either way get a 1/4 drill bit and start drilling!

Good luck you sound so enthusiatic, Which is how most of us sound during the "honeymoon" stage, then reality sets in and then the determined ones keep on going and the discouraged ones we never hear from again. I may not post a lot but I READ here everyday.

Speaking of which we haven't heard anything from Fat&Lazy lately! He's another poor soul who bought a can of worms.

So I hope we hear from you again, and again, and again.

Annette

[Gene]

Those electrical boxes on the side of the trailer are certainly strange. Throwing logic away, it appears someone installed what they found lying around. They may have had two subboxes, each with a few breakers in them. The conduit to the left box is not very large, but large enough for 30 amp or maybe 60 amp service. They may have pulled out or didn't use the 12v. system and went fully 120 v. The faucets on the right in the photo with the sink in it are curious. At first I thought they had a washing machine there, but after blowing it up, I just don't know. It's also curious they must have had underground wiring going to those boxes. I'd expect a drop wire doubling as a clothesline.

Good luck with your project.

Gene

[VIKING]

Originally Posted by bullydogsmom

Since you are going to put in a new floor do a lot of reading or question asking first. The floor is slide UNDER what is called the C-Channel, actually the plywood was installed first at the factory and then the C-Channel was bolted to that, See I've learned a lot from these guys.

Anyway to remove the plywood, first you must remove the lower interior skin so you can get to the C-Channel to remove the old bolts. Or if you can remove the floor because it is so rotted that it sides out from under the chanel you still have to remove the skins to remove the rusted bolts that USE to hold down the floor. Either way get a 1/4 drill bit and start drilling!

Good luck you sound so enthusiatic, Which is how most of us sound during the "honeymoon" stage, then reality sets in and then the determined ones keep on going and the discouraged ones we never hear from again. I may not post a lot but I READ here everyday.

Speaking of which we haven't heard anything from Fat&Lazy lately! He's another poor soul who bought a can of worms.

So I hope we hear from you again, and again, and again.

Annette

Great advice Annette. I just noticed the 1/4" drill--- Should be 1/8 or 5/32. I'd hate to see a new member do that to their baby. You will be putting new rivets in those holes later on, so the drill should match the new rivet size.

Thanks, Rich

[bullydogsmom]

Originally Posted by VIKING

Great advice Annette. I just noticed the 1/4" drill--- Should be 1/8 or 5/32. I'd hate to see a new member do that to their baby. You will be putting new rivets in those holes later on, so the drill should match the new rivet size.

Thanks, Rich

Rich,
YIPES! you are so right It is a 1/8 inch drill bit. I've broken, and bend enough of them, Shame on me for getting that wrong, I too would hate for anyone to use the wrong size. Thank you for correcting me.

Annette

[danalee]

Hi, We have a 65 Ambassador and we are getting close to having her road ready. I like those steel counters-maybe you can recycle them. We will not be fulltiming but we have had a ball working on her. There is so much information here-I spend time every evening reading and its been invaluable, Keep us posted and don't get frustrated-it takes time, money, patience, money and lots of elbow grease!!!

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by bullydogsmom

Since you are going to put in a new floor do a lot of reading or question asking first. The floor is slide UNDER what is called the C-Channel, actually the plywood was installed first at the factory and then the C-Channel was bolted to that, See I've learned a lot from these guys.

Anyway to remove the plywood, first you must remove the lower interior skin so you can get to the C-Channel to remove the old bolts. Or if you can remove the floor because it is so rotted that it sides out from under the chanel you still have to remove the skins to remove the rusted bolts that USE to hold down the floor. Either way get a 1/4 drill bit and start drilling!

Good luck you sound so enthusiatic, Which is how most of us sound during the "honeymoon" stage, then reality sets in and then the determined ones keep on going and the discouraged ones we never hear from again. I may not post a lot but I READ here everyday.

Speaking of which we haven't heard anything from Fat&Lazy lately! He's another poor soul who bought a can of worms.

So I hope we hear from you again, and again, and again.

Annette

Actually, if your going to do a shell off floor replacement, upgrading to the channel that slides over the edge of the floor, like Airstream switch to in later years, is a huge upgrade.

Andy

[Granny68Air]

Thanks for the suggestions. This weekend he is starting on the floor and I plan to start on the windows...ugh!!! nasty, nasty, nasty. Alot of dirt, grime and corrosion, discovered a couple nifty size spiders also.
What size grey and black water tanks do ya'll suggest we install? Also does anyone have the specifications on this model and the original floor layout. Also have to track down one of those little bathtub deals. Appreciate any and all help, this is going to be massive but we will get it done!

[bullydogsmom]

Keep scanning the classified here, every once in a while someone will gut a AS and there will be lots of stuff for sale. I've seen bath tubs once or twice.

Annette

[Granny68Air]

Been going around in my head how to do the interior walls. Those of you who have had to start from scratch like we are, what have you done with them. Was leaning towards a textured wallpaper that you can paint, but man those curves would be a royal pain. I have been so busy looking at different floorplans haven't really compared whether the walls are painted or papered. Don't really want to do the panelling for weight and cost reasons.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by Granny68Air

Been going around in my head how to do the interior walls.

Aluminum!

Gene