'73 airstream curtain cleaning. HOW?

[aconnol]

'73 airstream curtain cleaning. HOW TO REMOVE CURTAIN FROM TRACK TO BE ABLE TO CLEAN?

- riveted track with snap rivet at end
-- is it easier to cut from the curtain pleat the worn-out elastic that connects to plastic track piece?

thanks in advance!

[overlander64]

Greetings aconnol!

Welcome to the Forums and the world of Vintage Airstream ownership!

Originally Posted by aconnol

'73 airstream curtain cleaning. HOW TO REMOVE CURTAIN FROM TRACK TO BE ABLE TO CLEAN?

- riveted track with snap rivet at end
-- is it easier to cut from the curtain pleat the worn-out elastic that connects to plastic track piece?

thanks in advance!

If your '73 is like my '64 Overlander and '78 Minuet, if you closely examine the "tracks" that the glides run in, you will find a set screw that can be removed that porvides just enough room to work the guides through. On my Overlander, they are at either end of the tracks, but in the Minuet they are found in a different place on each window.

So far as cleaning, I have not had good success in either coach. Tried laundering the drapes/curtains in the Overlander and they turned into a mass of shreds in the bottom of the washer. With the Minuet, I tried having one set of the drapes dry cleaned and discovered that one panel partially disintegrated and the other shrunk enough that it no longer would fit its opening. The drapes in the Minuet were original to 1978 while the drapes/curtains in the Overlander dated to 1979/1980.

Good luck with your project!

Kevin

[sovereignrwe]

We have started cleaning the curtains in our "new" A/S and thanks to several of the various posts in airstreamforums, we have found that 3 lids of Woolite and 3 lids of Pinesol in a 20 gal. flat storage tub works well. We let them sit for several hours with occasional agitation.

We have noticed some shrinkage even with cold water from the hose. For those curtains that have sown in travelers, we are spin drying in the washing machine and mounting them in the trailer damp so that they will naturally stretch.

For those curtains with curtain pins/hooks (front window curtains have curtain pins/hooks and a curved track), we are drip drying by hanging them by the pins/hooks on the tracks of our garage door. This provides some stretch until drip dried and then with minor two person stretch can be rehung damp.

Back to washing

[pjude]

Hi! Does anyone know where to buy replacement guides for the curtains. I recently purchased a '86' 345 and all of the front guides are broken. Thanks
Pete

[azflycaster]

Originally Posted by pjude

Hi! Does anyone know where to buy replacement guides for the curtains. I recently purchased a '86' 345 and all of the front guides are broken. Thanks
Pete

Do they look like this:


You can get these at VTS

[overlander64]

Greetings Pete!

Welcome to the world of Vintage Airstream ownership!

Originally Posted by pjude

Hi! Does anyone know where to buy replacement guides for the curtains. I recently purchased a '86' 345 and all of the front guides are broken. Thanks
Pete

Another possibility is to visit a sewing room that does business with local decorators. Most of these shops will have a Kirsch drapery hardware catalog. Many of the glides used by Airstream are adaptations of Kirsch hardware -- I know that those in both my Minuet and Overlander were adaptations of Kirsch hardware.

Good luck with your search!

Kevin