72 31' Land Yacht

[RMax]

I am about to start on a restoration project on a 72 31' Land Yacht Sovereign. The twist on this project is we are going to add the Eddie Bauer hatch in the rear to make a toy hauler/camper. any ideas and input on this would be great. I have aircraft experience on sheet metal and rivets.

[TheGreatleys]

Welcome! I'm no help with the hatch, but I'll sure be watching to see your progress.

[RMax]

Thanks We will report back with our progress !

[overlander64]

Greetings RMax!

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

Originally Posted by RMax

I am about to start on a restoration project on a 72 31' Land Yacht Sovereign. The twist on this project is we are going to add the Eddie Bauer hatch in the rear to make a toy hauler/camper. any ideas and input on this would be great. I have aircraft experience on sheet metal and rivets.

While what you propose is certainly possible, you are looking at substantially more work than just body work particularly depending upon how much the toys you expect to carry may weigh. In the early 1970s, Airstreams were being built with great attention to weight as most owners towed with the full-size family sedan, and this meant that the frames were not nearly as heavily constructed as those that would appear in the 1980s and beyond. The designed payload capacity of the 1970s coaches also was often less than comparable later coaches. There will also be one body related consideration and that will be that you will likely need to re-engineer the rear attachment point for the body that already has a reputation for being the source of problems with rear end separation.


I don't want to be a "downer" in regard to your proposed project, but do want to encourage you to do your homework on frame and running gear related issues before diving into this project.


Good luck with your investigation!


Kevin

[Belegedhel]

There is actually a series of YouTube videos out there showing a guy who took and Airstream trailer and made it into a toy hauler much like you are talking about.

The mid-process show is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FomzWO1XySc

The final reveal is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo1q7KztkhQ

It will be a heck of a project. Very likely you will have to replace/rebuild the frame entirely depending on what you mean to load into it. Another consideration is that by loading up the rear end, you will totally wreck the designed distribution of weight, and will have to figure out how to get it back into balance.

Good luck!

[SuzyHomemakr]

Wow- now that's a project! Before really getting into it, I'd get a side view of a nice toy hauler that is a similar size to your Airstream, and compare where the wheels are. I know that on my 29-footer, it seems like there's a lot of trailer aft of the wheels, and putting an ATV or the like near the back would seriously screw up the balance of the trailer.

The frames aren't really meant for this kind of load, either. Especially an old one!

If it were me, I'd find a good flatbed toy hauler (or find a wrecked one) that fit the bill, then make an Airstream-like shell to go over it. All of your doors, ramps and windows would be in the exact perfect spots for your needs!