Gutted airstream unsure of where to start!

[Dianavo06]

Hello I just bought a 1964 24 foot tradewind. I am definitely new to airstream but I have big dreams for my little trailer. It is completely gutted. The floor is done but it needs everything else. I'm realizing of course this is going to be a huge project and I am so lost on where to start. I will be restoring the airstream with my dad and he is ready to help but I need a corse of action. Plumbing needs to be done and someone mentioned that should of been done before the floors were put in so I am hoping there is a way around this. Any help or input is much appreciated!

[DanB]

1. Make it safe. (frame, axle, tires, wheels, hitch, brakes, vehicle lights)
2. Make it dry. (gaskets, leaks)
3. Make it sound. (floor)

Now go camping!

Now....
1. Waste Plumbing
2. Fresh Water Plumbing
3. LP
4. Electrical
5. Furniture
6. Mechanicals (fridge, WH, Toilet, Sinks, Air, Furnace)
7. Soft goods
8. Decorate!

Sometime along the line work on the exterior, awnings, and the 100 things I left out.

Good luck. It looks like you have a nice start.

[Hittenstiehl]

Ditto what DanB said.

Love your pallet wall and floor, nice clean slate.

There are tons of pictures online of original plans, Airstream Archives and modern ones on Pinterest, House.

There is a way around the plumbing it will involve some holes in the floor eventually.

For now put in a mattress, cot, camping table and chairs, dish pan and lugaloo in the bathroom.

Then do something I saw referred to here on the forum as "bucket time". You sit, you contemplate your needs, your camping style, your family size etc.

Then tape off areas for spatial help and build mock ups out of cardboard or plywood.

And spend lots of time on the forums and online. You tube has a whole series on a renovation. There is likely nothing you will need to do that someone here hadn't already done and they will be glad to help.

Make a rough draft outline of the process and keep it flexible to your needs, logical procession and money.

For us we're roughing it but still camping. I recently decided water versus electricity is my next choice. Lanterns are easy but I want to turn a faucet and get water. So I adjusted the outline.

Start your own thread, this could be it, and then let the thread progress with you during your build. Post your specific questions in their areas of expertise.

We're rooting for you!!!

[xrvr]

Aluminum tents are great. Camp a couple nights and you will discover what your priority will be, water, electric, etc. enjoy, go to a full hookup cg and use their facilities, no one needs to know what is inside your trailer. But make it safe and dry first.

[Cleareye]

Do the research on other people's solutions, then get some paper and pencils and start dreaming. If you don't have a dream, how you gonna make a dream come true?

[TG Twinkie]

As for the fresh water it should all be routed above the floor. This is to prevent freezing as much as possible. Most black water tanks of that era also sat above the floor. If you want shower facilities the grey water tank will need to be below the floor. The galley and bath sinks will drain into the grey water tank. The black and grey tanks will require venting.
Then there is the exterior and interior electrical systems. I don't know if the original equipment and wiring still exist. If so, a thorough checkout is required for both the 120 volt AC and the 12 volt DC systems.
Have you determined if the coach is water tight?

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by DanB

1. Make it safe. (frame, axle, tires, wheels, hitch, brakes, vehicle lights)
2. Make it dry. (gaskets, leaks)
3. Make it sound. (floor)

Now go camping!

Double ditto, In that order.

[kdickinson]

a clean slate! Nice, should be a fun project.

[Dianavo06]

Seems to be water tight electrical is done next step is plumbing . It has a black tank but no grey tanks. Since floors are done I'll need to figure that part out without tearing it back up hopefully!

[Hittenstiehl]

Dianavo06

How will you be camping. Always full hookups? Boondocking?

Could use a Nature's Head toilet and convert your black tank to grey but you still have to get the water into it.

[splyb]

Following this thread will be fun. And helpful, as our 68 Safari is just a bit behind yours. Except we haven't got the new floor in yet. Or the old rotten one out, yet. Or any electrical, or waste or plumbing, yet. Or LP. Our interior skins are rolled up in the garage and we have holes in the top where the vents and AC used to be. But we're coming right along.

We do, however, have dreams. Well, Lisa does. I have skills. Some skills. Just a few.

Jay & Lisa

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by Dianavo06

It has a black tank but no grey tanks.
!

Easiest solution is to buy a "blue boy" portable tank to substitute for a greywater tank in those areas where they are picky about draining greywater directly on the ground, such as national parks. In most settings draining greywater on the ground, while maybe not PC nowadays, works using the "don't ask don't tell" policy. I'm a pretty green person, but in most situations I don't see how draining grey water on the ground or in a septic system in the ground is any different. A blue boy will also double for taking the backwater to the dump station when you don't want to hitch up the trailer.

[Zcashio]

Following this..

My wife and I too bought an airstream a few months back. It was basically gutted with the bathroom/subfloor and inner shell still in tact. A few weekends ago we took a whole day and got it completely gutted! Everything is out.. What a task! But we are so excited and can't wait.
It's a 72 sovereign rear bath. Thanks for everyone's advice.

[Dianavo06]

Originally Posted by Hittenstiehl

Dianavo06

How will you be camping. Always full hookups? Boondocking?

Could use a Nature's Head toilet and convert your black tank to grey but you still have to get the water into it.

I would like the option of both. Seems like the blue tanks might be the easiest way to go about the grey water since I do want flushable toilet. These are great suggestions and encouragement thank you all

[Isuzusweet]

Its kind of funny that of all people to rain on your parade it would be me, a motorhome guy..........None of you trailer people told him about this.

Renovating a trailer is more science than design. It's the reason most people get to the stage you are at, and then give up, for the simple reason......they forgot to section off their trailer and weigh everything that comes out of the sections. How else are you going to know what weight you can put back, and where. Now you're going to have to science the crap out of this.

Find the Airstream stock weight, empty and gross weight full of your trailer. Section off the trailer into four sections (two equal ahead of the axles and two equal behind); and weight everything that goes into these sections If you can, add a middle line to weigh side to side. You will also need a weigh scale under the tonque to set tongue weight.

Whatever cabinets you make will have to be as light as possible. Mine I made for my motorhome have no bottoms, backs or even tops, other than countertops.

Remember to add everything that you intend to go camping with into whatever section you will need to store it in. If you create a lot of storage far behind the axle, while empty the tonque weight will be fine, but fill the storage full and all of a sudden your tonque weight could be negative (very, very bad thing).

Good luck
Tony

[HiHoAgRV]

New floor covering always makes me nervous. It's really easy to cover up a poor job of subfloor repair. I'd suggest that now would be a perfect time to see if your trailer has a good, solid, properly installed subfloor prior to moving forward. My '63 had the front 6-8' of floor replaced sometime in its past BUT they didn't attach it properly to the C channel and out riggers. The result was if you grabbed the front edge of the door opening, the entire wall would slide in and out.

On edit-welcome to the '60's club!