Solo new Streamer here! stripping????

[jenyonwheels]

Hi! I have my house on wheels! YAY! My dream since 19! It is a '73 Sovereign, in pretty good shape. I've been living in her here in ATX for a year this month with few problems. I am getting ready to strip the clear coat, and have been reading a lot on this topic. I am still unsure of the best way to start on the cheap. Can I go buy something from the local improvement store to get started? Any advice would be much appreciated. I am pretty crafty, but a total novice at upkeeping and improving an awesome Airstream! Learning something new everyday, and lovin' every minute of it! Thanks, y'all.

[wasagachris]

Jenny welcome to the forums and congrats on getting your dream come true. I'm partial to 73's myself. My excella is basically the same as your sovereign with a few extras.
Is the clearcoat really bad on yours? The reason I ask is that unless you are going to polish it the shell will oxidize much faster with the clearcoat removed.
The best stripper to use is removall 220 available from VTS (Vintage Trailer Supply). It is non toxic and does a fantastic job to remove the clearcoat. It won't harm your plastic lenses or window glass. It also does not kill the grass and is not harmful to pets etc. It is also much safer for you to use, no gloves or masks needed.
I did mine with it and two gallons is how much you need.
Napier RemovAll 220 - 1 Gallon

It is a little pricey but worth it in saving effort and the safety factor.
Good Luck and post some pics so we can see your dream.
BTW is yours a rear bath or center bath?

[jenyonwheels]

It's a center bath and so cool because I built a full size bed platform in the back! I har center baths are somewhat rare. I will probably wait on trying to do it cheap in favor of doing it right! Too much to loose. My clear coat is mostly gone on the front, and mostly intact on the back. It's all still pretty, though. Oh, yeah, I also have the blue stripe around the back three quarters of the trailer. Thanks so much for your reply, it is so awesome to live this way!

[moosetags]

Welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us. Congratulations on your new baby. We would love to see some pictures of her.

[jenyonwheels]

Here's my Moon Unit!

[wasagachris]

Jenny beautiful! The trailer looks good as well. If I were you I would leave the clearcoat alone. It looks pretty good as it is. Your layout is a little different than mine. My center bath is curbside. Yes center baths are rarer than rear ones. They also suffer less from the dreaded rear end seperation because more of the weight is forward. The bathroom is smaller but the bedroom is bigger. I think I would rather have it that way. I mean how much time do you spend in the bathroom anyway?
I know what you mean about living in the trailer. I full timed in mine for 7 yrs before buying my own campground. Fulltiming here in the great white north is no small feat. Dealing with loads of snow and extreme cold takes special measures.
You've got your garden lot looking really nice as well. Do you have any interior shots? I'd like to see what the different layout looks like.

[jenyonwheels]

Thank you Chris! Yes, the snow shots are a rare spectacle here in Texas! I'm trying to iimagine your front side bathroom layout, that's totally diff. I agreee, it's always better to spend more time in the back lol! I'll post some interior pics asap. Thanks about the garden I can't wait to get more going this year. I have awesome landlords here at my spot!

[scorpiontimo]

Very nice rig Jenny If you strip than polish it will take mostly 100 to 150 hours of work but take your time and it will be fine I use kwik strip from Lowe's work good with one pass than I buff with the bar and polish with the s grade , but for a good clean polish once the buffing is done Lowe's truck box polish is great gives you a nice shine which is what I did on my own 71 see pic's on my blog Vintage travelers any questions let me know I can send you complete instructions also we are close to you and can show you what to do as we get to Austin a few times a month . Sean & Rondie & Juno