Looking for Airstream tow truck.

[Barry2952]

You don't remember the '58 Lincoln Mark III? Most people have intentionally blocked it from their memory. You might have been too young to had it seared into your memory.

[bake315]

I know there was a Mark III in '69, and also in '70. My grandparents had the '70, and traded it in '72 for a toffee colored Coupe de Ville. Not nearly as nice of a car, IMO.

[Minnie's Mate]

OK, I didn't realize that was a Mark III. I thought it was just a Lincoln Convertible. I agree with you...not the prettiest girl at the dance.

[Barry2952]

That's putting it mildly.

July 9, 2006 41 days to go

Upper clam shell door.

Reinstalled door to check fit and found that the shell of the trailer shifted slightly when it was foamed and stuck in a position that is actually more square.



The gap was off by 3/8" and the rear door had to be disassembled after scribing correct gap lines.



It is starting to look finished.



It took about an hour to remove the foam over-fill from unwanted areas. I had to remove the two arced side rails that gave the upper door its shape. I literally had to cut the foam away from the wood to release them. Once the side rails were removed the door retained its shape due to the structural foam bonding everything together.



I flipped the door over and cut the new edge with freshly sharpened and adjusted shears.



Trimmed the wood supports and reinstalled the side rails to match the new door gaps. Filled in the gaps where I had to remove foam to make the door adjustment. All four corners have been cleared of foam as these are access areas for tail lights and door hinge and wiring.



The inside of the door is covered in FRP. I salvaged the old window frames. I'll probably powder coat them silver.





Almost finished. Still need to add edging and finish sides.



Window sills. Bill's making a matching table top and countertops. The table top is the shape of the bubble lamp. It's 24" x 36". Kind of an oval shape with the ends lopped off.

[swebster]

Barry,
Your trailer just keeps on getting better and better. Millionairstream and Goin-Campin may be onto the solution. What about a shorter AS Moho, with improved chassis and engine. The shorter models won't have the extensions that many consider the weak point (and possibly the reason for the extremely low limit) on the longer ones. Box the frame (or even transplant it onto a newer W24 or W22 chassis from a salvage unit)

I can tell you that the stock 454 will not pull your trailer up any kind of grade and not using a diesel will mean you'll need one mother of a gasser in there but a blown 502 fuelie can rival the torque of a stock Cummins.

One other option was mentioned by Millionairstream and might work, I'm pretty sure flxble Starliners came with gasoline engines (found this listing about one for sale with a GMC 401 V-6 gas engine http://www.rvweb.net/cgi-bin/anyboar...2353938&v=2&gV=).

Might be something worth checking into. I've always loved the look of these and the early GMC's. Looks like you can pick up project buses pretty darn cheap and since the trailer is almost done you need another project for the rest of us to live vicariously through anyway .

[Chaplain Kent]

I was crawling under Chummy yesterday to see how my receiver is attached. It is bent slightly upward from an incident by the PO. I think I can straighten it using nothing more than a long wrecking bar for the proper leverage. It is no more than a bumper hitch. Snooping around, I believe in order to attach a hitch correctly you would need to either alter or remove the black water tank.
The P-30 chassis is certainly strong enough to handle the weight of your trailer and I would think the Isuzu diesel would have enough power to get it up and down the mountains. To answer you question of where the closest mountain to you is I think it would be Chattanooga, TN.

[Barry2952]

7-16-2006

Finished installing and trimming inside of upper rear door. Installed gas supports that smoothly open the door with a very light touch. I'm trying to devise a way to pull the upper lid closed but I'm going to install a latch system similar to that of a pick-up tailgate for additional security.



Bill cut and installed the aluminum trim. His joints are flawless.



I selected and ordered tail lights. They are red and yellow LEDs that mimic the shapes of all the window and door openings. Round tail lights just wouldn't have looked right. The original puny tail light was rectangular with radiused corners, too.



I wanted to hide the original tail light holes. Luckily they were positioned where they could be removed as part of the cutout. I made a cutout of the three lights and traced the shape onto the aluminum. I drilled some relief holes and cut them out with a pair of aviation tin snips.











Installed the stock black gaskets. They match the window gaskets perfectly. I've ordered black Lexan for the rear window. It looks kinda like a prision cell through the rear windows. I can do some kind of graphic on the black background.



DRAPES!!!!

My friend and fellow Lincoln Club member, Dug, took measurements and had the drapes made in a sweatshop in Guatamala. They really turned out nice. I wanted the pattern to be consistant around the room so Dug had the material worked in "pillowcase" fashion so the the pattern repated horizontally.

I must credit my wife for finding the perfect fabric. She's got a great eye for style.



I installed the stainless steel curtain rods through the neat pocket in the drapes and installed the tubing into holes drilled into the sides or the window opening. They are held in place with screws concealed behind the aluminum trim. The pattern repeats on the outside to complete the look.



Nearly finished cabin.



The rooftop heat pump/air-conditioner should be arriving in about a week, along with a light gray EPDM rubber membrane roof. A house is only as good as its roof. Tail lights should be arriving soon. I'll test the lighting system and take it for a spin.

[AZstreamin]

When’s the open house? I love the furniture!

[Barry2952]

My door's always open!

7-20-2006

It was suggested that I post a picture of what the trailer looked like originally.



New tail lights lit and new black Lexan window.



Tail lights are clear until lit.



Front clearance light lit.



Cut hole for roof top heat pump/AC

[joewinfield]

Hi Barry, love your work, the toy hauler is fantastic. Really like the furniture. I'm looking for swivel chairs for my 79 motorhome, where did you get yours? joe

[Barry2952]

Originally Posted by rvlover

Hi Barry, love your work, the toy hauler is fantastic. Really like the furniture. I'm looking for swivel chairs for my 79 motorhome, where did you get yours? joe

These chairs cam out of an old CSX railroad lobby. If you're looking for something of this style do a search for "modern" furniture.

Which '79 do you have?

[joewinfield]

My 79 is a 28' Excella with rear bedroom and center divided bath and shower. We have replaced the marble floor with banboo and the couch with a modern hide a bed. The 454 was basically sound but while the radiator was being replaced, I replaced the cam with a rv cam and the lifters with the variable type. Also I replaced the intake with the woler lower type. I love this motorhome, it was my first choice and I searched until I found it. I took it to a hitch shop and they removed the grey tank, reinforced the frame wich channel and added an extreme heavy duty hitch. Good luck on your search for the tow for that great toy hauler. joe

[Barry2952]

7-23-2006

Windows. They're done.

I used 250 ft of 3/8 foam backer rod in-between the aluminum frame and rubber gasket. This pushed the gasket tight to the window material and gave the windows the correct shape.



I've learned that silicone is not the correct sealant, butyl is. I filled the gap and covered the backer rod. I worked a smooth surface around the window leaving the excess for easy removal after the material sets.



Everything in the back is finished, except the floor. I am seeking a 21 foot length of gray battleship linoleum to cover the floor in-between the E-tracks that I have on order.



The windows and ceiling vents were trimmed in bright anodized aluminum.

[SilverToy]

Barry -

I am simply in AWE of the worh you have put into this hauler. ANY car that gets this ride is simply the "Belle of the Ball". Couldn't you fit the '62 Continental HardTop with the big 8 motor, the full on leather and the classic suicide doors??? Mine has Champagne outside with a full Champagne Leather interior...... Sigh. Still wish I had that car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great resto to that Spartan. You couldn't have done her any more proud than the work you have into here now! Stellar work. Love all the detail that has obviously considered from the word start..... Great to see that level of commitment and craftsmanship to any vehicle. And to see it on a 'home built' is even that much MORE impressive.

Obviously, you have serious mod skills!!! Understatement of the week! Pick, as mentioned, a shorter AS MH, and go from that excellent starting point - kinda like that Spartanette.

With your abilitites and clear engineering thinking - I think that I SUPER SWEET HAULER is in your future!

The Lincoln will almost be secondary to the car - until the JUDGES arrive. A TT-hauler tour might get you a few extra points!

Add a dedicated AS MH (with mods), and you have that "Concours De 'Elegance" all sewn up.....................

I LOVE TO SEE OLD LINCOLNS!!!!!!!!!!! and appropriate tow vehicles to bring them to any shows. Of Course, driving them to and from the show is the ultimate test of the vehicle in daily use.... Is there any other way to use a car???? Daily use. NOT TRAILER QUEENS! Soapbox away!

Our Marriage "Limo" was actually a Midnight Blue '48 Lincoln HT with the V-12 and OD. A 'one-of resto' at the time. Simply the highlight of the day!!!! after the wedding of course.

As I stated earlier in another thread - I think that anything you approach from a hauling standpoint CAN BE MADE to do what you are asking. Period. Only cost and time are impeeding you.

I think that you should find the "ONE" ( or 2) AirStream MH that satisfies your eye from the "look"..... and then go from there. There is no doubt that you can engineer anything. Just start with a really solid AS starting point and then all else will fall fairly quickly into place.....

As always, I would LOVE TO HAVE PHOTOS!!!!!! of everything that you do. Helps those of us that are stuck with ideas but no outlet........................ ARG!!!!!!!!!! Sigh.............. Hum.

Keep up the extremely Great work on the Spartan - I am sure that the right MH will come you way, and then the wark begins.....

The ULTIMATE TOW VEHICLE AND TRAVEL TRAILER + LINCOLN content will be on the road soonest!!

Perhaps you can let the "lincoln" fans know when the first show of the full combo will be avaiable to be seen??? Should be a stellar event!

Keep up/ me posted.

Ciao

Axel
SilverToy

[Barry2952]

Thanks Axel. It looks like the debut will be on the 11th of August as we head to St. Joseph in western Michigan to attend the Krasl Concours. We've been asked to display the trailer and the '55 Porsche Continental cabrio.

7-26-2006

I decided to restore the original mechanical doorbell, and I'm glad I did. The tone is melodic and the shape is beautiful.





I eliminated two of the original roof vents and restored the other two. The vent mechanisms were simply suffering from neglect.



In preperation for the installation of the EPDM rubber membrane roofing I mopped the dust and dirt off of the roof and then hand wiped the surface with lacquer thinner to remove all remaining dirt and oils.



The roofing came in one piece 9' x 26', 45 mil thick. It was heavy enough that the hi-lo became the preferred method of putting it on top.



I spread out the material last night, at the roofer's request.



At first I thought they had shipped the wrong material because it looked real white under my shop's metal halide lights. It was only after comparing it to something I knew was white that I saw that they did ship the gray material, as ordered.



I am extremely glad that I hired out this task. The roofer was not. He is a perfectionist and he wasn't happy with his work because there are a few wrinkles in it. Had I done a glue down this big myself I'm sure there would have been more than a few wrinkles. I am more than satisfied with his work.







As soon as the rubber went on I installed the air conditioner, It really was a simple as the instructions showed. The whole installation took about 45 minutes.







Next step is to acquire a 2KW true sine wave inverter to power the air conditioner and wine cooler when off-grid.

[bake315]

Barry,

Tell me you're going to replace the trim over the rear windows that is in the original picture? They're somewhat unusual, and really add a lot to the looks!

[Barry2952]

Hi Dave,

You're not the only one to make that comment.

The original window was hinged at the top. Without the visor the top of the rounded window would let in a lot of rain. My new windows are fixed so the need for the front and rear visors were eliminated. I'm from the school of "form follows function" when it comes to design.

[Barry2952]

My design philosophy has always been "form follows function". The visors no longer had a function as the new rear windows don't open.

[Barry2952]

Sorry, double answer.

[gpowell40]

Just a little input on towing something behind a motor home. For a living I deliver various makes, models, size, motor types of motorhomes around the country. I avoid like the plauge delivering anything with a gas motor, they get rotten mpg and that is with it being completley empty and pulling my 06 chevy malibu. the engine and trannys work way to hard. If it is pulling you want go with a diesel much better mpg and a lot less stress on the engine and tranny. I do like your trailer. It is not so much always just getting what you are towing moving but to keep it moving going up hills and that includes overpasses. If you are looking for a serious tow vehicle check out sportchassis.com