airstream barn find... anyone know what year/ model?

[BIGED52]

I will follow along to see how you make out on this adventure! Ed

[Zerinpozzi]

So I haven’t heard anything from the owner so made a follow up visit , she said she is still workin on finding the title but I was able to clean up the info tag and get some more photos now that the foliage is gone. Shame the ground is frozen now though

[InsideOut]

The tag in your last picture shows O-3224 which would be from a 1954 Flying Cloud - but they didn't normally have two doors....and it looks longer than that. I'd say it's a highly modified "who knows what"?

Shari

[Zerinpozzi]

I’m not sure why someone would add a second door, I think that is original. But I don’t know

[dbj216]

I understand in the early 1950s Airstream was doing a lot of customer work for their customers. Many trailers had special features, mostly inside. A front kitchen anyone? I believe I recall seeing a photo of an Airstream with two doors. I'll have to back and verify. But it wouldn't surprise me.

David

[66Overlander]

A California built 2-door 22' Flying Cloud recently surfaced on a vintage Airatream Facebook page, so I have to this guess that Ohio built at least one, too. Definitely a rare beast. O-3224 was built the first week of July, 1954.

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by Zerinpozzi

I’m not sure why someone would add a second door, I think that is original. But I don’t know

I would LOVE to see the interior layout...

I know there were lots of "customs" before the sixties when things started being more mass produced...but being the owner of a similar era 22' Safari, I have a hard time imagining how a second door would affect the interior layout.

Curious...

Shari

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by dbj216

A front kitchen anyone?

Yes, I have a front kitchen - it was "standard" (not custom) in the '54-'56 Safaris. But no two '54-'56 Safaris I have ever seen have been the same. They have the same basic layout, but many differences in the details.

* Some with metal upper cabinets from earlier years (pre-'54) & others with wood upper cabinets
* Some with "corners" on the lower built-ins, others with curved/radiused corners
* Some all electric park models, others with propane for traveling
* Window on curbside if electric fridge, no window if propane
* etc.

I've heard from several sources, that the smaller Ohio trailers were made indoors during the winter months from leftover parts of longer & "last year's models". Also that they only made them during the winter months and were in more limited numbers because of space.

Not sure if that is 100% true or not...but it makes sense why none are the exactly the same.

So it wouldn't really surprise me if O-3224 was a custom order with two doors - just that it looks longer than 22'.

I also know, in 1964 (after Wally Byam's death) was when Airstream manufacturing became more streamlined & consistent.

Shari

[Zerinpozzi]

Here’s more interior photos

[Hittenstiehl]

Looks original. Don't trash those sinks, toilets and stove. Some of the very talented folks here look for those items when restoring and can fix those things.

[Zerinpozzi]

Yeah , I don’t plan to trash anything . Though I’m up in the air on what I actually want to do with it . Option #1,, get it roadworthy and flip it for a profit , #2 replace the floors etc , reinstall everything and keep it original, basically a “restoration “ . Or #3 do the floors , gut it and build an off grid minimalistic type trailer . I’d like to restore to original but the sleeping arrangements don’t really work for my family but I also don’t want to hack up an “original” trailer with all it’s items still inside . Maybe a good option would be to flip it and start with another ,’ newer model that is less rare / original to change the interior to something that works better for what I want to use it for.

[66Overlander]

Looks like a mix of original and modified. The bathroom and it's contents are original. The roof locker with sliding pegboard doors over the kitchen cabinet is original. The closet/fridge cabinet rearward of the door is likely original. The kitchen base cabinet appears to have been modified and the kitchen sink (should not be stainless), and stove (1960/70s style?) are later replacements. The roof lockers on the interior endcaps are not original and were added by an owner, though likely that was done many decades ago. A Humphrey gas lamp has been added to where a Panel Ray heater/furnace was originally located in an attempt to have the lamp reuse the furnace roof vent. Overall, I would guess the floor plan is likely mostly/totally original.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Consider keeping the barn and pass on the 'find'.😂

Bob
🇺🇸

[InsideOut]

I agree with Joe. Also, the stove most likely would have been originally located where the wall vent is.

Shari

[Zerinpozzi]

Here is the inside rear where the tree grew and pushed in the side. Y’all think I can remove the wall panels and push out the dented section without replacing the outside aluminum paneling ? I have access to body shop equipment, hydraulic rams used to repair damaged frames etc. I know I probably won’t get it perfect but obviously need to fix it if I were to keep it

[dbj216]

This old "barn find" Airstream is a major, major project. 2000 hours of labor wouldn't surprise. Because of the rarity of the thing, I might consider dragging it home, clean it up some, photograph it, and offer it for sale. Someone may need a big project and want to restore it the best they can. It may not be a good candidate for a "renovation" into a more modern travel trailer with an old body. Maybe it should be in the Airstream museum someday.

David

[Zerinpozzi]

I think I agree with you David

[GaryTheNomad]

Originally Posted by Zerinpozzi

I think I agree with you David

I agree with David as well, this one deserves to be restored to original by someone who's been seeking this level of rarity and has the pockets to restore it properly.

Beyond mounting new tires and making it baseline road worthy and an extensive cleaning and professional photographing I'd leave any restoration to the end buyer. Given how long it's been sitting that's a can of worms waiting to spiral if it starts to fall apart as you dismantle versus selling a true unmolested barn find.

Marketed well I think you'd stand to make turn a decent profit and then put that into a much cleaner trailer so your family could go camping in 2021 versus 2023!

Still looking forward to the extraction!