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Grand Master · 07-07-2010, 08:42 PM

We are traveling across the USA and stopped in Burlington, WA to rest a couple of days before we head north to Alaska.

There is an old Airstream in the back of the park. It is in rather sad shape, but the body is pretty good. All the windows are broken out so the floor and frame are probably shot.

The interesting thing about this 26' tandem axle, 13 panel Airstream is that it has the ghost number 75 over the front and rear windows. The serial number is 6677.

Does anyone have any information about this trailer or the previous owner. Could it be a world traveler?

If there are any responses to the above, I will post some pictures.

drag'nwagon · 07-07-2010, 09:02 PM

Very Interesting! The double axle and serial number suggest that it is a California Cruiser or Custom built only in California in 56. The rest I will leave up to the historians around here, but a two digit number tells me that the original owner was a current member prior to 56.

drag'nwagon · 07-07-2010, 09:15 PM

Found it, or at least the owners and number. The trailer was on 1957 Mexico caravan and trailer was owned by
Ted and Cora McCoye 7820 Vista del Mar, Playa del Rey CA.

You can find it here http://www.sierranevadaairstreams.or...co57roster.pdf

I will look to see what other caravans it was on.

drag'nwagon · 07-07-2010, 09:30 PM

That is all I can find for the 50's. I will look later into the 60's. If you have pictures please post them and lets take a look at her now.

66Overlander · 07-08-2010, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drag'nwagon

Found it, or at least the owners and number. The trailer was on 1957 Mexico caravan and trailer was owned by
Ted and Cora McCoye 7820 Vista del Mar, Playa del Rey CA.

You can find it here http://www.sierranevadaairstreams.or...co57roster.pdf

I will look to see what other caravans it was on.

Not so fast Dave. The 1955 Directory as well as my 1960 & 1966 WBCCI Membership Directories all list two different members with #75: Earl & Stella Alspaugh of Washington State (Seattle in 1955, Fall City in 1960 & 1966) and Thurlow and Cora McCoye of Playa Del Ray, CA. Only Thurlow McCoye remains in my 1975 Directory.

It is unclear as to which may have actually owned the 1956 26' Cruiser/Overlander in question. The Alspaugh's were only on caravans #4, 5, & 6, which were all 1955 or earlier so if they owned the trailer it was not on any numbered caravans. The McCoyes were on caravans #3, 11, & 25. If they owned the trailer, it may have been on #11 Mexico - Winter 1957 and #25 Western Canada - Summer 1960.

The fact that the Cruiser/Overlander is currently in Burlington, Washington and Alspaugh's were from just 76 miles away in Fall City, Washington makes them the more likely owners in my mind, although the McCoye's cannot be ruled out.

[Historian Out]

Snedwid · 07-13-2010, 02:58 PM

Its great to think of these names and addys and the Airstreams on caravan back in the day. I try to imagine what it was like and what these people were doing and thinking. History is wonderful and I sure love vintage stuff.

Grand Master · 07-25-2010, 02:32 PM

Here are some pictures on this once proud Airstream. Note the ghost 75 on the "Whale Tail". It also has a white painted roof. The license plate idicates it was last titled in Wisconsin in 1984. The state sticker is WN. Did Washington use that abbreviation in the 80"s?

It's in pretty sad condition. Probably more to repair than it would be worth.
The inside has been exposed to the eliments for many years.

Dave Park · 07-25-2010, 02:40 PM

Maybe someone could talk them out of it? Getting the box for free would offset a lot of the extra costs...

Nah, that'll never happen :/

drag'nwagon · 07-26-2010, 05:22 PM

Interesting layout. I think I see a rear "L" lounger with a side bath? rear jalousie window, and few other oddities that appear to be factory. It is too bad thar its so far gone, as it would be an interesting and worthy find.

NJtoNC · 07-26-2010, 06:24 PM

wow. to think that this once treasured trailer - taken all the way to mexico...now sits so sadly, all alone and abandoned....so sad. can you PM me which park it was in?

Silverwanabe · 07-26-2010, 06:43 PM

If the shell is dent free, it might be worth to restore.
It would need a new frame and floor.
There have seen numerous shell off resto's on this site.
All you need is $$$

shermybaby · 07-26-2010, 09:56 PM

This trailer has the same floor plan as my 56 Overlander before it was stolen and gutted. Is this trailer for sale? I have to go up that way soon and maybe I could at least get some pics and measurements for my project. My AS is WBCC #893 and is on the Mexico directory. Serial number is 6696. Can you PM me with the location and more pics if you have them? Thanks.

66Overlander · 07-27-2010, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grand Master

Here are some pictures on this once proud Airstream. Note the ghost 75 on the "Whale Tail". It also has a white painted roof. The license plate idicates it was last titled in Wisconsin in 1984. The state sticker is WN. Did Washington use that abbreviation in the 80"s?

It's in pretty sad condition. Probably more to repair than it would be worth.
The inside has been exposed to the eliments for many years.

Sad outcome for a rare for the time tandem axle Cruiser. I would guess that the battery box on the front and the Jalousie window were added at a later time. It would be cool to restore, but a WHOLE LOTTA WORK. And money. I hate to see any old Airstream be divvied up for parts or scrap metal, but this one might be close to the line.

"WN" is not the official state abbreviation for Wisconsin, "WI" is. Of course the official state abbreviation for Washington is "WA".

According to Wikipedia, state abbreviations were not standardized until 1987 and "WN" is an alternate abbreviation for Washington as defined by the U.S. Coast Guard: List of U.S. state abbreviations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I can't prove it, but I think that trailer has spent the majority of it's life in Washington state and likely belonged to Alspaugh's, meaning that it was NOT on the 1957 Mexican caravan.

King O D Road · 07-27-2010, 09:41 PM

This plate off of a 1962 Tradewind is definitely in Washington State.

wkerfoot · 07-27-2010, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 66Overlander

Sad outcome for a rare for the time tandem axle Cruiser. I would guess that the battery box on the front and the Jalousie window were added at a later time. It would be cool to restore, but a WHOLE LOTTA WORK. And money. I hate to see any old Airstream be divvied up for parts or scrap metal, but this one might be close to the line.

"WN" is not the official state abbreviation for Wisconsin, "WI" is. Of course the official state abbreviation for Washington is "WA".

According to Wikipedia, state abbreviations were not standardized until 1987 and "WN" is an alternate abbreviation for Washington as defined by the U.S. Coast Guard: List of U.S. state abbreviations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I can't prove it, but I think that trailer has spent the majority of it's life in Washington state and likely belonged to Alspaugh's, meaning that it was NOT on the 1957 Mexican caravan.

This tandem axle Cruiser is rare and should be saved, just like my double door Liner. Luckily, there are some cabinets inside and it is not just a shell, like mine.

It takes a special owner and a lot of patience and money.

Bill

goransons · 07-27-2010, 10:04 PM

WN was briefly used for Washington State before the state officially adopted WA. Our 63 plate restored...

Frank's Trailer Works · 07-28-2010, 05:11 AM

I would like to add a factoid I learned from Pee Wee. In the early days before the Club called the WBCC was formed, numbers were assigned with each caravan. The number 1 was always Mr. Byam, number 2 was always Mrs. Schwamborn, and all the rest were assigned to whom ever they fell to in the caravan ranks. It was not until a club was formed that the numbers were assigned to individual members and were theirs to keep. This may be why multiple people had the same number and also why in the early registers some of the numbers appear to have gone on so many consecutive caravans.

drag'nwagon · 07-28-2010, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62overlander

I would like to add a factoid I learned from Pee Wee. In the early days before the Club called the WBCC was formed, numbers were assigned with each caravan. The number 1 was always Mr. Byam, number 2 was always Mrs. Schwamborn, and all the rest were assigned to whom ever they fell to in the caravan ranks. It was not until a club was formed that the numbers were assigned to individual members and were theirs to keep. This may be why multiple people had the same number and also why in the early registers some of the numbers appear to have gone on so many consecutive caravans.

This is absolutely true, and duplicate numbers were also common.

66Overlander · 08-02-2010, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62overlander

I would like to add a factoid I learned from Pee Wee. In the early days before the Club called the WBCC was formed, numbers were assigned with each caravan. The number 1 was always Mr. Byam, number 2 was always Mrs. Schwamborn, and all the rest were assigned to whom ever they fell to in the caravan ranks. It was not until a club was formed that the numbers were assigned to individual members and were theirs to keep. This may be why multiple people had the same number and also why in the early registers some of the numbers appear to have gone on so many consecutive caravans.

Not quite true. The numbers were reused for all of the first 6 caravans or so, and Wally was always #1, but the first caravan that Helen Byam Schwamborn was on was Caravan #6 - Eastern Canada 1955, which was the caravan during which the Wally Byam Caravan Club was formed. So there were actually up to five other #2's before Hellen Byam Schwamborn.

The first Wally Byam's Caravanners Directory from 1955 lists the following people for #2:
- Leila North of Los Angeles, CA for Caravan #1
- John Hall of Los Angeles, CA for Caravan #3
- Helen & Peewee Schwamborn of Bakersfield, CA for caravan #6

It does not list #2 for caravans 2, 4, or 5. Perhaps those people did not chose to be listed.

By 1960, only Helen and Dale (Peewee) were listed for #2. (Peewee was a guest in Wally's trailer on the first caravan, so he did not have #2 for that one.)

Some numbers are listed for at least 4 different people in the 1955 membership directory. The cases of shared numbers decreased in later years, until the last case of two members sharing their original numbers was for #58, which was shared by the original assignees through 1980!

brad fowler · 11-29-2010, 01:58 PM

My grandfather was T.O. Mccoye, he did own a airstream with the # 75 on it. I do not think this is the same one. His was a older model, because he went on a caravan to Mexico in 1954, as documented in a 1954 Look magazine. Also i think it was destroyed in a fire in Malibu in 1983.