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Silverwanabe · 08-17-2008, 07:52 PM

Congrats,

Cool story.....What a detective!!

Do not sell the unit, restore it and use it.

PeeWee · 08-18-2008, 03:55 PM

Here are several pictures from my archieves.

McGregor Smith had an Amassador, and may have had twin bunks. He traveled with wife and three children. His number was "73". His book was Thank You Marco Polo.

Also there is a picture of a twin bunk being offloaded.

The last picture is at the Kremlin. This may be your trailer. It is 6472. Paul and Ruth Ross from La Puente, CA.

Of interest 7 familes were on the African Caravan in 1959, and several Airstream owners that were on the 1956 European Caravan.

Plus my assistant Nick Charles doing the advance work for his dad, Andy ?Charles.

PeeWee · 08-18-2008, 04:04 PM

I hope these two groups of pictures work for you.

Lumatic · 10-19-2008, 06:45 PM

I got a copy of "Thank You Marco Polo" on interlibrary loan and am about half done. The Ross trailer 6274 is listed in the trip roster. I have not yet come across a specific reference to the Ross' or their trailer but this comes durn close:

McGreggor Smith on p 201 describes some welding work in Bombay in preparation for the Afghanistan roads after being told "trailers could not possibly cross it". The author goes on to say: "Two had new steel frames welded under their old ones, lifting their trailers six inches higher off the ground" This is my case. 6472 has two complete frames piggyback. The trailer weighed in about 1000# over factory specs.

By the way Pee Wee's photo of the hanging trailer of Calcutta does look like mine as the bunk windows are pretty unique. But, the Leave it to Beaver archtypical family is not sitting in the door of my trailer. My trailer has 2 different size flat windows just forward of the entry door not Jalousy windows. Pee Wee, if you are listening, are those folks the Ross's? If so they look young enough they could still be around somewhere. If have been trying to track down the Ross family, so far unsuccessfully.

Lumatic · 10-19-2008, 07:26 PM

Here's a better shot of the old WBCCI numbers.

Also if you look at Pee Wee's close up outside the Kremlin it sure looks like it could be the same California license plate. You can see the license plate that is now on the trailer in my first post in this thread. This would mean the 2nd owners had the same plate or the Ross's had the original title in the name of Emilio Jesus Salazar who I got the trailer from.

66Overlander · 10-19-2008, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lumatic

I got a copy of "Thank You Marco Polo" on interlibrary loan and am about half done. The Ross trailer 6274 is listed in the trip roster. I have not yet come across a specific reference to the Ross' or their trailer but this comes durn close:

McGreggor Smith on p 201 describes some welding work in Bombay in preparation for the Afghanistan roads after being told "trailers could not possibly cross it". The author goes on to say: "Two had new steel frames welded under their old ones, lifting their trailers six inches higher off the ground" This is my case. 6472 has two complete frames piggyback. The trailer weighed in about 1000# over factory specs.

By the way Pee Wee's photo of the hanging trailer of Calcutta does look like mine as the bunk windows are pretty unique. But, the Leave it to Beaver archtypical family is not sitting in the door of my trailer. My trailer has 2 different size flat windows just forward of the entry door not Jalousy windows. Pee Wee, if you are listening, are those folks the Ross's? If so they look young enough they could still be around somewhere. If have been trying to track down the Ross family, so far unsuccessfully.

Keep reading that book. I think most Caravanners were mentioned by name somewhere or other in it. I do beleive you have one of those trailer modified in India.

I beleive the family in the photo is the McGregor Smith family, most likely sitting the in the doorway to their trailer #8511. Otherwise, it may be a publicity shot taken before or after the caravan, possibly in another trailer owned by Airstream that was not on the caravan, since they were on the Airstream payrole (of sorts) as McGregor was publicist for the Caravan.

PeeWee · 10-19-2008, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 66Overlander

Keep reading that book. I think most Caravanners were mentioned by name somewhere or other in it. I do beleive you have one of those trailer modified in India.

I beleive the family in the photo is the McGregor Smith family, most likely sitting the in the doorway to their trailer #8511. Otherwise, it may be a publicity shot taken before or after the caravan, possibly in another trailer owned by Airstream that was not on the caravan, since they were on the Airstream payrole (of sorts) as McGregor was publicist for the Caravan.

The family sitting in the doorway of the Airstream is the McGregor Smith family.

Lumatic · 10-28-2008, 07:20 AM

Just putting this feeler out there.

I am not going to be able to get to work on 6274 anytime soon. Perhaps I should put the word out it could be for sale to the right person for the right price. If I sold it I would want to see someone else take it over and restore it back to original. The right price, higher than a similar coach in similar condition, would be the best insurance that a potential buyer would follow this vision.

I have guilt pangs just thinking about selling her, but I can assuage those recriminations if I knew she was going to the right home. Cash in my pocket would also help. So, I have a figure in mind. It is very round and has 5 digits. If anyone has any suggestions for an asking price I would be interested in your suggestions. If anyone has any interest in being the caretaker of this piece of history send me a PM and I will send you my mystery number.

Otherwise, I regard myself as caretaker of the Ross trailer and won't get rid of her until I can find her the right match, or end up restoring her myself at some distant point on the horizon. (And won't be putting her on ebay.)

Overlander & Sea · 10-29-2008, 07:54 PM

I wonder if there are any WBCCI units-that have a lot of VAC members-that might would buy this AS and restore it. Maybe that would help keep it from "falling into the wrong hands". Isn't this the thread about an AS that was on the same caravan and is now the "bee trailer"?

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f286...bay-38488.html

Al's cousin · 03-21-2009, 09:18 PM

It's been 5 months since you put out your feeler. What were the results?

aircooled4 · 03-22-2009, 05:08 AM

I had not seen this thread before... WOW!! I'm mesmerized!

If you have any updates on the trailer, I'm sure I'm not the only one who would love to hear about it. Are you still the owner? Or did someone decide to take over the restoration project??

Oh, if only I had the time... and money... and space... and...

Lumatic · 03-22-2009, 08:10 AM

The results are she's still in my backyard. Pretty much as I got her. I have the space, but not the time and money right now. There may be some information on 6472 and some ot the other survivors in the next Vintage Airstream magazine.

aircooled4 · 03-22-2009, 08:20 AM

This is a cool thread! I love the history involved...My wife mentioned this to me(she made the last post), and this is the first that Ive read it... One thing Id like to mention regarding Paul and Thelma Ross...Have you looked on the Social Security Death Index site (SSDI) Theres alot of information there if you want sift through it!

Lumatic · 07-29-2009, 09:27 AM

Because I don't know when I will have the time to work on 6472 I have decicded it is best to adopt her out. I put in a listing in the forums classifieds. PM if you are interested.

By the way, there was an article by Joe Pepinski about her and the other ATW Caravan survivors in the last issue of the Vintage Airstream Club magazine.

Xbob2 · 08-22-2009, 05:46 PM

Hello all! I am the new owner of the around the world 62 Ambassador. I will be picking the trailer up on or about 8/27/09 from Marshall. I will take 2 days to pull it back to St. Louis, Missouri. My priorities are to 1) make the trailer safe and roadworthy. 2) attend the 50th Cape to Cairo rally/caravan this 9/11/09. 3)Try to get all systems back online. 4)Cushions, mattress, curtians & clean. 5) Live with the trailer AS IS to see what I like and don't like and then make improvements/restoration(s) in keeping with its legacy.
Just thought you would like to know.
Bob

P.S. Oh! I joined WBCCI and got # 6472 ... now is that an indication of my intentions or what?

redstart · 08-22-2009, 05:54 PM

i have been wondering about this neat trailer! congratulations bob on acquiring such an interesting beast! good luck with the resto and keep us all posted PLEASE!!!

wilkeytn · 08-22-2009, 07:09 PM

Wow Bob,

You sure work fast. Congrats on everything. Can't wait to see the trailer when you return.

Steve

soldiermedic · 08-22-2009, 07:19 PM

Yikes....the posting above was by me, but I had not signed wilkeytn out.

So let's reitterate.....GOOD JOB BOB.

Steve

goransons · 08-22-2009, 07:53 PM

Congrats Bob on the new project. Glad to see another AWC trailer coming back.

Xbob2 · 08-22-2009, 08:26 PM

Thank you all for your kind words ... as I said in the C2C thread, after I get this beast home I will start a thread to keep everyone thats interested updated (with LOTS of pictures). I am trying to find a good blogging site than I can put the central body of the info on and post links and the cliff notes versions on the forums.
Bob