Pan America... Why? Why not?

[Zackybilly1]

I know the Pan America was a passing thing for Airstream, that there were very few actually built (19?) and that a big percentage (maybe half??) of those were consumed by businesses for rolling showrooms for trade shows or similar. Not sure if any were shipped abroad or not. Honestly, I'm really limited on some facts about the PA and will be the first to admit it.













With all that being said, I still wanted one. I've had aluminitus since the early 80's and been a motorcycle nut considerably longer. I figured a Pan America would be a nice addition to merge both of my addictions together. I had zero interest in any SOB toy haulers...it was the Pan America or nothing for me. I ran down every practical lead (and some not so practical) I could find on a Pan America. Some turned out to be eBay scams, some were priced at MSRP or above some 4-5 years later or modified so much from OEM that it wouldn't be functional in the capacity it was originally intended for. Considering the limited number of these trailers, I figured that the Pan America would just be something that I wanted but had little hope of ever actually finding one available.

I put the word on a buddy who wheels and deals in a lot of travel trailers and motorhomes that I had been looking for one. Low and behold, about 1-1/2 years later, he calls saying that he had found one at what I considered a reasonable price. It was not a perfect example but only needed some minor TLC. As a perpetual gearhead, that worked for me and therefore, I agreed to buy it...sight unseen. Since he was the "wheeler dealer", I told him to see about moving my Classic 30 in order to make room for the Pan America. The Classic was sold in about two days time. Excluding my labor for upgrades, I broke even on the Classic and was completely satisfied with that...especially knowing the PA was on it's way.

My intent for this thread is for those that are Pan America curious such as I was. That and it is just a little more history/trivia for the iconic trailers that we are intrigued by on up to being obsessed with. Maybe, also, I'm just plain old excited about it and my vision I have for it.

I had the trailer delivered by a hot shot service for two reasons...1) my work schedule was tight but I wanted it ASAP, if not sooner to insure it didn't get away ...and 2) I didn't want to tow it without my WD hitch nor did I want to rig up the hitch on "foreign soil". The hot shot driver (in a 1-ton truck) was to pick up the Classic anyway so all that worked out just fine.

Upon receipt of the trailer and although I have looked at every picture I could find on the net, I was impressed with its size...it's a big boy, for sure. I like the long clean lines of the exterior which only has limited trim. The general condition of the trailer was good but as with many second-hand trailers, there were some small things that had be neglected (which boggles my mind considering the price new). The exterior is in good shape and displays less corrosion (aluminum worms) than many newer trailers. From the appearance of the trailer, it doesn't look like it got used much and spent most of it's life just sitting. It supposedly came with six "new" tires. Upon closer examination, the tires do look new in every respect and still have all the molding "nipples" on them but the manufacturing date on all the tires is late 2008 (on a 2009 trailer) and therefore, will be replaced. Another indicator of limited use. The stabilizer jacks are all in good shape except the "pads" are unusually rusty compared to the balance of the jack...as you would expect from a trailer just sitting and suspect the pads were on dirt or someplace that stayed damp. The garage area looked relatively new without too many hints of use.

Upon doing my "systems check", the fridge (which still looks brand new), worked fine on shore power and LP. The hot water heater worked fine on LP but not at all on shore power...found a tarnished connection on the thermostat which solved the issue. A/C with heat pump worked and looks good. The furnace seemed to be burning a little rich and since testing, blew it out with a focused blast of air...after the soot settled down, it appears to be burning clean. Much to my amazement, all the tank monitors (black, gray, fresh, battery and 2x LP tanks) work and appear to be relatively accurate. The two 53 watt solar panels appear to be doing there thing and the DPO did put new batteries in the trailer. I loaded all the tanks with water to check for tank or valve leaks as I had just done a valve & hatch job on the Classic, all checked out fine much to my relief. When I tried the 12v water pump, it was noisy. Under closer scrutiny, there appeared to be movement between the fluid end of the pump and the motor. The screws that hold the fluid end to the motor were all still tight. After a few minutes of running the noisy little fellow, a water leak appeared at the pump. After ponder for a few minutes, I remembered that I had a new pump on the shelf leftover from another non-trailer project. As luck would have it, it was an identical match in every detail and therefore, just elected to swap the pumps. I ended up cleaning some mineral deposits out of the faucet aerators and all was well in the water department.




The loading ramp does not appear to have seen much use and was a little "sticky" coming and going but not horrible. The ramp slides on plastic "glides" (3/4" x 3/4" plastic stock) going into the storage position that is mounted to a metal frame. I think Airstream selected the wrong type of plastic for the application as it appears to be buckling between attachment points every 10"-12"...it's usable now but will be a easy fix when the time comes to work on the smaller details. The latch on the LP tank surround is rusty and will be replaced. There is a ding on the bottom of the road-side SS rock guard up front...not a big deal and it appears to be the same guard as what is on my Signature. Nothing major but will be on my long list of upgrades/improvements. I'm not interested in restoring the trailer to it showroom condition but would like to make it as presentable as possible while still practical to use it for what it was intended.

After doing the basic checks on the trailer, I rigged up my ProPride hitch on the trailer. The Class V stinger from PP was a vast improvement and is a robust piece of equipment. It took adjusting the stinger twice as I didn't know how much squat to expect when the load was transferred to the truck. My first guestimate was low and subsequently had to raise it one hole to provide the trailer with the right attitude when towing. I will make a trip to the scales to confirm.

2.5" x 2.5" stinger for the receiver end.


The "upright" on the stinger is 2.5" x 2". Note the rusty stabilizer jack pad.


With the hitch tweaked to the best of my ability without scales, it was time for a tow. I have a loop I take when testing the tow of a trailer that includes about 12 miles of two-lane highway, about 18 miles of 35-40 mph winding, narrow back roads and about 20 miles of rolling interstate. On roll out, it was obviously heavy...considerably heavier than the 31' Classic or 28' Signature. Once up and rolling, it felt good and towed well. On the rolling hills of the two-lane highway, I could feel the weight climbing the hills but the Duramaxed Silverado didn't seem to mind. Negotiating the narrow back roads and meeting on-coming traffic, it really didn't feel any different than it's little brothers. Instead of head back south (toward home) on the interstate, I headed north for about 20 miles before heading south. Between 65-70 mph, I actually believe it pulled easier or tracked better than the shorter trailers. During my +/- 40 miles of interstate towing, several 18-wheelers blew by me and I felt very little, if any, influence from them. It was windy here all day yesterday as a front was blowing in and the cross winds on the interstate didn't seem to have any bearing on the trailer, either. Quite pleased and surprised, to some degree on how it towed. Not sure of the difference but am guessing it is a result of more trailer brakes but I had to tone down my brake controller (Chevy OEM) as compared to towing my other two trailers. With the perceived better stopping power of the trailer, the big disc brakes on the truck, as well as, an exhaust brake, stopping is a non-issue or at the very least, no more an issue than the smaller, lighter trailers. In short, taking off from a dead stop is where the increased weight and size is more apparent. The heavy tongue weight on the 2500HD had virtually no effect on the truck's steering even on road irregularities or bridge seams. Although I know it is, from the driver's seat, you can't tell the difference, again, from the shorter trailers. After I got up to speed on the interstate, I reset my "average MPGs"...and got 13.6 mpg with constant elevation changes...slightly less than towing my Classic but not by much. A small price to pay to have my toys with me. I suspect if I hitched it up to my Suburban 2500, I'd get 4-5 mpg and work the transmission to death.

After the towing process, I repositioned the Pan America on my "Airstream Docking Station" to where I would have access to the business end of the trailer at any time. For effect, I stuck a bike in the trailer just...just...just because I could. Can't see hauling two this size, but fortunately, I have plenty of other bikes to choose from.

About the trailer in general, the living end of the trailer doesn't have as much convenient storage that we've grown to know and love about our standard AS trailers. There are a few nice "gimmicks" with this trailer but I can't see full-timing in this trailer unless you converted the garage into a den. I am quite pleased with the trailer for my purposes but, admittedly, I wouldn't have been quite as pleased if I'd paid MSRP for it as Airstream's pricing has exceeded their quality or owner's wow factor. The "nothingness" of the back was very expensive when new. Others may have a different opinion but to me, the Pan America makes for a great second trailer. For serious travel without the need for "toys", the Signature fits the bill much better in that case. Two moderate size motorcycles, two men and one woman (assuming she is half of a couple) can operate comfortably out of this trailer...anymore than that and it would get cramped pretty quick on both ends. With the isolation of the door going to the garage and the partition divider before the bathroom/bedroom area, the A/C has a smaller area to cool during the hottest part of the day giving the impression of more BTUs. However, this trailer wasn't really designed to do a lot of lounging around in. I think the philosophy here was eat, sleep and go play.







Enough room to walk all the way around it and its a fairly long bike.


If your are still reading at this point, I think its safe to say that you are a bit curious, too.

Originally Posted by moosetags

I really like seeing your pictures and hearing about it. You might consider starting a Pan America thread here on the Forums to chronicle your adventures in the Behemoth.

At the suggestion of Moosetags above, I believe I will take him up on his suggestion. So if you see this thread popping back up, you'll know in advance if you want to avoid it or not. Moosetags labeled it as the Behemoth. Every story needs a main character and the main character needs a name. Therefore, from this day forward, I will refer to it as "The Hindenburg". It seems appropriate considering I plan to have a closed-loop auxiliary fuel cell in the garage.

Not actually the Hindenburg...but I liked the image and this one doesn't have swastikas on it.


Z

[truckasaurus]

Very nice, I had a quick look the other day and saw a nice one listing at $39K seems like an insanely good deal to lovers of long Airstreams.

[Air-Texas]

Nice write up and great pictures.

[Zackybilly1]

Thanks, guys.

On the Pan America, I guess it is obvious that I am stoked about it...and I'm not fighting the feeling either. I have dreams at night about modifying it (I like modifying stuff) I modified my Wing...cat is out of the bag. and using it...and that doesn't happen too often for me...the right toys at the right time keep you young...that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I do plan to get it in the best reasonable shape I can and then, use the hell out of it. I hope I use up brake linings by the bushels and go through wheel bearings and tires like croton oil through a widow woman. I don't see this one back on the market until my kids are dividing up my estate. I'm also working on the ideal pair (or pairs) of motorcycles to go with it. Whether it be good, bad or ugly, I'm going to post my mis-adventures of the Pan America.

1968 & 1969 Triumph Bonnevilles...nothing like a tidy shop. I make no time for cleaning when neck deep into a project or projects.




...or a pair of newer Triumphs.





I, also, have a pair of those Suzuki Katana's...(1982...first crotch rocket).




The possibilities for excitement are unlimited. "One of these days" is now. I ordered two motorcycle front wheel chocks and some aluminum material for mods for the Pan America garage yesterday...I'm getting on with this rat killing. If I don't have fun, it's my own fault.

Z

[m.hony]

I actually considered buying a Panamerica. I didn't realize they were so rare.
My conclusion (and it's the same for all toy haulers) is that the living area isn't big enough.
But you have 2 trailers...
One for you and your motorcycle, and one for you and your family...
Some weekend I would like to camp at Paul B. Johnson and come to your Airstream trailer/motorcycle "museum".
I see a bunch of Triumphs, a Norton, and a Suzuki.

[m.hony]

Can you replace the stabilizer pad only?
I noticed today on my trailer the little acorn nuts holding the rear awning support arms are all prematurely rusted.
I have noticed rusty bolts on my Harley's exhaust system. Maybe extreme heat helps them to rust faster?

[pan-european]

Hey Zack - nice to meet you here too - did not know you own an airstream !
Tom (ST1100 in motocampers)

[JimGolden]

Pan America's rock! I'd love to have one! I like toy haulers. If you're going to have a trailer and bring your bike, that's the price you pay, unless you stick it in the back of the truck.

A cat camped beside me at Bar Harbor last summer. I had my 34 footer...he had a Fusion 40' + 5er toy hauler there. His trailer had about eight times the internal room of mine. But it was a sweet rig. He didn't have it with him at the time, but he said he would often bring his HOG and his 4-seat ATV thing...like a Polaris or something. Anyway, it really was a good setup. I'm not too much of a Silver Snob to admit it. His trailer had three axles with 17" wheels. (I have three axles with 15" wheels). He had a hot rodded Ford Super Duty (his plate frame said "NOS" on it....). He said his hot rod diesel was making about 800hp and over 1000 ft-lbs of torque. My stock Cummins was a little over 300hp and 555 ft-lbs.

But anyway, I like the idea of toy haulers. And the Pan America is the best of both worlds. I would love to bring my V-Rod with me on vacation. His Fusion was setup so that when you backed the toys out, two queen beds dropped down from the ceiling and turned the toy bay into the kids' wonderland/bedroom. It's a good setup.

OK, I'm rambling. But I would take an Airstream PanAmerica in a heartbeat.

You go, dude!

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by m.hony

I see a bunch of Triumphs, a Norton, and a Suzuki.

But not a classic BSA in the lot.

Is it true that BSA stood for "b**tard stalled again?



Have much fun! Paula

[m.hony]

I noticed that the Pan America has the classic aluminum step. How cool is that? I think the only trailers that have those steps now are Classic Limiteds.

[Sbb]

I was impressed with whole mud flap hitch setup, but even with all that it seems the little cotter pin is a pretty important part. . Amazing. PA nice rig.

[m.hony]

Yep. The Rock Tamers and ProPride are bad to the bone.
One of these days, when I grow up...

[Lara Me]

Awesome writeup on the trailer, and I sure did like to see all those bikes lined up.

Didn't know about the Panamera when we bought our 28 FC, and it might have made me think different. But the trailer was for 2 boys plus the missus, so we'd have to mod it out pretty well to enable 4 to enjoy.

This would be the ideal trailer for me in about 10 years when they're all out of the house and I can pop my bikes in the mini garage and head out for some dirt or twisty roads. Till then, they'll have to fit in the pickup bed or stay home.

Thanks for posting.

[switz]

BSA = British Small Arms in Birmingham, UK. Our flat is about five miles from where the factory was.

Now there is not a trace of that British history to be seen in that area.

[Zackybilly1]

Originally Posted by m.hony

I actually considered buying a Panamerica. I didn't realize they were so rare.
My conclusion (and it's the same for all toy haulers) is that the living area isn't big enough.
But you have 2 trailers...
One for you and your motorcycle, and one for you and your family...
Some weekend I would like to camp at Paul B. Johnson and come to your Airstream trailer/motorcycle "museum".
I see a bunch of Triumphs, a Norton, and a Suzuki.

You got it, Big Daddy!

I'm crazy about both of my trailers and they are two different tools. The PA will be a perfect (and a real) "base camp" when riding the local roads in areas away from home. You know me, I can ride from my house to anywhere in the lower 48 states in a day and a half or less.... and I ride like that often...but there is no "flower sniffin" on those types of rides. Between the 12th to the 22nd of this month, I rode over 3,600 miles (1,520 in just over 21 hours) and only missed two days of work. The PA is for a different kind of riding....more of an Urban Assault Vehicle. We kind of do the same thing towing campers behind motorcycles. When staying at motels, we eat, everyone goes to their rooms and the night is over. When camping along the way, the hanging out around the campfire and cutting up at night is almost as much fun as riding and a chance to reflect on the sights and events during the day's ride....adds another (good) dimension to the trip. I think the PA will serve the same purpose with a lot more conveniences for man and machine.

RollAHome Solo...

Though we have heat and A/C, cooking and showers can be a little more complicated and trying.


RollAHome Solo and Double (twin bed and king-size bed, respectively). They take about 1-2 minutes to setup or tear down. Usually depends on how much junk you drug out the day before. The top of the trailer folds over to serve as a hard floor in the dressing area.


I do some of my best grilling under these conditions...and don't mind getting my hands dirty, among other things.


This one is slightly modified...refrig/freezer, LP & electric heat, modified draw-bar, microwave, A/C, auxiliary fuel cells to transfer fuel on the fly, air compressor, trailer brakes, solar panels, a redneck bed, a little instrumentation....fully loaded 565 lbs....running between 75 & 80 lbs. on the tongue. This type of camping is no worse or no better than AS camping....just a different type of camping just like there's different types of riding. I still tent camp, too, as sometimes its the best fit for the trip.






When staying at motels/hotels, the day ends too soon, other patrons do not speak to you much less make eye contact. You are more concerned about your bike in the parking lot where you can't see it from your window. You don't know and don't want to know what kind of people you are in close proximity of. When you stay in a campground, your total stranger neighbor is trying to loan you his chain saw as he's passing by on his way to go fishing, your getting invited over to eat crawfish at the next campsite or people are coming over to look at your wee camper or talk bikes. I worked out-of-town a big portion of my career (250-300 nights a year consulting) and look at hotels as necessary evils....as you can't always camp. At least with my camper, I know who slept in the bed the night before.

In the pictures floating around the net for the PA, one shows two HD's in the garage. Much to my dismay, two Wings won't fit...bummer (20 years ago I would have never dreamed I would have said that...the 1800 Wing is a wolf in sheep's clothing). Therefore, if I want to haul two bikes (or more), I'll have to take smaller bikes. So what two bikes...??? Well, I thought and I ponder, I reflected and I visualized, I evaluated and then, I almost meditated on it. Recently I picked up a new bike and am really enjoying it. It's a Triumph Thruxton 900 and I think it would make a good match for the PA in a two bike situation.





It's a retro bike...no traction control, no mono-shock, no anti-dive or inverted forks...as basic as a bike can be while still retaining fuel injection (throttle bodies disguised as CV carbs) and electronic ignition......not the most powerful bike (no picking up the front wheel @ 80 mph) but frisky and nimble. It has the feel of a new old bike. Peashooters, fly-screen, clubman-style bars, cable operated clutch and bar-end mirrors. It strongly resembles and rides like bikes of yesteryear, would look right parked in front of the Ace Cafe and a good comparison to my old Norton. It corners like it's on rails.



So I mused and thought some more. I'm currently restoring two old Triumphs so my nostalgic pulse has been up again lately. And I pondered some more as I was surrounded by bits and pieces of old motorcycles I'm trying to revive. Then suddenly the rains stopped, the clouds parted, the sun started shining through and I knew what I needed to do at that point. It occurred to me what would be the perfect stable-mate for the Thruxton in the PA "garage". I hooked to my trailer and headed to the next town up to solve this dilemma.

After studying and admiring it from a distance, the answer was a Triumph Scrambler 900 (retro). Where all the old Triumph twins (as well as BSAs and Nortons) and all other new Triumph twins have a 360 crankshaft (both pistons stroke at the same time but fire opposite of each other), the Scrambler has a 270 degree crank. It doesn't perform as well as the 360 cranks on the top end of the rpm range but produces much more torque on the low end (desirable off the pavement). It, too, is peppy, agile and nimble. And it too, is fuel injected. Steve McQueen would have certainly approved of this one.



I've got a center-stand, engine guards and a solo seat w/ rack on the way.


All the newer Triumphs come setup for and equipped with X-ring chains which last 5x as long as O-ring chains.







And it's not just for looks...

Mind Party with Johnny Lewis - YouTube

So, as it works out, the answer was simple and straight forward....and then, that's when it got complicated.








While waiting my turn to get my paper-work done, I browsed around and got a new pigtail for the new bike to connect my Battery Tender...picked up some Plexus cleaner for the windshields for my other bikes. I looked at the side by sides and new Spyders (already had one of those...two thumbs down) but mostly just killing time...and that is usually how it starts out. Then, I had another epiphany...if only hauling one bike, I can haul any kind I want.




It's an Indian "Classic'.


I'm not usually a cruiser kind of guy (but I don't rule out anything when it comes to motorcycles) but with all the nostalgia coursing through my veins, I was simply over-whelmed....besides, I was already in line to do paper-work.



This one (1,811 cc...a shade over 800 lbs., key-less ignition, no primary belt/chain, 6-speed, crankcase/tranny share same oil) has ABS and cruise control as standard. Not being the cruiser type, I think I look pretty mean on it.



It's late, it's been a long day, I'm shot and looking at a big day tomorrow.



Don't worry....I'm going to keep you posted whether you like it or not. This sub-forum can stand some more exercise. I like it out here on the fringe anyway.

Z

[Zackybilly1]

Originally Posted by switz

BSA = British Small Arms in Birmingham, UK. Our flat is about five miles from where the factory was.

Now there is not a trace of that British history to be seen in that area.

Union strikes weakened them, a government consolidation confused them and then the Asian (M/C) Invasion decapitated them. Many BSA's had a bearing on the drive side of the crank and a bushing on the timing side...basically, a short fuse and an early demise. The desirable BSA's are highly desirable, sought after and almost impossible to find (GoldStar). Although they still have a following, the balance of their fleet was kind of ho-hum to me. Many referred to the BSA engine as the "Power Egg" and not as pleasing to the eye as other British marques.

I hope you've got your new Classic back from mods and in your hands. Heard you went to disc brakes and mega solar watts. How many batteries?

Z

[switz]

Sent a PM with details.

[m.hony]

Z,
So you got a big ole thumpin' v-twin Indian for the Panamerica?
Since I can't take my Harley with me in my 1/2 ton short bed truck with the Classic 30 in tow I have considered getting a 300 cc Vespa. My boss has one and it is an awesome little bike. Very retro/nostalgic, will do 80 mph, and gets 85 mpg. My wife could ride it to work.
This is not my Indian (I wish it was), but I saw it at a Cracker Barrel and thought it was beautiful.

[m.hony]

Why? Why not?
Why? Because it is cool.
Why not? I can't really think of anything.

[xrvr]

We occasionally haul our 150 Vespas up to the mountains when we camp with the Avion. The 150 s are marginal, only 60 mph, but a 300 would be great! Nothing more exciting than going into a downhill hairpin too fast on 12 in tires!! Have fun, jim