'64 Airstream Safari named May (Maysville)

Time to replace a panel

2011-12-27T12:41:00.017-06:00

I have begun the process of replacing this panel. The old TV antenna, old Radio antenna, and who knows what other skin holes made replacing this panel a no brainer. That and the dent that is lower down than this picture shows. This panel is street side front.

First I have to remove the entire rub rail; Curbside to street side.

I also had to remove the spare tire carrier.

Removing the spare tire carrier held on with screws.

Rust marks the spot, or in this case, the cross.

I also removed the Banana Wrap now exposing the frame and old nasty insulation.

Now removing the rivets. I will hopefully finish this job next Saturday. I have the new aluminum ready to go, and will be glad to fully replace this panel! Until next time....

New Shop Ready to Go!

2011-12-12T07:42:00.024-06:00

The following are pictures of Brad's and my new shop that we rented on 10/10/11. It is 35' wide by 60' long. Currently we have my 34' Excella 1990 (Big Girl), Brad's 26' Overlander 1957 (Holly) and my 22' Safari 1964 (May) in the shop. The site we rented last winter was closer to home, included heat, and had an industrial sized air compressor. This new shop is still way better for us, including larger space, we are the only tenant's (a huge plus), we are able to modify the interior to our liking (an even bigger plus), and the price is 32% less per month than what we paid for the smaller space last year. We do have to heat this space ourselves, but like last year's shop, electrical is included. The price is so right that we are planning to keep this shop year round, another major plus. And we really like the new landlord too.

Note in the above picture that we (mainly Brad) put Poly up across the entire ceiling. The cement block building is not insulated, but we were comfortable with an outside temps in the teens, and our propane heaters (2) fired up. We hope to be able to work comfortably inside except when the temps get too far below zero. Our landlord also provided the heavy duty shelving, and we are finishing these with recycled wood 2"x6" from Brad's real job.

Above: Holly on right with her new rear door configuration, May in the middle, and Big Girl on the left.

We added the tool hanger (rear left), and since this picture was taken, this four foot run way has become a storage area.

Note the electrical drop (orange end) at eye heigth.

Note to left of the electrical drop the air drop. Brad added Electrical and Air drops in 3-4 locations making it very easy to use power and air tools.

The natural light in this shot is with the 11' plus front door open. The building has the same sized door in the rear so we can drive straight through the building with Big Girl.

The above shot shows Brad adding circuits. We are lucky in that the panel was mostly empty, so we have added for power drops, and one for each air compressor. Coming up will be 30 amp service times two, and then we can run or test anything in the trailers times two trailers.

My first work on May after the building is ready; a brand new trailer tongue lift with wheel.

Note the propane heater working away. We now have two heaters. Not to worry, we have plenty of fresh air entering our space, with cracks in the block walls, and big gaps under the overhead doors.

This shot shows our one window to the outside. To that South Facing window we want to add one facing West for more natural light.

We added Fiberglass insulation around the rear overhead door. My compressor is ready to go in this pic, and Brad has now added his compressor to the mix since then.

Plenty of space to work, and also note the end caps stored in the corner.

Artsy shot #1.

Artsy shot #2

Artsy shot #3 with Ghost Brad.

Last Artsy shot with Ghost Brad in Red. We are basically done getting the building ready, and the trailer contents and tools are now where we need them. All activity will now be focused on the "girls". Until next time!

Stay Tuned!

2011-09-28T16:12:00.004-05:00

Just a quick note to let you know to stay tuned to this Blog, as work should soon begin again on May! We lost our winter home we had last year, but we should be signing a new 6 month lease at a new location in the next week. The plan for this winter is to finish the exterior and tackle the floor and frame. I can't wait!

Exterior and Interior Work

2011-02-16T10:04:00.021-06:00

I have not been spending as much time on May, at the same time that I have been buck riveting on weekends on Buddy Brad's Holly. This has actually been a blessing, as I have much going on in my life right now, so it has been great to just "show up and buck!" You can see the incredible work Brad has been doing by following his "I found the leak" posting here. Brad made sure I gave May her due this past Sunday, and we made some progress on the interior. Before I cover that, the picture above shows the new Airstream Nameplate, and the new Running Lights with the custom bezels are now bucked and fully installed on the rear. I am working on the front and it will also get all new running lights and new nameplate.

This past Sunday Brad and I dropped the interior ceiling aluminum, and then I removed the old insulation. Note the insulation is still in this picture just before removal.

The ceiling all taped and removed from the trailer. We took out the front window, and pulled out the ceiling. In this manner I can now have the ceiling stored underneath the trailer.

I shot looking rearward; ceiling is out, insulation is removed. Next up for removal is the front end cap, and the lower interior panels. I will soon have all of the old mice infested insulation out of the trailer! Then on the wiring, and new insulation. The main reason for getting the entire interior out is so I can buck rivet all the new items and fixes that I am doing to the exterior.

Repeat; another shot of the exterior rear that is completed.

Me testing new running lights.

Rear view of the lights test before we bucked them in.

Buddy Brad's Holly. He built 11 brand new segments, and the lower panel was 12' long, wrapping both sides of the front. He is doing incredible work. Bucking these in place has been a blast. You can tell he is in the Trades, look at the great scaffolding he had all set-up for me to work from. Turns out I run the bucking gun, Brad runs the bucking bar. We have a pretty good communications system worked out, and 98% of the rivets look great. We won't talk about the other 2%!

Holly (Left) and May in the shop we are renting this winter. Obviously this is before he refit Holly with new end cap segments. It gives yo a true sense of how much work Brad has done, and great work at that.

A shot of the front window and the mess I have to work with before it looks like the pictures of the rear end cap above.

Rear cleco'd but not yet bucked.

The PO messy window leak fix. We will fix it right this time, with no drip cap, and without the slag of Vulkem.

Note the drip cap ran right through the old nameplate. You can tell which half was in the sun and which half was not.

Until next time!

Installing Exterior Lights, Home Made Bezels & Window Gears

2010-12-22T21:30:00.012-06:00

Finally back to getting some work done including this past Saturday and a couple of hours today. Can you guess which light above is 46 years old vs. which is brand new?

Below one of the side lights is Cleco'd in place. I am going to pull out the cleco's and polish around it before it gets buck riveted.

Below are the rear end cap lights, sitting on their home made bezels, ready for final buck riveting. I did order new Airstream Nameplates yesterday from Vintage Trailer Supply. I just do not like all the numerous holes in the old name plates after one of the former P. O.'s installed a drip cap across the old nameplate. May deserves better.

I also put in the new gears on the rear window. There is one on each side, and now the rear window works for the first time for me. It really is too much window (too big and heavy) for the gear design. As long as I am the only person that ever opens or shuts the windows on this trailer, the gears will last a long time. The first person to over crank a gear will break said gear. It is nice to see the rear window all complete and working, albeit a poor 1964 design.

I hope to get more work done outside of the actual holiday days. I want to get the new name plate in place, and then the rear is ready for buck riveting. Until next time!

-Tim

Rear End Cap Out!

2010-11-24T20:43:00.007-06:00

Work is under way on May at her new winter home. She has been there all of November, but this coming weekend will be the first weekend that I get to work on her. All work to date has been done over a few week day nights. I convalesced from oral surgery one weekend, we had an 11" snowstorm the next weekend, and last weekend I was in New York City with my son. Even so, the picture above shows the rear end cap has been dropped. Underneath the insulation and mouse droppings were nasty! Yuk! Also found a surprise, one end cap panel has been replaced. I had no idea, but now that I look at the rivets from the outside, I can tell they are not buck rivets.

The rivets on the replaced panel appear to be pop rivets. They are shaved on the outside (no picture). Of course they are leaking. I will of course buck these.

I want to get all the buck riveting for the running lights and the replacement panel completed. Then I will insulate, and put the end cap back up. Buddy Brad is going to Europe for 10 days, so I will work on some other projects while he is gone, ready to start bucking upon his return. It sure is nice to be making progress again! Until next time!

2 1/2 Days Journey - A trip to P&S Trailer in Ohio

2010-10-26T22:21:00.011-05:00

This is not about May, this is about a journey to drop off our 1990 34' Excella for winters work at P&S Trailer Service in Ohio. Thanks to buddy Brad for joining me on this trip, and all the planning we did on May and his '57 named Holly. Both these fine Vintage trailers will be side by side in a shop that Brad and I rented starting this coming November 1st. We spent our many hours on the way to and from P&S planning, sharing, changing, and planning again what we are going to do with and to our trailers. Brad had some significant changes that he brainstormed for his plans for Holly, and I look forward to seeing his updated drawings. A '57 front bedroom? It sounds great to me!

The above picture is just after we arrived and dropped the Excella off the hitch. P&S is also a working farm, so yes, it looks like a farm house in the background. The 2500 Duramax/Allison Chevy was flawless as always.

A shot from the road looking at the farm. Check out all the shinning aluminum! There were also another 4 trailers in the buildings under going work at present.

A closer view of trailers and one of the "barns". Steve at P&S could not have been more hospitable to us when we arrived. Thanks to him for taking about an hour to show us around; ON SATURDAY no less!

More trailers awaiting various repairs, or possible sale. P&S also sells pre-owned Airstreams.

I of course have a soft spot for these old Shasta's. Readers of this blog will note my earlier coverage of the first trailer I camped in about 1964; you guessed it, a '59 Shasta.

1578 miles (round trip), 2.5 days, 6 states (should have been 5, but Michigan got thrown in for good measure, by accident), 13.4 MPG with the trailer on the way to Ohio, and 18.4 MPG without the trailer on the way back to Minnesota, and we managed to talk, plan and laugh the whole time. Thanks again to Brad for joining me on this trip. As for the Excella, I can't wait to see her again next Spring, with new clear coat, awnings, Fantastic Fans, new power supply, new tires, and a extensive but minor list of other items.

So May will move into her 6 month "winter" shop on November 1st. I am way pumped up and ready to get to work! Until next time.....

Work on May will soon begin again!

2010-10-12T07:15:00.007-05:00

Please wonder no longer as to what May has been doing all summer. She has been on vacation! About the only thing that I worked on all summer was the few minutes it took to remove this flag box from underneath her. Note the box was open to the front, and you can see all the dirt and squirrel nuts that accumulated towards the back of the box. I am not saving this box as it really has no historical significance for me, and I will use retractable flag poles when I get that far along, so no pole box required.

I was very lucky in one regard this summer. I decided that I did not like working on May while I am at the Airstream Park, so I brought her home around June 1st. Since she had to sit on the front, south facing, black top driveway, I found very few days that were conducive to actually working on her. It was just plain too hot. I tried working on some rivets on the back tail lights, but decided the only right way to finish that project is to buck rivet. So there she sat in the driveway, with me feeling slightly guilty for not getting any work done. And then August 13th came along. The Airstream Park was hit by a MAJOR, and I mean major, hail storm! Many, many trailers were totalled. Our '90 sustained $18,800 in damage! I know of one trailer that sustained over $35,000 in damage! But were was May? She was safe in my driveway at home, no hail dents. Watch this blog for some pictures and text from a soon upcoming trip to P&S in Ohio.

I have decided working on any trailer in the outdoor elements is just about impossible for me. I have no Sun shade, and no way to duck the elements. My hats off to all the people that have restored Airstreams while being 100% out of doors. Again this year, I have rented a shop to work on May, this time for 6 months starting on November 1st. It is a very nice shop, only 12 miles from my house. And this year I will have company! Buddy Brad is joining me in the shop rental, and Holly, his 1957 Overlander will be working side by side with May! I am very jazzed! I covered Brad's acquisition from Doug (Tinman54) this past February. You can find Holly's thread on the Airforums here. We will be out of the Minnesota Winter elements, heated, with plenty of space.

I am off for now, but will soon have road trip pictures on the way to and from P&S in Ohio, and May restoration pictures once I get under cover again in a little more than 2 weeks! Until then....

Back to the outside

2010-05-05T20:20:00.010-05:00

I moved May outside again on the second to last day of March. After leaving the winter location that I had been renting since December ('09), she spent a couple of nights at our house, and I was able to give her a much needed bath. On April 2nd she was back at her summer home outdoors.

I have not been able to get too much work done since the move outside, but last weekend I did manage to take on the final stages of fabrication for the rear running lights. I am installing the tear drop lights that would have been the factory option in '64. I could not just install the lights, as a PO had installed oblong running lights, and this left screw holes wider than what the tear drop light could cover. Airstream installed the wiring even when the lights were not originally installed at the factory, and that is what happened with May, with the PO installing oblong running lights (my guess in the 70's). My solution is the aluminum "bezel" that I custom cut to match the shape of the teardrops. You can see what the pre-rivet completion looks like above. Thanks to buddy Dave who helped me fabricate and sand the edges on his belt sander.

I also tackled the mess under the rear drip cap that I removed. Please note that a heat gun, Acetone and Mineral Spirits are your friends. The drip cap was not original to the trailer, and the PO had drilled right through the Airstream nameplate. I had to contend with really thick Vulkem underneath the cap, clear coat that had not been removed, and then I polished it all. I also realized that I did not have the correct sized pop rivets for the nameplate, so they are now ordered, and on their way from Vintage Trailer supply. I will also plug the holes from the drip cap with stainless pop rivets (see below).

The below picture is taking a stepped back wider view of what I am working with. All three rear running lights will have bezels around them, and I will also do same on May's front. The aluminum tape covered the holes through the winter. Although the name plate is missing from this picture, it is ready to be installed again, just waiting for the aforementioned rivets.

We have a cold front that came in last evening, and we actually had snow just north of here. The sun is out, and the temps today will be in the 50's, so I am going to spend some hours polishing. Until next time!

Lights and Windows-Ready to Move Again

2010-03-28T09:23:00.016-05:00

Although I am unpublished these past 5 weekends, I can assure you I worked half of them, with some weekday window rebuilding time thrown in for good measure. I lost two weekends to the annual winter trip to Cozumel, Mexico (hey wait, what does that have to do with anything?) My main goal since late February was to get the turn signal, brake lights, and trailer brakes up and running. I also wanted to get the front and back windows rebuilt and installed, so my shell was relatively intact again, and ready for the move out doors again in early April. Well, this is no April Fool's joke, I am all done! So although the following pictures work backwards, here are the shots that help tell the story of this past month plus.. Note in the picture above the rear LED turn/stop lights installed. I will cover the lighting in a later post. Below is the front window from the inside, new glass installed, new cranks installed, looking in the end like the easy task it was not.

Here is a closer up view of the new cranks installed from Vintage Trailer. I also installed new nylon guides as well.

Exterior of the front window, partially open using the new cranks. I installed new custom cut tempered glass (1/8"). Glass RULES over Plexiglas! I am very glad Frank of Frank's Trailer works made a comment to me about glass over Plexi, and I am very happy with the final results.

This is the inside corner of the front window frame AFTER I had ground out the aluminum weld or slag that ran into the corners where the glass needs to lay flat. You see, I had the window all rebuilt the first time, and during installation, the frame broke apart in one corner. Four letter words still hover in the building where I worked on May this winter! The window frames had been rebuilt and welded at some point by a PO, but the welding was sub par. So back out the window comes, I pulled out all the glazing that was a major b&*$% to get in, and then found a welder. He used the aluminum weld that was already there, but along with getting much better welds into the joints, I ended up with a grinding project. Again, the below is after I ground out the slag, and you can see that I lost some of the corner as a result of the hot weld. I can assure you the frame is now very solid.

The below is what I started with BEFORE I ground out the corner slag from frames. I used a Dremel and many grinding wheels! I actually think this shot is from the back of the frame, and you can see the strength of the weld. The front window was also bigger than the rear, and I can see and understand the design flaw in the original corner strength of this front window frame.

The below is the rear Airstream Name Plate after I cleaned and re-painted. I learned a trick or two that will make the next one go faster. This is the rear name plate, clecoed and ready to be riveted again.

From polishing the window frames while at my kitchen table, the tools of the trade.

The rear Airstream sign un-installed, as well as the non-factory extra water drip cap. What a vulkum mess!

The rear and front window frames. Once polished, one not. This is BEFORE I broke the front window frame, so the inside corners on both still look original. Go back again to the frame above that I had to grind after welding, and you'll see that I list some corner material, but no biggy.

A close up of the rear sign and window BEFORE I did any work on it. Scroll back up to see the alsmost finished results. Hint, it is the picture with the BLUE Airstream Name Plate ;-)

So May will be on the move again to here summer home. Stay tuned for the exterior work that I will be doing the next 6 months. Until next time!

Pop Rivets and Screws

2010-02-22T21:50:00.009-06:00

Sunday was spent buttoning up some loose ends. The picture above is the furnace opening now closed up with a sheet of aluminum pop riveted and caulked.

Below is the water heater shroud screwed back in place. I used 3/4" RV clay tape between the trailer body and shroud, as the shroud does not lay completely flush against the trailer, so the clay tape fills the void. Later this year when I pull out the front and rear window frames to re-caulk them, I will also use the clay tape. Water does not penetrate it, and it will be easier to finish caulk the seam between window frame and trailer. The clay tape that I took off the shroud from 1964 was still pliable. The floor around the water heater is in really good shape, so the clay tape stood up all those years against the elements, with near zero water leaks.

Below is the new Kitchen Vent cover installed. In comparison I am holding the old brittle, broken and faded original cover. The new vent cover is a little longer, but it still fits in, and I think it looks great. I copied all the original screw holes except the bottom two, accounting for the length difference of the new cover. This vent cover came from Vintage Trailer Supply.

I only placed a small amount of Vulkem (TemPro 635) across the top of the vent for now. I will be removing this vent this summer to polish around it, and then I'll permanently install the vent again when the polishing is done. In the picture below the new stainless screws also stand out. I am using stainless where ever I can to avoid corroded or rusty screws later on.

I also ordered the glass for the front and back windows last Friday. Hopefully it will come in this week. More on that when I install them.

The truck to trailer wiring issue that I have been having since last fall is about to drive me nuts. I wasted the better part of my Sunday morning work hours trying to get the existing wiring to work with the newly installed 7 pin connector. I obviously have an incorrect ground somewhere in the old wiring, but I am going to put the old wiring issue on hold for now. When I pull up the floor and interior walls, I should be visually able to find the problem. For now I am going to run three temporary 14 gauge wires for my turn signals and running lights, and I will hook up my new LED turn/stop lights. I am going to bypass the trailer wiring for now entirely. This weekend I will see if the old brake wiring is good, as I really want to use the brand new brakes that came with the new axle that I had Hart RV install last fall. With the turn signals and possibly the brakes, I will be good to go for the next few months.

Well, I hope to be at it again this weekend. Until next time! -Tim

Plugging some holes, creating others.

2010-02-15T20:28:00.016-06:00

Today's blog is a picture based update of the progress I made this past Saturday and Monday. The above picture was in advance of taking out the back window. Note the non-Airstream approved drip cap that cuts off the bottom 1/4 of the nameplate.

The below picture is after I have taken out the back window, removed the drip cap, and then I was attempting to pull off the nameplate. I need to get a heat gun before I proceed any further. I will work on new window glass and gaskets this week. Then I can re-install with new openers.

Below are the parts from the water heater shroud. I decided that I would reuse and store these pieces back in the opening from which they came. Here I had laid out the parts so that I could measure for a small piece of aluminum to block the two holes that allow air and access to the water heater from the outside.

The below shows the shroud installed again, with the new aluminum piece that will covers the access holes. The shroud is held temporarily in with clecos.

From the inside of the shroud the access holes on the left side are more obvious.

A close up of the drip cap that I removed, pre-removal.

The furnace hole is now covered with a new piece of aluminum. I worked on most of this the weekend before, but I finished it this past weekend.

I am now in the process of putting new glass and cleaning up the rear and front window frames. My goal is to be read for installation of the windows again this coming weekend, fixed of course. Brad and I are also headed to Doug's on Staurday to bring home "Holly G", the '57 Brad acquired from Doug a couple of weeks ago. So I plan to work on May on Sunday. Until next time!

Progress, slow but sure.

2010-02-09T11:59:00.013-06:00

I managed to get time to work on May this past Saturday and Sunday. I spent almost all of Saturday rebuilding one of the mystery Hehr side windows. I covered these mystery side windows on the Airstream Forum linked here. I appreciate that Mike my winter home landlord gave me a hand. His carpentry background was very helpful avoiding a couple of challenges that I ran into. After multiple trial and error(s), I got the old window gear out and replaced, and the window aligned properly. It now shuts all the way! I bought a new window gear for each of these 5 side windows, and although they all do not need an immediate rebuild, I at least know now how to complete the task. I believe I have one other window to immediately address, so I will address that one next weekend. The rest can wait for when/if the window gear ever fails. Guaranteed that I am replacing the "clutch head screws" with "Phillip's head" screws as I rebuild them. These little buggers set me back time, sweat, money, and four letter words. I also replaced the nylon window slides, which were beyond 46 year old hard and/or broken. I am very glad to have found the parts necessary to fix these side windows. For now one fixed window means I no longer have it hanging open to the elements at all times.

Sunday I spent the day stripping out the three layers of floor tile, and one layer sub-floor that was added by the last PO. I found the original tile, overlay red brick tile from the 70's., a thin plywood subfloor, and finally the tile added just a couple of years ago. This was not a difficult task, but it was more time consuming than I had would have thought. I now have the floor stripped down to the original plywood, at least what is left of it. I estimate 15-20% of the plywood is gone (rotted), mainly in the front, the rear, and under where the refrigerator goes on the streetside. I now have really good ideas of where I have leaks in the shell. I also worked some aluminum on Sunday, fabricating a "temporary" cover for the furnace hole. I say "temporary", but it may need to last a year or more. I also need to fabricate a cover for the water heater hole. Both of these covers will stay in place past the floor replacement, in advance of a new furnace and new water heater.

I should be working again on May this Saturday and upcoming Monday. Our company takes off President's Day, so I get an extra play day! Until next time. -Tim

New Window gear installed

Window now shuts all the way.

Bare Floor looking towards the rear.
Looking forward

Bare floors, almost bare interior, and a '57 from Wisconsin

2010-01-31T18:53:00.012-06:00

After missing all of last weekend due to other activities, I got back to work this weekend on May. The time that I spent included Friday after work until almost 10 PM, a quick stop on Saturday to pick up the fiberglass bathroom and bring it home, and I finished with a full shift today. The interior to the floors is almost completely removed. I have just a very few misc items remaining, and the interior of May will be bare. I am soon into "construction" mode, and look forward to working on the exterior lights, rebuilding windows, closing up the holes where the water heater and furnace where removed, generally stopping water leaks. First back to what I accomplished and found this weekend.

Looking through the rear entry door you can see the toilet is removed.

This shot is with the Fiberglass Tub, shower, sink removed. Thanks for helping me get it through the trailer door and home Brad!

With the tub and toilet kick plate removed, 1 of 2 waste pipes removed, and a quick vacuum reveals the floor and expected floor damage. It is actually in better shape than I thought. The floor is 100% being replaced regardless.
As I suspected, the black tank is gone. You can see rectangular floor replacement around the waste pipes. The black and grey water are a straight shot out the exterior waste valve, there is no holding tank at all.
Now I have removed most of the retangular floor board that was replaced when the bathroom was modified to remove the black tank, and send the waste straight out the rear waste valve.
I am happy to say that with all the rear floor rot, the frame that I can see in the rear is in incredibly great shape. I also have zero evidence of any rear end separation. In the back through a rotten hole in the floor I measured the frame to the bottom of the wall. It is exactly 3/4". I am extremely pleased that what I am finding under the floor so far is in pretty good shape. Even the belly pan in the rear is fully intact, so it will make a good template for its replacement.

Finally I am happy to report that there is an additional Vintage Airstream owner in our mix; buddy Brad. He is now the proud owner of a 1957 Cruiser Overlander. I helped match his desire for a vintage with Doug's extra trailer. I say extra in that Doug originally planned to use the '57 as a parts trailer for his '54. You can read Doug's blog here, and you can also read his floor replacement Airforum thread here. Thankfully Doug could not bring himself to part out the '57, and after an attempt to sell the wounded gal last year, a couple of calls and a Saturday road trip, and now Brad has Aluminitis! Congratulations Brad (& Jennifer)!

Another link to May's past.

2010-01-17T08:15:00.009-06:00

I spent the better part of Saturday the 9th freeing the tub/shower/sink from May's clutches. Several knowledgeable people have said it would be a "bear" to get out, and it was. I was beat by the end of that day; wrestling with the hulk, finding hidden fasteners, cutting waste lines, wrestling some more. It is all loose and free now! In the near future I will have to figure out how to get this mass of fiberglass out the front door. I know it will come out, even though it is 4" or so wider than the door, as all Airstream parts are designed to go through the front door. It should be interesting angles that's required to do so. Yesterday I began to neatly create bundles of all of the interior wood parts with plastic wrap, and loaded them in my truck for transportation home. This included walls, interior doors, frames, etc. They will be stored in my basement until they are needed again as templates. About the only wood items that I will not replace brand new are the overhead storage locker frames. They will be refaced and renewed, but the frames themselves are in pretty good shape. There really was no other wood to save other than for templates. All of the wood is delaminated, especially where it was in contact with the floor. I also took out the toilet and water heater yesterday. Even though I had my camera, I forgot to take a picture of it all. But I do have one picture to share taken on New Year's Eve; the little Minnesota License Plate I found under what would be the battery mount in the rear. I will one day try to research to see how May got from the original 60's California owners to the Minnesota 70's owners who had her when this little license plate was on her tail. Just one other link to her traveling past. Until next time!

Only the bathroom remains

2010-01-04T21:13:00.004-06:00

After a short shift on the afternoon of New Year's Eve, and a longer Saturday stint the day after New Year's Day (-27 below outside when I arrived), I have the interior disassembly on May down to just the bathroom and water heater. Since I am not tackling the floor replacement this winter, I am not removing all the interior panels just yet. As for the bathroom, in a '64 it is one multi piece fiberglass unit. This unit is riveted to the interior back side of the Airstream, and riveted to a kick plate at the bottom where it attaches to a floor bracket. I think I see how to remove the sink as the first step of taking apart basically two parts. Then I can remove the tub which includes the marine toilet surround. Once the bathroom is removed, I will increasingly be in repair mode on May. I am looking forward to removing an interior panel or two, and to start rebuilding the back window and then front window. I am also positive I will find leaks from all the extra holes of added drip caps and additional who knows why holes. More on this subject in a future post. Suffice to say that along with my window repair parts order this week, I also have a few tubes of Vulkem coming for caulking purposes. By the way, sorry no pictures this post; the wifey has the camera in Chicago with her. Until next time.....

Removal of the interior continues

2009-12-29T07:39:00.014-06:00

After all of our snow (and thus snow removal) we received on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and after the great holiday activities both days, work continued on May for a few hours both Saturday and Sunday. The side bed, overhead lockers, and street-side closet are all out now. I also figured out that I do not have Hehr Hall-Mark 12 windows all the way around. 1964 again became its own mystery year, with side windows on May that have very different operators than the 12's. It seems only late model built 1964 trailers have this anomaly. So I posted this on the Airstream forums, and hopefully I am on my way to finding a window operator replacement. I am again grateful to the fact that there is an internet and a forum to turn to. This means that someone of my more limited yet eager talent can tackle such a project. May was built in March of 1964, which actually would have been towards the end of the '64 production year. Production on '64's would have begun in 1963, like automobile manufacturer back than, and still to this day. So Airstream must have been experimenting on different windows, and since these windows do not appear in any future models, you guessed it, these windows are not the best. No matter, I need new window operators, so stay tuned on that front.

This picture is with the overhead lockers out, and a full view of the kitchen removed, and the curbside closet it out

This view is with the side bed/couch removed

I did remove the tall street-side closet after this picture was shot, but I still have the remaining cabinet to remove. That will expose the old water heater and wiring home runs, and allow me to tackle the tub/shower/sink. Happy New Year everyone!

I Dreamt of a White Christmas

2009-12-25T12:42:00.004-06:00

By my calculation we have had 16” at our house since Wednesday at 5:00 pm. Right now it is falling again, although lighter than one hour ago. I hear we might get another 4-6” before tomorrow morning, and possibly another couple tomorrow. What a white Christmas indeed!

As for May, I did get the furnace and curbside closet out last week. I removed the furnace shroud on the exterior, and used my new rivet removal tool with a Cobalt bit to drill out the rivets on the sheet of aluminum that allows access to the furnace from the outside. I drilled out a couple of rivets that attached the furnace to the duct work on the inside, and then removed the furnace from the outside. The furnace is worse than junk, it is dangerous, as read on the Airforums, so it will be headed to the junk yard.

Hopefully we are all dug out tomorrow, and I can go work on May in the afternoon. I will be there on Sunday for sure. The Vikings do not play until Monday night, so Sunday is free for me. Merry Christmas everyone!

The Kitchen is out

2009-12-12T18:57:00.012-06:00

It was another nice partly sunny Saturday morning drive out in the country to go to work on May. Outdoor it was 11 degrees. The indoor work temperature was just under 50 and climbing when I arrived. I could hear the roar of the wood stove, so I checked on it and added a few logs, and started right to work. I have to say I love the smell of a wood fire, the act of tending to it, so this heat source is an added benefit of working at this location.

I wanted to tackle the kitchen today, so I started on the sink. I easily disconnected the waste lines and determined right there and then to reuse them, as they are fine shape (they'll need new gaskets). The main traps are not plastic, but of a metal that I do not recognize, but they appear to have much life left in them. After loosening the clips under the sink, the cast sink popped right out. I will reuse it again, set in a stainless steel counter next time. I then disconnected the hot/cold faucet, and a second separate cold water faucet. I hope to rebuild and reuse them the faucets again, as I like their retro look. Here are before and after pictures of May's kitchen.

Before picture shot last year outside with Kitchen intact:
Picture shot today after the Kitchen de-install:
Underneath the counter I found the last four digits of May's serial number, written at the California factory in 1964 by one of the workers. This was so they could match the counter top with the right trailer being built.I feel pretty good with today's progress, and so I will look forward to working again next Saturday. I believe I will be tackling the bathroom and closets, and I need to get me some Cobalt drill bits. Until then....

65 Degrees Indoors

2009-12-05T16:19:00.009-06:00

The first day of indoor Airstream work was a success. The wood burning stove was going full force when I arrived, as promised, the landlord had started it earlier this morning. It was toasty inside, and I quickly got work in shirt sleeves. First up was to remove the oven/range.
The removal went much faster than I anticipated, and I had it out in short order

Note the oven is out. You can see that I also have the roof vents fully open at the same time, which is a first. The interior got so warm from the wood stove and the work lights that I was using that it was cooler to open the vents. 45 years old and the manual vent mechanisms still work great. By the way today's outdoor temperature was in the 20's, so I am glad is was "too warm" inside!

I found this fine mess under the rear street side cabinet under a false floor. It looks like both mice and squirrels have stayed inside this Airstream before.

I did a far amount of other work today including hauling out a full 30 gallon bag of garbage, measuring and cataloging the interior, removing hooks, removing kitchen doors, opening up the overhead cabinets that were glued shut with mirror mastic, and the list goes on. Next week I am ready to remove the sink and faucets. Until then!

May is on the move!

2009-11-29T09:27:00.003-06:00

Picked up May at Hart RV yesterday. It was a beautiful day for the 240 mile road trip. Stopped on the way up at the Airstream Park to make sure all was well, and to pick up my set of four large wheel chocks. The Park was devoid of people and trailers, but on such a nice warm (45 degree) sunny fall day, it seemed like it should be open and in full swing.

May will need a new shorter drop hitch, as the new axle has raised the trailer by at least 2 inches. You can see in the picture that she is not sitting horizontally even. Today she will go in her new winter indoor home, and the work can begin again. I think today I will be spending time measuring and taking pictures, and get well prepared for the work to begin next weekend. Until then!

FOUND! Winter Shop to work on May!

2009-11-22T11:35:00.002-06:00

Just a quick excited post to announce that I just came to terms on a heated shop to work on May this winter! It is 19 miles from my house, out in farm country. I will have the better part of a 40x40 shop from next weekend until April 1st. I will go get her next Friday or Saturday, and back her into her new winter home. Ultimately a plain old newspaper ad is how I found this option. In fact, I had two phone calls from two different parties with 40x40 shops within a few minutes of each other. So for less than $20 and 2 weeks worth of ads, I was finally successful. Soon I am back to work!

Labor Day Weekend Naked Butt!

2009-11-02T18:59:00.011-06:00

Yes, I said it, Naked Butt! But first I digress.

Now that the leaves have completely fallen off the trees (exception as always, the oaks), our summer weekly and weekend road (mostly Airstream) travels have also finally come to a satisfying but timely completion. In a way I am glad to be off the road (literal), as it seems I (we) have been on the road forever. At least I have a couple Airstream stories to tell! As the winter and fall breezes are upon us, and time begins to slow down to a Fall and then even slower Winter pace, I will have more time to tell those stories (albeit late). Now on to that Naked Butt.

On Monday September 7th of the Labor Day weekend, I surveyed what I had accomplished on the '64 this first summer of '09, and felt mixed emotions on how far (or not far) the work had come. I learned how to polish, got some actual polishing completed, and put new wheels and tires under May for her to stand and drive on. I made numerous future plans, and began the search for a winter home to work on May through the cold and snowy months. Indoor work space of course, with allowance for power and heat, and that search continues. Ok, really now, on to that Naked Butt!

Being able to work on May only summer weekends that I was free and the weather cooperated, turns out to be not that much time (duh). But what is also now done is the deinstallation of the original rear lights, both running, turn and license plate. I installed temporary stop/turn lights after the picture below (thank you for your help on those temporary lights Jim!). I have wiring issues to resolve before the new and permanent replacement lights will work. This finding of wiring issues should not have come as a surprise to me, and to which some hours where devoted to resolving. Mark it down as just another one of those restoration tasks that was not planned. I spent all that time trying to get the the lighting (wiring) figured out, thought I had it resolved, did not have it resolved, challenged with LED grounding, resolved that, still not working correctly, ahhhhh!! But now you can see what May's Naked Butt looked like as of Labor Day Monday, September 7th, 2009:

I look forward to resolving the wiring, completing the rear polishing, and installing those brand new lights. By the way, look what else is in the rear, under the window, and right above the rear utlities door.

This AAA Emblem appears (and feels) to be stamped right into the aluminum! I will have to do some research on it, and will also look forward to getting a rear view of it when I strip the interior including the interior skin.

Until my next time, peace!

4 Weeks is too long

2009-08-02T20:16:00.006-05:00

4 Weeks is too long to not get any work in on the '64, but that's what just happened. I just hit that time in summer where I had no weekend time to Polish. I had other projects and one trip with the '90; The Vintage Races at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI. On top of it all I am very busy at work, and this affords me zero extra time this summer. Anyway, I finally did get back on the project this weekend.

I am working on the rear end cap above the rear window. I took off the remaining two rear lights, and used Acetone to rub off the thick black water proofing that was added by a PO. As described in a previous post, the lights are also not period correct, and will be replaced with tear drop style lights. You can see the black gunk above the rear lights in the previous post on July 7th of this month. It took me at least one hour per light just to get the black tar stuff scraped and rubbed off. I also used plastic paint scapers to try and pry hunks of the stuff. Once I got all the black removed on Saturday, then it was on to Sunday (today). Today I polished steps 1 & 2 the the grey and red abrasive bars (more information on polishing steps under June 24, 2009 post).

I shot this one picture just before I could completely finish polishing as time was running out and a small rain shower came by. After this shot, I covered the holes from the old lights removal with aluminum tape from Vintage Trailer Supply. Well, I am off again for two weeks. Until then, keep the Aluminum side shiney!

The Wheels and Tires Win! Well, almost.....

2009-07-07T19:16:00.011-05:00

I was glad to spend at least one hour polishing this weekend. I am so limited in the time I can spend on it each Saturday/Sunday. I have other work I have to get done at the Park, I am outside and not under cover so weather/sun effects when I can polish, and I will not kill our mostly evening/night weekend social time. Heck, it is still the weekend after all! I work enough during the week, although we know Airstream "work" is not really "work". I am not using all of this as an excuse, as the time I get to spend polishing is during our glorious outdoor summer months. On Sunday I worked on the rear crown (end cap), and uninstalled one marker light. I removed the really hard and poorly installed black caulk/gunk from the top of the marker light with the help of Acetone. The old square marker lights will be replaced with teardrop marker lights that I believe '64 trailers could and/or would have had original from the factory. My current hypothosis is that a PO installed the end cap marker lights in the early 70's, as the old side markers from the factory are tear drops. Regardless, I like the looks of the tear drops better on a Vintage. Oh, and the above picture is after one pass of the grey compound (step #1), a light rain storm, with silver tape from http://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/.

So now to those #$%^ tires! 2 plus hours later I have the new tires and aluminum wheels installed. They look great now, but what a job getting them installed! The low riding Airstream with the small wheel wheel cut out area makes for one hell of a struggle getting new wheels and tires installed. The old wheels and tires came off without a hitch. The weight allowed each one to easily drop with gravity's help at a 45 degree angle away from the axle. Getting the new wheels and tires in was another story. My 81 year old neighbor actually came up with the best idea watching my struggles "why don't you take the air out of the tires?" It was a great idea, lessoned my struggles, but not entirely so. I fought the good fight, and finally won the battle, but those wheel wells did not give up very easily. In the end they are installed, and they do look good. Now I can go back to polishing and replacing exterior lights.

And here is the new long view. The exterior really looks great in this morning light right after a small rainstorm. Trust me, the interior is really pretty rough, and the smell of old mice p&p is rally hard to describe (yuk). But the exterior looks good, and even better with the new wheels and tires, and soon even better yet with a full polish!

Step 2.5 steps of 4 forward......

2009-06-24T20:27:00.002-05:00

2.5 steps of 4 steps is really not exactly the whole truth. Truth be known any one step could be considered more than one step. We’re talking serious polishing here! Take for instance the first step. I used the gray abrasive and the closely sown 8” hard buff; both from Jestco. In order to take out the most of the linear scratches, I then use the grey abrasive with the 8” soft buff. So the abrasive is what I consider “a” step. In this case the gray abrasive compound is step #1.

Step #2 is with the red jeweler’s compound. I also use an 8” soft buff; although not the same buff that I use on step #1 part deux with the gray. Do not mix your abrasives, and clean between each step. I am using cotton cloth rags and a spray bottle of mineral spirits. Watch for hidden abrasive around the rivet heads. Trust me, you feel like crap when you newly scratch you’re just polished section with an abrasive from the last step. Wipe the entire surface not once, but twice. Use a new rag and new sections of the rag as you move through the cleaning. I am finding that the surface cleaning is key as you pick up much of the oxidized (black) residue in “total black rag when done” fashion. I also rock the polisher back and forth and you visibly see the scratches from step #1 begin to disappear. I am finding that step#2 is one longer step, and rather than the very fast single passes of step#1a and #1b.

Step #2.5 is actually part one of part three. I am using the duel cyclo with Nuvite F7. It looks like in order to cut through the remaining blemishes and scratches; I will need to run the cyclo over the whole works twice. For now I am doing it once. Thus, Step 2.5 of 4. Nuvite “S” is the plan for the last step. I hope to do steps 2.5 or 4 through the entirety of May, and when I am ready for the final touches, and then I will go back with one more step# 3 “F7” pass, and then finish with step #4 with“S”.

By the way, the picture is step #2. Can you see where I have already been with the red jeweler’s rouge over the rougher step #1?? Look at where the buff currently is and keep looking towards the left all the way to the frame on the back window. The bottom panel was completed last week. The bottom of the top panel is the focus. I finished steps 2.5 on the top panel in about 4 hours of work. Much faster than the learning I was doing on the bottom panel. I just wished I could tackle this more than the 4 hours per weekend that I am getting (if I am lucky).

Polishing 101

2009-05-31T18:51:00.019-05:00

I ended Saturday disappointed with how well the second phase of the polishing method (Jestco) was going, but I end Sunday much happier with today's results. The horizontal cloudy haze at the very bottom left of the shined panel is what I was fighting on Saturday on the whole panel. I have now found that in the second step with the polisher and red (jewelers rouge) if I move the soft buff back and forth, is starts to pull out the last of the major haze. So I now believe I am ready for step #3 & #4 on this panel, using the cyclo with Nuvite F7, and then Nuvite "S". The results for now using just the polisher and Jestco Grey then Red Rouge looks pretty darned good.

When you stand 4 feet away, you start to see the fine linear scratches that the F7 should take out. When you stand as far back as picture #2 (click to enlarge), the comparison between the polished (back left) panel and the rest of the Safari is clearly visible from this greater distance. And just think, this trailer had a what I will call a "rough polish" two years ago by the PO. Since it was only polished using a rotary polisher, you can clearly see the swirl marks in the other panets. Having said that, May's exterior is already in better shape than some 1964 era trailers that have never been touched. May is going to be one good looker when she is done. At this rate, that will be a while. I am only working on it weekends, and then no more than about 3 hours per day. I have other things to do of course, polishing gets tiring, and then I have to work when the sun is not shining on the back section I started on. I would say that I have 9-10 hours into it so far. It has been an education so far, and now that I am getting familiar with the tools and technique, I fully anticipate that it will go faster.

This last photo for today shows not only the "almost mirror shine" from the first two Jestco steps, but also the fact that I am replacing all of the exterior lights. I received my package of 5 red and 5 amber teardrop lights from http://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/ this week. I cannot say enough good things about the great customer service I've received working with them. The brand new bright red light covers against the tree reflection ends my weekend on a positive note. I look forward to continuing next weekend!

And then there was progress….

2009-05-17T19:11:00.002-05:00

Finally after what seems like months (OK, it was months) work on May has begun! It might not seem like polishing should be the first step, and in most cases it is not, but in my case it makes sense (to me at least). It has a lot to do with it being great weather for exterior work, and the fact that I want to shell to look it’s best, before touching the interior. Actually it will be more than just polishing. I will also be replacing the lights, which sounds easy, except all but two lights will need to be modified. More on that at another time.

I am reminded by my last post that I have not recapped the 4 Corners Unit Restoration Rally that we attended in Albuquerque a few weeks ago. Let me just say for now that it was 100% worth the trip. The one item of focus for today’s blog update is that the Rally changed how I was going to polish. “Levon” on the Airforums covered his seminar on polishing by showing us the “Jetsco” method. Basically you use “Buff’s” with compound or “Jewelers Rouge”. Since you use the edge of the buffs, and thus they turn up and down rather than swirl, these first steps do not create swirl marks (they do produce smaller up and down marks not noticed from a very few feet away). I will follow up he two steps of grey and red compound with two cyclos of “F7” and “S” from Nuvite.

You can tell by the picture where I have and where I have not started to shine. This is only after the first pass or two of Grey Compound. I have not touched around the light. The “haze” in the untouched parts is what I am removing. The reflection is not bad for such an early phase. I will be back at the polishing with a vengeance next weekend. I have to run for now, more soon.

Winter is over! It just takes longer in Minnesota.

2009-04-12T18:53:00.005-05:00

It is soon time to pull May from her winter storage location! I believe the farm road where she is stored has not yet dried to the point of being passable. I still found small pockets of snow in the woods this weekend, trying to hide from the 50’s temps. With the weather reports this week, that should change (dry out), and I will pull May out next weekend! The picture that I am posting here was actually taken last fall (you can tell cause there is green grass, and right now, all grass here is brown and just starting to green up). This will be the new summer home for May. It is located at the Minnesota Airstream Park. The truck is sitting about where May will be parked. I wouldn’t call that a lake in the distance (past the golf course), but it is bigger than a pond. Last spring two loons called it home, so it is a clean body of water. I should have taken a picture of the lot yesterday, but suffice to say all the leaves from this picture last October are cleaned up now. Once I move May to the lot, I need to first and foremost ensure that I have working running lights (brakes, turn signals, the necessities). Once I have lights, I will hall her up to Hart RV in Long Prairie for a new axel, brakes, wheels and tires. Then it is back to the Park, where all the polishing supplies that I just ordered from Vintage Trailer will be deployed to clean up and shine the exterior. The floor and interior will get tackled this fall/winter (at least that is the plan, but Vintage trailers need more time and money than one should assume, so stay tuned!) My posts should pick up now, including a recap of the Vintage Restoration Rally held by the Four Corners Unit of the WBCC. The rally is two weeks away in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We (wife and I) are flying down there for the long weekend, and are very much looking forward to it!

Can't you work on Airstream's in winter?

2008-12-31T08:57:00.006-06:00

My good buddy Dave always likes to say "Get to work!" How I wish I could! We bought our Safari very late in the season (late October). It is currently stored (in a secret location) with several other Airstream's (OK, not that secret) near the Minnesota Airstream Park. You cannot easily access the location in winter, and it is 65 miles one way from my house. We will need to get the running lights working (or temporary lights to start), and the plan is to take it up to Hart's RV for a new axle, wheels, brakes, tires this spring. Hart's used to be an Airstream dealer, and they do great work, so check them out if you are in Minnesota (Long Prairie, MN). Once I can safely tow the Safari, then I have the option to bring it home, and begin the Full Monty! By the way, this picture does not include our Safari. It was taken last year at the same winter storage location, and our '90 Excella is the first 'Stream on the right. If we would have bought our Safari just a little sooner before winter, it would be in my driveway now. How I wish I could "get to work!"

"Streamers" are the best!

2008-12-28T15:39:00.005-06:00

I have now met online many great and helpful Streamers. The volume of information that is available on the Airforums, and the number of people documenting their projects in Blogs, is what makes it possible for those of us to exceed our own level of "handiness". Thus we are able to tackle projects that we would not otherwise be brave enough to tackle. As an example, in one of these online communications I met Roy who has refurbished/remodeled his '64 Safari. He had extra original cabinet knobs leftover from his project, and asked me if I could use them, and thus passed them along to me. They arrived well packed and with the attached letter. Just good folks helping all of us newbies along the way, with advise, or extra cabinet knobs. You can check out Roy's website covering his '64 Safari "Marlo" at http://64airstream.com/ Someday I will also "pay it forward", just like Roy did for me. Thank you Roy!

Lucky to be a '64?

2008-12-21T17:39:00.006-06:00

Looking this far back, some 40 plus years, 1964 is not that special. I mean, what about a '62, or '65? Early 60's is early 60's, right? For an Airstream, 1964 was the last year for the now desired Door within a Door. But certain features is not what I am referring to. It turns out one can find a great 1964 Airstream resource online. It is the 1964 catalog. Dig the propaganda; "Airstream 1964, years ahead in engineering, years ahead in travel pleasure!" This has been a very helpful document in my research. I could only wish that every Vintage Airstream owner had access to this catalog for their respective year. Not only can you find valuable information (confirmed our Safari is a Double), but the marketing hype is great for a smile. "Travel Trailers of the future may someday have what the 1964 Airstream gives you now!"

www.airstream.net/members/documents/catalogs/1964%20Catalog.pdf

A '64 Safari named May and a Dream

2008-12-20T13:37:00.000-06:00

I guess it all has to start somewhere. First you need the appropriate Vintage Airstream (1964 Safari, check). Then a name (I lived in Maysville, Iowa in 1964, where I turned 4 that November, so she now has a name (May for short), check). Finally I am working on a whole lot of dreaming, planning, and money gathering (you have to pay for it all somehow!) Dreaming is the right word, as May is in her bed for the winter, all stored away miles from home, with only pictures to show for her. At least she has Airstream company! This picture was taken in October, today she would be covered in a blanket of snow, with certainly no green grass at her feet. So have patience with me, the blogs will be "squishy" for now, all thought, and very little action. Or at least all the action is currently in the mind, with real action waiting for the spring thaw. But, you have to start somewhere!!!!