1964 Airstream Safari

It all started back about a year ago. I’m sitting there playing poker with the gents at our monthly poker/cigar “man night”. When I toss out “ hey I’m thinking of getting a camper”. The response was as expected …”oh yeah what ya looking for”… yadda yadda yadda blah blah blah.. “you need to get that one up at the church” snicker..snicker…grin grin.. Huh??…church?? ..trailer??… where??. “its rough though….real rough” says him. I asked how much and what it was, and much to my surprise it was an Airstream. Hmmm an Airstream …..this could be interesting. So a little investigating and internet reading get me real excited and interested. There are whole sites dedicated to the restoration of this stuff. DIY I’m all in!!!!!! I go look…… and its rough….yep.. real rough, but it is all there. Even the little stoppers in the kitchen sink, and full of all kinds of junk and goodies So we get to how much. “ Well somebody else wants it…yesterday….we are working on a deal to trade it for a tractor” Flippin flem flarm flam. All good…..its all good.

But I’m hooked I start looking for a vintage Airstream. And boy did I find some interesting stuff– the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. I was even poised to purchase a gutted 65 tradewind 45min away and the day I was to meet with the owner, I came down with an awful sickness that knocked me out for almost 2 weeks…..lost the trailer. Curses foiled again. Seems me and an Airstream where not meant to be. But by now I was reading online daily…skin replacement, on shell off shell restoration, polishing, rear end separation, when, why and how of it all………..I must find one!. My new project awaits…I just need to find my bones. Fast forward 6 months. Poker night.. “Hey…you still interested in that old trailer at the church…that guy changed his mind and that thing has got to go” . I promise you I saw the heavens part and a light shine down on me and a booming voice that said ..”Thou shalt buy that Airstream…..and rebuild her to her former glory.” Ok so I did not hear that, but I was stoked to say the least. I bought her and had her drug home within a few days. The neighbors love me now…I think I have single handily lowered the property values on my street. (hehehehe). I covered her with a tarp and there she sat waiting for a few months.

Seems we lost all the pictures of bringing her home and the before shots.  Not real pleased with that, but what ya gonna do.  A few  Dust masks, goggles, gloves and a utility trailer where all we need to begin gutting our new baby.

Here are a few pics of how she sits now.

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Now that we finally got this thing up and rolling let’s talk about a plan. Yep, every good endeavor needs a good plan. Fail to plan and plan to fail…..or something like that. I’m an Engineer by trade so I tend to over think most things, and I’m a big fan of the spreadsheet…ohh the spreadsheet…you got to love the spreadsheet…..it’s really a man’s best friend. WHACK!! Sorry folks.. that’s the wife smacking me to get back to work. She likes spreadsheets too……just when she writes them…..(remdaddy ducks and avoids second whack).

The Plan is to gut the interior while saving all the cabinets and internals for reuse or for templates to rebuild. We also  need to weather seal the exterior, but this will be a constant work in progress of the project

Once gutted we will assess the floor.  We def have a little floor rot around the door. Mainly due to a warped door…that’s on the list too. Frame assessment will happen at this time also. Then we will pull the interior panels for new insulation, and wiring (120ac/12dc/cable/speaker). We don’t foresee much “boon docking”, but will still be putting in a new 12 volt system.

At some point here I need to address a few exterior patches or panel replacement. We will delve more into this area later.  Then we are on to plumbing…..you should see the plumbing on this one. –“WHACK” ……I’m talking about plumbing here!!…. Folks I’m walking on thin ice. Back to list–I’m leaning towards PEX at this time. New propane water heater is most likely in store, even though we do still have the orig….no idea if it works. Prob. will install new anyway. 45yrs is pretty old for gas appliances. Pulling the furnace…no plans to replace that, so it will stay out. Looking at replacing stove with 2 or 3 burner cook top and a convection microwave.  Then we rebuild/install cabinets, dinette, gaucho (that be the couch-bed thing)…..and add new bunk bed.  New axles, brakes and wheels. Then it’s curtains towels and dishes. 

Oh it sounds soo easy!! If only it were so. There are hundreds of little steps here and there. That’s why we have a spreadsheet…but you get the gist.  Plus I’m updating and moving stuff around the list with the more I learn about this project

Here is the layout of our Safari

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I was inspired to this post by a question. “Have you picked out a name for it yet?”

Well that’s a can of worms right there buddy. We are still in negotiations on the name at this time. Seems “The Stream” is what she has been known as so far. But as we all get going on this, a proper name must be settled on. I tossed a few ideas out like the “Silver Suppository”, (that got shot down rather fast, by the smarter half of the marriage unit) the other attempts at humorous names where met with the same resistance. Seems we can not camp in something with the name “Shiny Turd” on the side of it, go figure. So I opened up the floor for some ideas. The wife says she does not care….but we have already established that she does….she must approve the choice. So I ask the kids well the 2 that can talk anyways.

The 3yr old says “Pickle” her favorite snack.

This has poss. But there is already a “Silver pickle” on the Air forums….maybe “Platinum Pickle”…(wife says it sounds like a strip club…hahahaha) but I’m not nixing it yet. My 3yr old’s choices round out at “Dora” , “Max & Ruby” and “Strawberry Shortcake”…..I see a pattern forming here.

My son comes back with “how about we call it the Rust bucket.?”

I was floored …“Rust bucket??!! Rust Bucket!!!! Its made out of Aluminum…at least come out with “Corrosion Bucket” or something. Where do you come up with this stuff?” His answer….”Ben 10” (cartoon show) Obviously we let our kids watch too much TV. “ I’m canceling cable tomorrow, and I defiantly not naming her Rust Bucket”! “Come on boy get with the program.”

“Ok …..hmmmm…how about big hunk of junk that we are fixing up”

Oh a Wise guy ehh. He fancies himself a funny, funny guy….I have no idea where he gets it. Another fault of the spousal units gene pool I’m sure. (Remdaddy looks innocent)

Seems the family is of no help in this. I had the idea of “Miss Moneypenny” Iconic and vintage. Plus it fits with my being a Bond nut….nope not just a fan but a Bond nut. We have all the bond movies and a few interesting bond “pieces”. My beautiful wife calls him “Skank Bond” and does not care so much for him, but she tolerates this because I am such a good and wonderful man. (chuckles) That and the fact that she sold my VHS Bond collection on Ebay a few years back, and to this day has not been allowed to live it down.  Its all good… they where replaced by DVD and the marriage was saved.

So as of today the wife calls it “The Stream”, my daughter calls it “The Pickle”,  My son …..well he is ignored on this one, and I call Her “Miss Moneypenny”.  Maybe we will come to group agreement by the time we take her out  for her maiden voyage. Possibly something like “007 Pickle Stream that used to be junkie”

Here are some pics of “Funny guy” helping to strip out the hardwood flooring the PO had installed.  He really enjoyed  this part of the job.

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You know, it’s like being a child looking for the ice cream truck.  You’re in the house…you hear a large truck rumble by. hmmmm…could it be? You spring from your chair and look out the door.  Brown!! I see brown!!! Is it mine?  Oh please be mine……he’s slowing down….yes..yes!…no..no… not the neighbor.  Maybe he has the wrong house.  No…dang.  Rejection.

Ahh, the dance of the package delivery trucks.   Well, today was my day.  I was not home, but the wife called to let me know that I had a delivery.   I got a little package from Vintage Trailer Supply.  Ohhh the goodies!  A few plumbing vent covers,  replacement window operator, tube of Trempro 635, Jalousie  bulb seal, Jalousie glass retainer discs, Jalousie weatherstripping.   It don’t take long to run up the bill.   Add this to the glass I picked up last week from a local glass supply, and we have a window restoration party in the making.

I needed four panes of glass, two were missing and two needed to replace a couple of flimsy plexiglass panes the PO had used instead of glass  (not a good move ).  I took in one of the undamaged pieces  to the glass shop and they used it as a template.  The glass looks to be about 1/4 thick and they did a nice job matching it all up.  They  ground the edges and wrapped it up.  The 4 pieces cost me $63, so around $15 apiece.  Not sure if this was a good price or not but it sounded fair at the time.    Here are some Pics.

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