'59 TradeWind Blog

Fulfilling A Request

2011-03-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

Fellow blogger and 4CU member MelloMike requested that I post about my modified magazine rack's dual purpose so this post does just that. I'm not sure that he isn't about to "borrow" my idea or not but if so, go right ahead Mike.

Here's the back story. I typically sleep on the curbside of the trailer and wanted a way to watch DVD's in bed but still keep things looking vintage so I built a magazine rack just like the original one on the streetside but with a slight modification. It flips down so I can rest my small iBook on it. There is a 12 volt plug that is available for when we're boondocking and a 110 shore power plug when we're on the grid. I've put this shelf to good use on a couple of rainy afternoons and it works perfectly.

Am I Ever Slow

2010-10-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

Finally, I took some time this morning to switch out the brown stovetop and oven door for the white ones I was 'gifted' from Frank. The white looks so much better and really lightens up the galley portion of the interior. The white looks more period correct for the late 50's as a number of the homes of the era had white appliances. Colors were being introduced on home appliances but I don't think muddy brown was an option. I don't know why it took me so long, other than trying to avoid our summer heat. I have no excuses as it only took 45 minutes and that's with cleaning every piece and re-attaching the state magnets. Thank you Frank for your generosity and Airstream spirit. It will come back to you in spades. If I can help you in any way, just give a shout. Now I need to get out camping.

Filling Up and Getting Tighter

2010-07-22T05:44:00.000-07:00

As we continue with the installation of cabinetry, the space gets even smaller. Maybe because I'm 6'4" and 250 pounds, I just have a hard time seeing two people camping in this tight of a space although the owners are very compatible so it will work out. We installed the fresh water tank and cabinetry that encloses it along with the seating/storage cabinet on the passenger side. That slot is a site window for checking the water level in the tank. Seat tops are in and now its time to wire, plumb and run propane lines.

Stay tuned.

A Few Alterations Along the Way

2010-07-13T06:01:00.000-07:00

As we began to put this cabinet together, we realized a few adjustments were in order so the layout was modified to suit the client's requests. We are now building the countertop and working on the seating cabinet for the fresh water tank which is just to the left in this picture.

One of the biggest challenges for this build out is there are four turnbuckle access points, one in each corner just above the floor, that the client needs to be able to reach in and connect the camper to the truck bed. They don't plan on taking the camper off of the truck very often but we still need to leave access to these areas.

Here's a picture of yesterday's progress. Looks much better with the drawers and doors.

Talk About Tight Spaces

2010-07-10T07:54:00.000-07:00

After camping off and on with some close friends of mine over the past few years, I kept asking them if they had ever gotten anything done on their pop-up camper which was just an empty shell. The conversation got around to me picking up the project by designing and making the interior cabinetry. Now this pop up camper fits on their Toyota Tacoma four wheel drive pickup so it has a small footprint and with me at 6 foot 4 inches tall, its kind of tight for me.

They have already purchased a 12/120 volt fridge, 2 burner cook top, sink, foot pump, 20 gallon water tank, deep cycle battery, and a solar system which was already installed. My task was to get all of this to fit into this small space and still make it comfortable as well as useable.

As with any project of this type, many discussions took place as well as matching up their conceived ideas and then getting mine to match. After many trips to the camper for measuring, I made a 2 dimensional mock-up in Adobe Illustrator. After this was agreed upon, I went to Sketch-Up for a 3-dimensional version of the driver's side where most of the previously purchased items will be going.

We moved the camper from my house to my friend Bob's house as he has a complete woodworking shop. He graciously allowed us to invade his private domain. Thanks so much Bob.

At this point, the driver's side cabinet is complete with the facing put on. Now we're working out the counter top and will be applying a white laminate. Here's a few pictures of our progress and copies of the digital files.

More to follow...

Memorable Memorial Day Outing

2010-06-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

As with most Memorial Day weekends, I took a long weekend and extended it into a full week of fishing and camping in the mountains of Arizona. Now most of you may say, Yeah, mountains in Arizona? Well, we were camping just around 9100 feet and the afternoons were in the mid 70s and the nights went down to mid 40s. My flyfishing club always rents a group camp site at Hawley Lake as we have the past few years and before that, we rented Cyclone Lake. As our club has grown, we quickly outgrew the smaller meadow at Cyclone and moved to Hawley, which about five times the size. Lots of room to spread out. While we were camped at Hawley, we fished Christmas Tree Lake - so named because of a tree was cut down from her shore and traipsed across the country, set up and decorated in the White House. I believe this was in the early 60s. Yes, THE White House.

By sundown of Tuesday, we had to relocate so we went to Wynn campground and had the entire campground to ourselves. Primitive camping at its finest. While camped at Wynn, we took off and fished Wednesday at Crescent Lake for some rainbows and in the late afternoon went to fish Lee Valley Reservoir for some native Apache Trout and some Artic Grayling.

On the short ride from the highway up to Wynn Campground, which is all wash board BTW, is when I believe the fridge door came off. Broke the little plastic clip that holds it closed and dumped most of the fridge contents on the floor. What a mess!!

Of course, when we got back to the valley on Thursday, someone had turned on the Phoenix furnace and it was 105 when we pulled into town. I was ready to head right back until mid September.

Bob, Tim, Ron and I have done this for a number of years and we have as much fun sitting around the fire after a long day on the water as we do fishing together. Thanks gentlemen for a relaxing and enjoyable week.

The Airstream Spirit is Strong in This One

2010-04-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

A little history is in order to set the stage. I have long been waiting for an opportunity to change out the dark brown color of my TradeWind oven and cook top. I think it darkens up the interior and I have seen original Princess stoves in white, light yellow, pink, pale blue, one or two in turquiose but most of them have been the dark brown. Typically, these colors matched the color of the rounded refridgerators and the bathroom countertop and tub.

My FedEx guy, whom I’m really getting to know quite well, delivered a small wooden crate the other morning from Frank's Trailer Works. You see, Frank had a ‘59 TradeWind very similar to mine but was incomplete on the interior, had an wide opening on the curbside for serving food out of and was being sold to another vendor type person. I had inquired about the stove door and cooktop since his were white and I wanted to change mine out. Being the generous and thoughtful guy he is, he said he would send them to me and would not take anything in return. This is called the Airstream Spirit, when one helps out another simply to help out another. No keeping score and nothing in return. Frank embodies this spirit and this is one of the main reasons I love being involved with the vintage trailer community. Everyone is so helpful, generous and thoughtful.

Included in the shipment were the original stove grates along with the four burner knobs and the oven knob. All of these are different from the black ones I already have so I have options. In the next few days, I will post before and after pictures of the oven and cooktop and I think you’ll agree, lighter is better.

Thank you Frank for your Airstream Spirit and I know your not keeping score but I hope to return the favor one day just to show my appreciation for your spirit.

Airstream Photo Shoot

2010-04-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

You just never know how owning a vintage Airstream is going to open different avenues of opportunity or just who you'll meet. I had the opportunity to have the TradeWind used as a backdrop in a desert photo shoot highlighting two highly photogenic young models. We went out in the desert southeast of Fountain Hills to a fairly remote location and took pictures until the sun set. I didn't take many pictures of the models since the actual professional photographer Kai, had that fully covered but I did take a few. I also took the opportunity, as I always do, to take a few of the Airstream in a different setting.

The weather was perfect and the desert was green from all of the previous rainfall. The sky was a perfect desert spring azure blue. It was a bit warm in the direct sun but nice and cool in the shade. Just perfect.

Thanks Kai for this wonderful adventure. I hope to see you again and do this all over. It was a pleasure. Thank you, thank you.

Scout Truck Presentation

2010-03-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

I'm such a dunderhead! I completely neglected to share with you the presentation of the scale model Scout Truck that I made to Dale "PeeWee" Schwamborn at the Deadhorse Rally last month. Dar and I went up just for the day on Saturday as I knew PeeWee and his wife Susan would be in attendance. This was my 'push' to get the display completed. He was quite surprised that this was happening at the time and knew right away what was coming when I came carrying up a box covered with brown butcher paper.

It was truly an honor to do this for PeeWee as he is such a remarkable and caring person. This was a small tribute to him for his numerous years of dedication to the club and all of his fascinating retellings of the early years of the club and its history.

Thank you PeeWee for all you have done and continue to do. It is much appreciated.

Motoring Thru Time Event

2010-02-07T07:42:00.000-08:00

Took the TradeWind downtown to Phoenix's Heritage Square to the annual Motoring Thru Time event where a number of historic cars, trucks, and campers were on display. Had a great time and looked at many sweet vehicles.

My neighbor owns the 1931 Ford Sheepherder's Model AA truck which always draws alot of attention. The back has a coal furnace / stove and a fold down bunk along with a few period accessories.

One of my favorite vehicles was the '59 Chevy Apache Sedan which would make the perfect vintage tow vehicle for my '59 TradeWind. It needed some work still and I doubt the original 6 cylinder would tow the trailer properly but it sure piqued my interest. Love this possibility.

Another fine vehicle was the red Chrysler 300 next to the yellow and white Shasta. This 300 was very rare with the factory 4 speed. I wish I had taken more pictures of it as the dash and gauges were very cool.

I always have had a soft spot for the blue and white '56 Chevy Nomad. Maybe because its the year of my birth but I really think its because of the classy lines and sexy curves.

The Heritage Square is the perfect place for this event with the restored Rossen House, assorted outbuildings and renovated period correct, relocated homes from around the state as backdrops. All of the campers were in the Lath House where it was shaded and brick paved.

If you ever get the chance to check out Heritage Square, I highly recommend it besides the best pizza in the US is served right there at Pizzaria Bianco but don't tell anyone or I'll never get in.

In speaking with one of the organizers, its sad to hear this may be the last year of this event because of city budget cuts. What a shame to loose this opportunity for the public to get a glimpse of our past. I sure hope it will continue long into the future.

New Vintage Style Outside Light

2010-01-29T08:30:00.000-08:00

I have always been quite jealous of those original outside lights that came with my era of Airstream. They just plugged in to the outside outlet and were held in place by screwing to the special socket base. Well, my original socket was a mess when I got the trailer back in 2001 and I replaced it with a newer style that is water tight with a spring loaded flip out cover.

Several months ago, I bought at the big orange home center a porch light that was all of $7 or so with the idea of converting it to plug into this outlet. Since it was a bit rainy outside yesterday, this sounded like the perfect project for the afternoon. It took me about an hour and a bit of tinkering to fabricate the plugin part that was a cord end as well as the extension arm so the light would extend out past the flipped open cover on the socket.

Once I was done, I tried it out and it just seemed too bright. I tried a smaller wattage bulb but still too bright. I needed some type of light diffuser and I had just the stuff stashed away from when I did the interior. I found this thin gold colored punched aluminum at one of the Ace Hardware stores but at only one of the stores, so not all of them carry it. The pattern is called Union Jack and this is the same pattern that was in my trailer originally although it had a minimum of five coats of paint on it then and all of the triangle shaped holes were filled in.

I digress, as usual. Back to the light. The Union Jack fit perfectly and it gives the light a bit of nostalgia and matches the interior doors and drawers. I'll put this to use next month at the 4CU's Deadhorse Ranch rally. Aaargh!!

On a different note, I'll be taking the trailer downtown next Saturday for an event called "Motoring Through Time" that the city park's department puts on. There will be a number of vintage cars, trucks and campers on display. I went last year but didn't take the trailer. Got in on it this year and my neighbor and I will be taking our vehicles. I'll post pictures of the campers.

2010-01-04T14:22:00.000-08:00

Just back from the Four Corners Unit's Third Annual New Years Eve Rally. We had a great time, a bit chilly but that's what the campfire and libations are for. Good to meet up with fellow Airstreamers and meet a few new faces. The white elephant gift exchange was a hoot as was Pictionary while we were waiting up for the countdown. Louis, Sergio, Linda and Ken really can put on a great rally. Thanks to all four of you. Bob (dogpound) and Julianne cooked up some tasty pancakes on the new morning of the new year while everyone supplied their own bacon. What a treat. I don't know who made the blueberry tart that was on the table but I helped myself and was it ever good. Is the recipe available for our upcoming 4CU cookbook because I want to sample that again and again.

The next 4CU get together is next month at Deadhorse State Park in Cottonwood and I sure hope the powers in the capital don't shut too many of our parks down. Looks like they can't manage their $ either.

See all you ralliers next month.

Heading Out on the Road Again

2009-12-29T06:25:00.000-08:00

We're finally getting the Twink out on the road and heading off to Picacho Peak for the 4 Corners Unit's New Years Rally. We'll be heading out tomorrow afternoon and returning late Saturday as I need to work on Sunday. Really looking forward to seeing everyone again so stay tuned for some pictures. Its been toooo long.

New Regulator

2009-12-09T21:24:00.000-08:00

Today I was finally able to pick up a new regulator and get it installed. Also had a leaky pigtail so I replaced that as well. Now the other one is leaking so off to the RV store again tomorrow. Sure was nice to sit in the trailer and fix a cup of coffee.

Regulator Issue

2009-11-29T12:30:00.000-08:00

With a houseful of folks expected for Thanksgiving dinner and cooking a turkey and a ham, we needed to use a second oven. Never fear, the TradeWind to the rescue. The ham was precooked so we just needed a way to heat it up. After preheating the oven and the ham put in, I went out after about 20 minutes to check on it. Once I stepped inside the trailer, I heard a loud swoooooosh sound start up. I couldn't tell what it was. I thought maybe a water pipe broke. No, that wasn't it, no water anywhere and the pump would have come on. I went outside to check the propane pigtails and couldn't see anything out of place. I held my hand around different areas of the hoses and fitting and there it was. The regulator blew where the front and back are stamped together. Not anything you could see with the naked eye but it was really shooting out of there. This regulator is only 7 or so years old and I would expect one to last longer than this. Glad this happened when it did and I was around to find the problem. I'll need to replace as soon as I can.

A New Throne

2009-11-24T00:06:00.000-08:00

It is an absolute must to have a comfortable and functioning throne while away from home. When the old one's plastic base broke, something needed to be done. After considerable research on porcelain toilets, I decided on the Low Profile Sealand Traveller. Since the commode sits atop the black tank, a regular height one would have been too tall. Now we can take care of business in style. Installation was easy, so easy, I wish everything was this easy. No, no pictures. Who wants to see pictures of a toilet anyway? Its kind of a personal thing.

Scout Truck in Miniature

2009-07-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

Well, its finally done. The last bit of trim has been glued on and its finally complete. I still am devising the glass covered display/base so there is still a bit to do. Here are a few pictures but the display will remain a secret until its complete.

The top photo is a recreation of one of PeeWee's photos while he was on the African Caravan. Some of you will recognize the shot.

Just Too Hot

2009-07-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I last posted. Not much going on here in central Arizona other than the temp's are up. Suppose to be 108 today and 112 by the weekend. The TradeWind is all set to head for cooler climates with a new Sealand Traveller LoProfile toilet and the faulty IntelliPower has been switched out with a Zantrax XADC 60 amp charger. The trout up north are calling but we just can't seem to get away right now. Its just to hot to go out in the early morning, sit in the trailer and enjoy a cup of coffee.

Smokin' BBQ Ribs Time

2009-06-12T18:32:00.001-07:00

I can't take all of the credit for this as both Frank and Marcus have posted about their barbecue endeavors on their blogs in the past month. I just had to post mine although I'm not nearly as involved as they are. I DO have a few secret ingredients from the garden that I'll share though.

I created a rib rub of ingredients that included brown sugar, ground pepper, cinnamon, chili pepper, a few sprinkles of different seasonings and a little something from the garden that just set it off perfectly, gives it that little kick. We sun-dried some of our chili's from the garden, ground them up with a coffee grinder and then added this to the rib rub.

After these had set for about four hours in the fridge, I put filtered-water soaked apple chips above the burner on the small camp grill and set it to high. Once this was really smoking and starting to smell just right, I turned down the burner to low and added the ribs. These smoked and cooked for about an hour and a half and were turned every half hour.

Oh the sweet smell of smoking barbecue. I could hardly wait until they were done so I occupied myself with preparing the farmer's market sweet corn and the sourdough bread. A little melted butter was added to the sourdough and then lightly sprinkled with garlic powder and wrapped up in aluminum foil and put on the grill. The water for the corn was seasoned and brought to a boil. the two cobs were added and allowed to simmer.

We got so involved, we forgot to slice up some of today's bounty from the garden. We have been harvesting tomatoes like crazy this past week and this morning's were no different. We like to slice them and have them with mozzarella and balsamic vinegar. Guess we'll have them tomorrow with lunch.

Dinner was fantastic and I want to thank Marcus and Frank for spurring me on. After reading their posts about their BBQ earlier this week, I just had to give it a shot.

A Few More Pix

2009-04-23T06:42:00.000-07:00

Got a bit more done on the Scout Truck and thought I would take it out in the sun for some more photos. Its really starting to come together.

Heading out to the Restoration Rally in Albuquerque this morning once Uwe arrives as he is my transport. Planning on taking the Scout Truck where it can make its public debut. Stay tuned as I will post pictures from the rally.

On edit: I'll post some rally pictures once I get my camera back from Uwe. I left it in his Suburban after the rally.

I Can't Keep a Secret

2009-04-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally shared with PeeWee that I was building a scale model of his famous African caravan scout truck for him. I just couldn't hold it any longer. Still some finishing touches to do and figure out what type of display case to make for it. The shell is made from aluminum flashing and the 'rivets' are actual brass brads. I modeled it from two or three photos that PeeWee had posted.

The story on the difference in wording on the big red and white banners on the side was that Wally was told the use of the word "Biblelands' may not go over so well once the caravan gets to northern Africa so he had a sign painter change it to 'Near East' somewhere down south probably near Johannesburg.

I'll post more pictures when it gets done.

PeeWee's Scout Truck Picture

2009-02-03T18:54:00.000-08:00

Sugarfoot asked a question about the four hooks on the Bubble. I don't believe they were for hoisting the trailer onto a ship as this is the type of rigging used on PeeWee's African Caravan scout truck. Anyone have any ideas?

Photo courtesy of the estate of Helen Byam Schwamborn.

A Few More Pictures

2009-02-01T21:12:00.001-08:00

Wally, ever the opportunist, had one of these AIRSTREAM plaques on each side of the trailer along with the standard one on each end as well as on the inside of the door so that any picture of this Bubble would show the Airstream name.

She's had a rough life but she's not ready for retirement just yet. A new chapter is about to unfold. Stay tuned...

Historic Pictures of the Bubble

2009-01-25T07:07:00.001-08:00

These three pictures were collected from AirForums from the extensive collection of Helen Schwamborn, now in the hands of her son, Dale (PeeWee) Schwamborn. Helen was Wally's cousin and was intrumental in starting up and running the WBCCI. Thanks PeeWee. And yes its true, Wally used to tow this all around Europe with a Volkswagon convertible.

More Pictures

2009-01-25T06:50:00.001-08:00

While researching all I can on this trailer, I found additional pictures on JR's Shutterfly website. Many of these show some of the interior features that I didn't get on my short visit. One shows the port-a-potty extended and explains the aluminum channeling in one of my earlier pictures. I'm thinking any of the interior wood that isn't the same light green paint as the walls is not original to the trailer.

More Pictures of Wally's Bubble

2009-01-24T16:32:00.000-08:00

Here's a few more of the famous Bubble. She's a real beauty and I hope to get to visit her another time or two. She has many more stories to share and I hope to hear most, if not all, of them.

Accompanying Paperwork

2009-01-23T07:41:00.001-08:00

Under the front seating area I found a bundle of stapled papers. Of course I had to photograph the interesting ones. Also attached is a copy of the auction statement about Wally's trailer.

More Interior Shots

2009-01-23T07:03:00.000-08:00

Wally's Bubble Interior Shots

2009-01-23T06:46:00.000-08:00

As one could imagine of a trailer that has seen many miles and different owners and is in itself, 54 years old, the interior has held up quite well. Over time, it has had some modifications and has shown wear and tear but there is enough of it present to right the ship, so to speak, and put it back to original. Sam's plans are to do just that and I am really excited to see this take place. The green countertops and table top were additions along with a newer style fridge. Somewhere in the 70's, if I had to say. Around this same timeframe, the small bathroom was removed that was just inside the entrance door to the right. The two round lights that are above the front window and to the right were actually inside the partition wall that was for the bathroom. Part of the front window was in the bathroom. Directly under the front window along the bathroom partition wall is where I believe the original location of the fridge was placed. The current location of the fridge is where a vertical wardrobe closet was. A closer examination of the walls and possible rivet / screw holes would determine if this is correct. I hope to be able to view this trailer once more before it leaves town.

Wally's 1955 Bubble

2009-01-23T06:29:00.000-08:00

This past Wednesday, I had the unique opportunity to photograph's Wally Byam's Bubble. Now I know if you're not an avid follower of vintage Airstreams, this may sound kinda strange, so bear with me.

A little history on this gem is in order here. Wally had the Airstream factory in Jackson Center, Ohio build this trailer to his exact specifications and had it shipped overseas to Europe. The Bubble was to be used by Wally and his wife Stella to scout out a course for the upcoming WBCCI European caravan. I'm a bit sketchy on its whereabouts after its European trip but I hear it went to Canada for some time. It ended up on Ebay where a gentleman from southern CA bought it. He had full intentions to return it to its glory days when it was in use by Wally but as things do, it just wasn't going to work out for him. It then went to auction where a gentleman from England named Sam bought her. This is where I come in. The auction took place here in Phoenix this past weekend and I found out about her after the auction took place. I contacted the auction company and asked if I could take pictures of it. In the end, I had a window of opportunity of around 30 minutes to look this glorious trailer over and snap some pictures. Here are some exterior shots.

You may wonder how the ghost images of the regional names of the destination the trailer has visited can be older than the trailer itself. Wally took the liberty to have these destinations painted on the trailer as the places he had visited outside of the US and not the trailer itself.

Pictures of the New Fridge Board Replacement

2009-01-19T06:25:00.000-08:00

This replacement was straightforward with one small hitch. The old circuit board had nine tabs for electrical connections and the replacement had ten tabs. The extra one was for an additional ground so I needed to make the wire and put on both female tab ends. The instructions were spot on with informative diagrams and explanations.

While it was out, I cleaned off all of the tubes, top and sides of the fridge from all of the accumulated dust. This should help it cool much better. Amazing how much there was.

The replacement board is a Dinosaur brand, model number Micro P-711 for a Dometic RM2607. The installation was much easier than I anticipated and judging from the quality of their product, the informative directions and how well the board was packaged, I'd say their product is first rate. Time will tell on the performance but I don't anticipate any problems.

Dinosaur Electronics Inc.

Lincoln City, OR

541.994.4344

Back on Track

2009-01-18T18:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I got to work on the replacing the fridge's circuit board yesterday and its still on. Only took about 30 minutes once the fridge was out. While I was at it, I also reglued the veneer that was coming up and clamped it overnight. All of this was so much fun, I thought I would do some touch up polishing where a tree branch had rubbed a few black streaks. Got good results but not so much fun. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

Now Back to Work

2009-01-13T07:11:00.000-08:00

There she sits beside the house in the pile of leaves, all forlorn and feeling neglected. This is no way for her to feel.

I'm finally going to get back to work on her this weekend. Now that the holidays have past and things can get back to some semblance of normalcy, plans are in place to replace the circuit board in the fridge this weekend. There is also an electrical problem that needs to be figured out. I'm hoping its the faulty circuit board in the fridge that keeps draining the on-board battery. If that's not it, more investigative work is in order. I know the water pump has been humming as well, so its turned off at the moment and will probably need replacing. I need to get cracking because camping season for us in here in central Arizona can be year-round.

Second Annual 4CU Labor Day Rally

2008-09-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

Over the extended Labor Day weekend, a bunch of us 4CU'ers got together at the Canyon Resort and RV Park in Williams, AZ. We had a great time seeing old friends and making some new ones. I say we because my wife, Julie came along on this trip. She's particular to having showers and full-hookups. We had eleven Airstreams and twenty-two folks in attendance. One of the highlights was Dale "PeeWee" Schwamborn and his wife Susan joined us on Sunday for the open house, potluck and campfire stories. Thanks Dale for your support and great stories. It was very much appreciated. What a great addition to have Dale share his caravanning experiences. Several of us went up to the south rim of the Grand Canyon but the weather was not really cooperating for any dynamic photos but we did manage to get a few. On Sunday, before the potluck, we played a card game and the winner received a scale model of an Airstream. The lucky winners were Bob and Lou Whitcomb from Dolores, CO.

Stay tuned for the next 4CU Labor Day rally. Since last year was Winslow, we'll need to find another AZ town beginning with a 'W' to rally in. Maybe Wickenburg or Wickeup, Winkleman or possibly Wittmann, Winona or Whiteriver. There's also Window Rock and Willcox or Why. So many choices.

Fridge Repair

2008-08-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

My Dometic RM2607 has been giving me fits for a number of years and I just haven't wanted to replace the entire the unit. Currently, the unit works fine on 110 volt but after about a day of running on propane, the 'CHECK' light comes on and won't cool. It has to stay off for at least an hour or so and then, maybe, it will come back on. I spoke with an RV repairman who was recommended and he came out and looked at it. He recommended replacing it with a new one. Because of cost, I couldn't bring myself to do it plus the new fridge's aren't the same size as my present one. Recently, I found a thread on AirForums.com suggesting a board replacement has fixed others 'Check' light problems. I ordered a Dino replacement board Micro P-711 and it has come in so I need to pull it out to replace the board. While its out, I plan on cleaning out the chimney as suggested by Lew Farber, the Lewster on the Forums.

I'm hosting a 4CU rally at the end of this month up in Williams, AZ and will have full hook-ups so I think I'll wait to replace the board until after the rally and it cools down some here in Phoenix. Stay tuned for an update on the board replacement and I'll include contact info for the board at that time.

Early TradeWind Registry

2008-08-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

It just occurred to me that I should let my blog readers know that I've been putting a registry together of '59 and '60 TradeWind's. To date, there are 71 Tradewinds listed and I'll ask if you have one of these, please let me know by leaving a comment. I would love to add your info to keep a record of floorplans, furnishings, unique differences and how each plant differed in assembly. I find all of this historical data so fascinating.

I Went and Looked At Another One

2008-08-03T07:35:00.001-07:00

This week, I went and looked at a late '50s Terry trailer advertised on CraigsList. Fortunately, this one was right here in town. The owner only wants $300 for it but it was hard to see past all of the junk in it. It's last function was a one man recording studio years ago and it has been stored ever since. After the gentleman passed away, his sons went through the trailer and took out all of the old recording equipment to sell on Ebay and they just tossed everything else on the floor, beds and every where else. It had experienced some serious leaks before being stored under a cover so alot of the wood needed to be replaced. Just to overwhelming of a project for me since its not an Airstream.

Too Good to Be True

2008-07-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, Julie and I drove up to Kingman to look at a '50 Pan American trailer that was listed in the free section of CraigsList. Judging from the photos and the description, it sounded like it was in reasonable and restorable condition. The couple offering it said they had stayed in it for a year so how bad could it be? Sure, it will need some work, I expect that. Maybe some wood working to replace damaged or missing cabinetry, etc. The outside is aluminum and could use a polish. Besides, we need a new project and this sounded like just the ticket.

After the 3 1/2 hour drive, we finally found the trailer park where it was residing and I was in shock. It was in much worse shape than I expected. Much worse. The exterior had about a sixteenth of an inch thick coating of SilverSeal to keep the thing from leaking. The interior was in real bad shape, the floors sagged and so was the ceiling. I doubt it would have made it 10 miles without falling apart. I couldn't get away fast enough. These pictures are the ones the owners posted on CraigsList and from these, it looked to be in fairly good shape. I guess you get what you pay for when its free.

Historic African Caravan

2008-07-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

Last night on PBS' History Detectives show, there was a segment on whether a couple's vintage Airstream had been on the Wally Byam Caravan Club's African Caravan in 1959 and 1960. In the end, this trailer had not been on this particular caravan but the show has spurred my interest on this historic undertaking. I found on the web, a converted 16mm film of the famous caravan:

http://capetowntocairo.com/c2c1959-16mm

Take a look, it is a great historical overview of their wonderous journey. I would have loved for my trailer to have gone on this trip. It came off the assembly line in August of 1958 so the timing was right but it just wasn't meant to be.

Image courtesy of Helen Byam Schwamborn estate.

Thought I Better Add a Pic of my TradeWind

2008-07-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

We've had our TradeWind since 9/9/01 and have thoroughly enjoyed refurbishing it as well as traveling in it. We always get asked for a tour when we're either stopped at a gas station or at a campground. Complete strangers have no qualms about coming right up and starting a conversation. It's cool to arouse so much attention. And yes, they still make them.

This pic was taken in the White Mountains of Arizona over Labor Day 2007.

Aluminitus is Genetic

2008-07-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

Well, my younger brother Barry, in central Iowa, has now gone out and bought a '62 Overlander. One I actually was turned onto so I passed the contact info and photos along to him. He's so jazzed about it and calls me almost daily for information about the proper size rivets, parts sources, vent caps, tools, types of aluminum, etc. I love it and am hopeful it will continue. If it takes aluminitus to get us to communicate more often then it isn't really a disease; its a blessing. His first order of business is similar to the physician's hypocratic oath; render no harm. So he's buttoning up or replacing the vent caps and replacing the seal around the entry door.

I'm New to Blogging

2008-07-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

After visiting Uwe's, Rob's and Frank's blogs, I thought it was about time I started one about my 1959 Airstream TradeWind. Although there isn't much to restoration work to report on since its so hot here in Phoenix right now, I can still post about the 4CU and our upcoming Labor Day rally. We'll be rallying in Williams, AZ just west of Flagstaff off I-40 and taking in the south rim of the Grand Canyon. To learn more about this rally, visit the AirForums.com thread here: