Heating Up!

While we want hot water and the water heater needs an exterior exhaust and access, I would not want to cut a hole into the shell aluminum.  Fortunately this scary job is now done.  So excited to be moving forward again!

Back to Work

Colin has been busy working on our Airstream!!!
Now I will get busy updating this blog - there are lots of photos to study and share. 
Stay tuned!
May 2014 posts are being dated to time when work was done.

Work is on Vacation - Awaiting More to Post

Colin is working on other customers' trailers.
We agreed when he started this project, that we would share his time with other customers - we do want him to stay in business!

I will share more when we have more to post - stay tuned!
Kathy

Fantastic! Fans Installed and the Hehr Vent is Ready Too

To keep fresh air moving in our Airstream, we've come to rely on our Fantastic Vent Fans.  Naming your company with a name like Fantastic Vent puts a lot of pressure to perform on your product.  These fans really are awesome to keep air moving and temperatures down in our trailer.  We use them whenever we can, preferring not to use our energy-hungry 30 amp air conditioning except on the hottest days and humid nights. Using very limited amounts of power, the Fantastic Fans keep us cool.  I'm even thinking about buying their portable fan for using in the Jeep.

The new Fantastic Fans are installed.

Our Airstream - the1955 Flying Cloud has three vent openings - that is one more than our 2008 Airstream International CCD.  We are keeping our original Hehr vent.  It will be installed back into the ceiling in the original position galley opening which is framed and ready for the reconditioned Hehr vent.

The plywood shown here is not part of the roof structure, but is used to distribute weight of the person sitting and working on the roof's ribs.  The plywood is backed with carpet for protection of the aluminum shell.

All Jacked Up - Restoration Starts

Our 1955 Airstream jack was not in good shape.  Ruined.  Toast.
So bad that Colin replaced it just to be able to move the trailer around.
















When we were on our way to the fabulous fun and also first ever Alumapalooza in Jackson Center OH in 2010, we stopped at VintageCampers.com in Peru In and bought an old but new-to-us jack.  It needed a lot of work.

On the frame, the jack plate was attached to the A-frame, but was rusted beyond repair.  A new jack plate was welded to the steel.

The handle is now sand blasted.

Protecting Jalousie Window

Our only jalousie window is at the front of the 1955 Flying Cloud.  Many other trailers have jalousie windows on the sides of their vintage trailers, but the original owners (who are you?) chose to have the window with glass louvers at the dining area.

Great idea but, what about the potential for crashing flying rocks?  Even tiny chips of gravel or sand flying at 60 mph could break glass.  We enjoy fly fishing, and many of the best "hidden" spots are along winding rivers on narrow gravel roads.  To drive to quiet spots and/or boondock, we again will need the smaller less maintained roads which are not paved in concrete and cement or asphalt.  So Colin's guys made us a custom built stone guard for our front window.  Made of wavy green fiberglass, and yes Colin did say fiberglass!  We will have light and save our windows too!

Shown propped open while our stone guard awaits the opening arms and tie down clips.

Looking at the details!

First Look - New Bumper Trunk Lid - Keeping Water Out!!!

Just a quick sneak peak at our new bumper trunk.  This is not original to our trailer, so Colin's guys fabricated the aluminum lid.
Key to keeping the plywood floor from rotting is to keep it dry.  Our 1955 Flying Cloud has the sloping rear end which helps move water away from the trailer.  Colin added the aluminum flashing between the exterior shell and the C-Channel.  This small but huge addition acts like flashing in other applications, moving rain water away from the entry point.
We will definitely use the extra outdoor storage, and I really appreciate the extra protection at the rear of the trailer.