Greetings Ray!
Welcome to the world of Vintage Airstreams!
--- In AirstreamList@yahoogroups.com, ray bee <ebbi696@...> wrote:
>
> The refurbishing, of my Suburban is nearing its end, so I am now looking towards actually purchasing a trailer. Toward that end, I have come up with two competing scenarios, on which I would like some advice.
>
> 1. After a good bit of analysis, I have concluded that the late 60's through 70's 27' Overlander Double really meets all the basic needs I have for a trailer. The 25' Tradewind Double is a close second. The weight on the Overlander is roughly 2/3 of the 6600LB rated capacity of the Suburban, which leaves a comfortable safety factor. Essentially I am working on the assumption that it is a lot better, to have a little extra space, than to not have quite enough.
>
The Tradewind and Overlander were both popular coaches in the era that you prefer. My initial search was for a Tradewind, but I found my Overlander that just seemed to "call to me". While it doesn't have significantly more storage than a similar year Tradwind, it does have more open space in the front lounge that I really appreciate when trying to seat four for a meal . . . or just when relaxing with ample room to stretch out. An Ambassador doesn't carry much of a weight penalty over a similar year Overlander, but there are fewer Ambassadors around than either Tradewind, Overlander, or Sovereigns for some reason.
>Depending on exactly how the trailer is equipped, I plan to install an apartment size refrigerator,> maybe an apartment size gas range, and maybe replace most or all of the kitchen cabinets, depending on the age and condition, of what's there. I will likely redo the living room area to accommodate my ham radio, computer and a 'reasonable' tv/stereo set up. I probably will pull out what ever is there
and start over from 'empty', in the LR.
>
Keep in mind as you consider major modifications the ending weight and balance of the unit. These coaches were designed for comparatively light weight so that they could be towed by the full-size family sedan of the period. This means that the frames were designed to carry the specified gross weight of the coach without a huge amount of surplus capacity . . . the same could be said of the axles and other components of the chassis/running gear. If you are planning on traveling, my suggestion would be to stay away from a household type refrigerator . . . an RV refrigerator is more expensive, but keeps your perishables adequately cooled while traveling . . . my Overlander had a home-type refrigerator when I purchased it, and my first project was a new Dometic 3-Way Refrigerator so that I could travel without worry about refrigeration. If you dislike LP Gas as fuel for your refrigerator, Norcold offers 12-volt compressor refrigerator/freezers that are an increasingly attractive alternative. An apartment-type range is a possibility and one that Airstream used through at least a portion of the 1950s . . . the biggest problem here is that it will be somewhat heavier than a slide-in RV range and it won't be designed to withstand the riggors of traveling (vibration, exteme temperature variations, etc.).
You are probably already aware of this, but it is vital that you keep weight and balance in mind as you redeisgn your cabinetry. These coaches were designed with a low center of gravity, and carefully crafted to maintain light weight and balance. It is possible to completely recreate the interior to your personal desires, but overall weight and balance observations need to be maintained to insure the classic towability of your Airstream.
> When all this is done, the goal is that I will have what I would call a 'mini-park model', rather than the traditional RV and retain the ability to move the thing myself. Basically I do not expect to be doing a lot of moving around, if any, other than to get out of the way of a hurricane, flood, fire, etc.
>
Even with you intention of infrequently moving the coach, I would still advise keeping overall weight, balance, and towability in mind.
> 2. The competing idea, is to go 'whole hog' and get one of the 34' triple axle Airstreams, that is a generation newer. (Mid 80's early 90's) I've often see these monsters priced surprisingly close to
> the 25-27' units, while appearing to be in better condition and obviously having much newer decor. That essentially cuts down on what I have to do to repair and refurbish a smaller, older trailer. It also puts me in a position of having to pay a company, to move the thing. I am figuring that the 'hurricane risk' can be reduced by insurance, Of course, the major up-side is I have a lot more room, while probably not spending all that much more money. Actually, I have seen some layouts, on the 34's that would require near zero, in terms of modifications.
>
If your plan is strictly for a more or less stationary placement for your coach, then the 34' foot could make a much better solution. You will have the roomiest of the Airstream models (other than the Airstream Integrity Fifth Wheel). This would also free you of many of the concerns of weight of the changes that you may consider. It may take a little thought about methods of arranging transport to escape Tropical Storms, but in the end, it may be a less expensive project overall.
> I'd appreciate comments on my ideas. I'd particularly like to know if there are any 'glitches' in the 34' units. I gather they have the redesigned frames that eliminated the sag and separation problems. In any case, I am planning to take my little pop up, move, pick a spot I like then buy the trailer locally, in the Tampa Bay area. I am not looking for my first time out to be a cross country tow.
> Ray
>
I am not intimately familiar with the 34' coaches, but I am somewhat confident that frame sag was not an issue on those coaches . . . that was a 1970s issue with Sovereign and some Ambassador coaches. Rear end separation and front end separation can be found in nearly any Airstream trailer as both are impacted by presence of unattended leaks, unbalanced running gear, and/or too heavily sprung tow vehicle or too heavy weight distributing bars in the hitch. The GVWR on a 34' is likely to give you a little more flexibility in planning than any of the smaller coaches you have been considering.
Good luck with your investigation!
Kevin
Kevin D. Allen
WBCCI (Lifetime) 6359
1964 Airstream Overlander Land Yach International
1999 GMC K2500 Suburban, 7400 VORTEC, 4.10 Differentials
1978 Argosy Minuet 6.0 Metre
1975 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible, 8.2 Liter V8, 2.70 Final Drive
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