Does driving stunt your growth?owi

Does driving stunt your growth? Not sure why it popped into my head. Perhaps it was due to driving 1246 miles in one day. I do know that it does not stunt the growth of ones waist line. Finding something healthy and good to eat while driving long distances is virtually impossible. Just try stopping in any truck stop along the highway and find something. The truckers (in general) reflect this trend. They fuel themselves in heavy, rib sticking, gut busting, and all you can eat buffet places to sustain one's self. I always loved truck stops when I drove professionally over the road. Something has changed from my Aunt cooking for me to my cousin throwing as much into the deep fryer as can possibly be thrown in. Rest areas offer nothing but fast food prepared badly by people (in general) that have surpassed the job level chosen by them in high school on that test. You know the test. I was told I should be a soldier. Most rest stop workers were told by the test that they should be a professional drain on society and have instead chosen to serve fast food to people like me trying to travel too far, in too short of time, when the rest of the world is sleeping. Sorry to break down so hard on rest stop workers, but how hard is it to screw up a cup of coffee with two creams? Very easy if you are a rest stop worker in Pennsylvania or Ohio. No sugar means three. Two cream means none. Hot coffee means old and luke warm. I will stop digressing and tell you about my journey.

My destination was Owosso Michigan to pick up a clients trailer. I left at 1 am to be there before they closed at 12 noon. I drove fast through the dark hoping all the cops were off doing other things than look for me. Thank God they were, for I shaved an hour and a half from the projected time Goggle Maps gave me.

I wish I could rant on about the trailer but I was asked to not talk too much about it. Out of respect, I will just say it is one of the nicest, most original Airstreams I have ever been in. The seller was a pleasure and complete help to me every step of the way. Until a few years ago this dealership was an Airstream dealership. A developer came along and made an offer the owners could not refuse and they decided that retirement looked very good. The trailer I picked up was taken in trade eighteen years ago and has been just sitting unused. As the business is being liquidated it was decided that the old Airstream needed to sold off too.

One of the other items they sold off was this sign. I am now the VERY proud owner of an original, never before hung dealer sign. Dale made me a very good deal and I was so happy to get this sign. I think I did not stop smiling for the next four hours. Thank you again Dale, I promise it will be cherished and not sold off. One of these was up to $500 this weekend on Ebay. I got a VERY good deal.

I really wish I could talk to you about this trailer. I have used the back of this trailer I was following back to disguise her identity. She towed great and was such a pleasure to camp in on the way back. After I hooked on, I headed back towards home. I knew it was too far to travel back in one day, so I looked for a good destination to stop for the night

A Scotty rally seemed like a great place to go. My friend Ace invited me to come by and spend the night and visit. Not sure of the true number, for I was told 48 by one person and 51 by another. There were three non Scotties there including the Airstream I was towing so maybe those numbers were Scotties/ total number of rigs. I have been flirting with buying a Scotty and now after meeting this group I will probably pursue it even harder. They are all tiny, but have a real charm to them. The Scotty group was very welcoming and their potluck supper was awesome. I gave a tour of the Airstream to virtually every person that was at the rally. People were astonished. I could have sold her three times were she for sale. 

The field is filling up. I have heard rumor a boat is going to sail soon. We will see.

Bambi visits the field

I ran up to Pennsylvania today to pick up a trailer for one of my clients. I would love to lie to you and say it went smooth as silk, but it did not. Nothing like seized brakes, dry bearings, and a round pin pigtail. I sorted it out and got her back safely. Nice little trailer even if she gave me a hard time.

Out standing in the field

From right to left that is a 1954 Safari, a 1955 Safari, a 1959 Caravanner, and a 1963 Overlander. The work is piling up. My cabinet making days are coming to an end. Full time trailer restorations are coming into climax.

From left to right that is a 1963 Overlander, 1959 Caravanner, 1955 Safari, and a 1954 Safari. That is a royal flush if I have ever seen one. 

Two recoveries in three days

I have driven a bunch of miles in the past three days. Today I picked up a 1963 International Overlander for Client #0003. A very nice trailer in near original condition. It needs it all, like they all do, but it is a good candidate for restoration. She is getting cleaned and evaluated.

That I 263 T 187 for those curious about these things.

"Scratches? I don't got no stinking scratches"

"I tell you, I don't got no stinking scratches..."

"Are you looking at my bumm?"

Hershey is 15 minutes from where I picked this trailer up. The original owner was from the town next door to the pick up location. This trailer always lived close to where it was bought it.

Apple Blossom Rally, Front Royal Virginia, 1964. She did travel a little bit though....

Rainy Recovery

I went out to West Virginia today to fetch a trailer for Client #0002. It rained from 3 am when I left my house, until right after I dropped the trailer in the storage yard this afternoon. 628 miles round trip, through the mountains in heavy rain and fog is a white knuckle drive to say the least. I pushed through and made it without any issues. For a matter of fact I learned an important lesson today. If you go equipped with tires, jack, bearings, seals, grease, tow lights and multiple rolls of duct tape you will not need any of it. I got very lucky and was able to hook on, plug in, and roll. Turn signals, brake lights and running lights all worked. The electric brakes had the perfect set when applied. I didn't even have to adjust the controller. Had I left any one of those items at home, I would have needed it.

She is a 22 foot, 1959 Caravaner serial number 229186. 

Trailers do not need window air conditioners put in the front window. It might cause three sides of the window frame to be lost.

I also find that glass makes better windows than plastic panels do. Glass lets in a little more light and affords a better view of where you are camping. Polishing is something one should not do unless one is willing to complete the job.

Can you say,  SEXY?

I think that door handle is the hard to come by type. The hasp makes for good hunting cabin security.

That is the custom porch light fixture only offered in 1960.

All the custom touches and beauty marks are all able to be fixed. This trailer will be sliding right to the front of the pack for immediate attention. Stay tuned for more reports....

filling in the gaps

Now that we have had a few days of no rain the ground has firmed up a bit and I desided to move a clients trailer out into the storage yard. I had her sitting in my friends driveway. As to not wear out the welcome, it was time to move her.

Frank's Trailer Works storage facility is starting to fill in. Well, not really. Two trailers does not put a dent in six acres. But two mid fifties Safaris does make a very nice show. On the right is my 1954 I call Luna. On the left is a what was purchased as a 1954, but the serial number indicates it is actually a 1955. I had the pleasure of running up to Michigan and bringing her back a few weekends ago. They both have identical layouts and all the apliances are the same, but the bodies are very different. Luna is more square looking at her straight on, where as the 55 looks more rounded. Luna also has more slope to the rear end. Slight differences that make them all so beautiful. 

Now I just need to get a few more trailers in the field and we will be looking really sweet.

I am a man in a Bubble

I have gotten a ton of phone calls and emails asking "Frank what gives with the X251? Are you working on it?" Well the answer is yes. I have been working on removing all the add ons and serious Jerry rigs done by previous owners. Wally always said "make no changes only improvements" I am still waiting to see where his instructions were followed. 

The pile of absolute garbage is growing steadily. I am hesitant about discarding things, but this stuff is all junk. Just after this photo was taken I added the three way refrigerator. It would not run on 110, 12 volt, or gas. I tried it on all three. Not sure why it was glued into it's opening with construction adhesive not hooked up to any of the three energy sources. A question for the seller or a now dead previous owner I guess.

Anything of value is being saved and labeled. Screws are labeled in ziplock baggies and put in a box for sorting out later. The Princess stove is not original, but in very good shape. That is something else to be sorted out too.

Here is one of those changes. To the left is the original dinette base, but the wooden part is an add on. It is aluminum extrusion with plywood put on the face. All of this is now gone except the dinette base and that tank.

I think this tank is the original water tank. It was inside of a closet that was removed at some point. The X251 had the toilet right inside the door in this front curbside corner like the typical Bubble layout. 

There is the original direct drop hole for the toilet. Someone put a patch over the larger hole in the belly. You can just make out the rectangle of the toilet base.

In the dinette base is the electrical components. Some are original components and some are something someone thought was needed. I once saw a picture of these switches used to control the electrical system and it was discribed as Wally's control center. Well the switches were manufactured in 1972. Wally could not have touched any switch you see. I see this as a "change" and a bad one. Behind the front is a jumble of wires.

If anyone knows what that thing is to the left of the circut box, please let me know. I have never seen anything like this and have no clue. I suspect it is something having to do with the 6 volt, yes, 6 volt system.

Here is an original unit. All this is being saved as patterns for future cabinet reproduction. Two drawers on the end and a lift up bin in the seat. 

Another stupid "change" was the placement of a dead refrigerator into this wardrobe cabinet. I have to wonder if it ever worked. It was however firmly glued into the aluminum extrusion frame someone riveted into the cabinet. A chase for the fumes was made out of wood grained flashing material. 

An air inlet was cut into the side of the trailer. Did I mention "changes"?

And a large vent was cut through the roof of the trailer. This thing is fairly large. Might be somewhat hard to make go away. I will find a way to make it happen. 

Something that I need to make happen is replace the entire floor. I am not sure what it was that was used, but the flooring is totally falling apart. It is either some kind of experimental plywood or laminated solid wood. I am going to use a very huge improvement that was not available back in 1954 when the X251 was built. It is in the works and I am  hopeful this contributor will work with me. If they come through, you will hear all about their product very soon. The other cool thing about this product, it will be a one piece floor.

This issue will never happen again when I am finished. This new mystery product will insure that also. It will also revolutionize trailer restorations and possibly new Airstreams too. I am very hopeful. 

And now for some very cool finds. This is the original Zolatone. The color is a little off in the photo, but the next picture is almost spot on. 

A very cool find is on this wheel well. Someone used their finger to write "Airstream" in the wet paint. 

Here is the original hub caps and possibly the original spare. Nice wide white walled Atlas tire. The same type of tires appears in the early photos of the trailer. I think when done, the trailer needs wide whites again.

And this was found in a crack by the wall. I cannot help but wonder if Stella dropped it one rainy day while camped on the banks of the Rhine, the Seine, or the Danube, something to pass a dreary day in the spring of 1955.