Windows and Widows

Work has been continuing on the 1959 Caravanner. Well, actually work has been completed on the Caravanner as of this post, but it sounded better that way.

The front window on this old girl was a mess. Someone had torn the window off and put a board in to allow for installing a window air conditioner. Everything except the top of the sash was gone. Finding a new sash was a challenge until I made the right call. Actually my client told me who to call, for he is all over the Airstream world here in the States. He seems to know of every trailer for sale and where all the parts are these days.

Mark the Airstream Guy had a sash and sent it out to me. I was rather surprised when it came as four pieces. A trip to the welder, a little cash handed off quietly and the sash was whole again. I installed new glass, seals, cranks, and latches and now we have a fully functioning window again. I will tell you, windows that function make a huge impact on the look and feel of a trailer. If you are going to do anything, I recommend windows be the first thing you do. With the completion of the windows, this "caravan or van" as the British call them was ready to go to her owner in the UK. Off to the Port I went again.

The Port is a fascinating place. I am amazed at the things I see there. The hundreds of pieces of farm equipment going or coming. The volume of used late model cars is astounding. I won't even go into how much military equipment there is. You see, taking photos at the Port is not really allowed. I found that out this trip in. I had a black SUV with guys dressed in black uniforms inform me of this. I was told "take photos of your load and nothing else." But before I was informed of this, I did get a few innocent photos.

How about this Cadillac? How could you not like those fins?

Galaxy 500?

Not sure what those two are, because at this point, the SUV was right behind me...

While photographing my load, my arm slipped a little and took a photo of this sagged out Airstream motor home. The interior looked like a herd of cats had a fight in there. I want to know how the new owner of this rig is going to find parts across the pond. I see how hard it is from over here to find them. That girl is a hunk of junk and someone is going to be very unhappy when they arrive at the Port to claim it.

There was this 1963 Globetrotter also. Big creased dent in the front end cap. I wonder if the buyer realizes that is virtually impossible to fix. Maybe a big band aid shaped patch will hide that. The interior had been removed and then just tossed back inside without any care or consideration. I could feel the seller saying "SUCKER,... ha, ha, ha..." as he tossed the the interior back inside.

You might remember the sad 70's trailer I mentioned in an earlier post. Well, now she has some company as she waits for her boat to come in. Unfortunately for her, my trailer's boat comes today and she will be sitting there alone again with in 24 hours. Thankfully someone was nice enough to lift her tongue onto some blocks. She too is a very sad looking trailer.

This trip into the Port was filled with beat down worn out trailers. I left wondering if the buyer over seas really know what they are getting into with these rigs. Every one of the trailers there was in need of very serious work. Hope there are some excellent restoration shops to handle them. I wonder what happens over there when they are "over come" by the project. Do they put it on Ebay and find a new home for it? Does it just get shoved off behind the barn and forgotten about? Perhaps a trip over seas is needed to find these things out.