Re: [A/S] Where to begin

["Tuna" <rctowns@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

"airstream: history of the land-yacht" by bryan burkhardt and david 
hunt (chronicle books, 2000) is an excellent resource/coffee-table 
book, but the kind of detailed model by model/year by year 
information probably needs to mined piece-meal from tom 
patterson's excellent archives: http://www.tompatterson.com, then 
'Search'.

See also RJ Dial's most excellent photo archives at:
http://vintageairstream.com/archives/index.html

i've owned several airstreams over the years - from 1976 - 1980, i 
travelled coast-to-coast and full-timed in a 20' 1965 Globetrotter 
which i towed behind a 1959 Bentley S-1 (right-hand drive).

currently, i'm doing a shell-off restor/renovation of a 1948 19'
'Trailwind'... a friend from the local wbcci unit put up some recent 
pics at: http://sierranevadaairstreams.org/memories/tuna/

i haven't done much more than gut it in the almost three years i've 
had it... (long stories). I plan to pull it with the re-re-powered
(350tbi/700r4) 1949 Willys-Overland 'FrankenJeepster', also 
undergoing restor/renovation

1993 - 1995 I fulltimed in a 1972 27' Overlander. I was (just barely) 
able to tow it (the two miles from the lot where i found it, to the rv 
park where it stayed until i towed it back to the lot and sold it a 
couple of years later) with a 1983 Chevy S-10 blazer (small v6).

Although this was one of the famous/infamous 'Beatrice' Airstreams 
- rear-bath - it had no evidence of rear end droop, and i never looked 
to see if it had had the retrofit frame-supports. It had the 
brushed-aluminum finish, and had developed the filiform corrosion 
under the clearcoat, but still looked pretty good.

For my money, the twin-axle Overlander from the mid-60's to the 
mid-70's is the ideal size/weight/towability model ever made. Trailer 
weights increased from the extremely lightweight 'pipe-frame' 
trailers of the late '40's/early '50's to the quite heavy trailers of the 
current line. Your current tow-vehicle could handle it, no problem.

Tuna
Reno, NV