Silver Bullet

It's been a few months since I posted, so decided to throw a few words up here.

I'm still on deployment over in Guam. 2 months here and 4 more to go until I can get back to working on the Airstream. I've missed 2 great rallies since I've been here and wish that I hadn't. One, the 50th Anniversary Cape Town to Cairo rally that Steve put together and Two, Airstreams in the Wilds that DanB from the forums put together.

I'm hoping that these two rallies will carry on again next year and HOPEFULLY, I'll be able to bring my Airstream along. I think that I even seen a date for Dogwoods and Bluegrass in Kentucky already scheduled for next year. I'll be hitting that one up again, even if I have to sleep in my tent again. That was the first rally that I'd ever been to and I met some great people and have a lot of new friends from there.

I'm still throwing ideas around in my head in regards to the interior for my Airstream, but I'm thinking that I'll mostly keep the same "setup", with a few re-designs here and there. I've managed to come across a cabinet builder, that's very interested in helping me out with the interior. He's one of the builders in the Seabee battalion that I'm stationed with and he said that he's familiar with Airstreams, which makes me feel even better. He was coming up with some pretty unique ideas when I was talking with him a few months back. Of course, as it is, he's up in Okinawa, Japan and I'm in Guam, so I won't be able to talk with him much until I get back home in February. But until then, I can come up with some basics for him to toy with when we get back.

I still have a ways to go before I start the interior, as if you read the posts from before I left for Guam, I'm still sitting with a shell partially removed from the frame. But the way that I look at it is I'm 50% done with the project, now all's I have to do is get it all back together :)

I've been considering possibly buying a "new" used Airstream in the mean time until I can get mine to the point that I can use it full time. I'm thinking something a little smaller, that is practically turn-key and that I could re-sell once I get my project done. I'll be keeping an eye out, but if anyone knows of anyone selling a nicely used 70's model Airstream for a reasonable price, feel free to let me know. I'm looking in the 25 foot range, but would consider anything at this point.

Well, that's about it for now. Just wanted to give everyone an update on things that are going on. We have a tropical storm headed our way in a day or two, so I'll be preparing for that this week and then, it's back to Airstream Dream'n :)

Hope to hear from you all soon and take care!

P.S. I haven't come across an Airstream in Guam, yet, but I'm looking every time that I leave base. I'll be sure to snap a picture of one, if I ever do find it.

Here's the guy in question.

Not a lot has happened to the trailer in the last month. Re-braced the shell, but other than that, it's just been sitting there. I'm going to have to put the project on hold until I get back from Guam in February.

My next priority is getting it strapped down to the frame and then anchoring the frame to the ground. (Just in case a hurricane blows through while I'm away).

While I'm away it will give me the time to create a design for the interior. I still have alot of thoughts on how I want to do it, but have to start making the plans.

I'm still looking at a "cabin" look and have seen some nice photos online of folks that have done it before. I would like to use some reclaimed barn wood for a majority of the wood work inside. Especially for the drawer/cupboard faces and things like that. I'll have to find those pics again and put them on here to show you what I'd like to do.

Other than that, I'm battling a raccoon at my mom's house. He's trying to eat all of the bird seed and isn't afraid of anything. Might have a throw something at him.

Well, It's been almost 2 months since I last posted here, but I havn't been slacking, I swear

I've actually re-worked my shell bracing a bit and added some more stability to the screw/nail points.

I've since got the 4x4's underneath, going to add some bracing for the end caps and I should be ready to go.

I do have to come clean, though. After doing some additional research in lifting the shell, I didn't realize the the plate up front where the 7-way connector is, was riveted to a plate that is welded to the frame. This could have been why I was having sooooooo much difficulty getting the thing to lift up front

So this weekend, or possibly during the week, I'll get the chisel back out and get those rivets off.

I feel alot more confident in lifting it after reading up some more. The only thing that I fear now is we just entered the hurricane season and I'll be headed out to Guam in a couple of months for a 6 month deployment.

I'm hoping to at least get the tanks and flooring back in before I leave so the thing has some stability while I'm away, otherwise I'm going to have to hog-tie the entire thing to the ground

I'll keep you all posted and again, thanks for all of the assistance thus far.

Well, I needed a break from fixing up the trailer so I decided to head out to an Airstream rally up in Kentucky over the last weekend. WHAT A BLAST!!! I meet some great people from all over, including Canada! And best of all, got some renewed inspiration/motivation to take back and start working on the trailer again.

Follow the links below for some pictures of the rally, including my "fort"

Rallying it up at Natural Bridge State Resort - Courtesy of Hank and Lois (Of course that's not their real names)

Traveling with Elvis - Courtesy of Sugarfoot


Videos of the lizards will be forthcoming :)

Take care

Come to find out, my trailer is a "Romany" and not a Sovereign. Basically it's a scaled down version of the Sovereign without alot of the gadgets. They only made the Romany in 1975 and from what I'm told stopped making them due to no demand......

Doesn't really make a difference in what I'm doing, but it's good to know anyways.

Not a lot of progress today, but did get some good advice from Air Forums that I'll try next weekend. I'd love to get my hands one a crane....it would make this so much easier :)

I emailed Airstream today to ask about the repairs on my frame and if they made a kit for what I'm trying to do.

Here's a new look at the deflection on the frame:


Well, that's about it for today. Next weekend may bring some news that the shell has been removed and I'm welding the frame.......I hope.

Only about 15 days until I head up to Kentucky, Maryland and Michigan.......I'm going to be driving like 2500 miles!!!! Wish that I had my Airstream to follow me :(