How-To Articles

Electrical Wiring

Mid to late 1950’s Airstreams came with just a basic 110v system until 1958 – no 12 volts wiring except for a single overhead light connected to the tow vehicle battery. This 110v system was unsafe after 50 years from typical corrosion and shorting to sharp edges on the the aluminum skin and frame. The read more »

Compartment Doors

Installing New Access Doors Exterior compartment access doors were optional on Airstreams based upon buyers selection of refrigerators, storage preference and the era. Our 1956 Flying Cloud had only one small exterior door for the refrigerator, but we wanted one under the curbside bed for the spare tire and other items needed for the outside read more »

Waste Tanks

Installing New Holding Tanks 1956 trailers did not have any gray water holding tanks, and usually just a small 7 gal flat bottomed galvanized black water tank, which was found in our trailer to be in its usual state of a rusted out mess. Going in are 32 gal worth of ABS gray water tanks, read more »

Replacing the Belly Skin

Out of sight, the belly skin turned out to be unsalvable, too. When the trailer was purchased in 1956, the dealer offered protective undercoating – which was popular for car undercarriages in those days. Over the years, moisture entered at the seams and and any damaged skin and got between the under seal and the read more »

Overhauling the Door

The doors used on Airstreams until 1965 are more like “hatches” than entry doors. They had a low height, and the mechanisms used to secure the door and open and close it are unlike conventional doorknobs. The seals on these doors are usually always melted away from age, and the screen is often damaged, but read more »

Polishing

“The Polish” This is the topic that seems to gather the most interest. On these next seven pages we have attempted to cover in detail the trials and tribulations of what it takes to polish an Airstream. “The Polish” was the final step in the 9 month restoration of the Caravel. We saved it for read more »

New Refrigerator Vent

Installing a New Refrigerator Vent A frequent 1960’s vintage repair is the replacement of the original plastic refrigerator roof vent. The 24″ plastic vent did not weather well due to UV and obstacle damage. Ours had been replaced some time in the past with an ill fitting replacement. There is a 28″ aluminum replacement cover read more »

Roof Vents & Covers

Replacing the Roof Vent The roof vent covers have a nasty tendency to depart Airstream roofs. It is too bad, as the early covers are works of art by Hehr – solid aluminum, 3 piece with a built in rubber seal. The Hehr logo script was embossed on the underside. They are no longer available, read more »

Window Repair-1961-1965

Window Repairs Part 1 – The Window Frame The repairs shown here are for the Hehr Hall-Mark 12 (C12XX) windows used from 1961 to 1965. They were a square aluminum framed window with cranks (openers) on the sides. To remove the window, remove the two screws attaching the opener (from inside the trailer), crank open read more »

Airstream Nameplate

The AIRSTREAM Nameplate Nothing quite stands out on the shiny surface of a 1960’s era Airstream than the “AIRSTREAM” aluminum nameplate at the front and rear ends. Unfortunately, they lose their distinct blue highlighting when the Clear coat is stripped off. Here is how we restored ours to the original appearance. This method can also read more »