Airflyte Wings !

When I first saw Gearhead, those aluminum wings caught my eye and I was so pleased that they had not been removed either by tree limbs or careless owners.   Trailer folks have recalled using the wings to hang beach towels from and lean fishing poles against while family members headed off to other activities.   


Shasta wings were a trademark that Serro Scotty trailers infringed upon as early as 1961.   John Serro was told to cease and desist using wheelwell cutouts to form wings.  (In fact, there is an early Scotty nearby that has three holes where wings were affixed at one time.)   More information can be found here:  NationalSerroScotty.org

Airflyte owners need crew chiefs to support missions through rough territory.   "G force" polished the aluminum frames and buffed the pressed diamond metal.   "Mach 1" attached each one with 2.5" screws and plumbing washers & nuts.   What would I do without my wingmen?  

Wings removed for hunting season
(sparing no expense, covered holes with duct tape)

Wingman "Mach 1"

Wingman "G force"

More work continues this week... Carpet and pad to be installed tomorrow.

Floor and Curtains

Previous posts detail pulling up flooring, then the paper backing, then the glue until I reached bottom (plywood).   Today, I mixed up a batch of polyurethane that I received happily from my buddy and fellow YaYa, Lauren.  This mixture consists of many varieties of goopy sealers -- a recipe that cannot be duplicated.   But the smell.is.gone...victory!

Scraped clean of paper and glue, before

Sealing, before

Floor, after + New Curtains !

Some small improvements take a lot of time.   They're invisible energy vampires~!   But, it's all good.   Wings are next ~

Da VIN See Code

New discovery on right side of trailer tongue:  a VIN!    Trailer has a green metal plaque by the door indicating it was manufactured in the Shasta Pennsylvania plant, common for trailers here in NY.

P7228

P = Pennsylvania

7 = 1967 

and the 228th one made that year.

The chrome handle above plaque is pitted and weathered.  I think I'll leave it alone -- well, for now.  ;^)

Heads and Tails

Y'know some days are heads, some are tails.  It's important to have good tools, but most importantly --->  have them on hand.  Found myself on a hot metal roof today and a dozen trips up and down ladder to get what I needed almost led to heatstroke.   It definitely was testing my (infinite) patience and I wanted to throw my drill across the yard.  BUT... updates make it seem worthwhile so here goes:


1)  Reflectors are replaced, Butyl tape tucked around the screw holes.  They are identical to the old ones, using the same "footprint."   Cleaned up metal siding, but weather and time have left their mark here.

Butyl Tape -- like Wrigley's gum

2)  Flooring -- 4 different patterns of vinyl (sheeting and tile) plus scraps of wood to cover various holes.  It tried to beat me but I fought back with my hammer and putty knife.  Paper backing smells musty so the Great Greg sanded it down (think pilled sweater) and vacuumed the crevices for me.  Will bleach it and then put Odo-Ban down.   If all else fails, my fall-back is to coat the floor with polyurethane.

Flooring over the years, before

Paper backing underneath

Old Floor Heater Vent patch -- very sticky glue used here

3)   HENG ceiling vent is in... was supposed to come with screws.  Nope.  Good thing I collect bits of everything in my tool box.  Ended up putting stainless steel screws every other hole after sealing with self-levelling C-40 Flo sealant and Butyl tape. 

Ceiling Vent -- Before

Ceiling Vent After

PIP -- Mr. Quality Control

Hard work is done, GearHead conversion can begin in earnest.  September TinCan Tourists Rally @ Sampson State Park is fast approaching but no worries.  FULL THROTTLE AHEAD.  =)

Oddities

A Hubodometer to measure miles, an old Chevy hubcap, an 8-track player and a MA license plate are among assorted treasures found for GearHead. =)  Ceiling vent and sealing roof seams are in progress, will post photos soon.  

The Project

Facebook entry from 6/21/2011:

Mid 1960's Shasta Airflyte trailer was rescued last year from a lake property where it spent the last 20 years as a moss-covered storage shed. After working two hours to get the jack unlocked, I dismantled the setup and duct taped it out of the way. Tires held air but the lights weren't working so a light kit was cable-tied to bumper for trip home. Stopped every 1/2 hr to check wheels for overheating. This is my trusty Jeep Cherokee, Angus the Awesome.

Three Muskateers on the Road

MacGuyvering.  (Yes, it's a verb.)

Moss and a rusty bike rack.

Gutted and looking grim (rear view)

Storage (front view)

As-is on Hemlock Lake, NY

Headed to scrap yard, found just in time.

After a good scrub

Moss and bike rack are history

Updates include new tires, greased wheel bearings and flipping the axle for its new life as a hunting trailer lease. Ridiculously high but got the job done for bow hunting season:

Wheel After -- Ready to Cross Creeks

Wheel Before

My theory on trailer restoration in a nutshell: the better it has been cared for, the more there is to SAVE. Since it was gutted and going to seed, I decided to restore and renovate with a new theme: GEARHEAD.

Have tools, will travel

Work Detail:

*  Exterior scrubbed & cleaned last fall by G Force, the hardest working 'Tween I know:

Scrubbing Off the Moss -- There's a White Trailer Under There-!

* Rusty bike rack on the rear was trashed and a hitch-mounted bike holder will be added later.  Vintage bikes are so much fun to have @ trailer rallies:  ----->  TinCan Tourists

* Vinyl ceiling is down thanks to my UberHelper Megan-!   Hint:  Use a blowdryer.  This was a mid-project discovery that made the job go much faster, plus you can style your hair at the same time!   ~;^D

Vinyl Ceiling Before 

Wood Ceiling After

Vinyl Ceiling & Vent Before

Wood Ceiling & Vent After

* Bumper, step and tongue wire-wheeled and painted by the Marvelous Mike:

Step Before

Step After

Tongue w/New Jack Before

Tongue w/New Jack After

* Mangled ceiling vent on rooftop hammered and duct taped into submission by Me, then a large rock placed on top to hold in place.  It's a quick fix for now -- more on this later.   

* Waiting for DMV documents to make ol' Gearhead legal.

* UberHelper Megan has stained the ceiling, washed walls and mopped the mix 'n' match vinyl floor. There must be 4 patterns of tile and sheeting used over the years. This will disappear under commercial grade carpet:

Remnants of the Past

After Cleanup

* Plans are to replace the fiberglass stone guard over front window with plexiglass and artwork.  Will add my website address decal somewhere:  Campalumna.com

* Spare tire will be mounted to tongue where propane tanks used to be.  No gas or lanterns will be inside the trailer.

*  Avocado Green SANYO electric fridge is in the cabinet to the left of door.  Small but efficient use of space.

More details later as work continues...