This past weekend my family and I took a break from working on the trailer and hauled it 8 miles over the hills to my good buddy Rob Baker's place. We just got our awning last week, so Laurie cleaned out the trailer, we loaded up our camping gear and went camping. No propane, no 12V, no refridgeration, no running water (but we did have a toilet), and we went boondocking in our aluminum tent. Pictured above are the trailers of my friends Steve, Frank, and Rob, with mine in the foreground.
Laurie had a wonderful time. It was our first rally, but we felt as though we were members of a family, the Airstream family. Laurie is hooked on Airstreaming. That's good, since I'm eyeing the purchase of a water heater, fresh water tank, lots of plumbing bits and pieces, paint, upholstery, and lot$ of other things for our silver palace.
Me and my buddy Frank. I met Frank through our mutual friend Rob about a year and a half ago. Seems like I've known him my entire life. Some people you just click with. Thanks for everything Frank
Here she is, awning deployed and set up to camp. Water was supplied by 5 gallon jerry cans, lighting was via kerosene lanterns and candles, and coolers kept our perishables cold. We may have been lacking a few amenities, but I can tell you we were not lacking in the fun.
Go to a rally. I highly recommend going to a WDCU rally if you can. This was our first, and I am so sorry I have missed out on so much from years past (like the rally I heard about at Camp Hatteras where one member was pelted by a number of bras when he made a comment about women's liberation). Thank you Rob and Zoe for this event. My trailer is about to undergo further surgery which will render it immobile for a while, so our next rally may not be until the Bakers Acres event next year. The thought of camping next to my friends on the field will keep me motivated, I am sure.
After getting the carpet out, I started pulling all the cabinetry out to get it ready to send to Frank. It's amazing how much easier it was to get this end of the trailer apart than it was to do the back end. Having already experienced it once, I was able to get the screws apart with minimal frustration. I knew which screws would be a bugger, and I knew how to handle them. All of the furniture came out without damage, and will make great platforms for Frank to work his magic on.
The cabinets held up quite well, considering the fact that they are nearly 50 years old. Here's a couple tips for anyone who will be pulling their old furnace out: 1) Make sure there are no active wasp nests living in the exhaust shroud. 2) The furnace exits the trailer through the cut in the skin, and not through the door.
I have 2 spots of floor rot. This one was hiding behind the pantry cabinet in the galley. I will be pulling all of the old subfloor back to the wheel wells, and possibly pulling the piece between the wheel wells. Further investigation with my screwdriver will tell me what I need to do.
All of the cabinetry is out of the trailer and taking up space in my garage. I'll get this flooring replaced, then get the trailer over to Don Stanton's for Zolatone, and in October get the cabinets to Franks Trailer Works for rebuilding. That will give me through the cold of winter to get the cabinets installed, and springtime to get ready to camp.
It doesn't look as good as when I will have an Astrodome installed, but it looks 100% better than it did. 
Originally, my plan was to get rid of the goucho and build a dinette. After spending a weekend camping with it, we have decided that we are going to stay with the goucho. We'll be eating outside, and the goucho is actually in really good shape. In fact, most of the front end is in really good shape.
Walter of Wabash. Cool.
This picture is being included to increase my degree of Airstream Into-It-Ness. I didn't want anyone to think I just sent my trailer away to Colin's to get this stuff done. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Look at those beautiful old tiles. I would love to have seen this trailer back when it was new. To have seen it before it was filthy, and the Zolatone had been painted over with white latex, and the floor covered with carpet. I wish Airstream would make a model like this new today. Simple, no frills, utilitarian, function ahead of form. I would buy one in a heartbeat. My trailer will be better than new in every way when I'm finished, and built to my tastes with the wood, fabrics, and flooring that we choose. I still think it would be awesome if Airstream offered a "camper" you could buy off the showroom floor rather than rolling luxury apartments.
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