Ground score:

[speeder]

i knew there was some reason I came to Minneaota this time, besides to freeze my ass off, (again).

When I was a kid, we used to refer to certain types of found items as "ground scores", like finding a $20 bill laying in the street or a Zippo lighter on the floor at a concert, etc. It sort of morphed into meaning any screaming deal on something cool or useful.

Today's GS is both cool and useful. I'm in Minneapolis taking care of some things related to my Dad, who died at Christmas and staying with one of my best friends. We were talking trailers and he tells me about an Airstream sitting in an old lady's back yard on the North side. At least it was there five years ago, the last time he checked. He talked to her and she was not really selling but named an exorbitant price if he wanted it.

At this point, I should mention that my friend is one of those people with a sixth sense for sniffing-out cool stuff. This trailer was in a neighborhood completely devoid of hipsters or anyone who would love an Airstream, (it's the 'hood), and you would need to be turning your head at just the right instant while driving past on a busy street to see it between the houses. It was visible from the alley but no one drives down alleys in N. Mpls. This is 6 blocks from where a cop was shot in a targeted attack last weekend, it was on the national news.

Any who, I told him to show me where it is/was. It was still there and I knocked on the door and bought it from a very nice lady for stupid low price. I guess she changed her mind about wanting it out of her yard, who knows(?) It had belonged to her dad who passed away 5 years ago at 94, he bought it used in '65 or so, from her memory. It's a 1963 24 foot Trade Wind trailer. Her dad was towing it places well into his '80s, like Florida, Nova Scotia, the Grand Canyon, you name it.

I put 2 new tires on it yesterday and towed it out of the yard today to a trailer place that checked and re-packed the wheel bearings and inspected the brakes, etc. Even though it had been sitting for a while, it towed like a dream. Nothing tows like an Airstream.

Here are a couple pics from today:

[Evans, Marv]

Looks like a great score rather than a ground score, Denis. How is the inside?

[speeder]

The inside is very nice, Marv. I'll probably just change the carpet and a few other fabric items, it's in excellent condition. Well cared for.

[DonDavis]

Sweet Mother of Pearl! Nice score. A camper or an RV is in my long term plan. Looking forward to seeing more of it.

[porsche4life]

Awesome Dennis!

[McLovin]

[porsche4life]

I'd love to have something like that. My earliest memories rving are in my grandparents avion. Such a cool little trailer that was mostly original.

[Bill Douglas]

Excellent ground score.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Very cool. Go fully polish it and report back.

[ckelly78z]

My parents are heavy into the airstream club and do rallies all over the country every year. You may want to get the membership #1150 ? off the rear of the trailer and inquire to the A club about it's history. They may be able to tell you where and when that camper has been all it's life.

Look into having it professionally polished for a gleaming look.

[herr_oberst]

You lucky duck!

[Jim Richards]

Sorry about the passing of your father, Denis. And what a great score on the silver bullet.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Very cool. Go fully polish it and report back.

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

Look into having it professionally polished for a gleaming look.

Not really interested in the mirror shine at this time. I like the patina, though I would not mind cleaning up some minor marks on it. Polishing them is a ton of work and requires frequent maintenance, sort of defeats the whole "man of leisure" thing I'm going for these days. To each their own on that, I guess.

The only advantage to that is further reflection of solar energy in the heat, again IMO. The only aesthetic improvement I want is to find a pre-1963 domestic beast to tow it with.

[Scuba Steve]

Very cool trailer!

[tevake]

That really does look to be in nice shape. Great find!

I've got a bad case of ALUMINITUS myself.


Cruising the coast north of S.F. Last summer in my AS motorhome.

You will find all the info you need at AIRFOURMS. The pelican of the R V. World.
Lots of maintaince and repair details there.

May have to replace the axel if its original . They lose it in time.

Hey it even matches your SUV in color. Sweet!

Cheers Richard

[dennis in se pa]

Very nice. Congrats.

[speeder]

Thanks, all. Very nice RV, Richard! My trailer is on its way to the desert outside of Los Angeles where my buddy has a similar 1979 motor home as well as a 30 ft. 1958 AS trailer. Mine may wind up in Malibu part-time and I'm already thinking about Monterey/Big Sur for the Historics and Rennsport V.

King of the Road!

[Seahawk]

How much longer are you in Minneapolis?

I'll be there the 8th of March.

Nice score, btw, ground or otherwise!

[tevake]

I'm with you Denis on the efforts of polishing, plus being next to a bright polished one in the sun is a drag, too much reflection. Have not heard it put so succinctly . "Man of leisure " for sure :-)

Zip Dee makes great Awnings for stream side leisure comfort.

The vintage trailer world is alive and active.




A bubble from the 50s. Both above neighbors in the same park.


My brother's modern classic stream

Take care Denis, many enthusiast end up with 2,3. Or even more of these things.
It's kind of like getting bitten by the Porsche bug. They just take more storage.

[herr_oberst]