Day 1: 1976 Airstream Overlander at the Manor

Hi! We are Lori & Dennis, new vintage Airstream owners. We are bracing ourselves for the vast amounts of work ahead as we restore a trailer that has suffered the elements of North Carolina's extreme temperatures and moisture. Already, day one has had ups and downs of excitement that it's on the property, but we also found lots of daunting rot of rusted frame falling out by the handfuls. It's still conceivable that the trailer is too destroyed by rot to be financially savvy for us to restore. We are very experienced builders (Dennis has built several airplanes and rebuilt several vehicles, including boats, motorcycles, cars, and trucks), but are already busy with quite a few projects underway.



Today we moved the 1976 Airstream Overlander to the concrete pad in front of Dennis's shop for inspection and a "first look" for me. It has that wonderful Airstream shape and style, but is desperately in need of renovation.





Our neighbors originally bought this Airstream hoping to use it as a portable coffee truck for the business they used to run, but that never came to fruition. So, it's still in the same condition it was when they purchased it years ago.















At this point, our plan is to do a total off frame rebuild. We may still have to ditch the project if when we remove the shell from the frame we determine that it is just not able to be restored. While that would be disappointing, we would rather stop while we are ahead. Airstream campers are not rare, and we can always be on the lookout for another one in much better shape.

I hope we can look back on the angst of this day and be glad that we began the project!




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