Owner of the 1955 Wally Byam Bubble X251

the long and the short of it.....

2012-01-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

Work on the 56 Sovereign / Trailer 1234 is coming along very well.

There has been a slight change of plan, our client has decided to downsize to a mid 50's tandem Overlander and I have inherited the Sovereign again which will need to be put back together.

We have been in talks with Bob Heist from the Nebraska WBCCI unit. It turns out that this actual trailer was used for unit formation meeting back in the late 50's early 60's and many of older members can remember the trailer. With a little luck Bob has managed to get Airstream to agree to allocate 1234 to me and I am now a member of their unit!

If and when I sell the trailer I will transfer the number with the trailer.

We have replaced the front section of the chassis and carried out extensive repairs. Note the extended front frame to allow for better turning clearance and also make room for a custom gas box -

Chassis flipped and prepaired, we've bolted on a marine ply that will have an undercoating of bitumen to insure a long and heathy life on the road -

28ft ft of belly pan prepaired and ready to be riveted into place -

Package arrived from Airstream Inc -

Full size drawings

2011-12-05T14:46:00.000-08:00

A friend mentioned to me that back in the 50's Airstream could provide full size drawings for the customer to walk around and mark out changes on to create a custom Airstream interior.

Not sure how true this is but I thought it sounded like a great idea and decided to do the same -

The Beigel (aka Bagel)

2011-12-03T15:32:00.001-08:00

I've been frequenting this east end establishment for the last 27 years. I've walked, ran, biked, bused, driven, taxied and even paid for a limousine to get a bite of a Brick Lane Beigel. I have shipped them where ever I have worked. I could be happy, sad, worried or tired, they always taste great -

This is my lunch about to go in the oven -

So when I get a call to give away 150 pairs off boots out of an airstream next door to Beigel bake I naturally jumped at the chance.

A quick setup -

And then a quick exit -

Then

Chock full o' Nuts

2011-11-27T11:11:00.000-08:00

Nice to see things get a second life, New York Blend coffee.....

We've given

this Sovereign of the Road a good first cut with a coarse grade polish before lifting the body off -

Getting various decals and sealants off the body safely required a few days patience -

It still had the original floor in the trailer which had been overlaid with another plywood floor . Even the new plywood (below) was badly rotted. The original plywood was very badly delimitated except for the mid sections of the trailer.

Frame off and the chassis gets exposed -

One of a number of issues which are pointing towards making up a new chassis -

Unused buck rivet in the inner skin -

Internal pop rivet from the 50's -

Then we started a floor and belly pan on this little bubble -

May the wind always be in my back yard......

2011-11-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

With fall well underway, I'm starting to plan for the cold winter that lies ahead.

This year we have all the heat we can handle as long as we have wind. But I will have a few 47kg bottles of gas ready to keep the productivity levels up just incase.

Initially the primary focus will on getting this young lady ready for life in the 21st century -

She is a 1956 Ohio Sovereign of the Road.

I bought her in Minnesota. My purchase hit the headlines -

She's a real lady and I will really enjoy my time with her.

I have researched and located her previous owners from the 1950's and already heard some interesting stories about her. I looking forward to hearing and hopefully seeing more of her history.

So keep warm and stay tuned this winter and my first off grid restoration!

Sir Bobs

2011-10-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

Early Saturday we headed to Sir Bob Geldofs 60th and daughter Pixies 21st birthday party with three Airstreams.

The party was New Orleans themed fancy dress and my wife Hazel kindly had me setup to be "the mild mannered janior from the vintage airstream trailer park"

We took one of our interns with us Ian -

Also an old friend Graham Taylor came along for the crack and we had a good laugh at some of his stories -

Plenty of photo opportunities for a Janitor and his lady -

Next morning, time for a quick swing

A hug and thank you to and from Bob

Then time to hit the road

The 'Vacuum Cap' invented by Edward J Artis

2011-09-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

I've had a number of Airstreams with these caps installed. Some have been rusty tin, others like this one made from Aluminium Alloy.

Once I get a clue then it's pretty simple to find a bit of the history. In this case the Pat. number was all I needed.

I considered this to look art deco, and indeed it is

More of his inventions can be found by clicking here.

Nigel Mansell eat your heart out.........

2011-09-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

For about half an hour last Friday I was let loose on the Grand Prix circuit at Brands Hatch, with an Airstream of course.

Was a real thrill as my escort dropped back and let me lose to put the pedal to the metal.

I then parked up and waited for the crew to arrive for the shoot.

All good fun......

Then early this week it my was turn to take the role of an escort for a delivery down to London Town -

Selection of Airstream dealer tags

2011-08-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

there's a big ship in town......

2011-08-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

When I lived in the West Village every so often I'd see the QE2 arrive into town on the Hudson river, whilst out jogging (gosh, did i say jogging!). This was always a site worth stopping for!

The QM2 might be a tad newer but still it brings the same feeling of excitement, this is the second time I've seen her docked in Southampton -

Never one to miss an opportunity and got a bit of video footage -

And finally another hard to find trailer, tandem axle ohio overlander which is my tow for tomorrow morning -

Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny

2011-07-24T14:44:00.000-07:00

I had a last minute booking with Professor Steven Hawkins and the discovery channel.

Wet, cold and empty, was like being by the sea in mid winter.

All I needed to do was setup which left me plently of time to meet with clients and also my catering equipment suppliers based close by, who I named the burger van after for the shoot -

My favorite -

Police working late shift -

Filming complete it was time to pack up and head towards home, was a long day -

Davis Products refrigerator face lift model

2011-07-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

Nice little fridge in need of a little TLC

A little grease to keep springs working smooth -

Nice font

Quick blast and a power with blow dry -

Inside houses a more modern energy efficient cooling equipment -

Elsewhere in the Old Dairy there is no place to hide as some of the toughest Aluminium gets scrubbed up-

interest in vintage is on the up.....

2011-07-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

This month Riga Latvia of all places is top of my list of 'average time per user' spent on my site.

Hello lativa, where ever you are, who ever you are!

In the states, so far this year CA and TX are the hot spots in Vintage Airstream interest with all 52 states showing interest in vintageairstreams.co.uk ....

Thank google for analytics....

my first spartan, by sam harkness aged 42

2011-06-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

1955, spartan imperial mansion, 43 foot long -

picking this lady up and dropping her off was always going to be logistically and horizontally challenging but on the flip side potentially rewarding.

first ups, i needed a wrecking co to get her out of the mud and get some new rubber on those split rims for the journey. Hovis Truck Service fitted the bill, as not many folks like to touch the smaller split rims -

already late evening Hovis held the trailer over night and we hoped to be on the road to port early in the morning.

but a sudden major pile up on the motorway meant we no longer had priority and Hovis Truck looked like a ghost town while all staff hit the highway. while slightly frustrated, we began to realise how bad the pile up had been.

we decided to hit the breakers and find 5 wheels that would last the journey, easier said than done. but despite the remote location and the weather, we managed to get what was needed and finally hit the road, albeit a little behind schedule.

destination baltimore, full steam ahead.........

opps...

two of those wheels had rusty lug holes and had wore out the threads on the on of the hubs..

time to drop the drum off and find a repair shop plus a new rim!

very frustrating, as it did not mention this could happen in the troubleshooting section of the spartan home owner's manual -

time to hit the road again, baltimore 21222 here we come.....

the rest was photographed but because of the port security we are unable to share the photos with you :-) ....

then came southampton, because of towing regulations, we drafted in some help -

then a little more help to get this old lady to bed after a long journey east -

well, what a journey.......

the funny thing is 'it has only just begun'

stay tunned, my next one involves a newspaper interview int he mid west......

i can see clearly now the .......

2011-05-09T00:29:00.000-07:00

Delivering Airstream at the weekend started off wet -

But quickly dried up -

New owner had an amazing farm just outside London -

The 55 Overlander will not be lonely -

New owner with his PA -

Job well done, we took advantage of visiting friends for the weekend who live close by -

I do like front kitchen trailers, the one below will have a slightly adapted floor plan that is taking shape in our workshop at the moment -

Same front bathroom style -

Polished rear end cap and a new dinette with side day bed -

Shortened front kitchen, the heater spot is extended to make room for a bespoke raised wood burner -

Shortened side wardrobe to make way for folding work desk on right -

Original cabinet style -

is an airstream a white elephant?

2011-03-28T12:39:00.001-07:00

Some may suggest that owning an Airstream is like owning an over valued asset that is not worth the upkeep, in fact it appears most of North America considered them to be white elephants until a recent revival in the past decade or so .

Well, I think most aluminitus folk will disagree, but perhaps like the one below, they might themselves be considered a white elephant by others -

Below, a very important message from a very important person, also there's also a letter from St. Jame's Palace........

I can confirm, whale tails look equally as nice from the inside as they do from the outside -

it's a sign

2011-03-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

I like Whale Tail Airstreams

But how weird is it when I find one with my name on it -

You can see from the image below it really is an act from above -

Sadly, after close inspection the Harkness Whale Tail was not for me.............

But I did offer to buy the sign.

Corrosion, What Where When Why How?

2011-03-20T05:57:00.000-07:00

I'm sure many airstreamers and other aluminitus sufferers worry at times about the condition of their aluminium.

An excellent source of information on Aluminium Corrosion is Aluminium Matter . This is an e-learning website which seems to cover most of the corrosion issues airstreamers will be faced with.

While keeping the outer skin in good condition is one concern, you should not forget about the inner skin.

Exhibit 1 - CA built Airstream, 1956

Alclad supplier - Reynolds

Location - Primarily resided in California

NB - The content of these images may be disturbing or offensive to some aluminitus sufferers. While they may look bad, I would like to mention it's all treatable, it just takes time -

Outer skin, tell tail signs -

Inner skin, the full extent of corrosion is revealed -

Closer look and a slight tap -

Factory sealing of the seams has not help stop the corrosion -

Rear light panel will need replaced also -

Other Isolated patches -

Factory finishing - West compared with the Mid West / The Heartland

2011-03-11T11:22:00.003-08:00

I was told that Wally Byams #1 Trailer was made in Ohio but was confused as it had a Californian Dutchman's cap / Whale Tail but Ohio style wheel arches.

I was later informed that the trailer was actually built in the Los Angeles factory.

The following article in Trail R News September 1955 also confirms the trailer was built in Los Angeles Ca. -

Since then, I've noticed some small differences between both factories production line finishing in the mid 50's. These are a little less obvious than looking at end panels, wheel arches and s/n's.

Below are a few -

Internal rivet sealing

Out of all the mid 50's CA trailers I've worked on the rivets have been sealed internally. I first noticed this with Wally's #1 trailer and thought it got special treatment, but I since realised it probably was standard LA practice -

56 CA Bubble interior, complete seal -

55 CA Wally Byam Bubble, rivet stem sealed

56 OH Bubble, no seal

Door Gasket fitting
I've also noticed the CA fitted door gaskets with a blind rivet. Expamples below, first the Wally Byam #1 trailer and then a 56 Ohio Bubble

Magnesium Alloys and surface treatments

2011-03-09T12:18:00.001-08:00

I'm lucky to have some very good contacts in the metal industry having worked with the Metal Man himself Marc Rich in London and New York.

I asked for some advice on how safe this magnesium alloy is to work with. I had already cut a sample out for the assay with no problems, but I wanted to check to be safe.

I have been advised that I should take particular care with the swarf and dust while working with the alloy.

An excellent source for information on Magnesium is Magnesium Elektron, they have branches all over the world.

Two relevant docs are -

Machining Magnesium datasheet

Suface treatments, if untreated magnesium alloys could well turn to power

Lots to think about on how to tackle the chassis.

X251 Chassis results

2011-03-08T05:45:00.000-08:00

The X251 assay has arrived. This has been prepared based on a sample of the chassis I sent to their lab.

This is also posted on the bubbles face book page, You need to be logged into facebook to view -

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150157785752152&set=o.198504083501693&theater

Also posted on facebook is a general information/comparable grade sheet.

The chassis will require various works to fix damage already done plus a few tweaks to help ensure the same problems do not happen again.

Airstream flipper

2011-03-02T15:55:00.000-08:00

I've posted this short video on flipping Airstreams in Europe. It's on the #1 Wally Bubble Facebook page. You'll need to sign up to view.

I will be posting details of the Assay on the #1 Airstream chassis very shortly, so get signed up -

Just put Wally Byam Bubble into facebook and request to join.

this old trailer - belly pan replacement

2011-02-28T14:54:00.000-08:00

The first rule I have is the eighty twenty rule, 80% planning and 20% doing. With lots of cuts, curves and panel configuration to consider, planning is by far the most important part of this process

Start with an old chassis -

Flip it over in a confined space (video to follow on next posting)

Add some marine ply, elevator / norway blots. Then baste with some special caravan black sticky gupe and leave to soak overnight

Stir in insulation and add a pinch of tacs and polyurethane

Apply sheets of aluminium carefully paying attention to detail, we used a slight thicker main section and thinner on the front and rear to help with curve forming -

Mark out and buck solid rivets into the required seams to ensure original lines are retained -

Curl edges as required and cut around the edges just above channel -

Be careful not to add any extra creases -

And hay presso, you have the makings of a belly pan -

1955 Safari hip replacement

2011-01-06T13:59:00.001-08:00

This lady needed new hips and jumped the queue (with a little helping hand) and got the operation done privately. But with plenty of life left in her it was definitely the right move -

Above, chassis area rusted out with previous repairs starting to separate from chassis.

Above, with the section cut out, it reveals the extent of the failure.

Below, other repairs in line with what had been expected due to floor rot -

Above, re-tensioned springs, new bushes, linkage, shocks and a nice new EU axle with crank

With a little due care and attention I'm pleased to report that the operation was a success and the lady is recovering well.

This 1955 safari has just started a very interesting chapter of her life

Fairway was my local supermarket when I lived on 42nd Street NYC, it's an institution for New Yorkers, well worth a visit. Below is my old shopping bag being used to keep the hoist chains of the precious vintage aluminium -

In December we had our first airstream export to Japan, for Lush cosmetics -

Show and tell, all expenses paid

2010-12-15T15:21:00.000-08:00

The penultimate Glam Van makeover in 2010.
Overnight accommodation happened to be the worlds first nature reserve Walton Hall

Above, Autumn 2010, arrival at Walton Hall / Walton Park Hotel

Above, Walton Hall, a good few years earlier.

Kids had broken up from school so we decided to take advantage of a great 'show and tell' opportunity -

Very excited when I told them our hotel was surrounded by it's own lake, but a little nervous when I mentioned it was once filled with hippos.

Then early morning outside broadcast with my little helpers -

Final farewell before hitting the road to catch a plane to Ireland -

What a great way to earn a days pay......

best in show

2010-10-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

With an ever changing herd of Airstreams I needed to find a sizable indoor work and indoor storage area to call home. To be honest, this is easier said than done in my neck of the woods around the North Cotswold's.

So when this 12,000 square foot dairy building came up I knew it was just the ticket for what I needed.

It has been empty for over ten years. Below is a picture taken in the mid nineties with a very well looked after herd of Overbury Guernseys -

Taken today, below is the same area which houses some of our airstreams for sale and others due to have work started on them -

Newest arrival is the little 54 Globetrotter which arrived late last night for rehab -

I'm still learning about the history behind the Overbury herd and over the next few months hope to find out more about what drove their success -

I'm determined to lift the lid on the Byam Bubble in this building before the New Year.

that was the week that was....

2010-09-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

Prescott Hill Climb Autumn Classic 2010

Below, Wall of Death Hell Rider taking a shine to one of our little airstreams...

We had been invited to attend and had the pleasure of feeding the race marshals from a couple of our airstreams.

Earlier in the week the Airstream Glam Van was back on the road with ITV

This time it was Warwickshire.

I was having a bad satnav moment when as if by magic the editor of the Camping and Caravaning Club magazine Candy Evans walked by and asked if i needed help! She quickly offered to personally escort us to the filming location, luck of the 'Irish' i say ........

Thanks to Candy I arrived a little early

the rewards of recycling.....

2010-09-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

I find it a feelgood exercise to recycle my waste. Good to get it out of the way and also good to know it's not going into a landfill site.

Very so often I seem to get a little payback, i've had a good few this year but this one has to be the best .

An unwanted Zenith Trans Oceanic radio. Freshly dumped just before I arrived at the recycling center.

With antenna built into the handle.

This was Wally Byam's favorite brand of radio. I believe he had the 1000 series, but I'm sure this royal 3000 would have tempted him in the 60's.

a seaside rescue attempt followed by carry on doctor.....

2010-09-15T03:19:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I got an SOS call from the owner of an Airstream. She was discribed as a '59? Globetrotter' which got me thinking.

I asked for some images and was told to just google it, they said just google 'rubber house dungeness'. I followed the instructions and was amazed to find 10's of photos of a little 54 globetrotter with front side hung hehr windows.

Her name turns out to be Dolly and she is a little beauty -

I came well repaired to haul this lady back to our workshop and get her under cover. But it was not to be, the salt air has badly corroded her chassis and she will need flat bedded back and then a lot of tlc to get her healthy again and more prepared for coastal living....

A good nights sleep and I was off again with another day on the road with the glam van, this time the lucky lady had some interesting fancy dress outfits gathering dust -

the setup went well after we got a few cars moved -

Back in London to drop off some props and amazingly enough to meet a potential client for a cup of coffee before heading back to the country -

lights - camera - AIRSTREAM

2010-09-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

itv needed something a little special to add more glam in their morning makeovers. something that could be used as a walk in closet......

they fell for 'ruby tuesday' a seven panel overlander from the west coast that i had available for hire

i had to report for duty the night before so the trailer could be dressed ready for the surprise.....

early morning wakeup call and a 5am start outside itv studios, even the daybreak crew had not arrived -

the surprise makeover was on a narrow dead end road on a steep hill with no area to turn except a little area used for garbage bins. to be honest i felt a little faint at the thought of pulling this stunt off but lucky for me with a bit of help we unhitched and swung her round by hand, not that easy with a beast of a twin axle.

with trailer nicely in position the clouds started gathering -

in the middle of running about getting things ready, someone asked me, brown or white? i looked down and saw a bag of bacon butties! what a lovely sight after missing breakfast. then someone handed me a cup of tea, it really was a very well planned and executed shoot.

things quickly came together -

the makeover nominee was informed -

then after a manic makeover out pops the transformed lady -

with job nearly complete, i headed back to itv to unload and head home. with london underground on strike the roads were a little busier than normal.....

one down, next one is same time next week....

stay tuned...

Early dawning, Sunday morning........

2010-07-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

It's just the wasted years so close behind you......

Early morning start, outside our home in Gloucestershire -

Early morning arrival, central London -

I spent the best part of my late teens waking up on Sunday m

ornings in London with a hangover, red eyes and the urge to blast a bit of Lou

Reed and wake up my long suffering next

door neighbours.

Some things change, but then again some things don't, I found myself driving into London last Sunday morning, with hangover, red eyes and you guessed the same urge to play Lou Reed at a reasonable level.

This time it was work, I was delivering a vintage trailer converted to a

coffee shop to the Oxo Tower SW1.

With the kids in the back I decided we had time to do a little sightseeing. 10 Downing Street above, then onto Trafalgar Sq and Nelson's column.

A quick drive by Harrods -

Never one to miss an opportunity I pulled over on the mall and started serving a few Aussie tourists......

Quick stop in Covent Garden, I worked nightshift in the Gardening Club/Rock Garden on the Plaza. It's been taken over

by apple.

It really turned out a 'Perfect Day'. With the Trailer delivered on time and on budget and with very impressed clients we headed to Belgo for

some hair of the dog...

Making ribs in the hot weather

2010-06-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a hectic few months with Airstreams to say the least.

With our workshop running a little behind schedule weekends and weekdays have merged into one just for the moment.

Hopefully things will adjust back to normal in time for the kids breaking up for summer so we can do a little exploring ourselves.

We managed to make time to meet some of our fellow airstream bloggers. Tracy and Pete who are currently full time airstreamers popped by and we spoke about the possibility of bringing over aa founding member of the WBCCI at a future meet. We also had Chris who is doing up his flying cloud drop by and pick up some left over goodies from the 50's. It was great meeting everyone and wish I had more time to hangout.

We decided to move over a bit more inventory from the states and among the newcomers are two whaletails, little and large. It's a paradise for whale watchers -

The task of making ribs for a 50's trailer resulted in a few failed attempts before hitting the right formula -

This particular project is due to be delivered into central London early next month and could well be on the way to becoming a central London landmark. More to come on the delivery in the next few weeks.

My dear wife Hazel has been kind enough to knit us an office tea cosy, I think if weather continues we will be asking for knitted drinks coolers -

exploration works begin on wally and stellas little bubble

2010-04-10T03:24:00.001-07:00

I've started to get under the covers of Wally and Stellas little bubble to see what makes her tick.

Time just disappears so quickly.

When I first started working on these trailers I started to notice a little red mark under the rivet heads. I quickly realized that this was just mark for drilling the rivet holes. The workers at airstream seem to use it for marking out the interior fixings also.
Byam Hooks are dotted all around the inside of this trailer and are very handy. I have a small collection of them already, so I may even add a few more.

The front plate is aluminum not steel. The four steel bolts had all snapped along with the weld on the front cross member which was why she had front movement.

At some stage there had been a small fire under the front near side floor

Overall the chassis is solid but there are a couple of broken weld seems. I'm going to send a sample off to a lab and have the alloy identified

Here's a quick video to give you idea of the condition of the chassis -

Another rainy day in Gloucestershire. I have a number of parts that I need to replace including this roof vent. Someone has rigged up a very crude clear cover with is letting in a good bit of rain.

The original floor was screwed to the chassis and outriggers, not bolted like normal. Around the C channel the floor had blots all around and no screws.

Davis Products Co.

2010-02-26T10:09:00.000-08:00

I believe many of the fixtures and fittings in an early Airstream depended on who won the tender to supply the equipment that year. Well, in my mind Wally and Co. hit the jackpot with this tender winner from the Davis Products Co.

Installed in a 1955 Safari which hit the Ohio line late 1954 and rolled off in early 1955 after one the hottest winters on record.

I removed the interior to replace the floor and when the front kitchen work surface was lifted I found a scrunched single page of a newspaper with tape on the edge. I guess is must have been 'old news' that was put to reuse for masking panels.

The Pistol Packer had a quiet New Year in Jail

Buy now pay later on the fine quality apparel -

Mrs Marguerite Krause Woods died at her home aged 66. I wonder what this lady was like, she had a lovely name.

And finally, there was a deal to be done on some fine looking under garments down Petticoat Lane. If only I get my hands on some of those....

55 years on from 1955 the #1 trailer is back safe and sound

2010-02-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to all that helped bring this little beauty back for me. I've got a very nice historic potting shed for the moment but at some stage we will hopefully have a very nice vintage camper also.

Having acquired the #1 Airstream I also seem to have acquired the #0 if there was such a thing. I've been advised there was a #00 owned by the Andy Anderson family, personal friends of the Byams and the Schwamborns but can't find anything on a single zero. The number was very old and clearly there was just one digit front and back. They had been covered over by a few layers of other stickers.

manhattan transfer

2009-11-27T03:38:00.000-08:00

escape from the country

every so often i need to get away from day to day life and do something a little different. when i lived in the city i'd escape to the country and since i moved to the country i tend to like escaping to the city.
the plan was to hit a few watering holes in manhattan then hit the fresh snow dumps in breckenridge co. but at the last minute i cancelled the ski trip and instead opted to hang out a bit longer in the city. i had a few trailers on the move that week, two on the lower east coast that i co-ordinated the moves over the internet/phone but also had a 56 custom sitting up in new england ready to move plus i had the insides of a 1950's redbird subway carriage to pickup and ship.

all was set for an easy trip down to manhattan with the 56 custom ready to load up with my subway stuff and head to port. the custom is kinda like half caravanner / half flying clould, a very interesting yolk.

i got to visit andrea the owner of the famous airstream top dog bambi, at his home near middletown ct, he's been serving hotdogs from this 'vending' trailer for 25 years. i think he's started a craze for airstream vending in europe.

but things came to a very quick halt near westport ct, the state troopers pulled the trailer over because the plate that was out of date . i was told they should have impounded the trailer and tow car, but with the luck of the irish we got away with driving to the next gas station and got told to basically magic up a dealer/transfer plate . again with the luck of the irish the gas station owner gave me unlimited time for parking there , amazing. having worked in westport for a while i knew a little bit about the area and within 3 hours we had the trailer back on the road and heading towards SoHo in Manhattan via an overnight sleep in white plains.

as you can see she has a very nice body, but needs a good clean up.

quick holiday snap with friends on crosby st.

we drove by paul mccartneys daughters shop in the meat packing district

We gate crashed a photo shoot with an old new york city bus.

we got a good view of the empire state building.

then on arrival at port we got greeted by pk ryan, he was 100% irish. twic approval was not an issue. that's his family crest tattooed on his right arm. great guy and look forward to seeing him again.

the drop went well and i had a good look around that the other bits in the yard.

i'm a big fan of fury dice but maybe not pink ones......

the gwb was nice n empty on the way back into town.

back in the hood i decided to head straight to sullivan st for a 60 mins back rub and then of to the bakery for a splice of potato pizza, i guess it's kinda like irish pizza.

then i got back to my city vacation and hit a few more watering holes.

speed blogging - for busy country folk like myself

2009-09-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

what a really great weekend in my home county gloucestershire, thank you pete and tracey for all your planning and hard work. was great seeing 13 airstreams in a rally field in the uk.

flo, scarlett, hazel and me hanging out taking in what seemed like the first and last of summer '09

(below) flo and scarlett trying out the local produce, down the road in wales -

(left) monnow bridge, being jumped on by flo, hazel and scarlett. sole remaining mediaeval fortified river bridge in britain where the gate tower stands actually on the bridge. it was built in the late 1200's

(right) and (below) the roundhouse/ aka kaymin, bit smaller than the folly we live in but much better views, and this one was visited by nelson.

only two bad bits were leaving and our vw getting hit from behind and having to cancel my visit to the vw festival on the sunday.

(right) we also manged a quick curry at what was voted a top 100 uk restaurant and 3 best curry house in the uk -

to top the weekend off i headed to southampton on monday to pickup a very nice 59 caravanner which i'm very impressed with. it's got a great body and solid floor, just a bit like my boots after a weekend camping it needs a good polish. she sold within 5 days of arriving, one week in workshop and then a new life in the english countryside starts the week after. we do have some more for sale on http://www.vintageairstreams.co.uk .

X251 has moved locations safely

2009-03-25T14:17:00.000-07:00

Well, safely-ish. I think there might have been a few rolls a duct tape used to keep her together for the journey......
Full credit should be given to Buckner Transport who just proved they have what it takes to handle any vintage trailer move, thank you Toni Buckner & Co.! Also proves that with careful vetting that uship is not that bad a place to do business.

http://www.bucknertransport.com/

Please, give a little back.......

2009-03-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.rednoseday.com/

David Brown Cropmaster

2009-03-01T00:38:00.001-08:00

I've been looking for a well priced Davey Brown Cropmaster for about a year and been to various auctions in England and Ireland. We need a good looking twin seat tractor to take me and my wife to the pub on when we are in Ireland. I came back nearly empty handed from the tractor auction at Malvern yesterday, I did manage to purchase five vintage tractor steering wheels to go into the girls play area.
I found out yesterday that the DB in Aston Martin comes from when Sir Davey Brown bought Aston Martin for 20.5k in 1947. So it's off to Cheffins auction in Bristol next weekend for a nose around.

Here's a a link to some video footage of a DB in action plus one on a the Ferguson tea 20 -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2m08k_Sntk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVnzjGqZLh8

Tracey & Pete Wiltshire UK meet 28th & 29th March

2009-02-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

If any airstreamers in the UK fancy an early meet in 2009 then check out Tracey and Pete's blog -

http://ukairstreamers.blogspot.com/

Also become a member at this draft UK Airstream owners set up by bully boy Pete.


www.youforum.co.uk/ukairstreamers

Trailer #1 - Wally Byam Bubble X251 (aka Stella)

2009-02-22T14:59:00.000-08:00

The Wally Byam Bubble is being transported to Franks Trailer Works near Baltimore -

http://www.blogger.com/followers.g?blogID=1265639594610082249

Frank will be giving her a full survey and providing me with a list prioritized works that will need to be completed before I can go camping in her.

Photos can also been seen on ( http://59tradewind.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html ) .Brad has been incredabubble with all his help on the Phoenix side.

Valentines day was a great success in Cumbria

2009-02-22T14:13:00.000-08:00

A trip to Crow Craig / Sleddale Hall in Cumbria before it went up for auction on Monday followed by a large bag of chips on the way home went down a storm with the Mrs on valentines day, she is a big With Nail fan. We did end up at the auction in London on the Monday just in case we could bag a bargain but it sold for double the guide price.

Hazel phoning London (above), from the movie (below)

Scarlett and Flo at the Mardale Inn Cumbria, the owner of the pub who we chatted with turned out to be the winning bidder at the auction on Monday.
For boys only, the toliet walls in the pub are covered in these images -
http://www.womeninwaders.com/

Wally Byam's Creed

2009-02-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

Photo kindly provided by Pee Wee from the estate of Helen Byam Schwamborn
www.sierranevadaairstreams.org

"In the heart of these words is an entire life's dream. To those of you who find in the promise of these words your promise, I bequeath this creed... my dream belongs to you."

To place the great wide world at your doorstep for you who yearn to travel with all the comforts of home.

To provide a more satisfying, meaningful way of travel that offers complete travel independence, wherever and whenever you choose to go or stay.

To keep alive and make real an enduring promise of high adventure and faraway lands... of rediscovering old places and new interests.

To open a whole world of new experiences... a new dimension in enjoyment where travel adventure and good fellowship are your constant companions.

To encourage clubs and rallies that provide an endless source of friendships, travel fun and personal expressions.

To lead caravans wherever the four winds blow... over twinkling boulevards, across trackless deserts... to the traveled and untraveled corners of the earth.

To play some part in promoting international goodwill and understanding among the peoples of the world through person-to-person contact.

To refine and perfect our product by continuous travel-testing over the highways and byways of the world.

To strive endlessly to stir the venturesome spirit that moves you to follow a rainbow to its end... and thus make your travel dreams come true.

- Wally Byam