[VAC] Re: Interior modifications

[wescott50@xxxxxxxxx (Bill Scott)]

Vintage, and USEABLE, or Vintage, and a museum piece.  These coaches
were designed, and built for extreme Duty, offroad use, miles and miles
of backroads, and lots of camping family fun.  For some of the people on
this list, that want exact restoration, or to keep it "Original",  I say
fine, what ever floats your boat.   I find that those people will
probably not use their coach, in the way it was intended.  If the
vintage is pre-1955, it probably doesn't have the up to code ammenities,
or ablity to support a good camping experience.   In my experience,
those Airstreams rebuilt to museum specs, belong in a museum.   If you
want to use your coach, it will need new brakes, new shocks, new wheels
and tires, probably some new wiring, and batteries, you will need a new
refrigerator, and water heater, furnace, and some work on the stove.
Those pipe frames were weak, and usually now, broken.    You can be
conservative, and rebuild your old coach so it looks fairly stock, but
the appliances will all be new or re-built.   You can compare this hobby
to that of old cars.  If you want an old original car from the 30's or
40's, you will have to haul it around on a trailer, to show it.  Modern
Interstates, with 70MPH speeds are no places for vintage cars, or
trailers.   Fix it up, and use it.   Don't be afraid to make it modern.
IMHO, it will have more value, as a useable coach, than an old museum
piece.

Bill Scott
Charter Member and Membership Chairman
Washington DC Unit,  WBCCI   #3221
Our Homepage;  http://www.servintfree.net/wbcci-dc/