[VAC] Re: Vintage Airstream HEHR Aluminum Vent Cover

[Inlandrv@xxxxxxx]

Scott.
 We give considerable thought before we embark on coming up with a 
replacement for some of the parts for the vintage coaches. First, is it worth 
it? Next, can it be done at a reasonable cost? Would the finished product be 
acceptable? Would it be compatible? Can the original design be improved upon? 
Would it have a reasonable selling price? And finally, what is the market? 
As you know Scott, no one in the Airstream family has made such attempts, but 
us. This also opens the door for ridicule, by some. But it usually comes from 
someone that doesn't need that item anyway.
When we set out to come up with a replacement for the old "Hehr" operator, we 
looked at it's draw backs. One, because it had very little friction, it come 
open in transit, resulting in it being blown off. Thousands of vent covers, 
both Solardomes and Astrodomes, have been replaced for that very reason. 
Secondly, the double rise design had considerable play in it. 
With those things in mind, we wanted the vent operator to be considerably 
more rigid, and to require many more turns to open. That design has 
eliminated the opening in transit problem. Additionally, you can, with our 
operator, open the rear end of the cover, and travel at any speed, actually 
tested over 100 MPH!!! With the rear part of the cover open, you create a 
slight vacuum, which helps keeping the coach interior "cool" during hot 
weather. With our operator, the cover will not open as much as the original. 
That fact doesn't matter on a powered fan vent. It does somewhat matter on a 
non powered vent, however. But, you can leave a vent  accidentally open, and 
have it rain, without any water getting in, unless it's a real down pour.
Therefore Scott, we think we have an overall, better vent operator than the 
original. We have yet to have a single complaint from any owner, having sold 
several hundred.
We have come up with many "innovations" for some parts for the vintage owner. 
No one has a "Solar Gray" Solardome, that has a "thermal barrier." We do. No 
one has replacement windows for the 66-67 and 68 trailers. We came up with a 
scratch free acrylic material to fill the void. You can scrub our replacement 
window with steel wool, AND, not scratch it. 
Scott, I could go on and one about the products that we have available to 
keep the vintage coaches alive. No one else has or wanted to make the time or 
financial investment to do so. We have. We have also purchased some molds 
from Airstream, that were earmarked to be destroyed, such as the rooflocker 
catches, closet door latches and some Air Conditioner shrouds.
You are correct in telling someone that our vent operator is different, but 
you didn't mention, that's it's a first class machined product, with 
improvements.
Our web site, inlandrv.com lists many parts that we have on sale that are for 
the vintage owners as well as for the 10 and 20 year old coaches. Many of 
those parts, in the past, were "no longer available." We take great pride in 
being able to say that "we took that giant step," and will continue to do so.
Recent additions have been the rinse quick spray head, a better and cheaper 
replacement for the 292100 grease seal, cabinet latches, rooflocker latch, 
closet door hinges, a heck of a price for a package of 100 Olympic rivets, a 
gasket for the 65 and older trailers, a gasket for the Jalousie windows, 
ceiling light lenses for 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, and some 69 and 70 trailers, 
many of the disc brake parts, including the pads that we have made, stove 
exhaust vent covers, fiberglass black water tanks, window clips, bar arms, 
and operators for 66-67-68, operators and nylon friction pads from 65 and 
down, and access doors for 64 to 68 trailers. And now we have "Kirsch drape 
tabs" when no on else does. 
We are also the only Airstream representative that has a web site dedicated 
to informing the owners through articles and pictures, but who also has their 
own parts sale section. Since it's inception, some 1 and 1/2 years ago, we 
have received over 22,000 inquiries.
We are working on some pictures and a short story on "How to make the 
interior of your vinyl walled Airstream look better than new, on less the 
$6.00."
Scott, we think we deserve at least a B+ for our efforts, don't you? 

Inland RV Center, Inc., it's staff and Andy