[VAC] Re: Veneers and panelling and thoughts on '70's A/S design

[soule <soule@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have to add my $0.02  to this thread.  IMHO, the reality of the
interior of the of the of the '70's A/S never quite lived up to the
promise of the exterior.  I really like the shape of the '70's bodies,
especially the windows and doors.  The frame and floor is another story
that I'll leave for another time.

I have to say that the problem with the interiors is not just that they
are '70's designs, they are BAD '70's designs.  I can make the next
statement with some credibility because I am a mechanical engineer by
training and my wife is a decorator by avocation.  When I look at these
interiors, I sometimes imagine that A/S decided to save money in the
'70's by getting rid of their interior designers and having the
structural engineers do the decorating.  They seem to have approached
the job the way that I might do it as an engineer: minimize the weight
and cost and make it easy to assemble in the factory.   Colors?
Textures?  Fabrics?  Yeah, throw in some of those.  And don't forget to
put in an oven.  (Ever notice how many ads for 30-year-old trailers say:
'like new oven'?)

If I haven't offended enough people with those generalizations, I'll add
another...again from personal experience.  Is it just me, or have you
ever noticed that men (myself included) tend to choose dark woods colors
and women lean toward lighter ones?   When we gutted and rebuilt our '77
Tradewind, I was visualizing an interior of beautiful mahogany, but my
wife kept saying 'think light and airy'.  Her wisdom prevailed and we
ended up with unstained birch cabinets, off-white paint on the walls and
bulkheads and pastel fabrics for the cushions, pillows and curtains.
The effect is fantastic...the dark, cave-like interior we started with
has been transformed into a bright, open beach house.

Yes, we removed the vinyl and painted the luan underlayment.  We never
considered leaving the luan exposed because it's too dark for our needs
and the grain is just not that  attractive.   We painted the walls.  And
yes, we re-configured the coach to meet our needs.  I understand that
there is a segment of the vintage community that believes that an A/S
should be restored as closely to the original as possible, and I respect
that opinion and admire the work that restorers do.  We followed the
lead of the segment of the community that is inspired by the A/S
tradition, and rebuilds them as their own creations.  If you like to
restore...by all means restore.  If, OTOH, you want to do something
different have courage, be bold...you'll be happy with the results.
Time to get off my soapbox.

Lincoln Soule
'77 Tradewind