Dear VAL members,
Bonnie and I restored our front couch to nearly original specs and
conditions. It was a 3 month project on the wood work and wood finishing. (Bonnie did
most of the finishing). Then we had S&B auto upholsterers here in Encinitas Ca.
do the upholstery.
Our rig ('65) was badly devalued by the front couch being removed. We feel
strongly that the loss of the correct front couch is a big negative when we see
Airstreams for sale. The original couch was made with rather flimsy, thin
plywood which was light weight but failed over time and especially failed quickly
when the front skylight became missing or damaged as in our case. So we used
thicker ply and changed a few small items like the access to the water tank and
the left armrest which we eliminated the upholstery and lowered down to couch
level with a nice Mahogany top. Anyone who wants help with the couch
restoration feel free to call or email us and we'll send some photos of critical
details to help and inspire you to repair that feature and not trash it. Stuart
Resor.