Re: [VAL] Interested in VAC

["John Sellers" <sellersj@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Larry,

I second most of what Ed Emerick had to say in his outstanding post. 
Don't let him scare you out of buying a vintage Airstream, though.  Ed
is one of the leading lights of the vintage Airstream community and has
seen just about everything.   If you only buy *one* vintage Airstream
you won't face _all_ of the problems he's seen--just _some_ of them. 
Discovering _which_ ones are part of the adventure of owning a vintage
Airstream!

Having built a couple of boats and hung out with fellow boat builders, I
find restoring a vintage Airstream very much like building a boat.  Part
of the time it's a "project" and part of the time it's your home! 
(Hopefully not the _same_ time--there's not enough room to live in an
Airstream and work on it at the same time.)  A lot of us enjoy working
on our Airstreams about as much as we enjoy traveling in them.  There's
a feeling of accomplishment involved, and lots of room for individual
expression.  (But then, like Ed says. . . there's some pretty gross
stuff, sometimes. . . )

Getting back to your original question, talking and meeting with folks
who have vintage units, you have a golden opportunity coming up.  The
annual WBCCI Region 7 Vintage Rally, "Shine in the Pines" is coming up
on the Labor Day weekend, Friday Sept 2 through Sept 5 in Duquette, MN,
near Duluth.  It's a "buddy rally", which means you will be more than
welcome in your SOB.  You will have to find a WBCCI member to sponsor
you, but that won't be any problem.  We would be glad to, except that,
sadly, Barb and I are going to have to miss the Region 7 vintage rally
as we are having an (infrequent) family reunion that weekend, with
relatives coming from all over the US.

There is also going to be a Wisconsin Unit Rally, "Camp Airstream" at
Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, near Tomah, August 19 - 22.  This is also a
"buddy rally".  Unfortunately it's too late to be guaranteed a campsite
with the rest of the rally--the registration cutoff was Aug 19-but you
could give it a try.  This is not a vintage rally, but I know that there
will be several vintage units there--including ours.

I don't offhand know a web site to refer you to for full information,
but since you gave your address, I am snail mailing you information on
these two rallies.

And I have a prediction to make.  After you have met and talked with
vintage Airstream owners--you'll start looking for a vintage Airstream.

Best regards,
John & Barb Sellers
WBCCI/VAC #1587
1960 Pacer
Dayton, Ohio (but associate members of the Wisconsin Unit)