Re: [VAL] Galvanized Water Tanks 1960 Landyacht/Front Numbers

[overlander64 <overlander64@xxxxxxxxx>]

Greetings Ellen!

Welcome to the world of Vintage Airstream ownership!

The big numbers on the front of the coach are quite likely
one of the previous owners' WBCCI (Wally Byam Caravan Club
International) membership numbers.  The current numbers are
typically red vinyl, those from fifteen to twenty years ago
may have been black vinyl (the ones on my Overlander in '95
were black vinyl), and back in the 1950s through sometime in
the 1960s the numbers were actually often painted on by
either sign painters or the owners themselves (my uncle was
a professional sign painter and painted numbers on quite a
few Airstreams during the 1950s and 1960s).

The galvanized water tanks typically indicate a pressure
rather than a demand type water system.  Pressure is
maintained in the tank by a small electric pressure pump or
through a schroeder valve near the city water inlet on the
outside of the coach.  These tanks are heavy in comparison
to the plastic tanks utilized in the demand system.  Their
biggest potential problem is to develop small, pinhole leaks
-- often where they are hidden from view along the bottom. 
Switching to a demand system can be done, and has been done
by many owners of pre-1964 coaches -- the big drawback is
that a new demand tank fill system will have to be devised
as the pressure fill system utilized with the galvanized
tank is not directly compatible with the newer style demand
system.  While I can't be certain, the larger of your two
galvanized tanks is likely the fresh water storage tank, my
suspicion is that the second tank may be part of the water
filtration system for drinking water.

Good luck with your coach!

Kevin D. Allen
WBCCI (Lifetime member)/VAC/Free Wheelers/Computer Club
#6359
1964 Overlander International/1999 GMC K2500 Suburban (7400
VORTEC/4.10 Differentials)
1978 Argosy Minuet 6.0 Metre/1975 Cadillac Eldorado
Convertible (8.2 Liter V8/2.70 Final Drive)