Robert,
Someone obviously added a roll out awning to your trailer at some point in
time. Only the brackets remain. I do not know exactly when Zip-Dee started
business, but I believe that it was right around '63 or '64. I am also
thinking that from the beginning that Zip-Dee was the only pull down awning
available from Airstream, though other brands were obviously installed on
these trailers as well, presumably an after market add on. Last I heard,
Zip-Dee was the only one around that still made the arms that will fit the
curvature of the pre '69 Airstreams. I was wanting one about 8 years ago,
but decided on a pole and rope awning when I was told by the installing
dealer that at a minimum the eyebrows over the front curb side jalousy
window and the rear curb side storage door would both have to be altered to
allow the awning arms to fit. Depending on the refrigerator vent, there
might be an issue there as well.
You can have a pole awning made to any size or shape you want, though
pre-made ones are available. I will say this though, it is a 2 person job to
set it up...BUT when the owners of awnings like Zip Dee are scrambling to
take their awnings down before they collapse (due to rain and wind) my pole
awning is taking it all in stride. I almost never take it down due to
weather. The trick is to include a spring between the rope and the pegs. It
absorbs the shock of the wind currents instead of the shock pulling the pegs
out.
Either style of awning can be almost straight out, or angled down depending
on how you set it up.
Scott Scheuermann
1960 Overlander
> What kind of awning was original on this trailer? I gather, from a recent
> Vintage Trailer supply advertisement, that only the pole and rope awning
> was
> original. The "Standard Specifications" for 1963 include, "awning rail".
> The
> listed additional equipment available with the more expensive
> International
> Land Yacht series for 1963 does not include awning arms--whatever those
> are
> called. Our 1963 Safari Twin has the awning rail (curbside) and two
> brackets
> (obviously for attaching awning arms) near each end of the awning rail and
> one
> bracket on the "banana peel?" molding at the lower edge of the body, with
> the
> corresponding lower bracket for the other side missing. It is obvious that
> a
> couple inches of the "banana peel" molding was cut away, left and right,
> for
> installation of the lower arm brackets. Were awnings with arms available
> as
> original equipment from Airstream in 1963? I gather not, but am not
> certain.
> Apart from the originality issue, any opinions on which style of awning is
> preferable on this trailer? Does the awning with arms extend less that the
> 8
> or 9 foot reach of the pole and rope awning, and does it angle down,
> rather
> than extend straight-out like the pole and rope awning? Thanks for any
> advice.