The Golden's Are Heading To The Golden State!Casita's Maiden Voyage

It took two days to finalize packing the Airstream. Although we have sold most everything we own, there was still a lot to deal with in loading. Jennifer and I agree that we now have 1/5th of what we brought to Texas.We had initially packed most everything in Casita, then loaded tools in the truck. When we hitched the two together, the truck was sagging too much and since we were exhausted, we just decided to sleep in the Airstream that night [in our driveway] and start fresh in the morning.

We got up the next day, completely unloaded the truck and redistributed the weight in the trailer. SO MUCH WORK! We left yesterday [Sunday] and drove as far as Abilene and stayed the night. Airstream pulled along fine - although I wouldn't want to load one more pound in it. I think we've got it pretty maxed out so the truck is being put to test also. We are taking it slow at around 50 to 60 miles per hour - so it's gonna take a while. We are just so exited to finally be coming home.

Cali-fornie . . . here we come!

Takin' It To The Streets!

We did it! We took the Airstream out this afternoon and it passed it's first road test since being restored! We are so excited [and relieved].

The lights are all working great, the brakes are performing exactly like they should and it's just pulling behind the truck like a dream! We took it out around town for a bit, then stopped at Steak-N-Shake for dinner. Here's a shot of it in the parking lot. We are beat, but are tickled to have gotten to this point. More work on her tomorrow then packing and leaving for California Wednesday!!!

Wheels and Wiring and My Birthday!

Today is my 47th birthday and I'm at 30 and holding!
After two months of sitting on jack stands, the Airstream is once again resting on wheels! I also finished roughing in the wiring. We're so close to finishing this first phase and she's almost ready to roll. We're taking Casita out for a test run this afternoon. SO EXCITED!. Once in California, we'll begin phase two: the interior design.

Here are the wiring diagrams I drafted to aid in the installation and for future electrical troubleshooting. We plan on keeping the Airstream for many years to come but if we ever decide to sell it, these will be a nice addition to the service and owners manuals. Click on any of the images on the blog to view larger versions.

New Axles Are Finally Going In!!

These things are heavy! Almost 250 lbs. each so hard to handle. The are also weighted unevenly - wanting to lean forward, so I cut some lumber and used the floor jack to level them out and provide lift into the axle slots on the frame.

We took the old axles to a recycle center - so we were there when they weighed them. We also took the old electrical wiring we pulled out during the gutting phase and ended up getting $178 out of the deal. Coolness. Helped pay for new wiring which I'm hoping to have completely roughed in today. Freezing rain and temps in the mid-20's today so I'm forced to work inside Casita. It's warming up again tomorrow and Saturday - so I'll be able to finish the install on the second axle.

Jennifer Has Taken Up Stripping!

Well . . . not THAT kind of stripping. She started working on stripping old glue and paint on the interior aluminum skins [walls]. Ended up being a pretty gross mess - with the top layer bubbling from the stripping paste.

Insulation Completed And New Bumper Arrived!

The rear bumper arrived yesterday. It's just sitting on the frame rails in this photo - still need to bolt it on.

Jennifer and I both worked on installing the Prodex insulation and finally got it completed yesterday as well. The temps have been in the 20's and 30's so we were VERY motivated to get that completed. Running two electric heaters and now it's nice and toasty inside!

I've begun roughing in the wiring including electrical, coaxial, ethernet, speaker and fiber optic wiring. The fiber optic wiring is a really cool feature added in the 70's to the Airstreams that run from the tail lights up to two small lights toward the front on the street side. The two little lights shine into the driver's rear view mirror to let them know the rear lights are functioning. See the illustration below - taken from the service manual. A cool little 'modern' touch back in 1979. Kinda makes it like a big toy. Love it!

New Axles Arrived

David Bliss came back over on Wednesday and braved the sub 30 temps with me and welded the shock mounts from the old axles onto the new ones. Wrapping up insulation inside today and new rear bumper is on the FedEx truck to be delivered today. Woohoo! More pix coming . . . 

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

Freezing rain and snow in Plano, Texas. Working inside Casita adding insulation. Wish it was already in! Burrrrr!

The axles are supposed to arrive today too. Bought a propane heater which will be welcome in this 20-something temp range!

Red Skies At Night

There isn't a lot of natural beauty here in Dallas - mostly concrete and man-made landscaping. But one thing we've really enjoyed has been the amazing and giant Texas skies [it's pretty flat here so all you see is sky!]. Jennifer and I went out for sushi the other night and for dessert, we enjoyed this fiery sunset on the drive home.

Good Help Is Hard To Find [Good Looking Help Is Always A Bonus!]

Working on the Airstream is hard work and there is a lot of it, but Jennifer and I have so much fun working together. She has such a cute and infectious smile!

We've been very fortunate to have had such amazing weather as it was freezing and we had 8 inches of snow here in Dallas this time last year. We've really been pushing these last few days with promise of freezing rain and possibility of snow this week. Weatherman kept his promise . . . it's raining today and in the 30's.

We've gotten all the subflooring in except for the panel that sits just above the wheels. Holding off on this one so I'll have easier access for installing the axles next week. The board and wheel wells are just sitting here for right now to cover the frame for walking.

I've installed foam board insulation in the frame cavities and we'll be putting Prodex insulation [a foil type radiant barrier product] on the walls today.

Finally! The Floor Is Going In!

This is a really special day! We're now starting the rebuilding phase - where we begin reassembling Casita. The new subflooring is going in and we are so excited! We are definitely seeing the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Sawyer has been helping too! We're having so much fun with this restoration. Although it has been tons of work, we know it will pay us back ten times over when we are enjoying fun times with friends and family while camping. Can't wait to get back to California where we belong. It has been very cold in the mornings lately. Here I am cutting the plywood for the rear end piece of subfloor and installing it later in the day. Jennifer sealed it with urethane on the main sheets, then painted POR-15 on the edges for extra water seal.

Happy New Year 2011!

Today marks a huge landmark for us on the Airstream restoration. We have FINALLY reached the end of the tear-out phase. Now we can begin re-building Casita! Yesterday, we finished painting the propane tank carrier as seen on the left in this photo and we now have a beautifully painted, newly reinforced frame on which to build. Our next step will be to install the flooring and belly pans.