projectmidge

Restoration of our vintage trailers. 1967 Airstream (Midge), 1957 Silver Streak, and 1961 Holiday House.

Camping Season is Here!!!!!

Boy, did that seem like a LONG Winter!  Rain and snow in May.  That is not supposed to happen.  In addition to no camping, I lost my garden THREE different times!  Crappy May.  I’ve lived here for 25 years, and still plant my garden way too early.  I know better than that, but geez….the first nice weekend in April, and I’ve got to plant my garden.  Not very smart.  Someone PLEASE remind me of this fiasco next April!

We graduated our two sons in May!  Older son graduated from CU-Boulder and younger son graduated from Littleton High School!  We are very proud of our kids and relieved that is behind us.  Having 2 graduates at the same time is exhausting!

Anyway….I know this blog is supposed to be about Midge the Airstream, and it IS.  The thing is, though, our first trip out this year was with the Holiday Rambler.  It was a Tin Can Tourist gathering, and since we took the Airstream to the TCT gathering last year, we decided it was the Rambler’s turn to shine.  Midge is going out next!

Ramblin' On

Ramblin’ On

We camped at the Glenwood Canyon Resort in Glenwood Springs, CO.  (Campground review is at the bottom of this post). Hello, Beautiful!!  Gorgeous, gorgeous area.  All the TCT’ers were camped along the Colorado River.  There were some really cute vintage campers and we met so many awesome people!  The river was high, and it rained.  The resort employees were filling sand bags near us at a frantic pace, which was somewhat disconcerting.  Obviously, we survived.

Colorado River

Colorado River in our backyard 🙂

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Sand bags along the Colorado River

Camp set up

Camping!

The first night we arrived, we were to have a potluck in a central location.  Well, the rains came in and it was pretty miserable.  It was decided to have a “traveling” dinner:  everyone took their plate from trailer to trailer.  It was kind of funny and sad at the same time.  I did not make it to many trailers that first night because it was just raining too much.  Needless to say, everyone had lots of left overs.  We had a crock pot full of Dear Husband’s amazing bean dip and a huge bowl of spicy guacamole.  Not much made it home with us….those are some great left overs!

I’m just going to post some random pictures from the weekend.  Because of the crappy weather, I didn’t take too many pictures.  There were some cray-cray-adorb trailers, though.

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I’m a bit obsessed with our plug in “porch light”.  It is original to the trailer and just makes me smile.  Lord help me if I ever forget to unplug it and put it away….Dear Husband would surely divorce me if we lost it on the road!

Plug In Porch Light

Plug In Porch Light

Princess Nellie won the golden ticket, and got to accompany us on this trip.  At the TCT camp out last year, we had all 4 dogs, and it was a pain in the butt.  We weren’t going to bring any dogs this time, but Dear Husband decided she deserved a special trip.

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Princess Nellie

Tired Camper, Nellie

Tired Camper, Nellie

The rain ended in the evenings, and we enjoyed a couple large communal camp fires.  Lots of drinking and laughing.  Seriously, a fun bunch of people!  While raining, we would enjoy a cocktail or three under our awning.  For the most part, it kept us dry.  There were a few places that it dripped through the seam, but I think if I Scotch Guard it, it should help.

Cocktail Time!

Cocktail Time!

Cocktail Time!

Cocktail Time!

Here is the usual night shot.  I just love my campers at night time 🙂

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Night Time for the Rambler

We headed home on Sunday, June 7th.  Of course, it was a blue sky beautiful day!  It was an uneventful trip, and a beautiful day in the mountains!

Vail Pass

Vail Pass

Please forgive the poor resolution of that picture….damn iphone. (it’s probably my fault, but I like blaming my phone).

Vail Pass

Vail Pass

Glenwood Canyon Resort:

The resort is stunning!  It has beautiful cabins, secluded tent sites, full RV hookups, and a lodge (restaurant/bar) on the main level.  We were on the lower level river front sites.  Electric and Water hookups only.  There is a dump station up near the main bath house.  The campsites along the river are fairly small, but well maintained.  There are some beautiful tent sites along the river, too.  It was great fun to watch the rafters go by.  The cabins look really nice.  The only complaints I heard was the fact that there is not a bathroom or bath house on the lower level, and noise complaints.  It is quite a trek up the hill in the middle of the night if you need to use their facilities.  I was thankful we had a wet bath in the Rambler!  There was a wedding going on at the resort, which I didn’t mind.  It was fun to see the beautiful bride and guests all dressed up.  We could hear the music from the main lodge where the reception was taking place.  Not a big deal to me, but some of our fellow campers didn’t appreciate it.  Also, there are train tracks across the river.  I, personally, love the sound of a train.  I know that is not a popular opinion.  The resort does provide ear plugs if you need them.  It is pricey at $58/night for water and electric only, but we would come back.  They have a zipline and offer rafting tours, also.  Next time we go, we will bring the kids along.  They would love it!  It is a short 3 minute drive in to Glenwood Springs.  They are dog friendly (additional fee) and Nellie seemed to like it :-).

Next at bat:  Midge!  We are taking Midge to Lucy’s Place in LaVeta, CO at the end of June.  We are meeting some friends there.  They are bringing their vintage Avalair camper.  I can’t wait to see it!  I think it is a 1963 Avalair.  It is a silver trailer, too, and I’m excited to see the Silver Sisters camped out next to each other!  I will definitely try to get some decent pictures.  We will go to the Sand Dunes and enjoy a part of Colorado we’ve never been to before!

Stay Tuned!

 

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Waiting for Camping Season….

Well, we are anxiously waiting for Spring and Summer to get here.  This winter has lasted far too long.  As I was looking through old pictures of Midge, I found this video we had taken on our maiden voyage to Canon City.  It just cracks me up!  We were listening to some awesome music while enjoying a cocktail and dear husband decided to film while “Caravan” was playing.  It suits Midge perfectly!  It’s not very long, but it REALLY makes me want to go camping!!

Enjoy!

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Grand Lake, CO: Elk, Moose, Rain, Snow & “Dark Shadows”

Well, we made our trip to Grand Lake last weekend!  It was a beautiful day, and we took our time admiring the scenery.

1967 Airstream Globe Trotter

Berthoud Falls

1967 Airstream Globe Trotter

I love the reflection on the back window in this picture!

1967 Airstream Globe Trotter

Midge

We stayed at the Elk Creek Campground.  It was a great!  We arrived Thursday afternoon, and the owners could not have been nicer or more accommodating.

1967 Airstream Globe Trotter  1967 Airstream Globe Trotter

1967 Airstream Globe Trotter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Blog entry continued and amazing elk pictures HERE!

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Polishing: Before and After

Before Polishing

After Polishing

What a difference a few days makes!  Midge looks fantastic!The polishing guys arrived on Friday morning and finished Sunday afternoon.  They got rained out on Saturday afternoon so it took a little bit longer than originally estimated.

The polished picture you see is before the final super fine polishing is done.  We opted to wait until we finished up some exterior work.  We still need to paint the top with white elastomeric paint and deal with some lighting issues.  We also thought we would wait for the final polish until next Spring.  Winter will be setting in soon and we will not be taking Midge out after October.  No sense in having a beautiful polishing job just sit in the weather all winter long!

The polishing guy was great.  I have his card somewhere around here and I will scan it and post it when I find it!  Here’s the deal with the polishing:  It is just a couple guys, a pickup, and polishing tools.   We stripped the clear coat, and supplied the power and scaffolding.  We, also, took off lights and taped the window edges.  He did the polishing in our back alley driveway.  I know this won’t work for some people, but if it sounds like something you can handle, give him a call.  The polishing was $800.  He will come back and do the final super fine polishing for $300.  It is worth EVERY PENNY.  That is a nasty, dirty job, and there is definite skill involved.

So the next item on the never ending list of things to do is replace the kitchen window.  It is currently plexiglass and looks horrible.  We have the window and are ready to tackle it.  It is a pretty complicated window mechanism….wish us luck!

Oh!  Speaking of luck….We went to HD to buy elastomeric paint for the roof of the Airstream.  There was one 5 gallon bucket of the specific product we wanted on the shelf with no price.  We had them look it up on the computer and it came up as .01 – ONE PENNY!  The manager didn’t know why it was ringing up that way, but he honored the price!  The regular price for it was $125!!!  Woo Hoo!

Found the business card!

Two Men Polish

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Ugh….Stripping and Polishing

Well, we have started the filthy and tedious process of stripping and polishing the Globe Trotter.

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We are learning as we go along.  Probably not the recommend strategy, but it’s working for us.  I’m the stripper and he’s the polisher.  We are doing a section at a time.  The gel stripper that we got at the big box store is not working very well on the clear coat.  I have read on AirForums that Citri-strip works pretty good, but I’m having a hard time convincing hubby that it actually works.  He thinks the only thing orange juice is good for is VODKA.  I can’t really argue with that.  We have ordered some aircraft stripper from Vintage Trailer Supply and it should arrive today.  It gets great reviews, so I’m hoping it will go much quicker.

Here is where we finished up yesterday:

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Not quite 1/2 way.  It is only the first phase of polish.  Approximately 10 hours of work.   It looks so great!  The polished aluminum detracts from some of the dents, dings and scratches.  I was afraid it would highlight the imperfections, but it doesn’t!

So…..while we were at the truck supply store getting polishing pads and supplies, a gentleman came up to us and gave us his card.  He is a truck polisher.  He does all the chrome on big rigs.  We gave him a call and he came by last night to look at the Airstream.  If we get all the clear coat stripped off, he will come and do the mirror polish for a VERY reasonable fee.  He will come by on Monday and get to work!  So excited to see it done!  He will have it done in 2 days.

I am really hoping it goes smoothly.  I will be keeping an eye on the polishing crew to make sure nothing gets damaged.  If they do a good job, I will post their contact information and our cost.  I’m reluctant to post any of that information until we have a polished trailer!  Stay tuned!

On a fun note, the Denver Modernism Show is this weekend!   It is such a great time!  Hoping we will find some great vintage treasures for the trailers!

Here is their link:

Denver Modernism Show

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Sibling for Midge :)

Well, we have somehow acquired another vintage camper:  A 1965 17′ Holiday Rambler!

We bought a 1967 Holiday Rambler 20 years ago when we first got married.  It was absolutely PERFECT.  It looked brand new.  It even had all the manuals and receipts from the original purchase.  We loved that little camper so much.  Then we had a couple kids and sold it for a new, larger camper.  We have always regretted selling it.

A few days ago my husband happened to spot this 1965 Holiday Rambler for sale in Craig, CO, and now it is ours!  The inside is in absolutely wonderful condition.  The outside could use a paint job and we need to find some new decals and emblems, but it does not need any major work. All major systems are working great!  It has new tires, too.  I will reupholster the cushions (they are fairly new), and make new curtains.  It is so cute and it is such a relief that it doesn’t need any work!

Midge is still my dream trailer and will stay with us in the Denver Metro area for trips based out of there, and the Holiday Rambler will stay at our property on the Western Slope for trips out of there!  It’s perfect!

Here are a few pics of the Holiday Rambler….yet to be named 🙂

1965 Holiday Rambler

1965 Holiday Rambler

I love the louvered windows!

But wait, there are more pictures HERE!

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New Axle!

This isn’t the sexiest of items or the most glamorous, but it was much needed.  My husband jacked Midge up in our driveway and over the course of a weekend replaced her worn out axle.  When he pulled out the cutting torch it made my heart stop (he had to cut a couple bolts that wouldn’t budge)….I had visions of Midge in flames, but he knows what he’s doing.   It made me quite nervous, but it went really well.  He will have to patch some of the belly pan, but not a big deal.  Midge is a couple inches taller….but what girl wouldn’t like that?

Taking out the old axle.

Taking out the old axle.

Dropping the old axle.

Dropping the old axle.

Old Axle....gone!

Old Axle….gone!

Shiny new axle!

Shiny new axle!

New Axle

New Axle

New Axle!  Midge is standing tall :)

New Axle! Midge is standing tall 🙂

Since we have gotten the new axle installed, we’ve scheduled our next trip with Midge.  We will be going to Estes Park and Grand Lake in Mid September!  Yay!  Hopefully, the leaves will have started to turn.  I love Aspens in the fall!

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Maiden Voyage is Scheduled!

We have a date for Midge’s maiden voyage!

We booked a few nights at The Starlite Classic Campground near Canon City, CO.  They had several cancellations due to the forest fires, and we figured it would be the PERFECT campground for our 1st trip.  July 5-7!!  I am really excited to see the vintage trailers.

I better get to work!  There are still several little things that need to be done before we ROLL.

I tackled the awning!!!!  No small feat,  let me tell ya.  I am not a seamstress.  Sunbrella awning fabric is HEAVY.  The finished product is 10′ X 7′.  It fit in the awning rail perfectly!  I don’t have a picture of it in service yet.  I still need to purchase some poles for it.  I will get some pics after our maiden voyage.  Here is a picture of the sewing in progress:

Awning in progress

Awning in progress

I need to thank my 16 year old son for assisting me with this.  I could not have gotten it done without his assistance in maneuvering and manhandling the bulky fabric.  I also would like to give props to my old Kenmore Sewing Machine!  The machine is a rock star.  I bought it on Craigslist a few months ago….and it is awesome!

I found do-it-yourself awning instructions online.  I will try to post a link to the site.  It was quite easy to understand.

I will confess now:  You know the side panels of the awning?  The short little sides that hang down and make the awning kind of cute?   WELL…I sewed one side on backwards.  I did not realize this until I was finished.  I am hoping that it is not noticeable when the awning is up.  The fabric is almost identical on the front and back, so I am just going with it as is.  I AM NOT RIPPING OUT THAT SIDE AND DOING IT AGAIN.  NO HOW.  NO WAY.

Now I need to get packing!

We will let you know how the maiden voyage shakes out….hopefully, fun and frolic and zero drama.  I am so excited to see Midge in the rear view mirror!

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And So It Begins…..

And so it begins…..

Midge

Midge came out swinging – while manually maneuvering her into the parking spot my 19 year old son smashed his finger between the hitch and the timber block, and ended up with a trip to the ER and 5 stitches.  The next day, while enjoying a cocktail in the trailer with some friends, their 20 year old son came up and got quite a shock when he stood barefoot in a puddle of water and touched the side of the trailer!  Somehow the entire trailer was HOT.  Oops!   He is fine, and we all got a great laugh!

Immediate Plans:  Safety inspection of electrical wiring (ya think?).

Next we will be removing the gaucho sofabeds and cabinetry to install a new subfloor.  Not sure what our new flooring will be:  VCT Tiles, Rubber Flooring, Cork, Bamboo???

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1967 Airstream Globetrotter

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Our 1967 Airstream 20′ Globe Trotter arrived home in September 2012!  She was rough, but original and complete!

As Found:

 

Coming Home.  Rabbit Ears Pass, Routt County, Colorado:

Coming Home!

Coming Home!

The blog puts the most recent posts at the top of the page.  If you’d like to see restoration from the beginning, go to the archives over there –> on the side bar.

In the summer of 2013 we acquired a 1965 Holiday Rambler (18.5′).  I have included the renovations of this camper as well.

To contact me via email, click on the “ABOUT” tab.

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