Airstream for sale – vintage Airstream travel trailer/ vintage Airstream caravan for sale

Rather a large keyring…………but this website shop would seem to be a good place to list this Vintage Airstream Travel Trailer which was built in USA in 1963 !

Renovated to a very high standard with every effort having been made to keep her as original as possible and now ready for the road with a brand new UK hitch , axle, suspension, brakes & wheels .

This Vintage Airstream Travel Trailer could be of interest to many of our customers whom we know attend classic events and also compete in classic racing in the UK & on the Continent .

Due to the high polish of the aluminium bodywork we found the photography difficult and every flower in the garden has been reflected  – sorry about this !

A rare Airstream Bambi which was built in 1963 which has been completely renovated to a very high standard with every effort having been made to keep her as original as possible whilst sympathetically adding the essentials now expected of 21^st Century living.

If you are considering purchasing an original vintage Airstream which has been completely renovated and is of a size which can be easily and legally towed on UK & European roads then it could be very difficult to improve on this example.

Many Airstream Travel Trailers are rather too large for towing on UK roads and many still have the original electric brakes and US hitch which are not approved for use on UK roads.

This one has been fitted professionally with a brand new axle, suspension, hubs, brakes & wheels & UK over-run hitch.

Now ready to tow anywhere at a moment’s notice.

Total length including hitch 18′ 6″ .

Width 6′ 8″ .

Height is 8′ 2″ including the skylight ventilator on top of the roof – without this the Airstream would measure 8′ in height exactly .

Built in Jackson, Ohio USA in 1963 build no. 163T141 ( original plate still attached )

Then retailed through Liebzit mobile home sales of Appleton Wisconsin USA whose transfer is still attached.

Imported into a dealership in Suffolk UK around 6 years ago and purchased by the first owners in Devon ( we are the 2^nd UK owners ) who had the bulk of the renovations carried out professionally.

The interior was completely stripped out including the floor which was replaced with marine plywood over new insulation material.

The chassis was overhauled at that time, strengthened and rustproofed.

The bulk of the interior woodwork is original and was then painstakingly replaced having been rubbed down and oiled.

The seating was reupholstered by a professional company who re-trim the interiors of private aircraft ( the first UK owner was a pilot )

The aluminium shell was polished professionally and then given a quick re-polish in July 2021 using just the finer grade of polish.

It is surprising how well the shine has lasted and should not now need re-polishing for another couple of years .

These earlier Airstreams were built  of WWII surplus aircraft fuselage aluminium which took a high polish which lasted well.

A new cyclo dual head polisher with all grades of compound and heads from Frasers Aersospace is included in the sale and the next repolish will be an easy affair requiring just the finer grade of finishing polish.

Entering the door into the Bambi and turning left :- the interior comprises a wardrobe with original style concertina folding door and full length mirror on the side. Next is the original heater space with grille ( now simply housing an electric fan heater for ease on chilly summer evenings when connected to a 240 volt land line )

Above this is the main kitchen cupboard with loads of space.

The kitchen sink area follows with shelf over and drawers beneath + Propex Malaga 5/5E gas or 240 volt mains storage water heater.

The dometic 2 ring gas hob is over the isotherm gas or 240 volt fridge with small freezer compartment.

Next is the toilet and shower compartment containing a new Thetford flushable cassette toilet and shower head & taps. The original shower tray has been retained and the original brown water tank has been removed and there is now an external grey wheeled portable tank servicing the sink & shower.

The main seating unit pulls out on it’s original wooden frame ( still with original stencils ) to provide a 4’6”” bed to sleep 2 comfortably . The other seat unit at the front sleeps an additional adult .

There is the original table with chrome plated upstand which is quickly removable when not needed.

New fresh water tank beneath front seats together with 12volt ‘on demand’ water pump.

Totally rewired professionally . There are 13 amp plugs and USB points with 240 volt hookup and 12 volt leisure battery.

Windows have been reglazed and renovated with the original insect mesh and a new opening skylight fitted.

All external rivets & seams have been sealed to ensure that the shell is absolutely 100% waterproof . There is one dent in the shell which can be seen in the photos- more noticeable in the photos than in the flesh !

It was there when we bought her and we have never bothered doing anything about it but could probably be removed by Dent Doctors etc who advertise a car dent removal service.

The exterior running lights have been replaced with new old stock items and are 12v LED controlled by an interior switch. These look wonderful illuminated at night.

A new (removable) aluminium trailer board has been fitted to comply with the latest towing regulations rather than try to adapt the original lights.

When we bought her she still had the original US hitch and axle which was not legal for UK use so had to have her delivered on a delivery truck.

Had a new axle and suspension fitted together with new hubs and brakes and new UK over-run hitch and twin wheel jockey wheel – an expensive conversion carried out professionally.

New 13” x 4.5J wheels and tyres.

A new propex heatsource HS2000 gas heater has been fitted under the front seats.

NASA BM1 digital battery monitor showing current usage & voltage is hidden in the top cupboard above the side seats – open the cupboard door to reveal the screen and panel of switched circuits. All instruction manuals for appliances etc are included .

Reich easy driver pro 2.3 motor movers fitted to assist manoeuvring in tight spaces –

New pole & rope awning 5’9” x 8’ sourced from Vintage Trailers in USA.

New Bargman lock on door also from Vintage Trailers.

The polished aluminium covers over the gas bottles are cut down French milk churns !

Weight is quoted as 1875 lbs ( 851 kgs ) and I have measured the nose weight ( downward force on the towing vehicle’s towball ) as 130 Kgs.

One reason why Airstreams are very stable during towing is that they do have a relatively high nose weight but this can restrict the towing vehicle to one which can cope with that nose weight – suitable vehicles include, Land Rover Defender, Range Rover & Evoque,  Discovery, Freelander, Jeep Cherokee 2.8, Wrangler 2.8, Audi Q7, BMW X5 & X6, Ford Ranger, Mercedes G class, Porsche Cayenne & Panamera, Ssang Yong Rodius, Toyota Land Cruiser, VW Toureg, Volvo XC90 .

Owners of larger caravans tend to use these sort of vehicles for towing anyway and even if you only have a small car there are plenty of small firms offering caravan delivery at reasonable prices using their own towing vehicle – or maybe you have a friend with a 4 x 4 ?

When these smaller Airstreams ( Bambi, Caravel etc ) were built in USA in the 1960s almost all American cars were large vehicles and could very easily cope with towing them .

Whilst the smaller Airstreams are not particularly heavy the axle is positioned towards the rear of the caravan – you can see this in the photos – and that has the effect of increasing the nose weight of the towing hitch because there is more weight forward of the axle than behind it.

There is an excellent leaflet showing recommended maximum noseweights for most cars at :-

caravanclub.co.uk/media/14774016/noseweights.pdf

Original photos of some of the work and a file brimming with receipts for work done & appliances etc included in the sale.

The final 5 photos were taken in early July 2021