If you love to get dirty, black-dusty and destroy your clothes for 40+ hours, come on over this weekend. It's camping season and the 1960 Avion is getting a rub down. I am not looking forward to the 4 stage buffing process (Nu-Vite) Some have comented on my single rear tail light being unsafe. If they can't see me now with a giant shiney trailer, I don't know how much safer I can get. It's hard to even wash it without seeing sunspots for an hour. I won't be posting much next week or two as my arms will be noodled out from holding the buffers
Got the first couple steps done a couple years ago on my '57 22ft Airstream. I feel your pain! Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
I have the same size and looking Avion, mine is a 1968. What are they worth I am going to sell it thanks? Whats the difference between a AVION and AIRSTREAM?
For me, polishig aluminum is the worst job around, but I have no issues watching you do it. Have fun.
Spent yesterday grinding, sanding, and polishing my tunnel ram, and I don't want to polish anything for a long time!
Couldn't help but think of this,,, <iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fPVUa29kHu8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I am Baffled..... I know from experience, Shining an Airstream is like Christmas morning to most.... Its an event! Once this feeling stops, Guys do the final polishing, and take it to or have it Sprayed with a clear Poly, and then its the same as maintaining a car finish....There are many places that do it, like P&S in Halena Ohio, but honestly any body shop or painter can spray the clear over a prepped surface.... I know a guy who painted his Alluminum, it looked great for ever..... I don't know the difference but there are many tales of what the difference is.... It has always been said Avion and Argosy are parts that didn't meet Airstreams quality standard....I personaly from being around and in the WBCCI, VAC, CAC, think its just another company offering a similalar product....
My arms are sore, clothes are black and although it took an entire day and evening, the results are satisfying at best. I still need a day to do a final polish with a cyclo buffer ( 2 heads to reduce swirls) that I have and i think it will be close to what I had wanted. At first I thought " the barn find patina look is the new in thing, just leave it" but I tried some other techniques and failed. You can see the square smeared or dull area in the first pic up top and forward on the trailer. At that point, there was no going back. It's not a show polish-mirror, but close and is just rough enough around the edges to still take it down a gravel road to some remote spots up here in the NW. Avion was it's own company that formed several years after Wally Byam purchased the remains of the Bowlus trailer co. back in 1936 and formed Airstream. The two companies never shared any history together .The Airstream history is a great read, a great vision and company as is the History of two brothers camping and deciding they could build a better product, Avion. The Avion trailer is very similar and there had been rumored law suits against Avion for copying some of Airstreams patents, but they were just rumors. They say that the Airstream is the Cadillac of trailers and that the Avion is the Rolls Royce. Avions were built like tanks and similar to Airstream, guaranteed for life. Avion was later purchased by Fleetwood in 78 with the last of the aluminum bodies to be produced in 1990. Fleetwood has since entered bankruptcy. They weren't as mass produced as the Airstream and thus a little more difficult to find, but still as cool.
For what it is worth, I have a 1972 Streamline, very similar appearance but.....the aluminum is anodized. No polishing for me
I feel your pain. The wife's toy is a 31 foot 75 Airstream...she tells me that I'm going to be polishing it soon.
A grinder with cotton pads stacked up 2 deep and green bar rouge. Then a wool pad on a buffer with Nuvite #5 and a combed wool pad with Nuvite "S". Wash really well in between compounds so the next phase isn't contaminated with the prior. Final polish with Nuvite S on a foam pad and a cyclo polisher. I've polished a thousand cars and trucks in my life and thought this was going to be easier than most say, wrong. Its not the work, its knowing what chemicals react with the aluminum and heat. The skin isn't like an alloy wheel either. Its like aluminum and stainless combined. Watch the Nuvite videos and website research. It ultimately was what worked the best.
I do not feel sorry for you. Just finished polishing the Spartan. 25', torn rotator cuff and biceps tendon. Getting that taken care of in two weeks, (surgeon wanted to schedule 3 weeks ago) 'cause I had to get the trailer polished, and the truck finished....
No, you don't know the difference. Avion is a separate, completely different company, the Cayo family, Chuck is a HAMB'r, and Arogsy is a separate brand of the Airstream company, using 'glass end caps. And Ford and Chevy are similar products too, just different companies. Brian I don't know the difference but there are many tales of what the difference is.... It has always been said Avion and Argosy are parts that didn't meet Airstreams quality standard....I personaly from being around and in the WBCCI, VAC, CAC, think its just another company offering a similalar product....[/QUOTE]
Brian, You complain but you keep coming back for more! I think you just like all the attention the old gal gets you! Chuck
Ha! You are correct sir! See you in Milford? Your name came up several times in conversation last weekend, in a good way, of course. Brian
Sorry but no. I'm busier than a 3 legged cat in a litter box right now! I've got a lot full of trailers (everyone needs them by Memorial day of course) and the cruise in at the school (I was on the BOD of for 15 years) next Wednesday and then Lane Automotives show a week from Friday/Saturday. Kinda figured you might make the trip west for the Lane show, 25th anniversary and expecting 2500 cars, weather permitting. Bring the Spartan behind that new truck, you can park at the shop. Water and electric waiting for ya, take your sewer home though!
Hello Bryan, I am glad you posted the photo of your trailer. I work in South Texas periodically. There was a trailer identical to yours sitting and going to ruin. I knew it was unique and tried to contact the owner to no avail. It was stripped of its skin and the rest was trashed, I hated to see this happen!
I might could come down, off that weekend too, and never been to Lane. We have holdng tank, so now worries. Brian
The Jalopy Journal
