Having vs. Wanting

I'm a big Star Trek fan, the original Star Trek, that is.  Even though the series predates me slightly, I still find the TV show a huge attraction.  There's a classic episode entitled "Amok Time" where Spock is driven impulsively to return to the planet Vulcan to marry his betrothed.  Unbeknownst to him, his bride-to-be preferred another man and upon the conclusion of the episode Spock revealed to his rival, "After a time, you may find that having is not so pleasing a thing after all as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true."

What does that have to do with Airstreams, you wonder?  Well, after having our new old Airstream taking up two and a half spots in the driveway, I started to feel a little panicked deep down inside.  "Oh my, what have I done?"

I reassured myself that we had less invested in the trailer than we would suffer in depreciation if we bought a new truck and drove it off the lot.  "It's only money", I reassured myself.

And besides, it's actually pretty neat.  I have found that there are two kinds of trailers out there... those that are complete wrecks that need to be gutted and those that were complete wrecks and have been restored.  It's very rare that a 50+ year old trailer survives fairly intact.

But don't take my word for it, check out these pictures for yourself as I give you the nickel tour.

The left side of the trailer is called the "curbside" and from this angle you can see that it's been quite a while since the aluminum skin has seen a polishing bonnet.  There are some ghosted numbers of the WBCCI dating back to the 1960's.  The box behind the two propane tanks is for the 12V battery.  It takes a special tractor battery and doesn't have the oomph of a modern gel cell.  Someday I'll remove the battery from this location and put it inside after I update the electrical system.

This trailer was built in the era of the "door within the door" design so there's an outer door that can be opened to reveal a screen inside.  The little hatch next to the door is the refrigerator access panel.  The larger door to the rear is for accessing the storage and electrical "shore power" cable.

The back of the trailer has a spare tire mounted to the bumper.  I kind of like this look, although it blocks the license plate holder.  Some people also frown on extending weight off the back of the trailer - as it could contribute to sway while towing.  Maybe someday I'll move it forward.

The original LPG-powered Dometic refrigerator is still onboard.  No idea if it works, the propane system is not connected.

From the back looking forward, you can see the galley and front dinette.  The table collapses and you can arrange the cushions into a "double" bed.  You need to be Hobbit-sized to call it a double though.

From the galley aft you can see the two twin bunks and the bath at the rear.  The trailer is only about 7.5 ft wide so there's room enough to move around but it's a bit cozy.  The water heater is underneath the bunk on the right.

The bathroom is "efficient"... apparently you can literally shit, shower, and shave all at the same time.

Back in the kitchen area, the original stove and oven is also in place.  Like the fridge, I have no idea if it works or not.

That's about it.  I'll save some of the finer details for future posts.

There is a LOT of work that needs to be done to this trailer.  None of the plumbing works, there is very little 120V lighting, none of the appliances work, and the outside needs a lot of TLC as well.  Looking at all that is ahead of me I have to agree with Spock, sometimes wanting is better than having.