msgoehring
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Just call me Margaret the shellac, buff, sand an shine queen.
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1957 Westerner Deluxe
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Post by msgoehring on May 8, 2016 20:38:51 GMT -8
Hi all, My husband and I have purchased a '57 Westerner that we are going to restore. Other than the back end being held together with a wish and a prayer, the trailer is in great condition. It has all the original appliances, lights ( other than brake lights), door handle, grab handle and screen door. Right now it's still at our place as we are working on stripping the house paint, in fact all the paint, so we can remove the screws to remove the j rails and and basically everything from the exterior of the trailer. A PO heavily covered the poor thing in house paint and all the screws are smothered in it. Just trying to remove the badges for cleaning was a chore because of the paint. After it's stripped we'll take it to my uncle's where it will stay until its done. If you want to see pictures of how she looked before any work, and the few little things we have done so far you can visit my photo bucket account: s1361.photobucket.com/user/Margaret_Goehring/library/I'm searching for missing parts, like the brake lights, and of course I don't want to put the boring original ones on. I saw a pic of a trailer with tail lights from a '63 Galaxie and now I want some like those, or some that look cool like them, problem is they are too deep to fit the trailer, the housing would come through the back wall. Not sure what to do there, but I don't want to settle for the flat original type now. Also looking for the light and switch that had been in the grab handle. I need new interior window trim for the back window. I have a question I hope someone can answer. Is it possible that our trailer was a special order? According to the ads and other information I have found online for these trailers, they came with a bunk above the rear bed. We don't have any sign that one was ever in this trailer. Also while stripping the paint we found what we think are the original colors, which is green on top and blue graphics (see pic) ![]() , if that didn't work maybe this link will: i1361.photobucket.com/albums/r661/Margaret_Goehring/Westerner%20WIP/IMG_20160507_1348094_rewind_zps5bzhlbqw.jpg. I seem to be having quite a time tonight with photo bucket. Anywho, I wanted to say hi, introduce my lil' bit ( for now that's what I call her) and see if anyone knew if they took special orders on these trailers in '57. We are going to try and build cabinets above the bed cause I want to add a grey water tank and that will take up most of the space under the bed having both tanks and a porta potty there. TIA and I'll add more as we go. |
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ladywendolyn
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1964 Golden Falcon
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Post by ladywendolyn on May 8, 2016 21:06:33 GMT -8
Looks like a great project. Your right. LOTS of house paint! Welcome to the forum.
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on May 9, 2016 9:01:40 GMT -8
Welcome! I removed 5 gallons of house paint from a 62 Forester. The previous owner was so proud of how thick he put the paint on. It's brutal getting it off, isn't it? I really like the shape of your camper. 
The rear window seems unusual. I get most of my parts from a member who recycles them from donor campers. Send trailertrasher a PM and ask him what he has in stock. For newer remanufactured pieces I like vintagetrailersupply.com and vintagetrailershop.com. For the grab handle light you might try www.customvintagetrailerparts.com/CustomVintageTrailerParts.com/Rebuild_Kits.html |
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msgoehring
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Just call me Margaret the shellac, buff, sand an shine queen.
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1957 Westerner Deluxe
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Post by msgoehring on May 9, 2016 21:53:25 GMT -8
Thanks for the links, I did find a kit to light the handle, $105 (ouch), but I think I'll get it.
The back windows are unusual, and the fact that the curbside one is lower than the street side is funny too, but I like the quirk. Was told lil' bit is the deluxe model because of the back windows, I just think it's cute.
Been out looking for wood today and we realized we don't know what size screws we are going to need. So tomorrow we are pulling screws from all areas of the trailer to make sure we get each size cause the closest hardware store by where she is being worked on is 65 miles. We also realized we need to clean out our garage and do the staining at our place cause uncle has no safe room for that, we had to buy a portable garage tent thing to work on lil' bit in cause uncle's garage is full. So back out to the lumber yards tomorrow.
I'm wondering if I should do a blog about this, that way I don't blabber endlessly here on stuff you all don't need to worry about cause it isn't helpful.
Anyway, thanks for the help and I'll post pics when we finally get her stripped of paint, outside at least, we still have paint to remove inside also. I HATE PAINT LOL.
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Lola53
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1953 Westfield Westerner
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Post by Lola53 on May 10, 2016 20:22:48 GMT -8
Welcome to the forum. I also purchased a Westerner (1953) a few months ago - "Lola". There are a number of Westerner owners here that are great resources. I started a blog for Lola with a few pictures in the early posts that you might like to compare - www.kivas.com/wp/. Teachndad has lots of great pictures of his incredible Westerner (Andy) rebuild that I found very helpful. Do a forum search for "Westerner" to see his and the other owners posts. Westerner information is hard to find on the web. There are only a few out there. It is very hard to be definitive about exactly what is correct, or not. There is very little about what the signature features of each model are, or for that matter, exactly what models were available when. Good luck with you search and keep us posted. Mark |
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Post by vikx on May 10, 2016 21:12:02 GMT -8
MsG, you are welcome to Talk about your trailer here! That's why the board is named VTT... You can't bore us or chase us away...
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maddan
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57 Westerner
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Post by maddan on May 11, 2016 19:04:35 GMT -8
Margaret,
Looks like you've got your hands full with gobs of paint to remove. Little by little, you'll get Lil' Bit all cleaned up. Will be interested to see if you uncover the true color combo of your trailer. The odd placement of the street side rear side window may have prevented the trailer from having a cot; just a guess. Will be checking your progress as you go. Good luck!
Dan
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msgoehring
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Just call me Margaret the shellac, buff, sand an shine queen.
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1957 Westerner Deluxe
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Post by msgoehring on May 11, 2016 19:41:01 GMT -8
Dan has me thinking now about the rear side windows, they are a minimum of a foot difference in locations. We were going to build cabinet all across the back like there is in front for more storage, but I think one of the windows will have to be moved in order for this to happen.
 You can see the difference in heights, what do you think about the ability to put a cabinet across the back and not move one of these windows? We are closer to removing the skin to fix the framing and should get this figured out so we can make any changes we need to. Lower the one or raise the other? I'm thinking we would need to lower the street side so there is room above for the cabinet. |
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mobiltec
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1954 Jewel In Progress...
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Post by mobiltec on May 11, 2016 20:02:15 GMT -8
Welcome to the forum. It's very hard to bore us... We are self entertaining anyhow but welcome and thanks for the photos.
I'm a Westerner fan myself. We have a few here on the board. I did a 54 and actually kept that one for 5 years camping and rallying in it. I've also worked on two 57s. I love them all. Your's is a beaut! I'm really glad to hear you are going to do things right.
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msgoehring
Full Member
Just call me Margaret the shellac, buff, sand an shine queen.
Posts: 860
Likes: 303
1957 Westerner Deluxe
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Post by msgoehring on May 11, 2016 20:32:51 GMT -8
Welcome to the forum. It's very hard to bore us... We are self entertaining anyhow but welcome and thanks for the photos. I'm a Westerner fan myself. We have a few here on the board. I did a 54 and actually kept that one for 5 years camping and rallying in it. I've also worked on two 57s. I love them all. Your's is a beaut! I'm really glad to hear you are going to do things right. Actually it's thanks to your website and videos that my husband decided he had what it would take to do this. I always wanted to take on a project like this and do it correctly, keeping everything as vintage as possible while still making it safer. I love vintage trailers and cringe when I see ones that are painted over gorgeous wood or all the original details have been removed. I wasn't expecting quite this in depth a project, but between having trailers sold out from under us because we had to wait for a Monday or Tuesday to pick them up (only days hubby has off) and distance between anything else decent this is what we have. And actually I am loving it more than the others we tried for. I came over to this forum from Repairing Yesterday's because I liked the feel of the posts here better, so I am acquainted with Lola and Andy, and they got me in touch with a couple of other Westerner owners via email. I am going to have lots of questions, and appreciate all the help I get. |
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Lola53
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1953 Westfield Westerner
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Post by Lola53 on May 11, 2016 20:47:11 GMT -8
Dan has me thinking now about the rear side windows, they are a minimum of a foot difference in locations. We were going to build cabinet all across the back like there is in front for more storage, but I think one of the windows will have to be moved in order for this to happen. You can see the difference in heights, what do you think about the ability to put a cabinet across the back and not move one of these windows? We are closer to removing the skin to fix the framing and should get this figured out so we can make any changes we need to. Lower the one or raise the other? I'm thinking we would need to lower the street side so there is room above for the cabinet. Lola has a large cabinet across the rear. The rear cabinet is deeper and lower than the front cabinet. The 53 does not have as many window as the later models. Lola has the curbside rear window in the same place as yours, but does not have a streetside rear window. Your offset windows make sense for a bunk option. None of the Westerner pictures I've seen published have a bunk. For historical reasons you might want to install a shelf and keep the window as is. I agree, the window would need to be lowered if you want to install a cabinet - not a big deal if repairing the framing. One of the challenges of restoring is to figure out what changes you want to make. I've been thinking of changing the bed to a bench to get a little more floor space. However, the rear cabinet is so low it would prevent sitting at the bench. Changing would require cutting the cabinet down. Also, I've been asked if I'm going to update Lola to add the front side windows? I've pretty much decided to keep Lola's exterior as original as practical, so not new side windows. Mark |
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Post by vikx on May 11, 2016 21:10:59 GMT -8
I'm not sure it's worth it to build a bench in the back. Most people that do leave it a bed all the time. Just a hassle to make the bed every night...
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mobiltec
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1954 Jewel In Progress...
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Post by mobiltec on May 12, 2016 6:22:22 GMT -8
I'm not sure it's worth it to build a bench in the back. Most people that do leave it a bed all the time. Just a hassle to make the bed every night... Agreed. I really don't like "goucho beds" for that reason. Floor space in a small trailer like these is kind of a waste of resources. You have the whole outdoors for floor space. Inside is really just for sleeping or getting out of bad weather. |
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Lola53
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1953 Westfield Westerner
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Post by Lola53 on May 12, 2016 17:36:22 GMT -8
msgoehring, Sorry, I did not mean to hijack your thread. Merely trying to illustrate that there will be many decisions along your restoration path. The forum has great feedback, but in the end you will make the decision. Here's why giving up a few square feet of human bed area makes a difference to me:   |
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mobiltec
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1954 Jewel In Progress...
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Post by mobiltec on May 12, 2016 17:53:31 GMT -8
msgoehring, Sorry, I did not mean to hijack your thread. Merely trying to illustrate that there will be many decisions along your restoration path. The forum has great feedback, but in the end you will make the decision. Here's why giving up a few square feet of human bed area makes a difference to me: Hopefully the last hijack... Agree with you on needing more space for the dog. Where your dog is now, is an exact picture of where my dog stayed in my 54 Westerner. You even have the same embossed cowboy theme naugahyde on your seats that I did. But when I camped in mine for a month with the dog I was sure glad that I didn't have to make up the bed every day. That was her place right there and I just stepped over her. During the day she was outside. My dog was a 90 pound yellow lab. |
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