Window seal accomplished!

Brought the rear window home with me and ordered new window seals from Vintage Trailer Supply this week.  The new seals arrived yesterday, so as I sat by the fire recuperating from our Halloween party, I was able to remove the old dried up seal, cleaned up the window really good, and installed the new seal.  Fits perfectly!!  The folks at Vintage Trailer Supply were kind enough to help me figure out which one I needed. 
Here's the before and after:

 

I did it!

Paint? Tar? Sealer? Who knows....

Yesterday's work was not-so-fun, not-so-productive.  The aircraft stripper that did so great in the aerosol can, did not fare so well being painted on.  Of course, buying it by the jug is much more cost effective than the cans, but I will be going back to the cans to try to tackle this end cap.  I do believe that I will step it up to a more hard core (read: dangerous) form of stripper for the top.  Thankfully (and I am thankful for the small things), the rear end cap is not painted with this goop so there's that.  Not to mention the fact that it was kind of rainy on Saturday, so maybe the dampness played a part in the ineffectiveness of the aircraft stripper this weekend.  Going back tomorrow with aerosol can in hand....we'll see!

Dropping the belly pan & showing some grass....

My brother-in-law cut out the rusted pieces of the back frame this week.  We're working on getting new pieces cut and then welded back in.  Yesterday we dropped the front belly pan.  All the Airstream restoration experts always say it's not a project until you're standing on the ground inside the frame.  Well, I guess it's officially a project now :)
Currently pricing plywood for the floor, prodex for the insulation, and brake wiring.  I'm absolutely thrilled with this weekend's progress!

Rusty pieces of frame removed

Showing some grass

Standing on solid ground, yet inside the 'Stream.  We've come a long way, baby.

Can you say "rusted & busted?"

Derek helping out with the floor removal & inspection of the rusted frame.

Maybe we should change the name from Wig Wam to Rust Bucket?? :)

We are known for doing everything bass-ackwards, and this project is not exempt from that mentality.  While we had initially planned to start from the front of the trailer & move to the back, upon further contemplation, we've now decided to start in the back & move forward.  So....with that being said, we took out the back floor this weekend.  It came out in bits and pieces, and to be honest, most of it was removed by hand because it was so rotten.  Because of all the rotten wood, the frame has obviously been exposed to much water and dampness over the past 50 years and has succumbed to the rust.  The main frame is not too bad, although there are spots that need to be strengthened, the cross beams were shot.  The one in the very back (under the window) wasn't even connected to the frame anymore, as you will see from the pictures below.  Looks like we have some welding work ahead!!!