1951 Silver Streak Clipper ("Paris")
AVAILABLE
This renovated vintage trailer and Airstream cousin has been modernized and optimized for both glamping and boondocking. She boasts luxury appliances, a 400 a-hr lithium battery, 300w of solar capacity, generous holding tanks, and cozy features such as a fireplace and firepit. Purchased from a seller in Paris, Texas, this rare 1951 alien-eye Silver Streak Clipper is the same make and model as the Clipper we found in Arizona. To distinguish between the two projects, we began referring to them as “Paris” and “Arizona.”
This vintage Silver Streak is a painted trailer. She was in terrible shape when we found her, with a missing entry door, cracked and broken windows, a rotten floor— all the
usual stuff. But this trailer also had pitting corrosion that would not polish out. In fact, in some places, this process had created tiny pinhole breaches in the skin. We decided that our best option was to fill these areas with metal filler and have her professionally painted. (You can read more about that here.) We’ve actually been thrilled with the results. We love the ease of maintenance, waterproof seal, and patinaed look of the painted finish. In fact, we might just prefer it. There, we said it. 🙂
You can read more about the Paris, her history, and the renovation process. See here for a brief history of alien eye travel trailers generally. See here for photos of Paris as we found her. (Brace yourself!) Check out each of the following links to see before/after/process pictures of the work we’ve done on this renovated vintage trailer: chassis and belly; exterior; interior; plumbing; and electrical.
Specifications and Capacities
- Model 7, S/N 2196
- 22-ft model (22′-9″ actual)
- 3800 lbs dry weight; 372 lbs hitch weight (more details here)
- Coach exterior: 7′-6″ W, 8′-6″ H, 22′-9″ L (incl. hitch)
- Coach interior: 6′-2.25″ W, 6′-10.25″ H, 19′-10″ L
- Sleeps four in multiple configurations: rear twin beds convert to queen; dinette can sleep two children or convert to double
- Full galley, wet bath, outdoor shower
- 5000-lb Dexter torsion axle with Nev-R-Adjust electric brakes and shock absorbers; load range E tires
- 33-gal freshwater holding tank
- 21-gal gray tank
- 14-gal black tank
- 13500 BTU AC/10000 BTU heat Haier AC/heat pump (removable)
- 5500 BTU Dickinson Marine Newport P12000 propane fireplace
- 4.6 cf Isotherm D130 AC/DC refrigerator by Indel Webasto Marine
- Greystone CFRV-17 gas range/oven (8000/6500 BTU burners)
- Continuous on-demand Girard GSWH-2 water heater
- Hard-wired weather station displays outside/inside climate conditions and forecast
- Interior ventilation system circulates air throughout the coach quietly using 12v fans
- Separate ventilation systems for bathroom, galley, electrical compartment with negative air pressure break
- 100% LED lighting in the coach w/back-up propane lantern for maxium energy conservation
- 30A electrical system with solar backup
- 400A-hr Li-PO4 battery; 305w solar (175w via roof-mounted panel; 130w via suitcase)
- 3000W Renology inverter with automatic transfer switch to shore power
- Capable of running AC/heat pump unit on battery bank for an estimated 3-4 hours (depending on outdoor conditions)
- Ammeter display for voltage, current, amp-hours, and % charge remaining
- Renogy Li-30A solar charge controller with bluetooth monitoring
- Renogy DC-DC charger onboard allows up to 20A charging capability from the tow vehicle
Schematics
* click each image to view larger
Amenities
This renovated vintage trailer includes the following amenities:
Safety
- Bulldog hitch coupler with new safety chains
- New electric trailer brakes with breakaway switch
- Fitted for and includes Curt 17500 weight distribution/anti-sway system
- Sealed/vented battery box
- Combination CO/LPG hardwired gas monitor
- First Alert (model P1010) fire alarm
- Combination AFI/GFI breaker protection for hotel AC receptacles
- Propane piping bonded to trailer ground
- Wireless rearview camera integrated to 7-pin trailer connection
- Strike plates added under trailing edges of both wheel wells to protect against tire blowout damage
- New 3″ strap bumper
Exterior
- New propane rack and electric tongue jack
- New 5000-lb Dexter torsion axle with Nev-R-adjust electric brakes and shock absorbers
- New Atwood telescoping stabilizer jacks
- New load range E trailer tires
- New wireless tire pressure monitoring system
- Custom rock guards
- Custom drip caps over alien eye windows
- Hidden fold-out step with custom door
- Custom exterior storage compartments: large curbside compartment, with insulated door doubling as outdoor table; under-belly compartment near door; chassis pipe storage for awning poles, fishing poles, etc.
- New reproduction awning, poles and hardware (Marti’s Awnings)
- Outdoor shower
- Under-belly propane connections for outdoor firepit and grill
Interior
- All new plumbing system (freshwater and drain/waste/vent) and new holding tanks, with SeeLevel II RV Tank Monitor
- All new electrical system optimized for boondocking with 305w solar capacity (175w Renogy roof-mounted solar panel; 130w solar suitcase) 400A-hr lithium battery and 3000W Renogy inverter
- All new propane piping (mounted on the underside; dual stage regulator with auto changeover)
- Acuva Eco NX-Silver Water Purification System (UV-LED)
- Custom maple furniture with built-in storage and access to appliances and connections
- Lagun table swivels and adjusts for easy access to seating and storage; second mount on rear twin bed for game night setup
- New custom memory foam mattresses and cushions upholstered with Crypton stain-resistant fabric; cushions split for easy access to under-bench storage
- Solid maple countertops (including removable sink cover), finished with 3 coats of water-resistant marine-grade spar urethane
- All-new light fixtures, including undercabinet lighting in galley and floor-level nightlights
- Reproduction propane lantern
- Pop-up AC outlets on front and rear end tables to maximize counter space; pop-up AC outlet in bathroom wall; 12V and AC outlets throughout coach
- New Fan-Tastic vents, fan in rear
- 12V exhaust fans in galley and bathroom; 12V fan and ducting under rear streetside bench to recirculate air through the coach
- Lightweight ProCore Plus luxury vinyl plank waterproof flooring
- Custom polished aluminum entry door threshold
- DVD/Radio/CD player in rear wall, with under-bench speakers
- Magnet mount for projector in streetside upper cabinet; curbside roller shade doubles as movie screen
Other Restoration Highlights
In the course of renovating and modernizing this this vintage Silver Streak trailer, we:
- Reinforced the pipe frame with new steel joists and struts; sealed the frame with rust encapsulator
- Fabricated and installed custom patches for dented and/or corroded portions of the belly; cleaned, sealed and painted the belly
- Reinforced the belly to prevent damage in the event of a blowout
- Rebuilt the rotten wheel wells, and lined their exterior faces with aluminum
- Reinforced corroded areas of the outer skin with Metal-2-Metal filler and had the exterior professionally painted
- Installed anew plywood subfloor, sealing all edges and seams with epoxy
- Built a new entry door and screen door to replace missing original
- Installed a fourth Hehr window on the street side for the new bathroom, giving the camper the look of a late-1940s Curtis Wright Clipper
- Completely refurbished the Hehr side windows with all-new stainless hardware, gaskets, glass, screens and drip caps
- Replaced all 4 plexiglass “alien eye” windows and fabricated and installed custom drip caps
- Insulated the inner walls with 1″ foam board and Reflectix radiant barrier; and insulated the belly with 5″ fiberglass insulation and Reflectix
- Refurbished/replaced all running lights and bezels
- Refurbished the original galley and upper cabinets
Improvements on original design of the Model 7 Clipper
This renovated vintage trailer includes:
- Key reinforcements to the pipe frame to stabilize axle mounts, protect against blowout damage, and support holding tanks
- New wheel wells (originally plywood, unprotected from road spray and the elements) lined with aluminum for strength and longevity
- New Dexter Torsion axle with shock absorbers for better ground clearance replaces original leaf spring axle
- Upgraded insulation: installed 1″ foamboard with radiant barrier (and prescribed air gap) in walls, estimated to double the R-value of the original fiberglass; replaced fiberglass insulation in the belly and added radiant barrier
- Custom fold-out step with storage compartment and door
- Custom one-of-a-kind drip caps for all four alien-eye windows protects exposed seams (and replaces the improvised, awning-rail drip cap that had been tacked on by previous owners)
