Pete’s 1964 Shasta trailer — an Astroflyte — a gorgeous restoration
pam kueber - Updated: August 31, 2021
Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.
Since pretty much Day #1 of this blog, readers have been hocking me to write about restoring vintage travel trailers. Just like remodeling a midcentury house, right? Except all the rooms — kitchen, bathroom, living room, bedroom — are all crammed into one small space, on wheels, and you get to go on vacation in it..
So here I am, finally, with a story — and it’s a fabulous one: Reader Pete shows us his 1964 Shasta Astroflyte travel trailer, which he gut-renovated inside and out. Wow, you must admit this baby has the va va voom goin’ on! Click on through to read Pete’s story…and to get to links of more photos chronicling the entire restoration process.
. Pete writes:
Hi Pam, .
About five years ago we (wife Cindy, daughter Charlotte and Lane) were in the North Georgia mountains near Clayton, Ga., and I saw this strange looking trailer parked in the Walmart parking lot. It had large silver wings on the back, and I thought it looked awesome. Being a fan of late 50’s early 60’s cars with fins (I have a 1961 Comet) I did a u-turn in the street and pulled into the Walmart to take a look. It was an early 60’s Shasta Airflyte. After marveling over it, my wife and I decided that one day we would get one of these..
After doing months of research on all types of vintage trailers, we decided that we had to have a Shasta with wings, so we found one on Craigslist in Virginia. It was not an Airflyte but a 1964 Astroflyte, which is just like the Airflyte but it has a cabover to sleep two more people, which we needed with our family of four. Living in Atlanta I didn’t go up to Virginia to look at it (mistake), but had it shipped down. I knew that it would be a restoration and would be in rough shape, but when the courior pulled up to the house and we walked in the trailer, we were horrified. It was totally trashed. Dead mice on the floor, infested with ants, and the biting stink bugs were all over the place. It stunk like nothing else and rotted wood was everywhere..
Renovation in progress. Look familiar to RR readers?
I thought, “I just spent $1,200 on this.” We talked about selling it, but I decided to give a restoration a try. I’m a mechanic at Delta Air Lines and like working of things, but I’ve never restored anything of this magnitude. I worked on the weekend shift, so I had four days off during to week to work on it. A year and a half and $6,000 later it was all finished as of June of this year..
We have camped in the North Georgia state parks about six times and LOVE the trailer. It really gets a lot of attention, and it is great, inexpensive activity to bring the family together. On Wednesday we take our longest trip yet to Disney World Fort Wilderness and are really looking forward to it.
The Shasta Astroflyte all set up at Disney World Fort Wilderness. Don’t try to tell me you don’t Wish You Were Here!
[Update: Photo live from Disney World, provided Friday, above. – Pam]
Restoring this trailer is the best decision we have made. It’s not perfect and I make plenty of mistakes but we enjoy it. I received a lot of help from the internet, especially Repairing Yesterday Travel Trailers.
What an amazing job, Pete — thank you. And I have to say, this is yet another example of: Disasters make for better stories. I love, also, how you talk about how the trailer brings the family together. It’s those trips in the vintage trailer that the girls will remember — not more toys..
How many readers have a dream to buy and restore a vintage travel trailer? (Me!) Or do you have one already?
Pete, Your trailer looks awesome. We have a ’62 Shasta Astrodome and have almost finished the reno on the interior but exterior needs to be repainted. Did you do the repaint job on yours and if so do you have any suggestions/resources OR if you had your done professionally can you recommend whoever did it? This has been very difficult to find someone in Ala/Georgia area that will do this. Thanks for any help….
BMc
Diane Boileausays
Reviewed Pete’s blog, hope to ask him what color of exterior paint and type used, and if he sealed the roof. Thanks so much! Diane and Grant
Shelia Deakinsays
Pete….What a beauty you have & congrats for a wonderful job done! please contact as I have just purchased a 1964 Shasta Airflyte and she is in great shape but still needs some TLC and I don’t know the first thing about this kind of adventure. My husband and I just built our dream home, a 1600sqft log cabin from the ground up from my design so I think we are up our little Shasta but need advice. Thanks for any information you can give. Blessings to you & family!! Shelia
laurensays
yep, own a few airstreams and a spartanette! They’re addicting! so much fun to have multiple ‘houses’ to do up in different styles.
Susansays
I would love this, or any trailer made in 1962…my birth year! You did a fabulous job! Beautiful!
petesays
Thanks!
Grantsays
Pete, what type of Rock Guard did you purchase to protect the front front of you trailer? We are considering Rock Solid or Rock Tamers of which both are removable. Researching the best options to mitigate our newly acquired rock dents. thanks
Thanks for sharing the story and pics of the 62 Shasta. I am currently restoring and customizing a 1962 Shasta for a customer. Your trailer looks great good job!
Scott.
Pete Whitleysays
Thanks Scott!
Mikesays
Hi Pete,
Probably a dumb question, but did you sand between coats. I usually do with urethane but haven’t had much experience with Shellac.
Thanks again,
Mike
Pete Whitleysays
No, I did not. I don’t see how it would do much good. Shellac melts into itself. That is why it so easy to repair if you gouge it. Do four coats if you can. It will darken it more and I believe look nicer. Whatever you do do not try to apply it when the temp is over 75 degrees. It will dry before you finish the brush stroke.
Mikesays
Hi Pete,
Awesome job! I’m in the process of restoring a ’63 Shasta Airflyte and was looking at your interior shot. Did you spray your interior with Shellac or did you brush it? I’ll be working on the interior this spring and loved the way yours looks.
You sure set the bar high!
Pete Whitleysays
Hi Mike,
Thank you! I brushed three coats of amber shellac in the whole interior. Wish I would have put down four.
If you ever sell this contact me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pete Whitleysays
I will Stacy,
We would like to sell it one day and buy a small towable vintage mobile home. I’m not sure I’m up to restoring another one for the reasons that the guy above you state. I might have to shell out the big bucks and say call me when it’s finished! LOL!
Here again, the paths cross. Amy B. from Mod StL sent me this link cause she knows I ‘m waist deep in it. Literally waist deep in a 61’ Shasta Deluxe 1900. That’s the “self contained” 19 ft with toilet and shower. Everything this guy Pete said was true. I have seen his work in my own research. Let me say this, these things are cute and all, but you might need someone to talk you out of the bell tower. They aren’t for amateurs. The other thing is you never know what your gonna get til you open the can…peel the skin. You might find rotted wood all the way down. If you want to do it right, you need to get down to the trailer frame and grind it down to refinish. then you build it back up.
Good news is you do it better, most of these cute old campers were
built for production, quickly, cheaply, and shabbily, sorry to say. I can count how many nails I’ve found that missed the mark, split the wood they were supposed to adhere, and just left that way. Oh I could go on for days. Demo took 4 weeks of nights and weekends.
This is not for the faint of heart. Trust me, houses are easier, cut your teeth there. Keep in mind Pete is an Airline Mechanic. I have been rehabbing, and building furniture for a few years, have a big shop full of tools, and I have used almost every one. Just know what your getting into. I can’t tell you how many days I have gone out there and become overwhelmed and thought WTF were you thinking……Then I suck it up, grab the tools and hunch back over again. I am prying it will be worth it when I am done. Check our Vintage trailer Forums for real war stories and the most accurate info.
Since pretty much Day #1 of this blog, readers have been hocking me to write about restoring vintage travel trailers. Just like remodeling a midcentury house, right? Except all the rooms — kitchen, bathroom, living room, bedroom — are all crammed into one small space, on wheels, and you get to go on vacation in it.. 
So here I am, finally, with a story — and it’s a fabulous one: Reader Pete shows us his 1964 Shasta Astroflyte travel trailer, which he gut-renovated inside and out. Wow, you must admit this baby has the va va voom goin’ on! Click on through to read Pete’s story…and to get to links of more photos chronicling the entire restoration process.
Pete writes:After doing months of research on all types of vintage trailers, we decided that we had to have a Shasta with wings, so we found one on Craigslist in Virginia. It was not an Airflyte but a 1964 Astroflyte, which is just like the Airflyte but it has a cabover to sleep two more people, which we needed with our family of four. Living in Atlanta I didn’t go up to Virginia to look at it (mistake), but had it shipped down. I knew that it would be a restoration and would be in rough shape, but when the courior pulled up to the house and we walked in the trailer, we were horrified. It was totally trashed. Dead mice on the floor, infested with ants, and the biting stink bugs were all over the place. It stunk like nothing else and rotted wood was everywhere..
We have camped in the North Georgia state parks about six times and LOVE the trailer. It really gets a lot of attention, and it is great, inexpensive activity to bring the family together. On Wednesday we take our longest trip yet to Disney World Fort Wilderness and are really looking forward to it.
Restoring this trailer is the best decision we have made. It’s not perfect and I make plenty of mistakes but we enjoy it. I received a lot of help from the internet, especially Repairing Yesterday Travel Trailers.
Barbara says
Pete, Your trailer looks awesome. We have a ’62 Shasta Astrodome and have almost finished the reno on the interior but exterior needs to be repainted. Did you do the repaint job on yours and if so do you have any suggestions/resources OR if you had your done professionally can you recommend whoever did it? This has been very difficult to find someone in Ala/Georgia area that will do this. Thanks for any help….
BMc
Diane Boileau says
Reviewed Pete’s blog, hope to ask him what color of exterior paint and type used, and if he sealed the roof. Thanks so much! Diane and Grant
Shelia Deakin says
Pete….What a beauty you have & congrats for a wonderful job done! please contact as I have just purchased a 1964 Shasta Airflyte and she is in great shape but still needs some TLC and I don’t know the first thing about this kind of adventure. My husband and I just built our dream home, a 1600sqft log cabin from the ground up from my design so I think we are up our little Shasta but need advice. Thanks for any information you can give. Blessings to you & family!! Shelia
lauren says
yep, own a few airstreams and a spartanette! They’re addicting! so much fun to have multiple ‘houses’ to do up in different styles.
Susan says
I would love this, or any trailer made in 1962…my birth year! You did a fabulous job! Beautiful!
pete says
Thanks!
Grant says
Pete, what type of Rock Guard did you purchase to protect the front front of you trailer? We are considering Rock Solid or Rock Tamers of which both are removable. Researching the best options to mitigate our newly acquired rock dents. thanks
Scott says
Thanks for sharing the story and pics of the 62 Shasta. I am currently restoring and customizing a 1962 Shasta for a customer. Your trailer looks great good job!
Scott.
Pete Whitley says
Thanks Scott!
Mike says
Hi Pete,
Probably a dumb question, but did you sand between coats. I usually do with urethane but haven’t had much experience with Shellac.
Thanks again,
Mike
Pete Whitley says
No, I did not. I don’t see how it would do much good. Shellac melts into itself. That is why it so easy to repair if you gouge it. Do four coats if you can. It will darken it more and I believe look nicer. Whatever you do do not try to apply it when the temp is over 75 degrees. It will dry before you finish the brush stroke.
Mike says
Hi Pete,
Awesome job! I’m in the process of restoring a ’63 Shasta Airflyte and was looking at your interior shot. Did you spray your interior with Shellac or did you brush it? I’ll be working on the interior this spring and loved the way yours looks.
You sure set the bar high!
Pete Whitley says
Hi Mike,
Thank you! I brushed three coats of amber shellac in the whole interior. Wish I would have put down four.
Stacy says
If you ever sell this contact me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pete Whitley says
I will Stacy,
We would like to sell it one day and buy a small towable vintage mobile home. I’m not sure I’m up to restoring another one for the reasons that the guy above you state. I might have to shell out the big bucks and say call me when it’s finished! LOL!
Stacy says
Thanks for keeping me in mind. http://www.stacyscruggs.com
mid mid jobs says
Here again, the paths cross. Amy B. from Mod StL sent me this link cause she knows I ‘m waist deep in it. Literally waist deep in a 61’ Shasta Deluxe 1900. That’s the “self contained” 19 ft with toilet and shower. Everything this guy Pete said was true. I have seen his work in my own research. Let me say this, these things are cute and all, but you might need someone to talk you out of the bell tower. They aren’t for amateurs. The other thing is you never know what your gonna get til you open the can…peel the skin. You might find rotted wood all the way down. If you want to do it right, you need to get down to the trailer frame and grind it down to refinish. then you build it back up.
Good news is you do it better, most of these cute old campers were
built for production, quickly, cheaply, and shabbily, sorry to say. I can count how many nails I’ve found that missed the mark, split the wood they were supposed to adhere, and just left that way. Oh I could go on for days. Demo took 4 weeks of nights and weekends.
This is not for the faint of heart. Trust me, houses are easier, cut your teeth there. Keep in mind Pete is an Airline Mechanic. I have been rehabbing, and building furniture for a few years, have a big shop full of tools, and I have used almost every one. Just know what your getting into. I can’t tell you how many days I have gone out there and become overwhelmed and thought WTF were you thinking……Then I suck it up, grab the tools and hunch back over again. I am prying it will be worth it when I am done. Check our Vintage trailer Forums for real war stories and the most accurate info.