1973 Aristocrat Landstar Info?

[KadinGoldberg]

Hi Everyone!
I just bought a beautiful (will post pictures soon) 1973 Aristocrat Landstar. It is all original and mostly in great shape but still needs a little love. I'm planning to fix it up and want to use this thread for updates as well as for questions if anyone out there knows anything about this model of trailer.

To start, after buying it I had a tire shop put new tires on it so that I could tow it home.... turns out the drivers side tires on these old trailers are left threaded bolts and the tire guys didn't know that. They broke off three of them in the hub. Now it is going to take a week to get the trailer fixed.

In the meantime I'd love to order a new blackwater tank for it. Problem is, it is 2 hours away and I can't measure the tank until I get the trailer home.

I'm wondering if anyone out there has one of these and if they could tell me the dimensions of the area where a blackwater tank will go. I know it is a bit of a shot in the dark but I thought it couldn't hurt to ask.

Can't seem to find any info on this trailer online at all....

Thanks!
Kadin

[Lwiddis]

Interesting post and responses.

[KadinGoldberg]

Deleted... figured it out.

[KadinGoldberg]

Gdetrailer wrote:

colliehauler wrote:
You don't have to put left hand bolts back in. Any auto parts store should carry right hand bolts and shouldn't take over a hour to change them all with a press. Another thing to be concerned about is packing the wheel bearings and inspecting the brakes, especially if the trailer has been sitting a long time. New tires won't do any good if you lose a wheel. Can't help you with the tank.

Just thought it probably doesn't have studs pressed into the drum if it's the old style wheels. If so I would put a modern axle and tires under it. Not that much cost and you would get new brakes and wheel bearings.

I only seen land-liner and land-commander when I went to the Web site my vintage trailer. Land commander was 20' and 3100#.

Fair chance they are machine screws..

I had a 1981 20 ft TT which used Left handed BOLTs on the drivers side and RIGHT handed botls on the passenger side.

IE, no studs, the drum was essentially the nuts the lug bolts screwed into. If this is the case, the broken bolts will need drilled out and with some luck perhaps might be able to get an "easy out" to work IF they don't break the easy out. BUT, even IF you manage to get the broken bolt out then you are dealing with finding the left handed bolts.. They are like hens teeth now days.

Otherwise, OP would be far better off to see if modern standard drums will cross over and fit the axles..

Glad I no long have that 20ft TT..

100% correct. No studs. The shop did end up extracting the broken bolts and have the left threaded ones on order; so as long as the ones they ordered are the correct ones we should be good to go.

[colliehauler]

KadinGoldberg wrote:
Thanks for all the responses everyone! I'll post some pictures when I get it back from the shop.

I guess the reason it is taking so long is that they need to order in the left threaded bolts.

Colliehauler, you may have a good point there about just getting new axles with brakes. The lines on the brakes that are on it were tied off so I imagine they don't work. It is the "Landstar" model... which strangely enough is only listed online occasionally. Not sure why. Its 18 ft tongue to bumper and weighs 3100 I think.

I was planning on just repacking the wheel bearings myself but maybe it would be worth it to change the axles and everything so that not only would I not have to bother with repacking myself but I would have new axles and brakes that work.

The shop is closed this weekend but I will give them a call monday to see that cost of replacing the axles and new brakes.

Not only that if you had a issue in the future parts would be readily available.

[Gdetrailer]

colliehauler wrote:
You don't have to put left hand bolts back in. Any auto parts store should carry right hand bolts and shouldn't take over a hour to change them all with a press. Another thing to be concerned about is packing the wheel bearings and inspecting the brakes, especially if the trailer has been sitting a long time. New tires won't do any good if you lose a wheel. Can't help you with the tank.

Just thought it probably doesn't have studs pressed into the drum if it's the old style wheels. If so I would put a modern axle and tires under it. Not that much cost and you would get new brakes and wheel bearings.

I only seen land-liner and land-commander when I went to the Web site my vintage trailer. Land commander was 20' and 3100#.

Fair chance they are machine screws..

I had a 1981 20 ft TT which used Left handed BOLTs on the drivers side and RIGHT handed botls on the passenger side.

IE, no studs, the drum was essentially the nuts the lug bolts screwed into. If this is the case, the broken bolts will need drilled out and with some luck perhaps might be able to get an "easy out" to work IF they don't break the easy out. BUT, even IF you manage to get the broken bolt out then you are dealing with finding the left handed bolts.. They are like hens teeth now days.

Otherwise, OP would be far better off to see if modern standard drums will cross over and fit the axles..

Glad I no long have that 20ft TT..

[KadinGoldberg]

Lwiddis wrote:
A “Lo Liner?” Please post a picture if so.

No it is a "Landstar" .. apparently a somewhat rare model as I don't see it listed very often online when I search. If anyone knows about the Landstar Model I would love to hear from them.

[KadinGoldberg]

beemerphile1 wrote:
My very first travel trailer was a 1969 Aristocrat. It didn't actually have a black tank. It had a recirculating toilet which uses waste water to flush.

It had no gray water tank either, back in the day people just ran a hose off into the weeds.

Thanks for that info. I had no idea. I wonder if this will make it complicated to get this back up and running.....

[KadinGoldberg]

Thanks for all the responses everyone! I'll post some pictures when I get it back from the shop.

I guess the reason it is taking so long is that they need to order in the left threaded bolts.

Colliehauler, you may have a good point there about just getting new axles with brakes. The lines on the brakes that are on it were tied off so I imagine they don't work. It is the "Landstar" model... which strangely enough is only listed online occasionally. Not sure why. Its 18 ft tongue to bumper and weighs 3100 I think.

I was planning on just repacking the wheel bearings myself but maybe it would be worth it to change the axles and everything so that not only would I not have to bother with repacking myself but I would have new axles and brakes that work.

The shop is closed this weekend but I will give them a call monday to see that cost of replacing the axles and new brakes.

[gbopp]

Welcome to the forum.

Check TINCAN TOURISTS, they may be able to furnish some information about your Landstar.

Keep us updated on your progress. I like vintage RV's.

[colliehauler]

You don't have to put left hand bolts back in. Any auto parts store should carry right hand bolts and shouldn't take over a hour to change them all with a press. Another thing to be concerned about is packing the wheel bearings and inspecting the brakes, especially if the trailer has been sitting a long time. New tires won't do any good if you lose a wheel. Can't help you with the tank.

Just thought it probably doesn't have studs pressed into the drum if it's the old style wheels. If so I would put a modern axle and tires under it. Not that much cost and you would get new brakes and wheel bearings.

I only seen land-liner and land-commander when I went to the Web site my vintage trailer. Land commander was 20' and 3100#.

[CavemanCharlie]

KadinGoldberg wrote:
Hi Everyone!
I just bought a beautiful (will post pictures soon) 1973 Aristocrat Landstar. It is all original and mostly in great shape but still needs a little love. I'm planning to fix it up and want to use this thread for updates as well as for questions if anyone out there knows anything about this model of trailer.

To start, after buying it I had a tire shop put new tires on it so that I could tow it home.... turns out the drivers side tires on these old trailers are left threaded bolts and the tire guys didn't know that. They broke off three of them in the hub. Now it is going to take a week to get the trailer fixed.

In the meantime I'd love to order a new blackwater tank for it. Problem is, it is 2 hours away and I can't measure the tank until I get the trailer home.

I'm wondering if anyone out there has one of these and if they could tell me the dimensions of the area where a blackwater tank will go. I know it is a bit of a shot in the dark but I thought it couldn't hurt to ask.

Can't seem to find any info on this trailer online at all....

Thanks!
Kadin

I understand that a lot of people these days don't know about the left handed bolts. But, that is no reason that it should take a week to fix it ! After you get it home I would find a different mechanic. This guy doesn't know what he is doing.

Sorry I don't have an answer to your question. They used many different types and styles of tanks on campers over the years. You may not be able to find a answer on line. You might just have to wait until you can look at it yourself.

[beemerphile1]

My very first travel trailer was a 1969 Aristocrat. It didn't actually have a black tank. It had a recirculating toilet which uses waste water to flush.

It had no gray water tank either, back in the day people just ran a hose off into the weeds.

[Lwiddis]

A “Lo Liner?” Please post a picture if so.

[Lwiddis]

Hopefully someone will know something about an almost fifty year old RV that didn’t really sell that well. A long shot. Personally I’d wait and measure the tank or tank space...carefully.