My Houzz: New Life and Style for a 1976 Airstream
Jordan Menzel went out for a bike ride around downtown Salt Lake City one afternoon and saw an Airstream trailer parked on the side of the road. “A few days later, I was combing Craigslist and saw it was for sale,” he says. “While I hadn’t been planning to take on a restoration project, let alone live in an Airstream, it only took a few hours for me to commence scheming.”
The Airstream was in good condition for a 1976 29-foot Ambassador trailer, but came with all the clutter, shag carpet, wallpaper and claustrophobic curtains common to vintage Airstreams. “I picked it up for a steal in a matter of hours,” he says. “The hard part was finding a place to both do the restoration and park my home long-term. I looked high and low and landed a dream spot with a good friend. He lives in the heart of downtown and happened to have a large ‘40-foot field,’ so to speak, behind his home. After a few texts, the Airstream had found its home.”
Babies only come with a lot of "stuff" because our consumerist culture thinks they should.
As a mom of 3, my babies only needed some cloth diapers, clothes, and an Ergo pack. All of which could easily fit in an Airsteam.
And I suppose if you're a dad and obviously not breastfeeding your baby, some bottles too.
As far as the question about where all the baby stuff goes, I must echo tworabbitfarm, you really don't NEED that much. She has her dad. Dad has more time to devote her, as opposed to taking care of a big house, yard and stuff. BRAVO!!!
Great job done!
I do have a safety concern I've never seen addressed:
Since these homes are secured to land, what happens in an earthquake tornado even a major windstorm? It would seem they are much more vulnerable than a traditional mobile home, which are much heavier.
Anyone?
Tornados are massively destructive, and no above-ground structure is safe from them, so there seems to be little different to worry about there. A house, an office building, a mobile home or an Airstream are all likely to be destroyed by a tornado, so the risks are equal -- except that you could potentially move the Airstream to someplace out of harm's way, if you had enough warning.
As for earth quakes ... I would think that not being anchored to the ground would allow an Airstream to bounce around on the land moving beneath it. Remember: these also have suspension designed to absorb bumps and jolts along the roadways. So, while items inside would probably get tossed about -- as in any home -- during an earth quake, I suspect the Airstream would emerge with less damage, in part because it could simply ride the quake out and roll with the jostling. (Btw, wheel chocks would probably be enough to prevent it from moving far in all but the worst quake.)
Again, I'm no expert, but I'd be no more concerned to live in an airstream than a traditional home for just about any natural disaster, and I'd welcome it's portability.
I first re-did all of the water lines in Pex (RV plumbing sure is tedious), then replaced the complex, rickety and uncomfortable bed (on the opposite side from yours) with a simpler 39" wide platform and a leaf that folds out to 54". Then I ripped out all of the musty old carpets & drapes and everything in the living room and down the road side, which was very satisfying. The sink/range cabinet remains for now, as does all of the bathroom, pending acquisition of more filthy lucre. Cleaning the horribly grungy surfaces with a range of harsh chemicals is proving a daunting task. Followed up with a coat of Stix primer -- final paint shades yet to be determined, but I want to mix it up. I think that small spaces benefit from using a variety of colors & textures, and you've achieved a very nice balance there.
I put a big, beautiful curved oak desk all the way across the front, and that will be my dining table and CAD workstation (I draw houses for a living). I'm in the middle of redoing all of the cabinets down the road side in one continuous bank -- refrigerator cabinet, pantry, dresser & closet -- in roughly their original layout. II bit the bullet there and bought new cabinet grade birch plywood for the four partition walls, which will be stained. The face frames are reclaimed yellow pine. The refrigerator cabinet & pantry will get pine doors, while the dresser and closet will have fabric curtains, with the same material serving as the bathroom door, replacing the annoying original pocket door. A glass bead curtain in the style of bamboo is the bedroom door. I'll likely try to re-use the drapes across the front, over the new desk, because I haven't thought of anything better. Everywhere else I took out all of the drapes and their ridiculous tracks & headers. I'll put something back for temperature & light control, but am not sure just what yet. Again, mixing up colors & textures in different spaces.
A floor to ceiling bookcase will cover the living room side of the refrigerator wall, and the only seating will be my office chair, a small recliner and a couple of stowable folding chairs for "large" gatherings. Floor finish is as yet undecided, but I'm leaning toward vinyl plank. I don't like faux finishes, but he original plywood sheathing is a little too scruffy even for my hillbilly taste, and my flagging level of fastidiousness likely wouldn't fit well with real finished wood, nor would my budget.
Well sheesh, this has turned into an overly long dissertation on my Airstream project when what I intended was to compliment you on yours. In my opinion, you hit an out of the park home run!
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I wanted was a simple, happy life.. " Congrats on fulfilling your dreams and having the courage to journey through life in this manner. As a fellow free-spirit, I admire your choices and find them inspiring.
I know of an artist that has an industrial building in downtown LA. She air lifted hers to the roof of the building as a living space and uses those bathrooms in the building.
Thank you for sharing & congrats on finishing the job!
I am well aware that SF is an unlikely city and as a result am aggressively looking in the broader Bay Area which includes Berkeley, Marin county, and Palo Alto etc.. Everyone said I wouldn't find a spot in SLC and with a little work and some classic door to door Q&A with neighbors I found a great place. It will take some leg work and a lucky break but I am an optimistic person and scheming is what I do best, I'll find something I am sure of it. Any leads? PLEASE reach out!
As far as books, I agree that it's an inefficient use of space but the funny thing is, I also have several empty cabinets right now. Meaning I built more storage space than I am actually using. I love my books and when I had all the extra space I decided to keep them around.
Love the story about the other remodel, very similar process!
I have known people to "Live Aboard"--but OUT of the water. What you need to do is build--or have a ship yard build for you--a cradle to hold the boat on so it is supported evenly; then you will of course need steps to get in/out. Of course if you were ambitious you could build a water filled BASIN to hold her! In the yard!
As most boats have "Shore" hook ups for water and electric that part should not be too hard---if yours doesn't these are easy to find at boat yards and West Marine places--there are a number of good mail order places also.
I grew up on boats and for a long time after my grandfather died we had his 42' Chris Craft in the side yard of our house---it became quite the local landmark!---and we often sat out there. We did not live aboard tho!
Now we live where you only get so many days where you could use a boat--altho there are LOTS of water features including Lake George and Lake Champlain within a few minutes drive---or ride a motorcycle. We opted for the bike. I DO say tho that IF I find a small free boat I am gonna drag her home and set her up IN THE YARD for the kids and I to hang out in! Wouldn't that make the BEST playhouse? I am watching with great interest the restoration of a classic small cabin cruiser at an old car place---I don't envy them stripping alll that paint off the wood and caulking the seams and finishing all the bright work and then RE-PAINTING and windows and retro fitting the interior--I have BEEN THERE DONE THAT. However I AM having a fine time watching THEM do it!!!!
Anyone have any ideas on how to retro fit an Airstream to have a TOY HAULER space in her????? Actively shopping for an older RV to either drive n tow our bike or a toy hauler--if we find an older one I will not be at all averse to ripping and re-doing as we don't have the $$$ to buy a new fancy one--and not sure I WANT one either! Just too much money for something to play in for now! But MUST have bike along!
I am envious that this has a MUCH nicer--and BIGGER--kitchen than my house with the ZIP code!!!!
You did a great job. If you and Penelope come through Atlanta you're welcome to park in my driveway, right next to the old VW bus.
"What is the best paint color for ceilings?"
That's sort of like asking, "What's the best tasting food?" Generally, in something like an Airstream trailer with a ceiling just 6'-7" high at the apogee, a light color will help curb claustrophobia. Mine is going to be some shade of white, with the color temperature tending toward blue. It's tempting to paint it sky blue in an attempt to make the ceiling seem to disappear, but I'm sure that the illusion wouldn't work in such close quarters.
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And remember that items shift in transit. We used to have a beautiful 39' RV with 3 slide outs but it was totaled in an Oklahoma hail storm about a year ago. One trip we must have hit a bump or something and our liquor cabinet door bumped open. A full bottle of Skye Vodka fell out onto our couch. Wouldn't have been a problem except a very heavy bottle of tequila tumbled out on top of it and broke the vodka bottle into a million shards as well as soaking the couch in vodka. It was not fun trying to ensure that all the minute fragments of glass were vacuumed out of the carpet and the couch cushions. And I was pretty high on vodka fumes as well! No going barefoot for a while in there.
Regarding living or camping in your boat, we have actually tossed around an idea of buying a smaller size vintage house boat (less than 30') and restoring it all nice and bright and fun. Then we can pull it wherever we want to camp, put it in the water, and we won't have to pay campsite fees! So we'd have our camper and boat all in one! And in response to the idea of just placing a boat in your yard for a fun decoration and play house, a friend of ours recently showed us a pic of his brother's back yard. They have a pool and have parked a boat beside it. They call it "the boat that don't float"! I found a pic but it's kinda blurry. I also attached a couple of our little camper.
when you can have one on four wheels
and take it anywhere the wind might blow.
you don't ever have to mow the yard,
just hang a map and throw a dart
and pray to god the engine starts and go....
Airstreams from the '70s are not well insulated. There's about an inch of fiberglass batt everywhere, and considerable thermal bridging at the structural bows. The reflective exterior actually helps keep solar heat out, but it doesn't help enough. Mine is in the Blue Ridge foothills of South Carolina where the climate is quite moderate. I seldom close it up and run the A/C, but often have to bail out on warmer days. Last winter when it got down to 4 degrees, the water bottle on my bedside table froze. The fresh water lines in an Airstream run adjacent to the forced-air heat duct, which is above the floor, and so keeping the furnace in good working order is crucial to keeping the water thawed. It can be a problem with the old propane furnace because few people are willing to accept the liability of working on the old things.
And it's much so with many of the fixtures & appliances in any RV. They're just complex, often with 12 volt, 110 volt and propane operating modes, or complex schemes for the plumbing, etc. And they're necessarily compact and rugged for travel. You might be shocked at the price of a 3-way RV refrigerator -- I sure was.
I might have a total of $6,000 in my '71 Airstream so far, but am far from done with it -- maybe another 4 grand to go. That's not terrible for a house that I've lived in off & on for the past 15 years. The people for whom I design houses pay that much in tax on them each year.
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Fantastic job, but geesh..."annoyed that they all still had the look and feel of RVs", yet kept the overhead storage compartments to maintain "the original feel of the Airstream". That IS erratic. Laughing as I ponder his future conflicts with a little girl in tow (pardon the pun). He "hates clutter..loves clean, well-organized spaces" and "if it doesn’t serve a purpose, it isn’t necessary...loathes decor and purposeless items". Good luck with that...little girls LOVE doing just the opposite!
Fabulous job. We agree with reducing clutter to free our minds and spirit. When we moved into an Airstream trailer we left the clutter behind. Years later, still living in the Airstream on the road and LOVE it. No space wasted, a place for everything, cozy, comfortable, and looks nice. Wonderful experience for you and your daughter.
I have a question for Jordan Menzel about remodeling the 1976 Airstream that he lives inside. Did u strip the walls down to the interior studs and replace the electrical wiring and place a fuse box like a house? What type of studs were in the wall? 2x2. 2x4 1.5x2 on what center 18", 24" you said you ran new gas line for? And do u mean propane gas ? Instantaneous water heater? Stove?, is refrig propane gas or electric? Do you have heat n what type? Also what are the inner walls made of? They look so smooth like thin sheets of laminate with no seams, so does the ceiling. Was this the old airstream wood repainted? What about your grey water from sinks n bathing do u have a holding tank to empty some where? My son has an older model travel trailer he is thinking of remodeling and trying to figure it all out. Your is beautiful and I like the long counter idea that u did that is so multi- functional. Sorry for so many specific questions. Where we live in WV, you need heat and air conditioning sometimes both in one day. Thank you so much, Meanjeanaco@aol.com
I would like to also see the answers to all those good questions. Loved the stove oven and your daughters name.
My dream....awesome!!
The VW van alternative. Love it. Must have been such a fun project!
Vee zee I did some research. He sold it Christmastime of 2017.
you did a really beautiful job
Nice job! I really like it.
WOW! Inspiring! Since summer 2018 I own an old Chevy Van, in which I plan to build a realy '70's old skool interior. The makeover of this Airstream is really inspring for the things I myself have in my head for my Van. Great job! Enjoy!
Love your story and love how you've embraced simplicity. You've grasped the true importance of life so early. Well done, Jordan.
Very nicely done, warm inviting space with good balance of color and style. I especially love the little girl....what a sweetie!
Happiness is just a simple thing, hope you guys can live a fulfillment!
If my travel trailer looked like this I could live in it for a long time....but it doesn’t and I would love to roll it off a cliff and replace it with a tiny house.