The Airstream trailer is a popular and recognized product in the world, known for its gleaming aluminum body design. To modernize the interior of the trailer, the interior skins were replaced with new aluminum, which is cheaper than Alclad 2024-T3. The process involved rolling out the aluminum sheets and measuring the locations of each window, fan, and door frame. The aluminum superstructure is what makes the trailer strong, and everything must fit through the 26-inch-wide front door.
The 28-foot Airstream International Series features interiors by Christopher C. Deam, sleeping up to six people and including camping chairs, a gas grill, kitchen amenities, and a bike rack. The interior features of the Airstream start with insulation of radiators for the heating system, and electrical, plumbing, and gas systems are installed so they can be discreetly tucked. The exterior design of the iconic “silver bullet” riveted aluminum Airstream doesn’t change much from model to model, but the interior of each Airstream reflects unique choices about décor, layout, and style.
The original aluminum on both the interior and exterior of the trailer is the same Alclad 2024-T3, with the exception of the thinner belly pan. A clean aluminum finish was performed by Pioneer Vintage Trailer, and finger prints and smudges were removed using lemon Pledge®.
After the interior is wired, plumbed, and insulated, an inner aluminum layer is riveted to the frame, making up the interior walls of the travel trailer. The Airstream trailer is one of the most recognized products in the world, characterized by its gleaming aluminum body design.
📹 Airstream Renovation: How to get started with the Interior Skins
Learn where to get started when planning for installing your new interior aluminum skins in your Airstream travel trailer. To see the …
What thickness aluminum for camper?
Aluminum alloy, also known as “aircraft aluminum”, is a high-strength alloy commonly used for exterior panel replacement. It is created by adding elements like copper, silicon, iron, magnesium, manganese, and zinc to pure aluminum. Each alloy has a four-digit number to identify its characteristics. The most common alloy for trailer restoration is 2024T3 Alclad, which is. 032 thick and is best used for a good strength-to-weight ratio. It is easily polished to a high shine and is commonly used with an anodized finish or in clad form.
Airparts, Inc. offers this material in continuous lengths of 48″ and 60″ wide, allowing for longer runs with fewer seams. Anodizing is an electrochemical process that converts the metal surface into an anodic oxide finish, which is porous and allows for secondary processes such as coloring and sealing. This material is also used for interior panels in. 032 thickness.
Which is thicker 16 or 18 gauge aluminum?
Stainless steel thickness is measured by gauge, with thicker steel resulting in lower gauges. For example, a 16 gauge stainless steel sink is thicker and more durable than an 18 gauge, which is ideal for lighter applications like residential kitchens or light assembly manufacturing factories. Commercial sinks, on the other hand, are designed to withstand long and intensive wear and tear, so a smaller gauge or higher thickness is necessary. Commercial sinks typically range between 14 and 16 gauge, depending on the heavier industrial needs.
The food processing industry in North America is one of the largest users of stainless steel, using about 200, 000 tons per year on various kitchen products. When purchasing equipment for a commercial kitchen project, consider your project’s budget and what you can afford. For residential consumers, 16 gauge is the upper end of the price point, but for commercial needs, 16 gauge is the minimum due to the wear and tear of heavy-duty cleaning and other industrial applications.
In summary, stainless steel thickness is crucial for commercial sinks, as they are designed to withstand long and intensive wear and tear. The best gauge for a commercial kitchen is typically 16 gauge, as it is a sturdy and durable option for high volume use in restaurants or commercial spaces.
What kind of aluminum are airstreams made of?
Airstream travel trailers are made from an iconic aluminum shell, a lightweight yet strong material that sets them apart from other travel trailers. The aluminum is cut, bent, and flexed into shapes, then riveted together to form an outer and inner shell. The aluminum is treated to resist ultraviolet rays, mold, discoloration, cracking, flaking, and pulverization. The white enamel on the roof reflects the sun and keeps the inside cool.
A total of 3, 000 rivets are used to build each travel trailer, attached by two riveters working in unison. The aluminum body acts as a “semi-monocoque” superstructure, similar to an airplane, making it lightweight and aerodynamic for travel. The entire structure is attached to the chassis, making it the strongest and most durable structure possible. No other RV on the market can be lifted by its roof, demonstrating the self-supporting strength of the aluminum outer shell.
What are caravan internal walls made of?
The van’s interior walls are typically made of lightweight, durable, and inexpensive materials like drywall or panelling. Floors are typically vinyl or laminate, particularly in areas like the kitchen, bathroom, hallway, and ensuit. After the main construction, the finishing touches can be added, and the caravans are moved to the yard for aesthetic and creature comforts. Quality control inspections and checks are conducted to ensure the van meets safety and building standards requirements, which can be a lengthy process to avoid sending out damaged or unsafe vans.
Do Jayco use aluminum frames?
Jayco’s Stronghold VBL™ wall construction process uses vacuum bonding to create durable binds between aluminum frame, fiberglass, metal backers, interior panels, and fiberglass, providing heavy-duty walls for frequent use and travel without weighing down the RV. Jayco’s RVs offer a superior aesthetic, hand-crafted by experts, with high bunk ratings, thicker bunk mats, and two interior design options.
The company also provides JAYCOMMAND, a custom system built by Jayco’s product development team and industry-leading supplier partners, which allows customers to control their RV from anywhere. This exclusive mobile technology connects users to monitor and control key RV features, making the camping experience simple and convenient.
What gauge aluminum for Airstream belly pan?
Following the installation of the new subflooring, the belly pan was replaced using 5052 sheet aluminum, with a thickness of 0. 032 inches. A 106-inch-by-6-foot sheet was procured from Metal Supermarkets in Birmingham, Alabama. The pan was trimmed to the requisite dimensions and affixed to the interior of the banana wrap, thereby encompassing the damaged regions.
What material is used for interior RV walls?
RV interiors consist of two main materials: thin plywood or medium density fiberboard (MDF) for walls, and vinyl paneling for higher-end campers. For ceilings, fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) or PVC wall paneling is used due to their lightweight, moisture-resistant properties and lack of need for painting. Choosing between these materials or combining them is a personal choice, but there are pros and cons to consider. Plywood panels, made from thin layers of wood veneer, are treated with resin and glued together under pressure for added strength. They come in various thicknesses, finishes, and quality grades.
What are Airstream floors made of?
Airstream’s travel trailers feature high-quality composite flooring made from TransCore™, a proprietary composite made from waterproof, inert recycled glass and polypropylene. This flooring is recyclable, provides better screw retention, and won’t rot like traditional wood. The transition to composite flooring was a significant step forward in Airstream’s innovative design in 2020. The Travel Trailer Configurator allows users to explore optional features and choose the right model for their next adventure. Airstream’s innovative design and functionality make it a leading choice for adventurers.
What type of aluminum is used for enclosed trailers?
Competitive Metals, a leading USA-owned metal distributor, offers a variety of painted aluminum sheets, including pole white, matte black, and gloss black, suitable for various applications such as sign making and motorsports. These versatile metal products are ideal for sheeting enclosed trailers and are available in various sizes, including 48″x96″, 48″x120″, and 48″x144″. To learn more or place a non-standard order, request a quote.
What is the floor of an Airstream made of?
Airstream’s travel trailers feature high-quality composite flooring made from TransCore™, a proprietary composite made from waterproof, inert recycled glass and polypropylene. This flooring is recyclable, provides better screw retention, and won’t rot like traditional wood. The transition to composite flooring was a significant step forward in Airstream’s innovative design in 2020. The Travel Trailer Configurator allows users to explore optional features and choose the right model for their next adventure. Airstream’s innovative design and functionality make it a leading choice for adventurers.
What material is Airstream frame?
Airstreams are distinguished by a distinctive ladder-frame steel chassis that is free-standing and self-supporting, with welded steel outriggers that enhance structural integrity and provide protection against corrosion.
📹 Why No One is Renovating Airstreams
We’ve done countless van builds and bus builds, but this is our first time ever renovating an airstream. It’s starting to become pretty …
OMG! I rebuilt a 1978 Airstream for a client, and it was, without exception, the most difficult building project I have ever done. Every day was a new challenge. The floor and frame were rotted out and had to be completely rebuilt. When I finally got around to rebuilding the interior, I found that no two corners were the same. So creating a pattern for the aluminum or cabinets that I could transfer to the other side didn’t work. In the end the project came out great and client was very happy. Would I do it again? Only if I had a very large shop, and there were no money concerns. One last thing to anyone looking to buy a used Airstream. They all leak! And that water goes into the belly pan, it gets caught in the insulation and rots the metal frame and wood floor. Good luck.
My dad and I are restoring an airstream and I’d say as long as you are somewhat mechanically inclined and know how to do basic interior design it’s easy. Also with the airstream we have, we ripped the floor out and fixed up the frame and then put the new floor in. None of the whole lifting the entire shell from the body.
Give you a hint if you ever do a second one, when you are dropping the aluminum shell rivet on some flat pieces of metal to the base and bend them to the inside. When you drop the shell these will act as guides to force the aluminum to go around the base. once the shell has been placed drill out the rivet and remove the flat pieces of metal.
I love my 1960 airstream. I live full-time off-grid in the middle of nowhere in mine. I’m lucky, it doesn’t leak and the floor is solid. I took out the twin beds and had a shelf built over the wheels. I also took out the kitchen, made the front couch into a bed. I don’t have running water, so am using a Berky which fills a nice copper water dispenser and haul my water in and I have a composting toilet. I wanted everything simple so I don’t have to worry about frozen pipes.I power with solar and currently cook and heat with propane. I’m hoping to eventually have enough solar for that too, but it’s expensive.I have shelves lining both walls,the windows are full of micro and baby greens. I bought a bed for the dogs that is basically my living room floor. They are big dogs so they need a big bed. It keeps the floor so warm, I live in the high Sierras in Arizona where it gets cold. It doesn’t look at all like an Airstream inside with the sleeping bags and tapestries covering the walls and ceiling. It looks more like a tent inside and after I did this I cut my heating bill in half and I didn’t lose any inside space. My friends were shocked at how warm and cozy it is. I’ve been living in it now for four years and will never go back to a sticks and bricks house
Its a labor of love. Both of you are in inspiration of learning while gaining so much experience than before you started. We used to live in an 31′ Airstream back in the early 80’s. Little by little everything broke down until we moved out. Now being eaten up with both mold and rust. I think it’s a Sovereign or Excella model. A full restoration estimate is still cheaper than a new one. Just don’t have the resources, tools, or time to complete the task.
I have a 74 Argosy (Dad bought it new), It’s mostly original with new toilet, heater, water pump, gas lines. The A/C is original and still works fine. Pretty loud, but that’s OK in the desert in Aug lol. My kid builds vans, planning on having him refurb the Argosy in a few years, new bathroom, plumbing, cabinets, beds and fridge plus clean up the undercarriage and new subfloor. Hoping to not remove the entire shell, guess that depends on the subfloor? Looks like the shell depends on the outer edge of the subfloor for it’s anchor?
Great work guys! I’m working on one too and it is very hard work, frustrating, and yep, you’re right it will never be absolutely perfect, but when you’re done you will be able to stand back and see that all the time, effort and money is well worth it. I’ve not finished yet but already it’s looking great! Keep going you will be fine!
I haven’t failed.. was just really surprised by the condition of it. I wasn’t anticipating having to remove the shell but I have and am getting ready to put it back together (done 95% of it by myself). I’m just a bit slower but still cracking along and waiting for my new axles. You can follow along if you want!
Two years before retiring I decided to do my 3rd boat build and build a trailerable houseboat. It’s been 6 years and just had it out for the first time with a motor. I would see small houseboats that needed work that I could pick up cheap but each time I decided it would be cheaper to build from scratch to have what I really wanted in a boat. I also realize that this is something that I will enjoy but be able to sell. My grandson wants it, so it will be his someday if I don’t wear it out.
My uncle bought and renovated one, making it into a second office standing outside his kitchen showroom (which he built in an old barn thatbused to house pigs, which he also renovated). It is moon landing themed (as a sort of mission control center) as he was born that year. Which is a bit werod here in Germany, but the result is suoer cool.
Glad to see that people are discovering Cleco’s temporary, aligning fasteners. Not long out of high school, to earn money for college, I worked over 2000 hours in just seven months at Boeing’s Everett, WA assembly plant for the then-new 747 aircraft. It has amazed me over the decades since then to observe how few industries outside of aviation seemed to even be aware of that fine product. Sadly, while I purchased some, I never bought enough Clecos while Boeing still operated a surplus outlet in Kent, WA. I guess such small items now go to the scrap vendors–what a shame!
You both saves a beautiful piece of art. Thank you for sharing! We bought a 1999 Bambi in 2000 and she is still bringing us many wonderful memories. She feels like a family member 🥹 over the years we replaced the carpet with linoleum, the mouse fur with shiny new aluminum and recessed lighting, new axle, 16″ rims and tires, new 30lb tanks and she is beautiful! Cant wait for your next article
wow!! good for you guys, my first build was an airstream conversion to a food truck!! that was an experience, I now work at the shop that i built it in and we do service vehicle fitouts!!(better than being a chef!!), we always frame our vents with wood no matter what the vehicle it just helps with any movement, we tried being fancy and framing with metal b ut it was too rigid and caused leaks.
This does look like fine, I admit. But then I have been building entire cars. For instance, I have a 1929 Dodge I had to yank the body off of, and a lot of the support on the main body is wood (and worse in some cars I’m told from that era, Dodge did build them pretty stiff compared to others.) Though is that fan going to be enough to keep it cool? Here’s a tip, things like ratchet comealongs and a decent electric winch can be invaluable. Sometimes when it comes to even little body adjustments a good set of ratchet straps from Harbor Freight can come in handy.
What really pains me is the loss of skills that should have been handed down from generation to generation. perusal you struggle with this gave me gripes as I know firsthand the dangers of little knowledge especially when working with ally. I was a sheet metal worker for many years and on occasion we had to build a shell from aluminium/aluminum who cares, it can be a right pain to deal with, if it stretches or shrinks in some way the knowledge and tools required are beyond the average diy’er. I am glad that there are still some people in this world that take the time to learn things that are sadly lost to the new generation.
I could be wrong, but, the acorn type lugnuts, might be installed backwards? Each chamfer or cone should act as a centering device into the steel wheel’s concaved chamfer, even though, the wheel is “wheel-centric” on the center of the bearing hub. Unless, those do not have the chamfer in the steel wheel and is just a straight on through hole?
Hey guys!! I only saw it for a second, but I’m almost certain the lug nuts on your wheels went on backwards!! Go check them, if the wheels are steel, the lug nuts have a pointy end and a flat end, the pointy end should mate up to the surface of the wheel and the flat end should face out!! It’ll orient the wheel on the lugs and pull everything in to alignment. Please go check!! I’d hate to see you loose a wheel!!
Unless those lug nuts are tapered on both sides at 10:22, it seems you installed them backward. The convex taper of the lug normally goes toward the wheel and meets a convex taper around the lug hole. Maybe your wheels are Hub-Centric instead of Lug-Centric but those wheels look lug-centric from what I can see.
My Great Grandfather left my dad in his Will a 196? Mainstream Airstream in the early 1980’s. My parents rebuilt it in the late 1990’s. Selling it 5 years later for brand new trailer. I will never forget painting the steps and frame every April-May for the next camping season oh how fun Aluminum paint was. My husband asked when he picked me up for a date when we were dating why I smelt like turpentine. My dad laughed and said she may be our princess, but I didn’t raise a princess.
I’ve done two back in the 90s. They are a major pain. Airstreams, aside their very own unique construction materials n methods are a lot like Sea Rays n old Mercedes. To get at something buried under some cabinetry right in front of you, a whole bunch of other stuff on both sides for several feet, has to be removed. I always called them three dimensional puzzles
Wish I had seen this last week. I just bought a 1971 24′ Airstream. which has been gutted.The good news is I’m a jack of all trades master of none and not a perfectionist (masochist). Also I will not be taking this on the road. Definitely not removing the body or replacing the axles.I find being Irish helps as well.
you have to know what you’re doing its a labor of love you have to like what you’re doing to have patience with it Airstream is a good rv, stainless steel is worth doing the restoration once it’s restored the stainless steel outside alone will outlast so you won’t really need to do outside work on it maybe a polish and some new rivets if any popped out.
Tip #1 to anyone that wants to repeat but do it much easier. DO NOT REMOVE THAT BOTTOM RING from the shell. Spend all the time you need to get the shell off with that riveted lip still on. Tip #2 Tack weld in some aluminum bars and tack their intersections up/down + left/right. Then weld tabs with holes on the outside edges right before the curve. Make sure to have bar on the inside between those two points at a minimum. You will need some aluminum bar stock which isn’t cheap. I would look in the bargain bin at your local metal dealer for cut offs. Then put steel braided cable through the tab holes and up to a steel bar that runs across to the other side. You can make a cheap spreader bar this way. You wont distort the shell when you lift it off. We have done this with cars many times with great success. It’s not hard if you pre-plan and think about how to make sure it stays that shape even when its off the frame.
I hope you didn’t pay too much, bec. basically all that you retained was the aluminum shell. As other ppl have said, all these rolling homes / campers have the same issues. Made to last maybe 40 years then gutted. Son in law got a nice but really old 18 footer for free, fixed the base and a couple electrical issues and sold it to help buy a new one. Also, why not start from the ground up, and fix the frame and axles and breaks first, then the platform base and etc from there?
oh ive worked on this same thing so its called airstream. anyways we have rebuild it twice after a test run on the mountain cause its too flimsy we have to spot weld alot of meshwires on the whole body including the floor since the owner want it to last longer than 50years.. so we bouth some thin aluminum sheet for the flooring combined with with meshwires then some anti rust paint job cover with foam spray while setting the floor,,, after we finished the whole skeleton the whole cover actually just slides in perfectly took me and my boss 3days to finish everything including the flexible panel install and the pv battery and inverters.. the only problem we encountered was filling the concave spaces lol works perfectly for the wiring but the dang furniture are were made square so theres alot of wasted space, we opted to convert these spaces as a water container instead XD weve run a 12volt mirco pump on each side
There are quite a few tricks to renovating this mess. Indeed,Two people are essential to certain tasks. The fitting if the shell is a process where a frame is used inside the cabin. The frame aligns the shell with turn buckles, about twelve, attached to a central hub or hubs. It takes some forethought but entirely doable with so little frustration. Just a bit tedious but not too terrible.
“Let’s put a wood\\plywood flooring so it can rot again like the last one did, but faster.” Anything wood-related will rot whether it is an Airstream or not. One solid example I had is my brother got a camper for free from his gf, which belong to her deceased father who bought it brand new 5 years ago right before passing away. It got parked for 5 years and nobody took care of it or even opened a window once in a while. As a result almost everything inside started molding or rotting. The key is using either fiberglass or metal, or some solid and expensive wood if you really have to, but cover it several protective varnish.
I love your article, but I got lucky And bought a 72 land yacht sovereign… Except for the rotten floor in the rear bathroom, everything else is near perfect. My intention is to take the rear bathroom completely out because I’m going to have a 10‘ x 20‘ shed with a full walk-in closet. Washer and dryer and bathroom with a full tub and tankless hot water heater. This will be surrounded by a full deck and if I decide to leave my acreage, I will just go to a full-service RV Park and use their showers. Plus I have an outdoor tent bathroom and a bucket, .. that being said i’m very surprised how cheaply you can buy those airstream’s here even in Central Florida where RVs are everywhere.
As someone who builds houses, i can tell you that it would be easier to make a camper from scratch and add an aluminium shell than to do what y’all did. Campers/trailers aren’t meant to last more than 30 years or so. Also your airstream seems to by coachbuilt rather than truly standardized and manufactured (which adds to why working the aluminum was such a pain). Respect to you both.
Renovation an airstream takes a bit more skill. It’s more a land yacht than a shed. The shape alone makes it more difficult. Highly skilled carpenters won’t have a hard time, medium skilled carpenters will do okay, but newbs will struggle. Lots of men can build a decent shed, but few can build a decent boat.
I know more people whom wanted to rebuild an airstream, bought one, and never got any further, then anyone whom actually completed the project. One woman is sitting on a few tiny campers, she now uses them for storage. She lacks any skill or desire to start. She wanted her son to start it, and she figured it was enough to buy it, and let it sit, and eventually he would start. Nope.
Renovating is always about opening the unknown. And thus probably inherently more expensive. You do it cause you love some character of the design; that to make this design from nothing is its own challenge (not impossible but nearing the impossible). The market for selling a mostly usable airstream needs to be priced lower though.
The problem isn’t airstreams being particularly hard to renovate, it’s that ANYTHING is hard to renovate when you don’t know wtf you’re doing. If you have little to no experience in mechanics, carpentry, electrical, or engineering, you’re going to have a rough go of it. Start with smaller projects and build your skills, before tackling a big project like that. Generally, if you have to buy thousands of dollars of new tools to do a project, you probably shouldn’t be attempting it until you know how to USE those tools. No offense, but I wouldn’t step in that death trap parked in the driveway, let alone tow it down the highway lol. I hope they realized the lug nuts are on backwards. Yikes.
Lighten up! These things were built with the technology of the 1930’s and you expected better? Nostalgia is all that you can use to keep going on something like this. I’m an octogenarian and remember when these were the absolutely “cat’s ass” as we called them. Our family did not have one, but often wished we did. Best of luck!
I think this is a GREAT upload. You are showing a lot of work and many of your difficulties and mistakes. No onee expects you to get it right without the experience of trying. Your willingness to work and your enthusiasm to get stuff done is a great watch. Have you asked for and received any tech support from the company? Do you have to pass any roadworthiness inspecton from State/ Fed authorities?
A big reason no one is doing it, is that they are banned from most RV parks due to their age… at least most of the one I have been to. Besides remanufacturing anything not being for the faint of heart, and seldom a journey of worth for many self-proclaimed perfectionists, the RV industry itself has never really been known for quality over quantity. These are often more valuable as scrap metal, not fixer-uppers.
So… I’m an airplane mechanic Uh… y’all should invite an airplane mechanic over to run you through riveting and faying seals. Aluminum would have been great for supporting the AC – fabricating frames and stringers can be a bit of a challenge but overall… better. Not to crap on your article and all but for the love of all that is holy – call an airplane mechanic. I’ve done 2 airstream restorations – they are an absolute blast – materials and process are very similar to airplane construction and who doesn’t love riveting!!!! 🧐 A shrinker/stretcher is a good tool to have (for making frames and stringers) and an English wheel is needed for fabricating panels with compound curves – also the best rivet gun on the planet is an Ingersoll Rand AVC12 – have fun!!!
Despite the public reputation and image, Airstreams suffer from a lot of problems that the rest of the RV industry suffers from, just way more expensively. Ask any kid who has accidentally batted a baseball into a rear rounded quarter-panel of one and been told how much it was going to cost his grandparents just to get that dent out. If you maintain the finish according to what the manual specifies, you’re also going to be spending a whole lot of time with your RV, whether using it or not, or paying someone else to. If you cook in one in the evening and the temperature gets far enough below freezing overnight…. It goes on and on.
A few months ago I was mad at myself for not buying an Airstream that I saw for “only” $1,200. After perusal this, I’m not mad at myself any more. In fact there was another one, decades ago, that I saw for $350… and I just missed it, someone had put a deposit on it before me. It was all beat up, like yours was. This article also removed decades of regret over that “loss”. So it’s been one of the more useful articles I’ve seen… with your sober revelations about the problems with doing this, you will have cured tens of thousands of people for regret over past missed “opportunities”, and saved many more from making a mistake in the future. Or, at least, they will go in with their eyes wide open.
You know what would be fun? Meshing together a vintage airstream and a pickup truck. Like, you take a 1930s/1950s Ford or Chevy or any other brand pickup truck, remove the bed and the rear mechanics. Lift the airstream shell and mesh together both frames. Fit back the rear mechanics and fit the shell on the frame. Give the pickup’s body a good old bumps removal and fresh paint and a good polish to the airstream shell. And boom, you got yourself a cool camper van
You need a lot more specialized metal working tools to do this kind of work. You should always form the patch panels before installing and every hole should get a cleco. You also need to roll a bead in the panels for a sealant grove or you must use scrim cloth or some other bond line control adhesive. Other wise the squeeze from riveting will push out all the sealer. 1. rough out the patch 2. form the patch to its location 3. Drill under-sized holes, install cleco as you go to hold patch in place. 4. Remove patch, final scuff and prep for sealant and bond line control. You need an aluminum specific adhesive sealer. Not just sealer. The patch will move in relation the main panel and leak if you just apply sealant to a raw shinny aluminum surface. 5. Install patch with all holes cleco’ed. 6. remove one cleco. final size the hole, buck rivet. 7. move back and forth across panel not a circle, final sizing and bucking on rivet at a time Outstanding job for DIY. The longevity might not be there but its a good first try.
Totally not worth doing :o) You could have built a brand new twin axel box van from scratch easier. But it is cool 😎 The one snag isn’t a snag at all. You spent ages riveting and re-fitting metal, but that is actually normal. Next nightmare is building square cabinets in a lozenge 😀 *upside is you can use a spirit level, unlike the other nightmare to interior, boats ^-^
closed cell spray foam will give you 100% water proofing …best insulation and will give the best structural support possible. Tig welding would have been great, but you have to be a pro at that metal thickness or lack of it…but I guess you like the original look of rivets and they are easier. Looks great! hope the project brought you closer as a couple! You can’t love what you do if you hate who you do it with..
I can’t believe how much you guys got ripped off for EVERYTHING! $1500 for that axle? $1100 for aluminum to skin the underside? The axle didn’t look very rusty. Did you even try asking a regular mechanic about refreshing it? Apparently not! WOW! Did you know you can light your camp fires with newspaper or junk mail instead of the green stuff with $100 printed on them? I know. It’s mind blowing! :face-fuchsia-wide-eyes::face-turquoise-covering-eyes: Did you buy everything from trailer dealers? Where do buy groceries, Disneyland refreshment stands? Countless builds? Maybe someone should start counting… 😳
i have to disagree with the not many people restoring airstreams statement many many many people have but most did it before youtube existed they werent stupidly overpriced back then also a vintage airstream is the holy grail of travel trailers so when an old one comes up for sale its usually sold within 2 hours of being listed
It explains EVERYTHING when I see you replacing the axle (AFTER ) you put the body back on. It show lack of preparation/planning . I thought you guys were professionals. I kinda gave you a pass on nogg th realizing you needed to face the shell,and the fan ordeal ( square peg in a round hole 🤔) but I had to leave with the axle . I’m glad I didn’t have you guys try to build my camper. I didn’t have any where near as much trouble as you guys did. But if you have absolutely now mechanical skills and live in an Apartment, you would be the third choice after a, homeless guy. Biden.
If you ever have to do a bunch of rivets again… Kleko… never mind. Can you imagine building, like, a WHOLE aircraft (say DC-3) with a rivet gun. And here’s the thing about airstreams… they were built by aircraft engineers. You’d find more help at your local Experimental Aircraft Association chapter.
I don’t think I would enjoy working on an Airstream. I like taking retired 26′ U-Haul trucks and turning them into RVs. I’ve done 6 now and each time they get better. I buy them from Police auctions and the most I ever paid for one was $1,100. And by the time that one was finished, I had about $2,500 into it and sold it for $12,000.
LOVE this. I redid an airstream in my driveway…except for getting the floor “redone” which I hired a guy in Georgia to do because I did not have a TALL ceiling or high door in the shop. It was alot of fun and I learned so much. I enjoyed understanding the craftsmanship that went into building these, as i de-constructed it. Rebuilding it gave me lots of opportunities to do some craftsmanship, myself.
Just came across your website. If that is the correct whatever. I’m not what you would call a computer Internet tech person. Anyways what the two of you are doing has always been a dream of mine. I wish I could have met the two of you as I have experience in the aircraft industry. I worked for both McDonnell Douglas then Boeing building aircraft. Anyways keep up the good work. 🇺🇲☮️🕊️✌️ Peace and Love from A Proud Viet Nam Era Veteran 🇺🇲🪖 age 72 homeless and living on the streets of Sunny Southern California. Oh yeah they built the Airstream Trailer about 3/4 mile north of where I live from the 50’s through the 70’s if I remember correctly. From what I have heard they started in Los Angeles in the late 40’s before moving here. They actually moved to a new location here in still in the city of Norwalk about 3 miles west of wee I live before moving out of state. There are a couple of films of the first Norwalk location showing the manufacturing plant. They even had a trailer high up on a pole in front of the location. Come to think of it when I drove by the Airstream dealership in Orange County they had a trailer up on a pole in front of the dealership. Hope you and your viewers enjoy this information.
Airstreams are monocoque aluminum-on-rib construction … like aluminum aircraft. This is intrinsically slow & expensive construction — OK for airplanes, but not so much fun for anything else. “If you have never worked with aluminum before it’s going to be a struggle” … you bet. Had you found anyone who was a professional or amateur who worked on aluminum aircraft (anyone who built an Van’s homebuilt) they could have given you some useful help and advice. Everything else you were dealing with is just old-trailer problems. I do hope you have fun with it when you are done…
oh boy, “fixing”/”renovating” any kind of 5th wheel/recreational/motorhome/camper is going to be terrible ordeal because they’re basically a “what if we made a trailer(as in manufactured home), in a smaller size?” These things were essentially meant not to be lived in full time, but rather to by-pass zoning laws by saying it’s a vehicle not a (permanent) home. HOA’s hate them. As long as it’s on wheels it is still considered a vehicle.
Dear Crew, whenever professional car builders are taking a body off of a frame they will install interior supports and framing so that the body doesn’t warp and change shape due to its own weight. This is the method that you might have used here. Now, I do see once piece of cross bracing, but its definitely not enough. You probably needed to install 2-3 sections of interconnected cross bracing, and done so BEFORE you take the aluminum shell off of the frame. NOW, that you know HOW to do this… You definitely should do it again, and make so $$.
No one wants to renovate because YouTubers have bought all the renovatable Airstreams up and want tons of money to sell them to anyone. It’s the same with any vehicle. Used cars used to be $500. Used trucks used to be $750. Hell, used airplanes like old Cessna 152s used to be maybe $7500. But with the advent of social media “DIY” articles expanding, people who used to sell POS vehicles for what they were really worth now want tens of thousands of dollars for their junk. They know all they need to do is to convince a YouTuber to pay tons for their stuff in order to make a article. Now there is no way for anyone NOT a YouTuber to afford a restoration project.
I love the energy and effort you two put into this article. I would really love to see you get your hands on a 79 Revcon or older. It was designed by the son in law, of the man who designed the original airstream. We have one, and it’s actually shockingly functional, in spite of sitting in The Dalles, OR, for 6 years. Ours is a 79 Camelot, as it’s called, and It has a Chevy 454 Toronado in it, which has been much easier to work on than I’d imagined it would be. Thanks again for a great article, I’d always wondered about why so many old airstreams are just sa tying and forsaken.
I stayed at this place called Ardovino’s Desert Crossing in New Mexico. The guy that owns the place has soooooooo many antique airstreams in the back. Some of them he has converted into AirBnB’s, they’re stationary but there were probably at least 10 that were in the back lot of the place that needed restoration work, you can even see all of them from google maps. Super nice guy and the place has been in his family since the 1940’s. Maybe he has some tips for you? Or maybe you could give him some after all this!!
Removing the cross braces allowed the trailer to flex to its ‘Normal Resting Position’, which, for almost all rv’s is in a ‘Hitched, or Tongue Jack Supported’ configuration. The cross braces forced the trailer into a state of flex which does not align with shell, since the proper conditions for ‘fit’ are not met. (For a van or motorhome, the normal configuration would be fully supported on its wheels, with no jacks in place anywhere). This is also useful info for when you are permanently/solidly mounting new renos. the frame and body/shell should be in the normal configuration to assure the best ‘fit and finish’.
Ive remodeled a few for Burning Man that my buddies company rented out each year till BM org stopped allowing outside housing. I did it Every year for 5 years making repairs, just need carpentry skills, plumbing, DC electrical, some AC as well, some maybe a little welding but you can get around that, i figured it all out and never worked on a camper before, we had a fleet of 44 campers, 3 were Airstreams, just need to know house building skills
When you have absolutely no idea that the entire RV industry crashed 20 years ago and dozens of companies consolidated into a handful of companies. It is impossible to renovate any 15+ year old any RV. Product just doesn’t exist. You’re best luck is going to the RV cemeteries scattered across America and pick parts yourself.
Excellent job! The only thing that surprised me was how much you had to pay for an 18’ 1971 junked Airstream. I would think you’d be able to get it for close to scrap value. Wasn’t that the next in its life – the junk man was going to haul it away? Finding someone willing to renovate it like you did is a long shot. Can’t wait to see the finished product.
I don’t really care about Airstreams, I tend to think they are overrated and overpriced, but if you overpaid for a POS, that’s on you. If you didn’t know that the only thing which was worth salvaging was the undercarriage and the frame and skin, that’s on you. Don’t blame the platform. You could build something much less expensive from scratch, but then it wouldn’t be an Airstream, would it? You bought the name.
When I gave up on “restoring” my travel trailer and concentrated on “upgrading it for another 100k miles” my job got a lot easier. You spent $1500 on a new axle, I bought newer boat trailer for $1500, and had a welder (since I don’t weld) put a square frame on it out of angle iron, with mount holes every 8 inches so I could put 2×4’sthe flat way so I could do a new floor in plywood. In your case I would of just put the airstream down simply on the plywood subfloor and then edged the inside of airstream frame with 2×4’s the flat way again and made a new floor 2″ above the subfloor with plenty or room to run wires. Sure the airstream would have 1.75″ less head room, but all your problems from the previous version and this would be solved with little more than deck screws, and at probably 1/3 the price. With that I’d call back the welder and have him round off the corners from the outside so the original platform would have the oval shape of the airstream.
You couldn’t give me an AIR STREAM. I went to their factory in Ohio to possibly place an order and literally saw acres of of them waiting to be repaired. Most of them were warranty repairs and had been sitting there for years. Talk about your back logs. That’s all I needed to see. No way would I buy an Air Stream.
I don’t know if you will ever get all the labor $ back doing a project like this- but someone will pay good money to buy your trailer when it is totally restored. Good selection on doing a smaller model also; they are much more in demand. Air Forums has every bit of information needed for renovating an Airstream. I own a 1973 (Airstream) Argosy 22′. It is in a constant state of rebuild. I have replaced both axles, added air conditioning, replaced the rotted areas of flooring, replaced the stove with a cooktop and microwave and replaced the hot water heater with a self start model. The toughest renovation has been replacing all the old patched up copper with Pex plumbing. In the end, all the work is worth it to own something totally unique that is not available even new (considering the new ones weigh about twice as much).
When the factory builds an Airstream for the first time, riveting is cheap and easy. Having to remove rivets, align, chase holes, and re-rivet is incredibly difficult and time consuming. Because an Airstream is just an aluminum shell, I would have just welded the shell together with a TIG torch. I think that would have been way quicker and if you ever need to remove the shell you can just cut it open and re-weld when done.
Why is the floor/bed/bottom wood??? It’s not you guys’ fault, I get that it comes like that, but why keep it wood? You don’t see cars and buses and trucks built with wooden floors that can be defeated by one of the smallest animals on earth, can rot, etc, all kinds of reasons we don’t build heavy machineries with wood. Did a quick Google, seems like even Airstream themselves stopped using wood in 2021. Wonder what took them so long.
Really, every project I do has issues. Doesn’t matter if it’s an rv, boat, vehicle, tractor, anything, and everything. I was once a perfectionist. The general public doesn’t want perfect work. They don’t want to pay for perfect for sure. I used to build show cars. I quit showing my own and just build for myself and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. But, when I work on a project for someone else, I ask them what they expect. I ask how perfect they want. What their plans are for usage. Mechanics have to buy tools all the time. People don’t realize why it cost so much to get your vehicle repaired. You’re not just paying for the repair. You pay for the knowledge, ability, tools, licenses, insurance, etc etc. Try to imagine what it’s like to buy a $5k tool just to fix maybe three vehicles that year. All the tools you bought to fix the airstream had to cost something. A mechanic has to sit on those tools and hope to eventually get the money back. People wore me out on being perfect. Perfect doesn’t pay the bills unless you’re some celebrity with a tv show that has the clientele to do perfect. I do take pride in workmanship. Most people though, don’t realize how much time it takes to fix something. Almost every rv I work on I get the job because they already went to all the rv places and either got turned away or a ridiculous high estimate. As with most repair shops, a high price doesn’t mean figuring out what’s wrong. It usually means replacement of the system and sending you down the road.
It’s about logistics and skills and knowhow and connections. About 25 to 30 years ago there was a guy in the midwest (I may have that not entirely correct) that was doing a bang-up job of restoring Airstreams. I vaguely remember a news story of someone was going online and making ridiculous criticisms and wildly bad claims of shoddy work and misinformation. It was just some jokester who never crossed paths with the guy but liked to make disparaging remarks about the guy’s restored Airstreams. It ruined his business
I am very familiar. Everything is round making it difficult make new interior, a large refrigerator won’t fit. They are cold. The plumbing is under the floor, where it can freeze even in use. The aluminum underside has to be cut away to access. The clear coat is very easy to damage, never park near pine trees. Everything Airstream is 3X price of others. Airstream is an overpriced status symbol. God help you if an exterior panel is damaged. The old joke is that the holding tanks could be dumped anywhere, because if you own one, your poop don’t stink.
A guy outside of Atlanta was buying up these old airstreams… like he was collecting baseball cards… they sat in a low section of land near a river… I’ve seen it flood there before,,, this was 25 years ago.. after about five years they just disappeared… I doubt they were worth much… one just blew over from the floor.. and flatten on the ground… look like a soda can somebody stepped on.,,, I knew they were all the rage back then … I guess he didn’t do his homework.
Tell me you’ve never worked in cars without telling me you’ve never work in cars. This are not “renovating” projects this in the car industry is called restoration, while you can live in it at the end of the day is pretty much a car without an engine. You do need tools but not “specialty” tools trust me. I have bought actual specialty tools just to do the timing On audis and VWs. That said you guys are killing it!!! And you guys are not far off from doing what you should do on a car restoration. We pretty much did the same in a 1957 ford thunderbird at the shop i work
The Airstream concept, materials, and construction process came to practical maturity with the aerodynamic designs and working experience of the aircraft age itself. What is possible with aluminum and the modular assembly-line techniques for producing this simple and durable mobile home is inspiring in itself. Model T to airframe to home is, really, the most natural evolution imaginable. But the machine and its materials are one thing, while the idea of such a machine being an accepted standard for living, for making a home, is quite another. The single family “starter” home of past generations has, arguably, “run the limit: — so much so that the Airstream idea, as it originally was conceived, should properly be the accepted “starter”, or even primary residential dwelling, of today. Many will disagree, but it is only a peculiar tendency of the specifically American (USA) mindset, and a conditioned response to “middle class respectability”, that has put-off the typical “consumer” from this most practical solution to creating, and prospering as, a home owner. What is known as a “caravan” in British/UK culture, for example, is not something associated with a lifestyle, a residence choice, that is so far removed or alien to the related idea of being considered “middle class” ( So far as I know; I am a US citizen, born and bred). Similarly, owning a “detached” residence is also not a considerable indicator of more respectable status in many countries, either. The American solution, the social respectability, connected with the entire industry of housing construction after WW II — along with a destructive myth of higher property values and the sorts of folks permitted to live in certain neighborhoods — is intimately bound to that “other” prejudice against mobile homes, trailers, and a sub-class of illiterate so-called “trash” that is presumed, otherwise indicted, in choosing to live, or being compelled to live, in such a fashion.
Trailer axles always look crooked… they are made with a bow. You point the bow upwards so once under heavy load it kinda straightens out. That particular one looks like the standard 3500 lb axle for smaller trailers, which means each leaf spring will be roughly 1700lb rated. Sometimes on camper trailers the leaf springs will total less than the max axle rating to make for a smoother ride, but obviously you only have so much wiggle room for that cuz obviously campers are heavy and still carry lots of extra weight. I’ve even restored some trailers that have leaf spring/strut combinations for supreme comfort ride.
I have an old POS Silverado something. I want to do something with it and the only real thing is remove all that old 80s cabinetry. The weight of a that particle board is outrageous. After perusal this I was driving to work and saw an old silver for sale at an RV park. No! Don’t even think about it. 😅😅
I recently installed a solar/battery/inverter setup in an airstream. Those things are terribly designed death traps. It was a 2023. Wiring is impossible to get to. They use junk electronics and the. They wire it like they are trying to kill you. The factory inverter was straight wired (no breaker/gfci) directly to the under table outlet. The otherwise was wired to a second outlet. Directly. Meaning if you touched them, had a short or anything you would be dead / on fire.
There is an entire club dedicated to renovation Airstreams, but they ARE a lot of work, often requiring stitching the seams back together with rivets, new floors, and new cabinets. We used to have their club meetings here where I live. Chrome domes from the very first model to the last. Yes! Do it because you want to. The reward will be the envy of the camp ground.
Well done and such intense persistence! I am sure that you will leverage the learnings to do the next one in half the time. I was thinking ‘order of operations’ when you replaced the axle after the body was back on the frame! 😉 But you will never do that again. Kudos on your craftsmanship and creativity. Love perusal it come together!
I rebuilt dozens of Airstream trailers for a company that specialized in them. They are a pain in the @$€!. Every trailer was different. Even the same versions from the same year would have different materials used. Let alone the year to year changes made. Then try to find replacement parts. Good luck!. And if you do,they cost a fortune.
The nightmares i know about, that make me not want to try. 1. Old campers are heavy and diy rebuild will get heavier. 2. If you were paying yourself to build it you could buy a new one. 3. As you point out. Its hard and finicky 4. 1+3 is balancing the weight. Is it putting too much weight on the tang and reducing your steering traction or too much behind the wheels and lifting the tang. Making it really not fun to tow.
Did you look for a classic vehicle coach building course online? Coach building was the process early Coaches were assembled by. I like that you took on the challenge of renovating your Airstream. I think you did well. I’m a retired Sheetmetal worker and have worked with a coach-builder, I can tell you that they think differently. I think I’d rather have a Tadpole. The bedroom on a trailer with its kitchen in the great outdoors …
My lady and I got a 1992 Toyota Dolphin for 20k. Engine was good but they previous owner hid lots of water damage. We have got the overhead cab built and now we have to redo the bathroom. You will never love a new one the way you love one you had to gut and remake from the ground up. Kudos to you two . Cute couple.
I stopped perusal when you installed the fart fan with wood to stabilize it. Why not rivet down some aluminum instead? In addition to aircraft sheetmetal know-how, if you guys learned your way around a TIG welder, your work with aluminum would be on the next level, the level where you don’t use wood. 😂 Great build and teamwork! Way to go!
If you get your markers mixed up, you can trace the sharpie lines with a dry erase marker and get the Sharpie off. Sharpies are only 1 chemical different than dry erase, so adding the dry erase over the Sharpie adds the chemical and allows the ink to dissolve off the board. Same trick works if you don’t wipe dry erase markers off quick enough.
I’m remodeling an airstream I have a 1980 131-foot international Yes it does cost a lot to remodel one You have to remember an airstream is the Mercedes of travel trailers so you got to have luxury and that will cost you Yes there’s quite a few new tools you got to have And you might have to buy the tools more than once because the first one wasn’t quite right to do the job But once it’s all done you have a work of art In my airstream I have added a bathtub big enough that I can fit in I’m 6 ft 2 I have led remote control lights A fake fireplace A dishwasher Teak cabinet doors Oak custom-designed bed mattress & more
Vintage Vacations used to restore lots of Airstreams. Restoring an Airstream is not for the faint of heart. It takes advanced metal working skills, plus all the interior wood working skills. And plumbing and electrical skills. However the Airstream fad of 20 years ago is starting to fade. I don’t work on them any more either!
Airstreams are nearly allways worth repairing. The job would be much easier if you invested in a set of Clecos which are essentially temporary rivets that are placed or removed with a special pair of pliers. Having a hundred or more would greatly simplify aligning large panels with many holes. Clecos align and hold the metal panels, you put as many as you need to get panels to line up to old holes or temporarily hold a panel in place while creating new ones. 200 Clecos can be purchased for less than $200. There are many YouTube websites showing how to use them . virtually any auto Body custom shop or airplane airframe mechanic uses them.