"it LEAKS" omg yes preach, my 1976 has so many weird spots that leak! The bedroom window. The roof vent. The stove exhaust. I thought the only one was the after-market awning that created a large leak and rotted out a small part of subfloor, but that's all sealed up and I still find weird little bits of water damage pretty much everywhere!
Thankyou for sharing your thoughts on 10 things you need to know before you renovation an airstream update many thanks for being open and honest and truthful .
we are halfway through - going good - 6 months should be done by june your videos are awesome - about to buy toilet - lovr your ideas - also stove and fridge all good - we did install tile - making it a guest house for backyard Terry and Azi Bacliff Texas
Cool video, really considering buying a older Airstream,, if for no other reason, I can't afford a new one. But also wondering with three kids, will I even use it as much as I want to and also considering an Airstream for better (less) maintenance, but it's still extra maintenance over no TT owned, so working through that. IN the research phase, so I may reach out in the future as my time and knowledge increases. I have plenty of carpentry skills, but I can only imagine this is a whole new adventure.
Have a budget in mind ?!🤣🤣 double maybe triple it. It’s not just buying a refrigerator or cooktop it’s the 1000 lithium battery and the easy start or the 300 surge protectors or the pure sine charging inverter etc etc etc. the list DOES go on and on. I am a full blown Airstream Addict you have to be also. 💕
And how to attach flat large solar panels to curved surfaces.......ummmmm, dont have a curved surface trailer. The airstreams look great as a work of art. Just sell it at auction and build a flat one on a horse trailer.
I realize I'm way late to this party, thank you for your video I appreciate the pep-talk when it comes to the shell lifting. You said you sealed the outside of your argosy? What did you use? I'm currently working on a 1977 22' argosy minuet and I want to add every layer of protection I can get when it comes to leaks.
See my problem is I don’t want those new aesthetic looking airstreams, like a whole new renovation type thing. I mean sure that would be lovely but I would MUCH prefer to restore it. I would like to keep everything as original as possible, as weird as that sounds.
Thank you. That doesn't sound weird. I've been debating whether to update or gut and renovate my '69 Airstream. It was in mint condition inside and out when I bought it. It feels like you've stepped back in time when you walk inside. Everything is in "almost" perfect condition. I'm trying to figure out if I should try to make it look like it did in '69. Such as, install new green carpeting, etc., or gut it and make it all "fancy-smancy". I think, with a bit of luck, I could even get the radio in the console to work :) How cool would that be!
@@TPike yes! Sounds wonderful! Unfortunately I’m in possession of a 1974 land yacht airstream that hasn’t received the same treatment and for twenty years it’s been rotting outside. Unfortunately, it would have to be a complete gutting job because everything is rusted out and has leaking issues.
I have researched a little bit but can you paint an airstream? I know the Argosy were painted but I have not seen anyone paint an Airstream when renovating. I only ask this because of the whole polishing versus leaving original and clearcoating.
The military aircraft engineers who were making aluminum airplanes brought the same fabrication technology to the airstream trailers. Out west, there is so little rain in general, that tiny leaks were not a big issue as the water dried up faster. You can the same airstream up into the rain forest, but it was never meant to be there. Add on 35 years.........and shaking around on the road, rivets get loose, wires chaffe against metal. These are beautiful RVs but they were high tech built from the start with only the floor being flat. How to shape aluminum in three dimensions......thats beyond difficult. I would build a aluminum over plywood truck camper and get an airstream chrome ensiginia and rivet that on it and let people laugh. You can refurbish one that cost a fortune to get even a leaky one or just build a flat and squarish one with rounded two dimensions only. Home built. No show, no resale value, no problems. Functionality first and aesthetics last. And it takes less than half the time and very little swearing. Two dimensional building and take your wristwatch off, you wont need that. The leak is at the spigot of the sink faucet. I saw 3 in the parking lot at Lowes in Flagstaff. Homebuilt truck campers, and the guys have them with steel siding over the top, almost bearproof. You only need $1000 with your scrounged up gadgets and good advice from knowledgable construction guys. Exterior grade has the same glue as marine grade plywood. Marine grade has no air pockets inside the layers. But dont dare use interior grade waterbase glued plywood. The key is to use thin materials and trust laminations for strength because you have to keep it lightbweight. The heavy super strong buildout would ruin your truck suspension and hurt mileage. So just use 1/4 exterior plywood and aluminum over that. You break the project up into small steps. Floor, sides, top, back door. Water system, then electronics. Heat it with your propane stove. And have open vents so if the stove leaks its still safe. You need it to breathe so no carbon monoxide crisis, dont buy a CO detector. Just get two sleeping bags and maintain some airflow inside. Are you going to trust your life to some CO detector made in china with low batteries???.........because you sealed it up airtight????, it might kill you later on. Dont. Your life is a gift from Yahweh. May the truth keep you free. Airflow Trailer Road Hut. A home is on land. Buy some cheap land, pray for a plan. Happy building...!!!
@@sabs012 It would be best to find an RV place that has Airstream RV owners going there and ask them for tips and how it's done because they already overcame every problem. And my sideline advice would be a distant second fiddle to their advice. Then ask a few owners and contrast what they say. Id bring a small gift and see if they open up and explain about how they did it. A jar of honey, nobody turns away honey, but ask your honey.
So what I’m taking away from this is that motivated, intelligent people who know how to think and use hand tools will do better than those whose knowledge is confined to a computer. It’s a lot easier to build from scratch than it does to refurbish. Ask any car rebuilder....
It's a fine line between honest and overly negative. It felt like you were discouraging people from trying it. People come with all sorts of varying skills and experience. It's not all doom and gloom. And how are you defining "renovate"? You talked a lot about frame off restoration but to me that's a bit different. I appreciate your video but it sounded like you are against doing it with all your points, and yet you've done several so I'm not sure what to take from this.
She's being honest. I've been redoing my Airstream for 7 years and I still can't even use it yet. Ten's of thousand's of dollars and countless weekends trying to bring this thing back to life. They are like nothing else. A master carpenter/welder/airplane mechanic/electrical engineer would maybe be able to tackle one of these efficiently.
@@PenelopetheAirstreamso is the the seals around the windows ?? Can you elaborate on the seams of the skins? Once jts fixed will it always be a continuous problem, and also is the Argosy design have a build that is sealed better? I want the model that's has the least leaks, I'm sad to hear that this is common I'm deadset on airstreams but don't want a lifelong issue of fixing leaks if some are better than others ... Sorry for all the questions, I'm new to this and plan of living full time in one in the near future thanks for any suggestions
