so, we found our airstream through a want ad on craigslist.com. (which is a great resource, under rvs, search 'airstream').
it's perfect. just the right size, layout and the price is certainly right (half what we expected to pay), but it's going to take some work getting it livable. after surveying the axles and for rust and damage and getting the history from the seller, we tow the trailer home.
the trailer is on it's second owner. the airstream is originally from new york and belonged to a traveling nurse and her husband. the gent we purchased it from brought it to florida to live in.
aside from needing a new toilet, everything seems to be in good working order and we have until june to complete all the work that needs to be done.
if this airstream were older, we would probably do all we could to salvage anything original, but the interior of this model is mainly particle board and faux paneling, so we plan to remodel it to fit our taste and to function for us.
to begin, we tore out most of the built in's in the living and bed room. we also had to empty the septic. ewwww.
currently, our 'to do' list reads as follows...
finish cleaning the interior (the walls and celling were/are covered in mildew from sitting unoccupied)
clean appliances (stove, fridge, a/c)
remove gas heater and convert original gas tanks to fit a modern hook-up
clean screens and awnings
clean windows (a big job, since we have to remove each pane to clean out goop thats caught in between the glass) and re-seal windows (another big job)
replace toilet (also, were debating whether to redo the entire bathroom)
paint (we plan to paint the cabinets and fridge as well)
replace the current linoleum tile with wood flooring
pressure wash, buff and detail the outside
sew curtains (lots of work, as i'll be replacing most of the broken roll-top closure cabinets with curtains in addition to window curtains).
furnish and decorate
down the road we hope to replace the missing screen door and patio awning.
our list is a little daunting, but do-able. we've been working steadily each weekend so far.
it's perfect. just the right size, layout and the price is certainly right (half what we expected to pay), but it's going to take some work getting it livable. after surveying the axles and for rust and damage and getting the history from the seller, we tow the trailer home.
the trailer is on it's second owner. the airstream is originally from new york and belonged to a traveling nurse and her husband. the gent we purchased it from brought it to florida to live in.
aside from needing a new toilet, everything seems to be in good working order and we have until june to complete all the work that needs to be done.
if this airstream were older, we would probably do all we could to salvage anything original, but the interior of this model is mainly particle board and faux paneling, so we plan to remodel it to fit our taste and to function for us.
to begin, we tore out most of the built in's in the living and bed room. we also had to empty the septic. ewwww.
currently, our 'to do' list reads as follows...
finish cleaning the interior (the walls and celling were/are covered in mildew from sitting unoccupied)
clean appliances (stove, fridge, a/c)
remove gas heater and convert original gas tanks to fit a modern hook-up
clean screens and awnings
clean windows (a big job, since we have to remove each pane to clean out goop thats caught in between the glass) and re-seal windows (another big job)
replace toilet (also, were debating whether to redo the entire bathroom)
paint (we plan to paint the cabinets and fridge as well)
replace the current linoleum tile with wood flooring
pressure wash, buff and detail the outside
sew curtains (lots of work, as i'll be replacing most of the broken roll-top closure cabinets with curtains in addition to window curtains).
furnish and decorate
down the road we hope to replace the missing screen door and patio awning.
our list is a little daunting, but do-able. we've been working steadily each weekend so far.
