One of my favorite maxims (attributed to branding entrepreneur Steve Stoute) is, “Don’t let what you can’t do stop you from doing what you can.” I’d anticipated that my trailer would be with a contractor for at least a month or two, while tasks were completed that are not part of my skill set. So, last Spring I’d removed some of the original woodwork, window screen frames, and...
Continue readingUpdating a Vintage Airstream Electrical System
One of the key benefits of working with my new contractors, Paul & Éamon McMahon, is that both of them are very capable and have been available to work on the trailer in their spare time. So, to some degree I’ve been able to take advantage of their combined experience simultaneously. While Éamon was working to repair the chassis of my ’69 Airstream, Paul went to work updating...
Continue readingVintage Airstream Window Dressings (Pt. 1: Curtain Fabrication & Dry Fit)
Back in January, I was able to source and purchase fabrics for the upholstery & curtains for the Little Green Airstream: Finding someone who specializes in making curtains for vintage Airstreams meant that they would better understand the idiosyncrasies of these trailers’ interior construction, meaning less guesswork and a greater likelihood that they’d turn out right the first time. But conversely, my experience with custom work is that...
Continue readingNew Upholstery for a Vintage Airstream (Pt. 4 – Green to the Core)
Once I’d found fabric and an upholsterer to make the new cushions for my vintage Airstream, I needed to place an order for the cushion filling. The original cushions had been stuffed with polyurethane foam, which was still a relatively new material in 1969, the year my trailer was manufactured. Polyurethane foam was (and is) inexpensive to produce. When it hit the market in the late ’50’s, it...
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