When you’re doing any type of renovation, it’s important to determine what you can and cannot do, and what you’re willing to spend extra time learning to do yourself. When you consider the labor rates that contractors charge, you need to factor in their experience and the quality of their work. But it’s also advisable to consider what your own time is worth and whether or not that...
Continue readingWelding the A-frame on a Vintage Airstream
My next step was to address a problem with the frame of my Airstream. A couple of years ago when I’d first bought the trailer, I gave it a good cleaning and did a basic inventory of items that needed repair. One of the things I’d noticed was that the A-frame (consisting of the A-shaped steel members at the front of the trailer and the coupler that accepts...
Continue readingNew Upholstery for a Vintage Airstream (Pt. 5 – Installation)
I returned to North Carolina for a third time to help my family with a project, and was excited that by the end of my two week stay, my new Airstream cushions would finally be finished! I knew that before I made arrangements for their final pickup, I needed to touch base with the upholsterer to check on progress, review final pricing, and make a progress payment to...
Continue readingGetting Road Ready
My next move was to prepare the Airstream for a 5-to-6 hour drive upstate to professional restorer Colin Hyde. Colin had already placed an order for me for two new axles, and we’d discussed my bringing the trailer to him in early March to check out the systems & appliances and install my anti-sway hitch, among other things. But for the moment, my Trade Wind wasn’t technically “street...
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