New Upholstery for a Vintage Airstream (Pt. 3 – Choosing Materials)

I had already purchased some of the materials I needed for the Airstream’s seat cushions. I’d also asked my vendor to set aside some ivory-colored curtain material I liked, although I was later disappointed to learn that there wasn’t enough of it to do the job. I’d taken a calculated risk buying materials before checking with the upholsterer; if he needed more than I’d bought, I’d have to...

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New Upholstery for a Vintage Airstream (Pt. 2 – Out with the Old)

Back home in New York, I started working on the next steps to fabricate my new, eco-friendly trailer cushions. First, because I have two Airstreams – a ’69 Trade Wind and a Safari for parts – I’d ended up with two sets of 47-year-old cushions and only needed one, to give to the upholsterer for use as templates. Since the second set of cushions were by now moldy,...

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Holy Rollers

In his essay on peak oil, Future Scenarios, David Holmgren describes the American highway as, “the classic symbol of automobile dependence in the USA where personal mobility in private automotives consumes about 60% of total oil production and imports.” Knowing this, I realize that my plan to do a “green” renovation of a trailer must take into account the fact that it’s typically pulled by a vehicle that...

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