So here are the photos and stats on our second personal re-build. This one is a 1976 Airstream Tradewind. We did a complete renovation from the frame up (body on). We finished the renovation in March of 2016 and took another epic family trip in August 2016!
When we purchased our ’76 Tradewind it was mostly all original and appeared to be in very good condition…given our experience with Airstream/Argosy renovations we have done, we knew to expect (and what is VERY common) that due to the normal “wear and tear” there were many places where tiny leaks in the seams of the shell and around windows etc resulted in areas of completely rotten subfloor and a rusted frame (this is almost always the case in vintage trailers, but can even occur in fairly new models as well). As we have done before, we wanted to be sure that our trailer was in tip top shape for our journey, which meant the only option was to repair and replace everything from the frame up. We are so happy we did this, as the trailer is even better than when it was brand new! Here’s a photo journal of this process:
- Dream Stream II aka The Deuce
- gaucho couch/bed
- removing old antenna
- rear gaucho and bath
- ripping it out!
- interior finishes removed
- Exposing the frame for repairs and rust removal
- Cutting out bolts…
- Cutting out bolts…
- Frame painted and new subfloor going in
- New subfloor and prepping for paint
- Prepping for paint (rear)
- Walls painted (front)
- Walls painted (rear)
- Bamboo floor in (front)
- Bamboo floor in (rear)
- Studying on cabinet layout
- Cabinets, etc in place (rear)
- Cabinets in place (front)
- Replacing axles
- Cabinets painted
- Pneumatic table stand going in
- Bed on right pulls out to a double
- Composting toilet
- Lots of storage under bed
- Desk extends kitchen counter space
- Dining table converts to double bed
- New stove/oven, hot water heater, water pump, inverter, etc
- Refurbished shower pan