To install any distorted/flexible shape such as an Airstream body on to a floor base, you fix upright guides into place that, as you lower the body shell, align the body with the base and it drops gradually into place as you tweak the shape into place.
I once bought a used riveted aluminum boat and realized quickly that I asked for trouble. Hours and hours researching and working on the boat. Sold it after fixing it properly. What a learning experience!
I wanted a Gregor Aluminum fishing boat, with their alumaweld process, after looking at cheap, always leaking Valco riveted aluminum boats. Much more expensive, but worth every penny as it aged, there was no putty hardening and falling out around every rivet hole causing slow leaks and constant bucketing of water out of the bottom of the boat. Glad I spent the extra money for a welded hull. Valco's that get aged are leaky junk.
@@feloniousmonk3049 yeah that’s the way to go if you can afford it. I wish I could afford a good TIG welder, I’ve always wanted to buy some aluminum sheet and build my own boat. A catamaran type hull would be cool, since they’re super stable. A Flat bottom would be way easier to build though. Oh well, a man can dream right? A man can dream.
OMG! I rebuilt a 1978 Airstream for a client, and it was, without exception, the most difficult building project I have ever done. Every day was a new challenge. The floor and frame were rotted out and had to be completely rebuilt. When I finally got around to rebuilding the interior, I found that no two corners were the same. So creating a pattern for the aluminum or cabinets that I could transfer to the other side didn't work. In the end the project came out great and client was very happy. Would I do it again? Only if I had a very large shop, and there were no money concerns. One last thing to anyone looking to buy a used Airstream. They all leak! And that water goes into the belly pan, it gets caught in the insulation and rots the metal frame and wood floor. Good luck.
As a metal fabricator with 40 years in the business and all the appropriate tools and shop, I say kudos to you both! Great job! You will learn more as you go. One step forward and two back only add to your knowledge bank. Fantastic!
@@GrayRaceCat no, he meant what he said. I'm a welder and anytime somebody has me work on there off-road rig. It's always one step forward two steps back.
That is the thing I ask often when I hear unqualified talk and shake soft hands and can't see any body tension : You do or someone else does? The architects also say I build a house, I take this as the bigger offense as he should know the basic mechanics as force multiplied by distance, etc...The quickest way to ruin yourself in the first few words.
Yup same thing with people saying they are "building a house". When all they actually did was decide where the house they paid for will be built. In most case an architect designed it for them form A-Z and tradesmen did everything except for painting in some cases.
My husband and I did this was a 34ft Silver Streak and your video makes me want to do it all again for some reason 🤣 And you're absolutely right about it being so hard for perfectionists! Hope you're enjoying every minute of your build!
I'm working on a 34' silver streak right now! A 1968 Continental Supreme. Silver Streaks are soooooo much easier than Airstreams to restore because, even though the trailer is about the same weight, the frame is significantly stronger. Airstreams get their strength from the shell. Silver Streaks from the frame. So no popped rivets after a long trip. And you can't polish them because they're hard anodized. Easy to maintain! They're a little weird in some ways, but silver streaks are just awesome. :)
Use the non permanent marker to draw on top of the permanent one and it will erase it! Great video love your way of sharing your mistakes and not just editing them out.
This video is the story of the last year of my life. 1976 Argosy 24. Multiple times considered ditching it. Still not finished but we’ve just had it out on a first trip with just beds and a bathroom and I’m so happy we kept it.
It is unfair to make it seem like this is just an Airstream problem, it is a problem with all campers. I owned an Airstream and other campers, the all have the same aging problems. If anything, the Airstream held better then my other campers, the reason is they are extremely well made.
No, Airstreams are actually extremely light weight, made for towing, NOT durability. Let's not talk about the formed plastic interiors. About the only rebuildable aluminum campers are Boles Aero and Silver Streaks,
It would be better to say, you can run into simillar problems with aluminium in any trailer, but its obviosuly the more traditional the materials the easier, and the more traditional the original build the easier. If its aluminium but has 4 walls and a roof, you will find it easier than a single body construction.
Thank you for creating and posting this video!! I'm all for the nostalgia of an Airstream, but after watching and hearing your experience with one, a cargo trailer conversion has never looked so good to me. Congrats on your patience and perseverance.
All looks to be typical restoration work, once the “one in a row” is complete you will have new skills for air streams that if you do it again will be very rewarding, finding it difficult and that few people do it becomes an opportunity to have a market largely your own. Excellent work keep it up
If you're not able to get the Airstream out of the shop just let some air out of the tires, maybe it will help just enough to get it out. Good to see a full build from the ground up.
And if THAT isn't enough, removing the tires and sitting the brake drums on a set of Harbor Freight auto dollies absolutely will. Don't ask how I know. 😁
But don't let the air out until you've rolled the trailer really close to the door, it'll be much harder to pull by hand without air, and if you want, you can use a vehicle to drag it thru the door. You can also use a rope to pull the garage door back to the rear farther, or a 2x4 or something similar to push and prop the door up higher, might have to disengage the door from the bar with the red handled release that's common on such doors. Rope will work best in that instance, keep the door from rolling forward just in case.
When trying to line up rivet holes you need a forest of Cleco fasteners to pre align the holes then remove one at a time and replace with permanent rivets. That's how it would be done building aircraft.
Indeed, that's the way its been done for over 100 years now. Airframe mechanics often carry buckets of Cleco's along with multiple awls/pins for alignment with them since the only hole without one should be the one your currently setting a rivet in. First you massage the entire joint with the awls to get every rivet hole set with a Cleco before you remove the Cleco's one at a time to replace them with rivets being sure to completely seal the skin to the frame along with each individual rivet. An accurate interior template for the wall flange placement to ensure perfect alignment of the flange after rebuilding the platform is a critical step that will cause you much grief if skipped. It's a given that all apertures for windows, doors, vents, etc will need to be flanged to support the fixture and provide for attachment of the interior skin. They should be aluminum frames preferably TIG welded at their joints and not made of wood. They can also be low temp aluminum brazed using a plumbers torch and aluminum rods available at Harbor Freight or on-line if you don't have access to TIG equipment. Also be sure to use the correct spec Vulkem Adhesive Caulking on everything. Airstream has made a lot of improvement in these caulks to better insure water does not leak inbetween the skins and frames. A lot of damage from leaks is unfortunately due to owners failing to regularly inspect and perform maintenance on caulking especially around apertures or when repairing damaged areas. That "A stitch in time saves nine" adage holds quite true here. The axle if not rotted out is usually totally rebuild-able. A wheel bearing that has not been greased correctly is a cheap and easy replacement job compared to replacing the entire axle. I would have been more concerned about atrophy of the frame itself from exposure to road salt. I recently had to weld in new steel to repair a compromised trailer frame and its not an impossible job. Requires some love with an angle grinder with a wire cup brush on it. Follow up with OsPho to change any residual rust (even what you can't see) into Iron Phosphate before etching and urethane priming. As for the lugs backwards... what can one say except oops! Best!
at 10:17 - lug nuts were put on backwards and tightened with impact wrench backwards - the tapered end goes in to center the wheel perfectly. If you haven't corrected this already, flip the lugs around.
In the future, save yourselves about $1300 by learning to repack wheel bearings and replace/adjust your own trailer brakes. It's a messy job, but well worth it. The only axles I've ever replaced were ones that had sheared the hubs clean off from overloading.
Two years before retiring I decided to do my 3rd boat build and build a trailerable houseboat. It's been 6 years and just had it out for the first time with a motor. I would see small houseboats that needed work that I could pick up cheap but each time I decided it would be cheaper to build from scratch to have what I really wanted in a boat. I also realize that this is something that I will enjoy but be able to sell. My grandson wants it, so it will be his someday if I don't wear it out.
What is really cool about a project like this is that its is yours. No one will have one like it and you can honestly say You know what went into it, and how to fix it if there is an issue. Seriously tedious work, seriously hard and frustrating work, but when it is done, it can be so fulfilling.
When I was a little girl (1950's I know I'm old lol) It was my grandparents dream to own an Airstream. They went camping alot and our family sometimes went with them. Good memories. Thanks for the reminder.
LOVE this. I redid an airstream in my driveway...except for getting the floor "redone" which I hired a guy in Georgia to do because I did not have a TALL ceiling or high door in the shop. It was alot of fun and I learned so much. I enjoyed understanding the craftsmanship that went into building these, as i de-constructed it. Rebuilding it gave me lots of opportunities to do some craftsmanship, myself.
My dad and I are restoring an airstream and I'd say as long as you are somewhat mechanically inclined and know how to do basic interior design it's easy. Also with the airstream we have, we ripped the floor out and fixed up the frame and then put the new floor in. None of the whole lifting the entire shell from the body.
Give you a hint if you ever do a second one, when you are dropping the aluminum shell rivet on some flat pieces of metal to the base and bend them to the inside. When you drop the shell these will act as guides to force the aluminum to go around the base. once the shell has been placed drill out the rivet and remove the flat pieces of metal.
Love your work! I’m an old Medicade hippy and built a hippy van back in the late 60’s! Loved working on it and it was a real catcher from the start. A couple of years ago I restored an old can ham trailer and sure it was a pain but in the end it was a fun project. I now own a 1978 Wanderlodge by Bluebird with a very rear door! I have come full circle in my ventures in vintage rigs. Building a home on wheel is an adventure but it also a fun adventure to put your created juices to fulfill a fun adventure. My motor home weighs in at 14 tons but it vintage and I love it!
You both saves a beautiful piece of art. Thank you for sharing! We bought a 1999 Bambi in 2000 and she is still bringing us many wonderful memories. She feels like a family member 🥹 over the years we replaced the carpet with linoleum, the mouse fur with shiny new aluminum and recessed lighting, new axle, 16” rims and tires, new 30lb tanks and she is beautiful! Cant wait for your next video
Interesting way to install lug nuts (10:22). It would appear they are installed upside down (inside out?) with the taper facing out. I know nothing about Airstreams, but I have changed a lot of tires in my lifetime and have never seen this before.
I haven't failed.. was just really surprised by the condition of it. I wasn't anticipating having to remove the shell but I have and am getting ready to put it back together (done 95% of it by myself). I'm just a bit slower but still cracking along and waiting for my new axles. You can follow along if you want!
Sorry for coming to that conclusion I think that clip was pulled before seeing your more recent videos. You're killing it, best of luck with the rest of your journey! 🔥
This was great to watch. My wife and I built a camper and it was the funniest and most rewarding thing we have done together. Ok maybe not the funniest but you know what I mean. I hope all is going well for you guys.
Not just Airstreams but all trailer RV's are not in demand for restoring or renovating in general. But you guys did a great job with this one. Thank you for sharing this, I enjoyed it very much.
Part of the problem of trailer RV restoration/renovation is that the age of the trailer may prevent you from being able to go into some RV parks. Some parks won’t take you, if your trailer is beyond a certain year. I was watching a reno of a vintage trailer, and it was beautifully restored. Until that creator commented about the restrictions, I had no idea about this issue. The comments were peppered with stories of the difficulties that others had faced with the same situation. Airstreams seem to be exempt from this, I think due to construction and their appealing appearance.
Just buying a new 21 ft travel trailer and all that I had to fix on it, as a general contractor, before everything worked correctly, was an eye opener. Best day of my life was the day I sold it. Too much money for not enough use. It's a very, very expensive toy.
Its a labor of love. Both of you are in inspiration of learning while gaining so much experience than before you started. We used to live in an 31' Airstream back in the early 80's. Little by little everything broke down until we moved out. Now being eaten up with both mold and rust. I think it's a Sovereign or Excella model. A full restoration estimate is still cheaper than a new one. Just don't have the resources, tools, or time to complete the task.
I renovated a 1964 Airstream Overlander (26 ft) to the extent that you did (new subfloor, new axles, stripped to the outer shell, etc) and I would never have undertaken the project if I had any notion of what would be involved
Mad respect for both of you getting out of your comfort zone and doing something new. We need more of this in our country! This was a very riveting video! ;)
wow!! good for you guys, my first build was an airstream conversion to a food truck!! that was an experience, I now work at the shop that i built it in and we do service vehicle fitouts!!(better than being a chef!!), we always frame our vents with wood no matter what the vehicle it just helps with any movement, we tried being fancy and framing with metal b ut it was too rigid and caused leaks.
Great work guys! I’m working on one too and it is very hard work, frustrating, and yep, you’re right it will never be absolutely perfect, but when you’re done you will be able to stand back and see that all the time, effort and money is well worth it. I’ve not finished yet but already it’s looking great! Keep going you will be fine!
It would seem that adding some cross braces closer to the bottom when pulling it apart would help keep the geometry, as you found aluminum loves to flex, makes you play wak a mole as you did trying to get it fit. Radius sections will be a pain in ass regardless. Great vid thanks
Good job, keep it up! By the way, the lug nuts go on taper side against the wheel. That way they center the wheel around each axle bolt. Also, if you look at the wheel you'll see there is a taper around each hole.
You prove that there's hope for the youth of this country! And as a Airstream Excella owner I'm very proud of both of you! 👏👍❤️ P.S. the 2nd one will be easier!
"You prove that there's hope for the youth of this country!" I would love to know what motivates people to say this. Do you have some ridiculous view of other youth, because the problem of todays youth is not them, its the old men and woman in power who don't care about them while acting as if they do while also bblamingthem for issues they didn't create or contribute to.
Boat refitters experience similar issues. If one intends to take a boat down to the hull, it is important to stabilize the shape of the hull before removing the top cap and supporting structure keeping in mind that said stability needs to be maintained in three dimensions. Good for them for persistence and overcoming the issue. I suspect most would have scrapped the project.
In the future instead of wood to hold the shell open, use an adjustable support bar. It will allow you to twist the shell into place. After that it's all just patience and a good time. I'd add some respirators and ear protection as well.
You put the wheel nuts around the wrong way, the angled part goes to the wheel side to correctly line up the wheel on the hub putting them the other way will put the wheels off balance
Girl you crack me up!! What upsets me is that people actually abandon/neglect and let Air Streams get that bad off in the first place. Just wrong!! Man the price of new ones is ridonkulous!!! Perseverance pays off. It's gonna be awesome.
Haha 🤪 Considering we pretty much paid for just an aluminum shell the price of old one is pretty overpriced too 🙉 but you're right, definitely will be a lot better off in the end I think!
RUclipsr: says its hard to find experienced people and information about restoring Airstreams. Me: finds almost 10 different companies after a 2 second google search.
I'm a career aircraft structure & sheet metal guy who has never, until today, seen solid-shank rivets, a rivet gun, bucking bars and clecos being used on anything except an airplane! Very cool!
Kels. Your previous video on your road trip has inspired me to book a trip to Portugal on my own and not hiring a car. I will be catching bus and train 😊
What really pains me is the loss of skills that should have been handed down from generation to generation. Watching you struggle with this gave me gripes as I know firsthand the dangers of little knowledge especially when working with ally. I was a sheet metal worker for many years and on occasion we had to build a shell from aluminium/aluminum who cares, it can be a right pain to deal with, if it stretches or shrinks in some way the knowledge and tools required are beyond the average diy'er. I am glad that there are still some people in this world that take the time to learn things that are sadly lost to the new generation.
Thank you for the video. Looks like it might be easier to build from scratch than to refurbish. A couple of buddies and I built a trailer when I was in college and it was less stressful.
Lighten up! These things were built with the technology of the 1930's and you expected better? Nostalgia is all that you can use to keep going on something like this. I'm an octogenarian and remember when these were the absolutely "cat's ass" as we called them. Our family did not have one, but often wished we did. Best of luck!
Hi that lift kit you added will affect the handling characteristics for the worse trust me. Good luck and don't add more weight than original GVW AND PUT THINGS IN THE SAME LOCATIONS and the same weight if possible.
I've had a dream of one day having a huge loft style apartment with an Airstream as a bedroom. For that it wouldn't need to be road-worthy and you wouldn't need all the camper functions. Of course I can't afford such a thing but you're fueling the dream.
I love my 1960 airstream. I live full-time off-grid in the middle of nowhere in mine. I'm lucky, it doesn't leak and the floor is solid. I took out the twin beds and had a shelf built over the wheels. I also took out the kitchen, made the front couch into a bed. I don't have running water, so am using a Berky which fills a nice copper water dispenser and haul my water in and I have a composting toilet. I wanted everything simple so I don't have to worry about frozen pipes.I power with solar and currently cook and heat with propane. I'm hoping to eventually have enough solar for that too, but it's expensive.I have shelves lining both walls,the windows are full of micro and baby greens. I bought a bed for the dogs that is basically my living room floor. They are big dogs so they need a big bed. It keeps the floor so warm, I live in the high Sierras in Arizona where it gets cold. It doesn't look at all like an Airstream inside with the sleeping bags and tapestries covering the walls and ceiling. It looks more like a tent inside and after I did this I cut my heating bill in half and I didn't lose any inside space. My friends were shocked at how warm and cozy it is. I've been living in it now for four years and will never go back to a sticks and bricks house
There are not many videos out there - what the heck. Your video is just gorgeous showing how to and in parallel what not is better than anything else that might be found. After all you made it and have every reason to be proud of it. I believe it is better done, than if a repair shop would have made it…
My lady and I got a 1992 Toyota Dolphin for 20k. Engine was good but they previous owner hid lots of water damage. We have got the overhead cab built and now we have to redo the bathroom. You will never love a new one the way you love one you had to gut and remake from the ground up. Kudos to you two . Cute couple.
You cannot embark on a journey like this if you don't have the knowledge, the tools and the resources. People think that rebuilds and renovations is like watching a video on youtube and maybe this mentality is the cause of their frustration! Nice work guys!
"We started to visualize our Airstream when it's done. And when it's our HOME." ...right... you have a shop where you fix stuff and I suppose you have nowhere you live but this upcoming trailer project... so cute...
Glad to see that people are discovering Cleco's temporary, aligning fasteners. Not long out of high school, to earn money for college, I worked over 2000 hours in just seven months at Boeing's Everett, WA assembly plant for the then-new 747 aircraft. It has amazed me over the decades since then to observe how few industries outside of aviation seemed to even be aware of that fine product. Sadly, while I purchased some, I never bought enough Clecos while Boeing still operated a surplus outlet in Kent, WA. I guess such small items now go to the scrap vendors--what a shame!
Seems like it would've been easier to do the axle replacement when you had the trailer stripped all the way down? That said. What a great job you're doing on this beauty.
Amazing work. The lug nuts are on backwards. Sadly I know this from experience.
😂😂 haha thank you!! He went back and switched them 😂
That taper helps keep the wheel centered
I saw that too!
OMG! 😳 If you don't know how lug nuts work, you got absolutely no business working on any kind of vehicle or camper! 🥴
Glad I was not the only one to notice that.
To install any distorted/flexible shape such as an Airstream body on to a floor base, you fix upright guides into place that, as you lower the body shell, align the body with the base and it drops gradually into place as you tweak the shape into place.
Shoe horns.
just what I was thinking
Brace the body internally to hold it straight. It will then fit the chassis. It’s a method often used when restoring heavily rusted classic cars.
funnels or shy even wooden rulers,
What about you put x braces up in shell before you remove it from the chassis so it holds its shape
"This is a really bad idea generally, but we're gonna do it anyway because we wanna"
Love that energy guys.
I used to think RUclipsrs felt like that... now its just about the clicks, views and getting paid for commercials... shame
@@jp3eku exactly its more like "its a bad idea, but we think the clicks will more than make up for it and maybe pay for the whole thing".
@@jp3eku algorithm overlords have spoketh. Many become slaves to AI but the mankings will prevail.
Why don't recycling companies do this on our tax money instead of paying police to invent crimes that used to never exist...
The first thing you need when tackling a project like this is youthful exuberance.
That's what she said.
Lol. I'm pretty sure the first thing you need is a plan
why do females do these things half naked?
More like youthful inexperience with tools.
money. You need money first. And time. Youthful exuberance is down the list.
I once bought a used riveted aluminum boat and realized quickly that I asked for trouble. Hours and hours researching and working on the boat. Sold it after fixing it properly. What a learning experience!
Put 300+ rivets in a aluminum rowboat last year. Fun and loud! (no and yes).
I wanted a Gregor Aluminum fishing boat, with their alumaweld process, after looking at cheap, always leaking Valco riveted aluminum boats. Much more expensive, but worth every penny as it aged, there was no putty hardening and falling out around every rivet hole causing slow leaks and constant bucketing of water out of the bottom of the boat. Glad I spent the extra money for a welded hull. Valco's that get aged are leaky junk.
@@feloniousmonk3049 yeah that’s the way to go if you can afford it. I wish I could afford a good TIG welder, I’ve always wanted to buy some aluminum sheet and build my own boat. A catamaran type hull would be cool, since they’re super stable. A Flat bottom would be way easier to build though. Oh well, a man can dream right? A man can dream.
OMG! I rebuilt a 1978 Airstream for a client, and it was, without exception, the most difficult building project I have ever done. Every day was a new challenge. The floor and frame were rotted out and had to be completely rebuilt. When I finally got around to rebuilding the interior, I found that no two corners were the same. So creating a pattern for the aluminum or cabinets that I could transfer to the other side didn't work. In the end the project came out great and client was very happy. Would I do it again? Only if I had a very large shop, and there were no money concerns. One last thing to anyone looking to buy a used Airstream. They all leak! And that water goes into the belly pan, it gets caught in the insulation and rots the metal frame and wood floor. Good luck.
As a metal fabricator with 40 years in the business and all the appropriate tools and shop, I say kudos to you both! Great job! You will learn more as you go. One step forward and two back only add to your knowledge bank. Fantastic!
I hope you meant "two steps forward, one step back"!
@@GrayRaceCat no, he meant what he said. I'm a welder and anytime somebody has me work on there off-road rig. It's always one step forward two steps back.
@@PapaThiccc So you are saying it's a bad thing? Nothing is learned or gained by doing it?
@@GrayRaceCat This part: " ... only add to your knowledge bank. Fantastic!"
Not comforting advice, but true from my own experience.
Rich people "renovate" Airstreams. When they say "we're renovating an Airstream", what they mean is "someone else is renovating an Airstream for us".
That is the thing I ask often when I hear unqualified talk and shake soft hands and can't see any body tension : You do or someone else does? The architects also say I build a house, I take this as the bigger offense as he should know the basic mechanics as force multiplied by distance, etc...The quickest way to ruin yourself in the first few words.
Yup same thing with people saying they are "building a house". When all they actually did was decide where the house they paid for will be built. In most case an architect designed it for them form A-Z and tradesmen did everything except for painting in some cases.
@@jorsm.3893The house wouldn’t have happened without the person who wanted it and paid for it. Stay mad bud
@@Alexius1Komnenos Haha wow what an insight. As if that contradicts or contributes anything to what I said "bud".
@@jorsm.3893 my reply was not @ you, bud
My husband and I did this was a 34ft Silver Streak and your video makes me want to do it all again for some reason 🤣 And you're absolutely right about it being so hard for perfectionists! Hope you're enjoying every minute of your build!
Yep sleeping in my 34 Silver Steak that i did that to it 10 years ago. Took a long time but got it done.
I'm working on a 34' silver streak right now! A 1968 Continental Supreme.
Silver Streaks are soooooo much easier than Airstreams to restore because, even though the trailer is about the same weight, the frame is significantly stronger.
Airstreams get their strength from the shell. Silver Streaks from the frame. So no popped rivets after a long trip.
And you can't polish them because they're hard anodized. Easy to maintain!
They're a little weird in some ways, but silver streaks are just awesome. :)
Only because you have a good husband and he has a good wife; spending time together on something difficult and questionable is still enjoyable.
Use the non permanent marker to draw on top of the permanent one and it will erase it! Great video love your way of sharing your mistakes and not just editing them out.
This video is the story of the last year of my life. 1976 Argosy 24. Multiple times considered ditching it. Still not finished but we’ve just had it out on a first trip with just beds and a bathroom and I’m so happy we kept it.
Hello 👋 how are you doing today??
Hoping that you meant to say "the previous year of my life" 😮❤
@jessicadoench: RIP.
It is unfair to make it seem like this is just an Airstream problem, it is a problem with all campers. I owned an Airstream and other campers, the all have the same aging problems. If anything, the Airstream held better then my other campers, the reason is they are extremely well made.
only difference with an airstream is the interior
No, Airstreams are actually extremely light weight, made for towing, NOT durability. Let's not talk about the formed plastic interiors. About the only rebuildable aluminum campers are Boles Aero and Silver Streaks,
It would be better to say, you can run into simillar problems with aluminium in any trailer, but its obviosuly the more traditional the materials the easier, and the more traditional the original build the easier. If its aluminium but has 4 walls and a roof, you will find it easier than a single body construction.
Dude, no. We were talking about DIY renovation of a trailer. Airstream helping you maintain it as is-is dodging the issue.
Airstream are stronger than most, which are mainly wood.
“When you don’t know what you are doing, it can become extremely paralyzing” - well put and so true. Great job pushing through!
Thank you for creating and posting this video!!
I'm all for the nostalgia of an Airstream, but after watching and hearing your experience with one, a cargo trailer conversion has never looked so good to me.
Congrats on your patience and perseverance.
All looks to be typical restoration work, once the “one in a row” is complete you will have new skills for air streams that if you do it again will be very rewarding, finding it difficult and that few people do it becomes an opportunity to have a market largely your own. Excellent work keep it up
My friend spent 5 years restoring an airstream and it is absolutely beautiful. He can fix anything. His interior build is a masterpiece.
If you're not able to get the Airstream out of the shop just let some air out of the tires, maybe it will help just enough to get it out. Good to see a full build from the ground up.
And if THAT isn't enough, removing the tires and sitting the brake drums on a set of Harbor Freight auto dollies absolutely will.
Don't ask how I know. 😁
But don't let the air out until you've rolled the trailer really close to the door, it'll be much harder to pull by hand without air, and if you want, you can use a vehicle to drag it thru the door. You can also use a rope to pull the garage door back to the rear farther, or a 2x4 or something similar to push and prop the door up higher, might have to disengage the door from the bar with the red handled release that's common on such doors. Rope will work best in that instance, keep the door from rolling forward just in case.
Take the wheels off and put some piano dollies under it.
@Neisan 'ōkurī You are right!
Had a neighbor construct a private plane in a room of their 2nd story house. Had to remove the front wall to get it out.
When trying to line up rivet holes you need a forest of Cleco fasteners to pre align the holes then remove one at a time and replace with permanent rivets. That's how it would be done building aircraft.
Indeed, that's the way its been done for over 100 years now. Airframe mechanics often carry buckets of Cleco's along with multiple awls/pins for alignment with them since the only hole without one should be the one your currently setting a rivet in. First you massage the entire joint with the awls to get every rivet hole set with a Cleco before you remove the Cleco's one at a time to replace them with rivets being sure to completely seal the skin to the frame along with each individual rivet.
An accurate interior template for the wall flange placement to ensure perfect alignment of the flange after rebuilding the platform is a critical step that will cause you much grief if skipped.
It's a given that all apertures for windows, doors, vents, etc will need to be flanged to support the fixture and provide for attachment of the interior skin. They should be aluminum frames preferably TIG welded at their joints and not made of wood. They can also be low temp aluminum brazed using a plumbers torch and aluminum rods available at Harbor Freight or on-line if you don't have access to TIG equipment.
Also be sure to use the correct spec Vulkem Adhesive Caulking on everything. Airstream has made a lot of improvement in these caulks to better insure water does not leak inbetween the skins and frames. A lot of damage from leaks is unfortunately due to owners failing to regularly inspect and perform maintenance on caulking especially around apertures or when repairing damaged areas. That "A stitch in time saves nine" adage holds quite true here.
The axle if not rotted out is usually totally rebuild-able. A wheel bearing that has not been greased correctly is a cheap and easy replacement job compared to replacing the entire axle. I would have been more concerned about atrophy of the frame itself from exposure to road salt. I recently had to weld in new steel to repair a compromised trailer frame and its not an impossible job. Requires some love with an angle grinder with a wire cup brush on it. Follow up with OsPho to change any residual rust (even what you can't see) into Iron Phosphate before etching and urethane priming.
As for the lugs backwards... what can one say except oops!
Best!
at 10:17 - lug nuts were put on backwards and tightened with impact wrench backwards - the tapered end goes in to center the wheel perfectly. If you haven't corrected this already, flip the lugs around.
hope you saw it. you put the nuts on wrong
Yep. I see people do this all the time.
Camera setup reversed
You should have mentioned that it is very dangerous if they don't. There are many case where accidents and deaths have occurred because of this.
@@vintagebikes4215 LOL!
In the future, save yourselves about $1300 by learning to repack wheel bearings and replace/adjust your own trailer brakes. It's a messy job, but well worth it. The only axles I've ever replaced were ones that had sheared the hubs clean off from overloading.
Two years before retiring I decided to do my 3rd boat build and build a trailerable houseboat. It's been 6 years and just had it out for the first time with a motor. I would see small houseboats that needed work that I could pick up cheap but each time I decided it would be cheaper to build from scratch to have what I really wanted in a boat. I also realize that this is something that I will enjoy but be able to sell. My grandson wants it, so it will be his someday if I don't wear it out.
What is really cool about a project like this is that its is yours. No one will have one like it and you can honestly say You know what went into it, and how to fix it if there is an issue. Seriously tedious work, seriously hard and frustrating work, but when it is done, it can be so fulfilling.
When I was a little girl (1950's I know I'm old lol) It was my grandparents dream to own an Airstream. They went camping alot and our family sometimes went with them. Good memories. Thanks for the reminder.
LOVE this. I redid an airstream in my driveway...except for getting the floor "redone" which I hired a guy in Georgia to do because I did not have a TALL ceiling or high door in the shop. It was alot of fun and I learned so much. I enjoyed understanding the craftsmanship that went into building these, as i de-constructed it. Rebuilding it gave me lots of opportunities to do some craftsmanship, myself.
It easy to see why few people would want to restore an airstream,it’s basically like a boat with wheels everything has curves!
Curves EVERYWHERE!!!
You are cutting an aircraft in half horizontally. You need the same tools airframe mechanics use.
Getting a water tight seal takes skill.
Aircraft is the proper analogy here.
I'm sure the factory had templates to make things easier. You are just having to do it the hard way.
My dad and I are restoring an airstream and I'd say as long as you are somewhat mechanically inclined and know how to do basic interior design it's easy. Also with the airstream we have, we ripped the floor out and fixed up the frame and then put the new floor in. None of the whole lifting the entire shell from the body.
How did it go? Do you have air compressor? Riveted the whole shell on? Was it expensive axle?
Omg $1500 for axle?!! I’m out 😮
Give you a hint if you ever do a second one, when you are dropping the aluminum shell rivet on some flat pieces of metal to the base and bend them to the inside. When you drop the shell these will act as guides to force the aluminum to go around the base. once the shell has been placed drill out the rivet and remove the flat pieces of metal.
I reckon you would want to also use aluminium for those guides too? Steel on aluminium may damage the aluminium shell.
They are only temporary he’s saying… no worries
Smart man. I’ll be doing that soon.
Love your work! I’m an old Medicade hippy and built a hippy van back in the late 60’s! Loved working on it and it was a real catcher from the start. A couple of years ago I restored an old can ham trailer and sure it was a pain but in the end it was a fun project. I now own a 1978 Wanderlodge by Bluebird with a very rear door! I have come full circle in my ventures in vintage rigs. Building a home on wheel is an adventure but it also a fun adventure to put your created juices to fulfill a fun adventure. My motor home weighs in at 14 tons but it vintage and I love it!
You both saves a beautiful piece of art. Thank you for sharing! We bought a 1999 Bambi in 2000 and she is still bringing us many wonderful memories. She feels like a family member 🥹 over the years we replaced the carpet with linoleum, the mouse fur with shiny new aluminum and recessed lighting, new axle, 16” rims and tires, new 30lb tanks and she is beautiful! Cant wait for your next video
It sounds like she's a beauty!! Thanks Joe, appreciate that 😊
You are proud of getting rid of carpet for linoleum?
Interesting way to install lug nuts (10:22). It would appear they are installed upside down (inside out?) with the taper facing out. I know nothing about Airstreams, but I have changed a lot of tires in my lifetime and have never seen this before.
Noticed that too. Please spin those lug nuts 180 degrees!
Certain tires use flat lug nuts, but they won't be on this. They are on backwards.
I haven't failed.. was just really surprised by the condition of it. I wasn't anticipating having to remove the shell but I have and am getting ready to put it back together (done 95% of it by myself). I'm just a bit slower but still cracking along and waiting for my new axles. You can follow along if you want!
Sorry for coming to that conclusion I think that clip was pulled before seeing your more recent videos. You're killing it, best of luck with the rest of your journey! 🔥
This was great to watch. My wife and I built a camper and it was the funniest and most rewarding thing we have done together. Ok maybe not the funniest but you know what I mean. I hope all is going well for you guys.
Not just Airstreams but all trailer RV's are not in demand for restoring or renovating in general.
But you guys did a great job with this one. Thank you for sharing this, I enjoyed it very much.
Part of the problem of trailer RV restoration/renovation is that the age of the trailer may prevent you from being able to go into some RV parks. Some parks won’t take you, if your trailer is beyond a certain year. I was watching a reno of a vintage trailer, and it was beautifully restored. Until that creator commented about the restrictions, I had no idea about this issue. The comments were peppered with stories of the difficulties that others had faced with the same situation.
Airstreams seem to be exempt from this, I think due to construction and their appealing appearance.
Just buying a new 21 ft travel trailer and all that I had to fix on it, as a general contractor, before everything worked correctly, was an eye opener. Best day of my life was the day I sold it. Too much money for not enough use. It's a very, very expensive toy.
Ace job.
They were all hand crafted at the time so no two were the exactly the same.
Such a beautiful 'van.
Its a labor of love. Both of you are in inspiration of learning while gaining so much experience than before you started. We used to live in an 31' Airstream back in the early 80's. Little by little everything broke down until we moved out. Now being eaten up with both mold and rust. I think it's a Sovereign or Excella model. A full restoration estimate is still cheaper than a new one. Just don't have the resources, tools, or time to complete the task.
you still have it after all that time? awesome
@@urbanitesgarage3299 My sister is keeping it.
I renovated a 1964 Airstream Overlander (26 ft) to the extent that you did (new subfloor, new axles, stripped to the outer shell, etc) and I would never have undertaken the project if I had any notion of what would be involved
Mad respect for both of you getting out of your comfort zone and doing something new. We need more of this in our country!
This was a very riveting video! ;)
Hello 👋 how are you doing today??
I just avoided major frustration by watching this well done, funny clip. My therapist thanks you.
wow!! good for you guys, my first build was an airstream conversion to a food truck!! that was an experience, I now work at the shop that i built it in and we do service vehicle fitouts!!(better than being a chef!!), we always frame our vents with wood no matter what the vehicle it just helps with any movement, we tried being fancy and framing with metal b ut it was too rigid and caused leaks.
You both get along real well together and seem to enjoy working with each other.
Great work guys! I’m working on one too and it is very hard work, frustrating, and yep, you’re right it will never be absolutely perfect, but when you’re done you will be able to stand back and see that all the time, effort and money is well worth it. I’ve not finished yet but already it’s looking great! Keep going you will be fine!
Did you have tools like an air compressor? A big shop? don’t have that no
It would seem that adding some cross braces closer to the bottom when pulling it apart would help keep the geometry, as you found aluminum loves to flex, makes you play wak a mole as you did trying to get it fit. Radius sections will be a pain in ass regardless. Great vid thanks
I love the way you capture the process in your videos. It gives me the encouragement to get to work on my build when I'm doubting myself. Thanks!
Thanks Travis!! So glad it's helpful for you. You've got this 💪🏻
@@KelsAndJay
Was that the original base to it or a new one?
Airstreams make sense when you realize the industry was previously making planes for the war effort
I didn't know that, but I sure did recognize that bucking bar she was fiddling with. Thanks for the explanation
Yeah, I was an airframe guy in a former life, this was fun to see people figure out.
Good job, keep it up! By the way, the lug nuts go on taper side against the wheel. That way they center the wheel around each axle bolt. Also, if you look at the wheel you'll see there is a taper around each hole.
I just commented the same thing, then read your comment. "it takes a village" ;-)
Your alls attitude is just energizing. Courage,tenacity and being humble. It’s very badass!
You prove that there's hope for the youth of this country! And as a Airstream Excella owner I'm very proud of both of you! 👏👍❤️ P.S. the 2nd one will be easier!
Thank you for such kind words! We've already started talking about the next one 😂
They're in their 30s or 40s, the youth are still lazy and inept...keep worrying.
"You prove that there's hope for the youth of this country!" I would love to know what motivates people to say this. Do you have some ridiculous view of other youth, because the problem of todays youth is not them, its the old men and woman in power who don't care about them while acting as if they do while also bblamingthem for issues they didn't create or contribute to.
You raised crappy kids?
Boat refitters experience similar issues. If one intends to take a boat down to the hull, it is important to stabilize the shape of the hull before removing the top cap and supporting structure keeping in mind that said stability needs to be maintained in three dimensions.
Good for them for persistence and overcoming the issue. I suspect most would have scrapped the project.
airstreams are totally rebuildable. you guys did great. you're willing to put in the work because this is for you, not for money.
I used to think RUclipsrs felt like that... now its just about the clicks, views and getting paid for commercials... shame
i gutted and renoed a 1971 overlander... my god it took me a year of non stop work outside of my 40 hour work week. i didnt sleep.
In the future instead of wood to hold the shell open, use an adjustable support bar. It will allow you to twist the shell into place. After that it's all just patience and a good time. I'd add some respirators and ear protection as well.
I was thinking weld tubing like you do with cats when you pull the body off the floor pan
@@bigghouse101 Every cat I own runs when I spark up the TIG.
@Dog House lol
*Cars
@@bigghouse101 I figured but couldn't pass it by,Still makes me giggle
You two are amazing and I love Airstreams
"speciality tools" shows some basic tools that could be used for anything.
Was thinking the same thing, also seems slightly too pricy for what it seems to be…
And expensive versions too
Yeah you can use those on boats
Lol I have like 3 of each of those specialty tools shown 😅
@@mathehack1 you can use those tools on a lot of things, thats the point lol.
This is one of the most refreshing rebuild videos I have seen on RUclips. I love your style and humor. Well done!
You put the wheel nuts around the wrong way, the angled part goes to the wheel side to correctly line up the wheel on the hub putting them the other way will put the wheels off balance
We can sooo relate!! I especially appreciate the quick quips of humor slipped in that one might miss if not you're not paying attention! Hilarious!! 😝
This is incredible. How amazing to find someone to enjoy and master such a craft with!
Girl you crack me up!!
What upsets me is that people actually abandon/neglect and let Air Streams get that bad off in the first place. Just wrong!!
Man the price of new ones is ridonkulous!!!
Perseverance pays off. It's gonna be awesome.
Haha 🤪 Considering we pretty much paid for just an aluminum shell the price of old one is pretty overpriced too 🙉 but you're right, definitely will be a lot better off in the end I think!
Melanie and I met these two today in Escondido, CA! They pulled in with another vintage Airstream and it looked great and old. Wonderful folks!
RUclipsr: says its hard to find experienced people and information about restoring Airstreams. Me: finds almost 10 different companies after a 2 second google search.
I'm a career aircraft structure & sheet metal guy who has never, until today, seen solid-shank rivets, a rivet gun, bucking bars and clecos being used on anything except an airplane! Very cool!
Re: The 2x4 frame , I would have used pressure treated lumber as it will hold up to the elements better than regular 2x4s.
Yup pressure treated wood (2x's & panels) or paint both side and all cuts.
@@SegoMan painting wood is NOT the same as pressure treated lumber....
As someone who grew up running the woods in Michigan, I absolutely love this!!
Kels. Your previous video on your road trip has inspired me to book a trip to Portugal on my own and not hiring a car. I will be catching bus and train 😊
Aww that makes me so happy to hear. You'll have a blast 🥰
I have been waiting for a video like this for years. Thank you for creating and posting it.
What really pains me is the loss of skills that should have been handed down from generation to generation. Watching you struggle with this gave me gripes as I know firsthand the dangers of little knowledge especially when working with ally. I was a sheet metal worker for many years and on occasion we had to build a shell from aluminium/aluminum who cares, it can be a right pain to deal with, if it stretches or shrinks in some way the knowledge and tools required are beyond the average diy'er. I am glad that there are still some people in this world that take the time to learn things that are sadly lost to the new generation.
Alloy**
@alteredbeast1974 I think "ally" is an abbreviation for aluminum here.
Ive been living in an 85 Excella for 11 years. It was in good shape. I painted the interior. That was it. I love it.
Thank you for the video. Looks like it might be easier to build from scratch than to refurbish. A couple of buddies and I built a trailer when I was in college and it was less stressful.
Lighten up! These things were built with the technology of the 1930's and you expected better? Nostalgia is all that you can use to keep going on something like this. I'm an octogenarian and remember when these were the absolutely "cat's ass" as we called them. Our family did not have one, but often wished we did. Best of luck!
Great project! I did a GMC Motorhome, so think of adding all the propulsion components onto your build for additional complexity.
How did it come out?
Any skilled contractor can rebuild one of these easily and quickly. They're so easy to work with.
Hi that lift kit you added will affect the handling characteristics for the worse trust me. Good luck and don't add more weight than original GVW AND PUT THINGS IN THE SAME LOCATIONS and the same weight if possible.
Refreshing to see someone go against the grain in our throw away society. Nice work!
All you had to do was clean and regrease the wheel bearings and rebuild the brakes. not buy a new axel.
I love the humor in this video. It makes it so fun to watch!
Wait, you paid $40K for an old Airstream?? I think the picture is now complete of why Millennials can't afford anything.
I've had a dream of one day having a huge loft style apartment with an Airstream as a bedroom. For that it wouldn't need to be road-worthy and you wouldn't need all the camper functions. Of course I can't afford such a thing but you're fueling the dream.
I love my 1960 airstream. I live full-time off-grid in the middle of nowhere in mine. I'm lucky, it doesn't leak and the floor is solid. I took out the twin beds and had a shelf built over the wheels. I also took out the kitchen, made the front couch into a bed. I don't have running water, so am using a Berky which fills a nice copper water dispenser and haul my water in and I have a composting toilet. I wanted everything simple so I don't have to worry about frozen pipes.I power with solar and currently cook and heat with propane. I'm hoping to eventually have enough solar for that too, but it's expensive.I have shelves lining both walls,the windows are full of micro and baby greens. I bought a bed for the dogs that is basically my living room floor. They are big dogs so they need a big bed. It keeps the floor so warm, I live in the high Sierras in Arizona where it gets cold. It doesn't look at all like an Airstream inside with the sleeping bags and tapestries covering the walls and ceiling. It looks more like a tent inside and after I did this I cut my heating bill in half and I didn't lose any inside space. My friends were shocked at how warm and cozy it is. I've been living in it now for four years and will never go back to a sticks and bricks house
Never has the Airstream been so dramatized! Fascinating. So glad I've never engaged with one.
Hi Kel and Jay! We just bought a 54 y.o. 25 ft Airstream Tradewind!
So of course I had to find out how to make it better.😂. So glad for your work!
Guys you have the most fun video format for this kind of work out there! Beautiful work👌🏻
Only true love could survive such a project.
It’s the journey.. may you be blessed with watching these videos years from now saying remember when. :-) Keep it up!
Nothing beats maintaining a sense of humour of frustrating projects like this, well done.
I used to think RUclipsrs felt like that... now its just about the clicks, views and getting paid for commercials... shame
I worked with RV technicians for a decade as a warranty dude. I think your doing just great.
There are not many videos out there - what the heck.
Your video is just gorgeous showing how to and in parallel what not is better than anything else that might be found.
After all you made it and have every reason to be proud of it.
I believe it is better done, than if a repair shop would have made it…
Great script/monologue. Quite entertaining (and insightful)!
My lady and I got a 1992 Toyota Dolphin for 20k. Engine was good but they previous owner hid lots of water damage. We have got the overhead cab built and now we have to redo the bathroom. You will never love a new one the way you love one you had to gut and remake from the ground up. Kudos to you two . Cute couple.
The honesty of what you're gonna need to restore one.
Ohhh, and wanting it to be perfect. Or aesthetic....
Ooooh. I understand the feels!!🎉
You cannot embark on a journey like this if you don't have the knowledge, the tools and the resources.
People think that rebuilds and renovations is like watching a video on youtube and maybe this mentality is the cause of their frustration!
Nice work guys!
:53 you have a SHOP!!! That’s a huge factor! Most don’t have a workshop or ton of tools 🧰 🛠️ .
"We started to visualize our Airstream when it's done. And when it's our HOME."
...right... you have a shop where you fix stuff and I suppose you have nowhere you live but this upcoming trailer project... so cute...
❤ I love how you guys edited this sweet video about this cute camper,😅
My 1958 airstream is doing nicely. I’m not a purest restorer but is a fun project. I’ve been camping recently with plans to do more.
I just found you guys and thought this was going to be some paint and polishing. This is an insane renovation. I love it.
Glad to see that people are discovering Cleco's temporary, aligning fasteners. Not long out of high school, to earn money for college, I worked over 2000 hours in just seven months at Boeing's Everett, WA assembly plant for the then-new 747 aircraft. It has amazed me over the decades since then to observe how few industries outside of aviation seemed to even be aware of that fine product. Sadly, while I purchased some, I never bought enough Clecos while Boeing still operated a surplus outlet in Kent, WA. I guess such small items now go to the scrap vendors--what a shame!
I'm restoring a '74 right now, you are so right with nothing is going to be perfect.
Seems like it would've been easier to do the axle replacement when you had the trailer stripped all the way down? That said. What a great job you're doing on this beauty.
Thanks for sharing your struggle through the process.
Kels' sense of humor is awesome.