A glimpse into what it's like for our clients to work with us, seen through their eyes! Talented videographers Siya and Kristen vlogged and blogged the process of our first days together - and now they're off to work/travel while we build out their dream home on wheels. We cannot wait to get them back here in three months and show them their home for the very first time! Check it out their video right here - and check out Ellen's smile! She really does smile like that all the time.
Day One | Siya & Kristen's 1976 Sovereign
Kristen and Siya, standing in their Airstream home.
Siya and Kristen are world travelers and well-known YouTube personalities who vlog their travels, tips, and tricks. These two are nomads at their core, and have been living out of a suitcase since August (and much of the time prior!). They call Canada home, and will be traveling around Canada to celebrate their country's 150th Anniversary in - you guessed it - their new Airstream home, designed and renovated by us here at The Modern Caravan!
We've spent the last four days with this amazing couple, getting to know them and showing them the ropes of renovating, realizing how important it is for the folks we work with to lay their hands on their home and take part, even if small, in the work. Working alongside these guys has been so incredible, and I promise that's not just blog speak. There were a lot of laughs, lots of good food, some crazy long hours, supply ordering and picking up, and good conversation. We couldn't get over how hard these two work - we've never seen two people more willing and excited and ready to get their hands dirty. They dove right in without hesitation.
Ready for demo.
They arrived on Friday night after a long day of hauling through, as Siya called it, a monsoon. Their first big drive with their Airstream home, they arrived weary but smiling, giving us giant hugs and helping us position the trailer in it's renovation spot. After nearly three months of planning and prepping, the day had arrived - seeing their Airstream arrive out front was a monumental moment for both of us, and felt crazy surreal. It gives me goosebumps to think about how our dream is really happening - and we couldn't ask for kinder folks to be our first clients.
Prior to hiring us, Siya and Kristen's 1976 Airstream Sovereign (31') received a shell off chassis repair. The frame was sandblasted, repaired, and repainted, and new tanks were installed and propane lines were run. Our portion of the renovation involves skin removal, running new electrical, installing Roxul and Reflectix insulation, reinstalling the skins and crafting custom endcaps, new lighting installation, surround sound, paint, flooring, and a total custom build with brand new appliances from Furrion, handcrafted barn wood countertops (made by us!), custom cabinetry, and a gorgeous mid-bath with a full shower and composting toilet from Nature's Head and surprise element I'm so excited about.
Day One began early, Ellen and I rising before the sun and heading out to assess the Airstream. We first pulled out the flooring and barn wood Kristen and Siya had already purchased and sourced, and then got to work, dismantling what was left in the space and then beginning to drill out rivets. Siya and Kristen had noted quite a lot of water coming in on their drive, and once we had the skins down, it was plain to see where the water was coming in: unfortunately, while the new subfloor looks great and the frame feels solid, the previous company who had their hands on this trailer wasn't entirely thorough. There were parts of the shell not attached to the subfloor and frame, and places where water from the road likely just poured in. There were some trouble spots inside the walls as well, but we've since addressed the issues we found. We can luckily move forward now that we know the Airstream is going to be watertight - despite the issues, this trailer is in exceptional shape and it's obvious that it was taken care of.
Kate working on taking the window pulls apart to remove the window frame.
We removed everything within one day, clocking 38 (wo)man hours, pulling out skins, insulation, wiring, and the old furnace, water pump, and the remaining upper cabinetry. We organized the skins, packed the demo debris into a Bagster, and even recycled all the metal we didn't need through a local woman who donates the proceeds from scrapped metal to local schools. Whew!
Ellen and Siya working to remove the framing around the AC unit so we could remove the center ceiling panel.
Ellen explaining where and how water is coming in.
Kristen scraping away remaining insulation - we cleaned the walls pretty thoroughly so we could come in the next day and seal/waterproof.
The next few days were spent waterproofing, repairing the issues unaddressed by the previous company, and ordering and picking up the majority of the supplies we'll need for the next several months of renovation. Siya and Kristen headed back north this morning (we miss them already!) and are preparing to depart for destinations all over the world. The next time they see their Airstream, it's going to be completely transformed and ready to call home. They'll be vlogging about our time together here - look for that link tomorrow!
A hard day's work!
Day's end.
Keep checking the blog for progress on Kristen and Siya's Airstream renovation!
June | 1977 Airstream Overlander
This was a personal project, one that we took on not knowing what it would be for us. We'd sold our first Airstream out of financial necessity, and within two months, spent our last five thousand dollars from that sale and purchased this Airstream. In many ways, we felt that we'd lost a part of ourselves when we lost our first Airstream (below), and wanted, more than anything, to get that part of ourselves back. As time progressed, we worked a little here and there on demo, but for the first six months of ownership, didn't have the funds to take next steps, so we worked slowly and within our means...a few hours here and there. To complete the project, we took out a personal loan with our bank, which we will be paying off this summer. Originally, we'd planned to park the Airstream in a friend's backyard locally, using it as a tiny house. As the year progressed, we began our business here at The Modern Caravan and began offering renovations all across the country. Now this Airstream will be used as our travelin' home and mobile office space.
Much of this Airstream was incredibly precise and detailed, and most of it custom. We often attribute the length of the renovation to two things: the condition of the trailer was pretty sorry when we purchased it and there was quite a lot of damage to rectify, and we custom built everything inside - there are no pre-purchased cabinets or countertops or doors. We even built new framing for our vista view windows. We choose to go higher end with our appliances, fixtures, and finishes to ensure comfort for long-term living, as opposed to short-term travel (which is what we did with our first Airstream). We plan to be connected to shore power the majority of the time, and we will be installing solar for when we head out to boondock on weekends off. The solar will power everything easily with the exception of our oven. Our heat sources are a tiny wood stove and the heat pump in our Dometic unit.
From a design standpoint, the goal was to create something that pushed the boundaries of the expected, which is what we set out to do with our first Airstream as well. I don't look to other Airstreams for visual inspiration (only practical/functional), and instead I carefully consider how we behave in the space. Tiny spaces are entirely unique in comparison to traditional homes I’ve designed. The practical aspects of the trailer interior are not to be ignored, and I begin by addressing the necessities first and foremost, such as the need for on-board water tanks and inlets, and constraints, such as window and door placement and wheel wells. From there, I ask myself and my family a series of questions to understand completely how the space will be used. Then, and only then, can I tackle the visual and the tactile.
We wanted a space we could call our own, a visually stunning space, but one that was down-to-earth and uniquely ours. We wanted warmth, yet neutrality, a space reminiscent of the desert and the places we'd been, with plenty of blank space to continue writing our story, collecting things along the way and letting them ebb and flow, to work themselves in and out with ease and fluidity. While certainly, there are folks who call working with neutrals playing it safe in a space, I believe the elements we choose reflect who we are and a space we are most comfortable in. We certainly didn't design this space for anyone but ourselves, and in that, we were not cautious or hesitant. We infused color in the navy blue linen cushions and bright pillows from Blockshop Textiles and Vacilando Quilting, and the richness comes from the walnut surfaces throughout the space and the varying shades of brown and sand in the flooring. As the space is so tiny, we kept the design continuous throughout the Airstream: we didn't opt for drastically different looks, hardware, fixtures, or finishes in different "rooms", for in 160 square feet, you can still see everything from any line of sight.
All in all, this project was, without a doubt, one of our greatest personal accomplishments to date, and we can’t wait to move in this June. On to the next Airstream!