In March of 2011, Bryan and Meredith Verona took their four kids on an epic West Coast road trip. The New York City family flew to Phoenix, rented a large SUV, and then proceeded to cover 950 miles in two weeks. Among other adventures, they stopped to do a jeep tour in Sedona, Arizona, hiked the Grand Canyon, drove the iconic Route 66, and explored San Diego, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.

The family had such a good time that they began what Bryan calls their “road trip series.” “The trips became something that we really cherished over time,” he says. “We did a number of them—about five or six more before I eventually purchased an RV.”

Before: Exterior

But not just any RV. Since Bryan intended to bus around his entire family comfortably, he was looking for something specific. “I wanted a traditional Airstream silver bullet, but in the bus version, which they basically stopped making in 1992, I believe,” he says.

In 2017, Bryan found a 1989 370LE Airstream available online, but lost out on the sale. So when another one came up in Cleveland, Ohio, he immediately hopped on a plan to purchase it and drove it back to NYC the same night, even though he’d never driven a vehicle that large before. “I certainly learned,” says Bryan of the trip. “It was wild.” On that drive back, he named the Airstream Loretta after Loretta Lynn, the country singer, one of his favorites.

After: Exterior

Once home from Cleveland, Bryan found Loretta a parking spot—or three—on Lexington Avenue, at which point he asked his friends Lauren Schlesinger and Adam Glickman of Glickman Schlesinger Architects to come over and appraise the possibilities of a remodel.

The firm had never worked on an Airstream overhaul before, but felt the approach was comparable to other types of projects they’d done. “In a way, it feels like a New York City apartment inside,” says Schlesinger. They paired up with a Colorado company, Timeless Travel Trailers, for the build out. “It was sort-of a design-build exercise with them where we were working back and forth,” says Schlesinger. “We would tell them what we wanted and they would give us feedback, while they were also simultaneously renovating.”

Before: Kitchen

The first goal was to reconfigure the sleeping arrangements so that the Airstream could comfortably sleep six. At 225 square feet, the previous floor plan only had one queen bed. Instead of a single mattress in the rear bedroom, the team opted for four bunks. The two bottom ones can be pushed together together to create one larger sleeping area for Bryan and Meredith.

Other changes were subtle, as the layout couldn’t be drastically changed due to structural constraints, like the placement of wheel wells, water tanks, and exterior storage. “We had to work with these restrictions,” says Schlesinger. “So, how could we make this special if we can’t change the layout very much?” While the bathroom and kitchen stayed in place, the dining room bench and table orientation was tweaked, and seating was added to the living room.

After: Kitchen

“Stone was something that we really wanted to use because it’s durable and the Airstream ages pretty quickly,” says Schlesinger. “The issue with the stone though is that it’s too heavy, and there are weight limitations.” Fortunately, the contractor was able to find a marble product, which is laminated to a honeycomb substrate. “It’s much lighter,” says Schlesinger.

That marble wraps the kitchen cabinetry and appliances, the bench seats in the dining room, and the bathroom vanity and shower bench.

Before: Driver’s Console

After: Living Room

Before: Dining Room

After: Dining Room

As fate would have it, when Loretta the Airstream was ready to hit the road in her gleaming glory, Bryan and his family’s zeal for long hauls somewhat faded. Partly, it was because the kids were getting a bit older. But a vintage RV isn’t the best for big trips. “The reality is that in buying an older vehicle, it doesn’t drive that well,” says Bryan. “It’s not that enjoyable to drive, particularly over long distances. It doesn’t go fast, maybe 65 miles per hour tops.”

When they do take a trip, the family keeps the mileage shorter. Bryan has found equally fun alternative uses for the bus, like camping with friends, or using it as a mobile studio to record an interview series with entrepreneurs. “Renovating this Airstream was my dream and I love it,” says Bryan. “I've had so many amazing times with her, but not enough.”

Before: Bedroom

After: Bedroom

Before: Bathroom

After: Bathroom

Related Reading:

26 Vintage Airstream Renovations That’ll Make You Want to Hop on the Bandwagon

A Newlywed Couple Hack Austin’s Housing Market by Fixing Up a 1971 Airstream

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Glickman Schlesinger Architects (@glickman_schlesinger)

Builder: Timeless Travel Trailers

Interior Design: Glickman Schlesinger Architects