The Airstreme Trailer
The Airstreme was the product of us reimagining both the RV and the work environment to create a dual use space.
We needed a workspace inside, a small kitchen so that meals could be prepared, some form of sleeping area, a bathroom and perhaps lounge seating to sit and relax. It needed to be able to go off grid, so along with traditional HVAC, a wood stove of some form would be helpful. There might have to be tradeoffs … We decided with its primary function as a workspace we would forgo the bathroom for now.. Out in the boondocks we would stop at campgrounds to shower, but a full bathroom was not necessary. We could take care of business with a compost toilet - a quick addition to take along on trips as needed - or a walk in the woods!
I contacted a friend called Kevin Ruth from Wheely Great Trailers and the journey started. We chose a 91 Excella that was 31’ in length and stripped it to the bone. Because we would go off grid, we raised the suspension and added new axles. We wanted a mix of natural and metal finishes in homage to the Airstream and the outdoors. The floors were laid with reclaimed barnwood. We sourced natural hickory wood for the workstation and kept the original edge for the finish.
The kitchen area was more difficult; we wanted stainless steel cabinets, marine grade equipment and a concrete top. After much discussion we decided on a 2” thick top with a natural grey finish. Every part of the cabinetry was built by hand lending the sleek modern look that we wanted.
The daybed took some time, but eventually we found a slat version at Ikea that would extend to a full bed. We took it apart and then rebuilt it in a frame so that it takes up the rear of the Airstream. We finally tracked down a tiny stove we liked called the Hobbit in the United Kingdom.
We wanted an intelligent sound and lighting system so that we could program them to reflect the time of day and mood of those inside. We integrated a Sonos sound system with state-of-the-art tiny speakers that were less than 2” thick. We then added Philips Hue light fixtures from Europe rewiring them for the US 120V AC system so we could create intelligent lighting.
