This 1974 Airstream Was Abandoned for 50 Years — Now, It’s a Total Stunner
One thing to know about purchasing a home on wheels (if that’s your speed)? It doesn’t often come cozy and ready for a #vanlife photoshoot. It takes some seriously impressive spatial planning and DIY skills to turn a camper into a cozy space that sleeps four, transform an RV kitchen into a sophisticated cook space, or convert a caravan into a colorful, retro extravaganza, for example.
Adele Torres and her husband, Mario, transformed their 1974 Airstream Argosy, which hadn’t had any updating since 1974 and in fact was dilapidated. “It had been abandoned in a junkyard for 50 years and was original,” Adele says. “It even had the original Airstream advertisements on the kitchen counter when we purchased it.” However, because it was abandoned, it was full of mice, wasps, and squirrel nests and also had major water damage. “We decided that it needed to be a total gut job,” Adele adds.
“Its bones were incredibly solid,” the Airstream owner says.
Adele says “the frame was in remarkably good condition” because the Airstream didn’t move around much over the years. The outside attachments took a bit of welding here and there, and the exterior needed a power wash, marine-grade boat primer, and new blue enamel paint, but the interior needed a complete gut reno (read: completely new insulation and a new subfloor).
The Airstream came fully furnished, so Adele and Mario had to demolish out appliances, couches, beds, the shower, toilet, and walls, and the ’70s-era carpet and wooden subfloor.
She says the hardest part of putting everything back together again was that “airstreams do not have any straight lines.”
“Everything is curved,” she adds. “Due to the manufacturing process, nothing is symmetrical. A measurement for one side of the camper may be entirely different on the other side. It definitely added a challenge and time to constructing anything on the interior.”
The Airstream has acacia wood cabinets and butcher block counters.
The couple also re-insulated the Airstream (it’s “incredibly well-insulated,” Adele says), and had an electrician re-power the home on wheels. Adele and Mario added the Airstream’s aluminum skins back into their original locations and painted the interior a soft white. They also added vinyl click flooring throughout. “Once those were completed, we began cabinetry work, where we carefully fitted and installed the cabinets to be secure while driving,” Adele says.
After the cabinetry was complete, they added the bed. “At this point, it was the most enjoyable part for me: thrifting and finding the best decor to match the vision I had in my head,” Adele says. For example, the flower pots, towel holders, and soap dispensers in the Airstream are all thrifted.
“I was striving for a spacious yet cozy bohemian feel,” Adele says. “I love all things terracotta, brown, white, and green. I would say that this camper is the perfect blend of what I envisioned.” The rug is from Amazon, as is the lumbar pillow, and the record player in the Airstream is by Crosley and helps create a “vintage vibe,” Adele adds.
The Japanese tub is a standout feature.
Her favorite feature of the renovated Airstream, however, is the new Japanese soaking tub. “The Argosy has a beautiful back window; I truly cannot think of anything more relaxing than enjoying a hot bath while enjoying a stunning view,” Adele says.
And it’s extra relaxing knowing that it took a ton of elbow grease to create the beautiful space. “It is so incredible to see something that you have envisioned come to life after two years of hard work,” she adds.
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