Airstream

1977 Landyacht 25'

I purchased the Airstream one year ago, as an 'experiment', to see if our family would enjoy camping in sites throughout Florida. I chose an Airstream becuase of their incredible all-aluminum construction, and becuase I loved the contemparary decor of the new models, as opposed to the 'grandmotherly' look of 99.9% of RVs. Unfortunately, a new 25' Airstream costs $65,000.00.

So, being somewhat handy and a glutton for pain and stress, I bought an older Airstream from a meticulous mechanic and proceeded to gut the inside. This was not a refurbish, but a complete renovation. I removed all furniture, appliances, walls, floors, etc., and scrubbed and cleaned every inch with bleach, and then rebuilt it all over 3 months working nearly everyday (if the waves were flat).

I installed new flooring, custom cabinets, custom benches with underneath storage, stainless appliances, flat-panel TV. Custom cushions for the dining area, where the table lowers to create a full size bed. My wife painted two Andy Davis-inspired murals, as he is our favorite artist and such a nice guy (spoke w/ him for an hour at SurfExpo a few years ago). Also, a local welder built and attached a rear rack and ramp that we use for our scooter and bicycles. The only thing I never got to was the main awning, which needs to be unhooked and re-rolled (like a window blind). Other than that, three tires are brand new (just replaced a month ago) and top of the line radials. The A/C was replaced by the mechanic in 2005, and I replaced the thermostat last summer.

Needless to say, we enjoyed camping. That's an understatement, we loved camping. Spent summer in Key West, six trips to Sebastian Inlet, three to St. Augustine, Thanksgiving in North Carolina. In fact, we loved it so much we are selling everything and departing in June for one year to travel the country, homeschooling our daughter, and having adventures--as Samuel Jackson proclaimed in Pulp Fiction.

Sadly, the Airstream is not big enough for a family to live in full time. It's been perfect for a few weeks at a time, but I couldn't imagine 12 months. So we are going to sell the Airstream and buy a 40' 5th Wheel--the biggest made.

Peruse the pics and contact me if you are interested in buying it. It's only 4200 lbs, so it is perfect for a mid-sized SUV (whereas the 5th wheel weighs 14,000 lbs. and requires a monster truck) and perfect for vacations.

Nick: nick@modusapparel.com, or call 850/259.8438