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It’s been a hot minute since we’ve posted an Annie update but even though the work has been slow-going, the work has been going! Annie is my vintage Airstream renovation project. Here is what we’ve been able to accomplish during the last few years (in between keeping up with 5 kiddos, a full-time job, being active in our church community and life in general…) We’re actually hoping to have Annie road ready by winter!! I can hardly wait!
Want to ready our previous posts on Annie?? Find them here and here.
We didn’t originally plan on doing a shell-off restoration but once we did, we realized how necessary it was! Our frame was completely rotting away! Look at those progress pictures as we had new parts of the frame re-made and welded into place. After the frame was complete, we painted it with Por-15 to help protect it from future rust and rot.
We used marine-grade plywood for the sub flooring. Using this should help deter moisture damage in the future. Side note: Being that this photo is a few years old, my baby looks SO LITTLE here! Pardon me while I cry for a minute.
In our last update, you saw us taking Annie’s top away from her bottom. Here is a picture of them being reunited!! Reunited and it feels so good!!
Once reconnected, the shell needed to be bolted down to the newly fortified frame and subfloor.
Annie’s 1976 axels had seen a better day and needed to be replaced. We were able to find a place that could remanufacture them. What a difference they make!! Annie sits a little taller and is more stable now!
We chose to seal our subfloor with primer. The HomeRight PaintStick EZ Twist made the job a breeze!
One of Annie’s previous owners had re-caulked the windows and was a little overzealous with the caulking! Ryan ended up removing all the old caulking and giving each window a fresh new application.
Ryan removed and replaced all of the ceiling fan vents. We ended up buying Fantastic Fans and they’ve worked out well!
Annie only came with one air conditioning unit. While doing our research, we’ve found that most who have renovated vintage models have found it necessary to have two units. So we cut another opening and added a second air conditioner. We chose to install two Coleman Mach 3’s.
We will be finishing up the insulation and replacing the inner skins next! As well as installing the LED lights.
Thankfully now that our new electrical box is hooked up and working, getting the lights and plugs installed should be fairly easy! Watch the video below and wait for the future floor plan tour near the end. A vintage Airstream renovation can be long and tedious, as Annie is proving to be but I have no doubt she’ll be worth it in the end! Would you ever consider doing a trailer renovation?? Let me know in the comments!
What is considered major renovation?
In regards to our trailer renovation, we ended up gutting the entire inside, removing the shell from the frame, repairing the frame by welding in new pieces, reattaching the shell and frame and then starting from scratch to rebuild the interior. Considering we had originally planned to just update the interior, we would consider this a major renovation! Thanks for commenting.
Thank you for sharing it.