Our story started two and half years ago when my wife and I, along with another couple, rented an Airstream Bambi. We fell in love with the idea of Glamping. Arriving back home, my friend went out and bought a new 23ft. Flying Cloud Airstream. I thought it would be more interesting to buy a classic Airstream that I could restore. I started looking on line for a 1970-1975, 25ft.-27ft. Airstream trailer. I had no luck finding anything for sale that fit my requirements. One afternoon I went to see my son in Ventura, CA and we started to look around to see if we could find my desired trailer. After driving through a few trailer parks I did not find anything that was suitable for restoration. I decided to head back to Los Angeles but because it was a very clear day, I said to my son “let us go to the cross.” If you know Ventura, CA you know that it is a great look out on the top of the mountain. I was driving on the small one way street on the back of the mountain when suddenly my son said, “Papa, Airstream!” We stopped, and there it was: two Airstreams, one a 1947 and one a 1971 sitting in a back yard, waiting to be restored. After I got the attention of the owner, I had to negotiate for over an hour for him to agree to sell the 1971 Airstream to me.
My wife and I brought back the trailer to our home and that was the beginning of the remodel. I started to draw a scaled plan at 1 inch per foot. (I am a professional Builder and Designer of custom homes.) After my wife and I decided on the layout, I began the removal of the original cabinets, kitchen, bathroom and floor. When the trailer was gutted I realized it was a huge project, and I did not have the time nor the knowledge to go any further. I contacted C & G Trailer Services in Bellflower, CA who specialize in Airstream restorations. Under my direction and supervision they started little by little to restore the beauty of this American icon. The process lasted almost ten months. Every Wednesday I would go to the shop and see the progress. I had the privilege of finding the best craftsmen in the hobby and they helped me do even more with the customization of this project. Every detail was thought out: the connections of the cabinets’ panels, the attachments of the cabinets to the body with large metal brackets, recess lighting, the matching colors, even the acrylic shower to give the feeling of space and the oversized solid maple table. Everything in the trailer is custom, from the Italian granite on the kitchen counter top, the African zebra wood in the bedroom to the solid bamboo floor. I think the result is very classy.
By Pierre Bogros
