Airstream (and like) trailer thread

Since I had started this thread as -- Can an older mobile home (23 to 33 ft trailer) be a better/less expensive alternative to a "Tiny house" on a trailer frame, the question of condensation related problems (rot and mold to name just two) is well worth considering.

If you search for articles on condensation in RVs, you will see page after page of advice on how to avoid or prevent the issues. Areas with large temp swings and humidity (Alaska anyone?) can make this a severe problem.
Look for the same issues set with Tiny Homes...and guess what? There are page after page of advice on how to avoid or prevent the same problems.

In addition to the humidity in the air, activities like cooking, bathing, and oddly, even breathing, can increase the moisture you should remove from your trailer/Tiny home (or residence, for this post).

Running a dehumidifier is one answer. These fall into two general categories - refrigerant (compressor) and desiccant. .Desiccant types may be powered or unpowered.

The non powered desiccant units use crystals ( calcium chloride) and for smaller spaces, these can work. By smaller, I mean under 150 Sq Ft (~8 x 18 ft) and the residence is only occupied part time. A travel trailer used sporadically for "vacation travel" meets this criteria. While in storage, these units work well, even to temps just above freezing.
If living in a high humidity environment, like the PWN, these may not be able to keep up in an occupied residence.

The powered desiccant units have a fan to move air over a bed of desiccant crystals. The moisture is adsorbed (not absorbed like the small, unpowered units) The desiccant is rechargeed by a heater in the unit, the water than drains into an attached bucket. (see more at Desiccant Dehumidifier Reviews | Types | How They Work)

The compressor types run from mains power. So, for off-grid use, power consumption is likely the most important factor in your purchase decision. These also vet warm air, the ability to vent this exhaust outside of the living space is important. Alternatively, the newer 'split' systems can provide both cool and act as a dehumidifier as well.

For a full time residence with access to mains power, the compressor type dehumidifier would be the best, lowest cost choice while taking little space and not reequipping any modification to the MH. For really warm or hot climates, a dedicated AC unit might be the better choice, tho at a higher power cost.

On a personal note, I've used the large 'basket type' of desiccant units for all of my RVs and they prevented mold, even when the rig was in storage for months. While in use, the interior temperature was kept at a very warm 70 degrees and when showering, the fan in the head ran for twenty minutes after we finished showering and a forward window left open to aid in the air draw. This method wouldn't work very well at -20F.

 

a 1963 "Tradewind". 26 ft. Fully restored. $18,900 (just about $91/sq st) and already sold. (more photos here)


a very nicely done full resto - a 1963 Caravel - 17 ft. $8,300. or $61/sq ft. (see more photos here)

Both are from 1963, both fully restoed - nicely done. That extra footage comes at a real price (well over 1600/sq ft)

A 17 foot rig might work for a single nomadic type, esp if that person wanted to boondock.
The 26 footer IMO, is more of a park model.

This to show that the longer units command quite a bit more $. Also, one ad (Tradewind) was on an "Airstream" site, the other, just was on a 'used RVs"..

 

Airstream as hotel room.


Situated in sunny Santa Barbara, California, AutoCamp, an outdoorsy outpost of restored trailers in a former RV park near downtown offers a mobile home away from home.

Designed by local architect Matthew Hofmann, AutoCamp's five (soon to be 10!) revitalized Airstreams provide a spot to bunk just 3 miles from West Beach. You'll find all the conveniences you could need within each trailer's compact, roughly 200-square-foot quarters, including cable television, bathrooms with recycled glass tile, a fully equipped kitchen, and sleeping accommodations for up to four. Of course, you'll likely be spending most of your time outside, lounging in an Adirondack chair, cooking dinner over the electric grill, or taking advantage of the complimentary bikes for carefree beach cruisin'.

Take a peek inside one of these modern luxury trailers, for which rates start at $144 per night: Not Motel 6, but likely no bedbugs either...

These folks are not unique nor are they alone in this - Airstream Hotels

• El Cosmico, Marfa, Texas. ...
• Caravan Outpost, Ojai, California. ...
• Bel Repayre Airstream and Retro Trailer Park, Manses, France. ...
• AutoCamp, Santa Barbara and Guerneville, California. ...
• Camping Ca'Savio Italy Airstream, Venice and Rome, Italy. ...
• Hicksville Trailer Palace & Artist Retreat, Joshua Tree, California.
• (expanded descriptions and photos)

 

Yes, that is a C-17 interior. Ans, yes that is an Airstream. VIPs do not fly Grunt class.



Crew transport vehicle.


Mobile quarantine facility (yes, Airstream)


Airstream as food truck.

There are beauty salons, barbershops, dog care places and many other 'Airstream based- business'

Finally, if you look at almost any current TV ad, if a trailer is used (say, being towed by the featured pickup truck) the rig is almost always - an Airstream.

 

As I mentioned earlier - the Avion is an Airstream, just with sheet metal end-caps and a paint job. They were dropped as not being profitable enough.

 

In researching for more thread fodder, I was looking at the DoE "Solar Decathlon" entries for the last few go arounds. .College students + a themed house = interesting ideas. The latest batch (2017 contest) seemed to be all about old people and tiny homes.

Not a bad time sink to look at many of the different solutions each has proposed - many are region specific. For example, the UNLV (Las Vegas, of course) featured a home suited for the desert.

One of the common themes in the 2017 contest was 'House changes over time, to meet occupant needs. While I enjoyed their viewpoints, I want to spend a minute about this....


This old house:

My DW's folks bought a house in 1947, one built in 1921. This was after WWII and in a very rural area in the SW.

Initially, the house was one bedroom/one bath, a nice sized kitchen with a separate dining area. As the children came along, the half basement (root cellar) was dug out by hand to a full basement. An addition on the back added a large 'work room', three more bedrooms and a en suite bathroom for the master bedroom. With 10 kiddos, all very necessary. Kids slept in the basement, bedrooms and the work room.

As the kiddos went their own way, the basement once more became a root cellar. The large work room now was the laundry and overflow area,.

As time went on (starting in 47) the roof was replaced a couple of times, the 'pig' stove replaced with a nice (modern) wood stove. The outside had aluminum siding, new energy efficient windows were next. With age came other changes - a new porch with wider steps and less of a rise.per step. Handrails, of course. Insulation added to the ceiling and the walls of the core (original) house. IWO, lots of things, large and small, this over very nearly 70 years. That and a passel of grand-kids, great-grand-kids and so on....

Finally, as is the way of things - the folks passed away. One of the (many) sisters took over the house and... she just rebuilt the main bath. Tore out the old, right to the studs. New insulation, cement wallboard, new surround, tub and shower set up. All of the plumbing in the basement was replaced. The bath plumbing was all new.

My point? The house was well built in 1921. Not quite 100 ears old and still has folks living in it - quite comfortably, in fact.

Now, while the college kids have some good ideas about these new 'Solar Decathlon' home types, . I would be just as happy in this 100 year old house as one of their solar-power / AI controlled buildings -with the exception that the old house has fewer 'systems' and is much less expensive to repair, update and maintain - most from the use of 'mature' technology.

You know, mass-produced, standard sized electric water heaters, not a multi-tiered vacuum evacuated, solar heat tube collector feeding into an insulated holding tank, feeding into a heat exchanger, serving a heat pump.... with all the valves, controls, pumps and sensors go with this 'energy saving' technology.


Whiz Kid hot water heater with solar 'preheating' that also feeds the radiant floor system. All that copper = Modern Art....

Funny thing, with all the windows, cross-ventilation, inside to outside living space - I never once saw an insect screen.... Sometimes, old school is the better school.

The story ends with me talking about older (all metal) MH as a pretty good (and lower cost) alternative to a tiny home, no matter how 'modern' or 'energy efficient' or computer controlled a Smart House you see on YT....

Let me know what you think of the Whiz Kids designs....

 

Ran across this ad about cleaning badly kept Aluminum trailers. Pretty slick video.

 

Some trailers have a covered area added. Nice, but...


Other folks provide some weather cover, which in really hot areas, can be nice - but these lack curb appeal - or for me, any appeal.


Then there is the Locomotive Ranch. The coverd area includes the trailer as a 'core' for bath, kitchen and a tingle bedroom. An older Spartan trailer makes good sense for this kind of (well, over the top) off-grid home.
This hybrid building has won several awards for "Architecture". .
(More photos here) and more (https://www.archdaily.com/401861/locomotive-ranch-trailer-home-andrew-hinman-architecture)

Not a lot of difference in thought from the setup in pic #2, the execution is much better.

Notice the body of the Spartan sits outside of the glass envelope. The tanks in the back store rainwater.

Yeah, I'd live in this...

 

I found a well-done site that walk the reader through a frame-off restoration of an old Spartan.
airstream | Scott's Stuff
The site points out the importance of checking the frame of these trailers that have a belly pan, thus potentially hiding a rotten frame.



In some cases, I think it would be easier (and less expensive) to weld together a new frame than try to weld new steel on to a partly rusted frame. This site shows how the new owner did just that. (Make anew frame)


Removing the shell was done with simple homemade lumber framing.

Since there is one in every crowd


\A restored 1947 Spartan aircraft and 1946 Spartan trailer. Yes, the owner has a commercial aircraft resto business.

Still, pretty slick for those airshows....

 

To wrap this up for those that followed along.

There is a video series
( Handeeman)
by a young fellow, Derek Howlett & his wife. They are homesteading on 40 ac of raw desert in SoAz not fro from Tucson - I would guess a bit north of Benson Az. The intro in minimal, indicating they pair are 'digital Nomads" and settled into SoAz.
see more here (Articles | DIY Homestead Projects)

Having grown up in SoAz I can appreciate the effort this man has put into his homestead. The rainwater harvesting system, which allows the couple to be truly self-contained and off-grid, is especially noteworthy.

They built a 8 x 24 'tiny home' (seen in the pic above) in 6 months - from scratch - for $35K. The series goes into rainwater harvesting, permaculture and so on. All very well done with not much chat. Gardeners will be interested in his clay pot watering system.
WARNING -
The videos are so well done as to be addictive as you watch this young couple change raw desert into something of an oasis. Their place is very neat, well kept - not the usual shambling mess seen on the YT.

Now to my point:
This couple could have purchased any of the trailers I posted earlier - most esp the 35 foot Spartan in Utah ($15.5K). A simple slab to support the rig (he is parked on sand early on) would have been a 1 pour job. And this would have left him with a considerable amount more of $ to invest in the land.

Once there, a shade shelter (I've posted one of those) could have been put up and also be used to support the solar panels up off the ground - you see these in the different vids as well as increase rainwater harvesting surface area.

So, I still believe a 'Classic' house trailer from the late 50s or very eary 60s - like the Spartan or Airstream - if completed vetted or restored, will make a better long term investment than a 'tiny home'. If nothing else, if maintained, it would be easy to sell for the initial investment - as they do not depreciate.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the thread.
Don

 

Update - seems some folks purchased the rights tot he Sliver Streak name and are ready to start selling the rigs again.



The fly in the ointment is the Thor (Airstream) have issued a cease and desist letter. Something about a 'trade dressing' dispute. Seems they (Airstream) think folks would stupidly assume a Silver Streak is an Airstream.

Thor will lose this one as they have every other suit (with Argosy and the old Silver Streak) - but in the process they are draining capital for the new start up. Ya gotta love bare-knuckles American Capitalism.. Kill the, or any, competition in the crib if at all possible.- and use the courts to do the killing......

See the new rigs here
Silver Streak Trailer Co.

 

Silver Streak. Just won in court. Airstream lost.....again.

 

Looks like standard Air Force Chow to me....

 

I added the homesteadonomics last / most recent two videos to my previous post in this thread, Post #10.