House in Suburbs? No, Thanks. DIY Airstream Renovation? YES, PLEASE!

Nov 5

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Back in 2015, Ashley and Jonathan decided to travel full time with their four kids. Starting with a 37 feet 5th wheel, they traveled all around the country for about a year, to then settle with an Airstream from 1972.

They designed the whole interior of the 1972 Airstream sovereign land yacht from scratch in order to work for a six people family. Renovating it six days a week, they got it done after a stunning six months with nothing missing: 500 watts of solar panels and a 2000 watts inverter, air condition, TV and internet antennas on the roof, a composting toilet and a lift on the Airstream for drives on more crazy roads.

After living in it for nearly two and a half years, the Airstream turned into a real cozy home on wheels. Each kid has their own bed with a reading light and a bunk wall to hang art and things they like. Jonathan has had his own web design business for about 14 years, so his standing desk turned into a handy tripod-table that makes it easy for him to work on the go with a hotspot. The fridge is small, yet five to seven days of groceries fit into it.

There is much more space than one thinks and even the small bathroom has got everything. Having a composting toilet means that they don't need a black tank and can stay off grid for much longer periods of time. And concerning the Airstream's watertightness, no worries neither: they resealed the 46 years old vehicle and made it completely leaking free.

Comparing to staying in a house, the whole family rediscovered what it means to have adventures and discover amazing places. Even though Jonathan is mentioning that living on the road isn't inherently a lot cheaper, as the maintenance costs will always peek at you, he will still encourage everyone: "Don't let it stop you, but be smart with it!"