Beastie changed ownership in May 2020. However, there was an issue. Beastie was located in Memphis, in unknown condition, and had to make it all the way to Northern California. Furthermore, once in her new home location, we had to get her in tip-top shape, certified by California DMV, and ready to roam the country. There are two critical elements to this: the mechanical part (everything that makes the vehicle move) and the ‘house part’ (anything on the inside that allows you to live in it). We decided to tackle the mechanical part first, and the house part second. Much of the content below still has to be written.
Q3 2020: Pre-pickup
Before embarking on a 2,000 mile trip from Memphis to Sunnyvale, we had to make sure the car was roadworthy. Doing this remotely proved to be quite difficult and we were glad the previous owner stepped in to help.
- 11 – Memphis Chevy dealership review and fixes
- 12 – Seller steps in to help
- 13 – What we learned along the way
Q4 2020: Mechanical Update
Ok, Beastie is in Sunnyvale on a temporary DMV permit. The car needs to be verified by California Highway Patrol and pass smog test before we can complete registration. Also, does it need an engine upgrade?
- 21 – The engine: to upgrade or not to upgrade?
- 22 – California smog test
- 23 – What did we change?
Q1 2021: House Update v1
Where do we even start on the inside? How badly rotten is the floor? Are there leaks? Why are the 12V fuses bypassed? Let’s get a specialist to look at it and start by fixing the electrical and installing solar.
- 31 – Pressure Test
- 32 – Electrical Upgrade
- 33 – Air Conditioning and Fans
- 34 – The Floor
- 35 – Cockpit Leather
Q3 2021: Let’s tear down the House after all
After much back and forth, we decided to completely empty the Airstream in order to fix the floor. We found a company in Ventura, CA specialized in Airstream rebuilds and dropped Beastie off at the end of September 2021. The plan: fix all the fundamentals first, and then restore the Airstream to its prior glory. We wanted to be respectful of the original design and layout and keep things as authentic as possible.
Getting Ready
- 41 – The Creative Brief: Mid-century Modern
- 42 – The Teardown
- 43 – Fixing Floor and Waterproofing the Base
- 44 – Installing new Heating System
The Materials
- 51 – Aluminum
- 52 – Wood
- 53 – Fabric
- 54 – Countertops
- 55 – Tiles
- 56 – Flooring
- 57 – Midcentury “Touches”
- 58 – Appliances
The Craftsmanship
- 61 – Cabinets
- 62 – Overhead Cabinets
- 63 – Electrical
- 64 – Front and Back Hitches
2023 and beyond: Why we are never done
Even with all the above changes, Beastie is still almost 40 years old, and not every part has been swapped out. So there is always more to do. Proof of which ….
- 71 – May 2023 – Engine loses power – vapor lock
- 72 – May 2023 – Airbags fail – suspension update
- 73 – July 2023 – Transmission leaks and 20 other problems