How do you document your restoration?

[TomW]

Originally Posted by safari62

... I am guessing that once a person post[s] their project in either a blog, website, or forum thread, it puts some pressure on the poster to get it done and get on to the next project. ...

I documented the as-restored configuration at my Overlander's web site.

Blogs, by nature, do appear to be time sensitive because each entry is date-stamped. Web pages, unless deliberately stamped, have no such mark. Restoration information at my site was posted after my Airstream had completed it's maiden voyage.

If I had not opened the main screen with "I acquired this American Classic in December of 2003 ...", many people, without thinking about it, would assume the listed information was generated recently.

A little off-topic, but my fried chicken webpage is almost six years old and I still get emails from people who appear to think I just posted the experience.

Tom

[byamcaravanner]

Originally Posted by TomW

...my fried chicken webpage is almost six years old and I still get emails from people who appear to think I just posted the experience.

Really! I was hoping to stop by for some left-overs.

[TomW]

Originally Posted by byamcaravanner

Really! I was hoping to stop by for some left-overs.

Steve,

You should have come by for Easter dinner. I had leftovers!

Tom

[byamcaravanner]

Originally Posted by TomW

You should have come by for Easter dinner. I had leftovers!

Your killing me! That is some gooood look'in chick'in

[Jim & Susan]

I just take lots of pictures which I post here and babble on about. I figure that there are many people who visit this site that are as clueless as I am about Airstream matters. Maybe they can learn something from all my mistakes. Pretty simple, eh?

Jim

[yukionna]

Originally Posted by yukionna

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what technique you use to document your Airstream restoration/renovation and why you chose that technique...

Thanks for the great contributions/sharing so far about your techniques for documenting your Airstream restoration/renovation. It doesn't matter whether or not you share your documentation with others...this thread is all about the documentation!

I personally like to have a "progress book" in my trailer to discuss things with other Airstreamers, so I have been using the technique of documenting text and photos in a MS Word document which I can then print out and keep in my trailer.

My long-distance friends and family are always clamoring for more photos and documentation so I'm now looking to branch out into using the internet. I work daily under pressure at my day job, so prefer to not have that pressure in restoration efforts -- hence the every looming date/timestamp of the blog doesn't seem very appealing to me. But, there are benefits to the date/timestamp with its underlying "just-enough-pressure-to-keep-me-moving" and there is something positive, fun and interesting about a blog when it comes to seeing snippets of non-Airstream things in the bloggers life. Hmmm...still thinking about and weighing options...

[byamcaravanner]

Originally Posted by yukionna

My long-distance friends and family are always clamoring for more photos and documentation so I'm now looking to branch out into using the internet.

Among other things, I look at my blog as a time saver. As I progress, I jot down my thoughts and experiences via the blog and friends and family can "tune in" on occasion and see how things are going. They can even comment as they desire.

They are very easy to set up and post to. You can access and post from any web connected computer or other web device.

[safari62]

Hey Yuki,
Could it be that inlaws have offered to visit and may not realize there are five trailers in the yard? A blog or web page may be a good way to keep some of them at bay. (unless they have skills that can be put to work?)
It is five, right?

But really, all the work becomes a blur and it is rewarding to look back on some of the things that were not so much fun at the time, but have to be done.
Good Luck!

[Aerowood]

Pictures, lots of pictures that I someday plan to put verbage on.

[safari57]

I'm kinda lazy about it. I take some pictures of the before, a few while doing the work, more of it when that piece of work is done if I'm happy with the results. Keep them in an Airstream file, but the stuff I typically do isn't a hot topic to fellow forums members or it's being covered in detail by others in the blogs.

Barry

[yukionna]

Originally Posted by safari62

Hey Yuki,
....But really, all the work becomes a blur and it is rewarding to look back on some of the things that were not so much fun at the time, but have to be done.
Good Luck!

I like where you are going with this!

Well I certainly have been taking lots of before, during and after photos. Now it's time to do something more with them!

[safari62]

Originally Posted by yukionna

I like where you are going with this!

Well I certainly have been taking lots of before, during and after photos. Now it's time to do something more with them!

Yukionna
This is the format I was thinking about....The before and after Instant Gratification Mini series.
Soon to be shown at a Airforum, Blog or website near you!

A series of before and after photos (each worth a thousand words!) Entered on a daily or weeky basis with sometimes no explanation needed and when necessary some background story. This could be just the techy info and occasionally the drama and or trauma.

This would be a fun way to see snapshot of actual progress and offer hope to all those that have just started their projects. I have found many times that restorations are started with great excitement and sometimes an unrealistic time estimate (guilty as charged)for the project. Lots of photos of Deconstructing Bambi and then they disappear for two years.

When showing before/after photos it is also possible to change the actual dates and time lines of your work to make you look superhuman in the process...or better yet, show some of the things that did not go as planned which is always good for comic relief.

This kind of show and tell appeals to me because of my short attention span and the fact that it requires sometimes hours of clicking through some of the EPIC SAGA restoration threads that have been on going longer then "The Sopanos" series. I have read these...and have the stiff neck to prove it.

So may I make a recommendation for the name of your MINI SERIES.......
how about.....
Deconstructing Bambi
or
Safari Survival Guide
or
Recalling the Ambassador
I could go on but I forget how many "projects" you have now.

Just one last idea....I think it would be a good idea to do some kind of storybook drawing (like used by film makers) by going through your photos and matching up the best examples. I do not think the restoration B/A has to be in order of the work completed as it's all about the final product anyway.
It might also be fun to add in a photo of what inspired you to do somthing a certain way. but mostly just before/after.
What do you think?

[timkim]

This is my explanation for the "other, please specify" choice.

We bought our Air Stream late in 2007 from a great couple who were done airstreaming. (our gain) It is located outside of Sacramento in a storage facility; we are located in San Diego. We flew to Sac to buy it and took lots of pictures, but just left it there. We have taken a short trip with it up to the American River, to get a feel for what works and what doesn't, and we took lots of pics with a digital camera. All of our pics are all on our computers. We plan to live and travel in ours and update/personalize it as we go. I plan to document whatever we do on the web; haven't decided if a website or a blog would work better for us. For now we just keep taking pictures when we can.

I love this forum, wackos and all! Actually, especially the wackos. I study it continually and have learned so much. I feel like I've been doing this for all my life rather than for a few months. I always check out the member's profile and look for pictures in the member's photo gallery, which I love to look at when I find someone who has posted some; I've posted a few in mine too.

So, considering the diversity of people, opinions, facts, rigs, states of disrepair and restoration, etc. I appreciate and look at every form of documentation available on the web. And will document ours when we finally start doing something documentable.
TimKim

[TomW]

Originally Posted by an email to TomW

Hello Airstream person,

I have a 1958, 1959, 1964, and a 1975.

Any idea what they might be worth?

The 58 is near original and in good condition.

The 59 is under restoration.

The 64 is all original and very good condition.

The 75 is in good condition, but not original. I have noticed the 75 is not near the quality of the older ones.

Thanks,
Bill

My website attracts a lot of questions. More often than not, the question deals with what I think someone's Airstream is worth. I invariably refer the sender to Price vs. Condition - Airstream Values

Does anyone else routinely get this type of inquiry?

Tom

[lwebb]

Interesting topic. I documented the destruction / disassembly of my latest (1954 Holiday) renovation mostly as Steve said, the pics help when reassembly comes around, generally months and months later. With the pics I can remember how it goes back together.

In the beginning I started a web site but the darn thing took time away from the actual doing so it was quickly back burnered. The blog idea would have been worse. But then I screwed up my back lifting 80lb bags of concrete. I forget that at 60 something I can't do what I did at 50 something and therefore had some time out of the shop. So I finally got time on the web site. That wasn't for the faint at heart by the way and it's still only 96% finished at best. It's pretty comprehensive though so I'm glad I got my processes documented. With my back I might not be around to tell the tale. See what you think wallybyamholiday.com

P.S. back is functional again but my wife put up a sign in the shop "NO, you're not fifty anymore!"