To remove the bathroom or to spend lots of money on a completely new one??

[kfrere]

Consider a tankless hot water heater. We love ours; takes up less space; and with the kids you'll love continuous hot water.

[thesignlady]

3 kids... you need a bathroom. period. My daughter will NOT use an outhouse, she would be in tears rolling on the ground in pain, she would never admit she needs to use the facilities out of fear of the outhouse. It is why we trailer.

have a look here at possible options for putting bunkbeds in your space...

https://www.pinterest.com/mlmette/airstream-bunks/

If these ideas won't work with your Airstream's layout keep your eye out for a different layout that will allow a bunk modification. It would easy enough to sell the one you have and find a more suitable one. Also the bigger trailers are generally cheaper if your tow vehicle can handle the additional weight.

But, back to the question...YES YOU NEED A BATHROOM!!!!

[aquinob]

You've got a fixer upper for sure. BTW, it's a tradewind, not a trailwind

Looking at your pictures, I see a big piece of plastic over one window, so I'm guessing thats leaking a bit. It also looks pretty original so you probably have some of the common issues with these 70's vintage trailers like the rear end separation, leaky windows and axles that are shot after 40 years.

One of the first things to do on a new trailer besides clean it up a bit is to make sure you fix all the leaks. It does no good to spend lots of time and money making repairs if damage from rain is going to keep happening. I also see carpet in the trailer, I would pull all that up and look for water staining on the plywood floor. In the back bathroom, try and look inside the cabinets and other hidden areas looking for dark, punky wood. If you have rot in the floor and I would imagine you do, then the bond between the upper aluminum shell and the lower steel frame is broken and that will allow the whole thing to flex rather than stay rigid as it should. If you look at my blog <points down> you will see what I went through fixing up the floor in my rear bath. There are plenty of other folks that have gone through an extensive rehab, and you should peruse as much online as you can to get a feel for what you are getting into and to generate ideas.

Good Luck.

[jakeandkate]

Originally Posted by LucasS

As I was once an RV sales, I cannot stress how important it is for you to keep the bathroom for resale purposes. The people who don't want bathrooms are the maij buyer of pop-up tent trailers, basically use them as towable tents with hard sides and a kitchenette. The people who purchase pop up trailers, are the people who have no problem camping in tents. The rest of the RV buying population are either upgrading from that, or like myself can't even fathom the idea of going without a self-contained bathroom, kitchen, and in my case solar panels and sattelite TV.

I highly recommend going with bunks, and as a SpaceSaver you can even find Pullman bunks like you find on trains and cruise ships to install your airstream. Believe me your wife and your kids are going to want that restroom, especially at night. As far as just keeping the toilet and not the shower, it is true RV parks have showers, but many these days require you to purchase tokens, they close at random hours, and unless you're staying in a class A only luxury RV park, some really are kind of scuzzy.

I think if you break down the numbers, you're going to find that keeping your bathroom and freshen it up just a little with new counters and new fixtures will be more cost-effective than ripping it out and install new $2000 composting toilet. For extra sleeping space look into Pullman bats, convertible Dana, and Jack mysm I think if you break down the numbers, you're going to find that keeping your bathroom and freshen it up just a little with new counters and new fixtures will be more cost-effective than ripping it out and installing a $2000 composting toilet. For extra sleeping space look into Pullman beds, convertible dinettes, and jack-knife divans.

Happy Trails!

I am the wife [emoji12] and that was my arguement was for the kids not to have to walk to the bathroom. I think we may gut replace the floors and put all the usable back....I'm just worried none of it will be reusable that's the only reason I was thinking of removing it....

[jakeandkate]

Originally Posted by Bill Lynch

That's a really nice trailer. You will want to restore the bathroom and all systems. If stripped out it will have no value and any potential buyer will have a tough time locating all the parts to put it back right.

If you do strip it out, at least store the original parts somewhere safe. You will want them later.

We're wanting to reuse the cabinets but I'm going to paint them..... or does that sound bad??? I'm not big on wood grains.... we aren't new a remodeling just new at the trailer remodeling we gutted our whole house down to the joists and dirt and started from the ground up and finished it 2 years ago and got bored....so we decided to jump on it when we got the trailer.....

[jakeandkate]

Originally Posted by MaryC

I would at least have a toilet for those middle of the night needs, especially with children and inclement weather. We haven't hooked up our shower (have found showers on the road to not be that bad but) we have a composting toilet in the back.

Our shower is not plumbed and ends up being a storage area for now. But we do have functioning kitchen with hot water etc. When remodeling, the budget went to a lot of other things first. (I laugh at the word budget, that flew out the window quickly) but what we did was prioritize.

The first several trips, we had no toilet. That's very inconvenient here in rain country and just the idea of having to get up and leave the trailer in the middle of the night if nature calls grew old really fast.

Some of the windows were broken out with a baseball bat [emoji35] PO cheated on his wife......I did I pulled up the carpet last week and PO replace the plywood only to have it ruined by not having windows..... he did have the frame redone and painted with the rust away stuff... and I have no clue why I put trailwind hahaha

Originally Posted by aquinob

You've got a fixer upper for sure. BTW, it's a tradewind, not a trailwind

Looking at your pictures, I see a big piece of plastic over one window, so I'm guessing thats leaking a bit. It also looks pretty original so you probably have some of the common issues with these 70's vintage trailers like the rear end separation, leaky windows and axles that are shot after 40 years.

One of the first things to do on a new trailer besides clean it up a bit is to make sure you fix all the leaks. It does no good to spend lots of time and money making repairs if damage from rain is going to keep happening. I also see carpet in the trailer, I would pull all that up and look for water staining on the plywood floor. In the back bathroom, try and look inside the cabinets and other hidden areas looking for dark, punky wood. If you have rot in the floor and I would imagine you do, then the bond between the upper aluminum shell and the lower steel frame is broken and that will allow the whole thing to flex rather than stay rigid as it should. If you look at my blog <points down> you will see what I went through fixing up the floor in my rear bath. There are plenty of other folks that have gone through an extensive rehab, and you should peruse as much online as you can to get a feel for what you are getting into and to generate ideas.

Good Luck.

[Someday'59]

My personal opinion:
I would keep the cabinets in wood grain.

I would keep the entire bathroom even if that means adding tanks, purchasing a new toilet, and a new hot water heater (remote ignition on the water heater was worth the money to us, too.) Let me qualify this statement by saying that even when we tent camped we we took a bathroom with us, a Luggable Loo.

P.S. I have three kids and am "the wife."

[jakeandkate]

Originally Posted by thesignlady

3 kids... you need a bathroom. period. My daughter will NOT use an outhouse, she would be in tears rolling on the ground in pain, she would never admit she needs to use the facilities out of fear of the outhouse. It is why we trailer.

have a look here at possible options for putting bunkbeds in your space...

https://www.pinterest.com/mlmette/airstream-bunks/

If these ideas won't work with your Airstream's layout keep your eye out for a different layout that will allow a bunk modification. It would easy enough to sell the one you have and find a more suitable one. Also the bigger trailers are generally cheaper if your tow vehicle can handle the additional weight.

But, back to the question...YES YOU NEED A BATHROOM!!!!

Hahahaha such a girly girl....mine gets mad she can't pee on the bushes like her brother [emoji15] and no we are not I repeat not getting another trailer until this one gets done regardless we'll make it work haha. My husband has ALWAYS dreamed of an old airstream and when he got this one he was going to turn around and sell it then ended up decided without my knowledge that we were keeping it so I told him if we're keeping it I'm decorating and designing....and he could do the manual labor needless to say I got bored and pulled the carpet up during nap time and cleaned the interior skins

[jakeandkate]

Originally Posted by Someday'59

My personal opinion:
I would keep the cabinets in wood grain.

I would keep the entire bathroom even if that means purchasing a new toilet and a new hot water heater (remote ignition on the water heater was worth the money to us, too.) Let me qualify this statement by saying that even when we tent camped we we took a bathroom with us, a Luggable Loo.

P.S. I have three kids and am "the wife."

We tent camp and I take a potty with us too :/ that's why I knew we would need at least a toilet.....

[Seemore2006]

The two older ones can have their own fort aka 'sleeping bags' with a sheet strung up to give illusion of tent - this all on a fold out dinette type bed for a few more years. The little guy can be in a Pack n Play for now. You and hubby can get cozy in the queen bed. They will all be in your bed by am so enjoy! Go with as deluxe of bathroom now as you can and the idea of separate camper down the road as earlier post suggested. My parents did that - bought a truck camper - once the oldest was 10. We got the trailer and they took the camper. We were not to get out of bed unless Nature called and we loved having separate space. They can call you on the cell or monitors if they need you. One parent stayed in trailer until we got used to it then it worked for the next few years until we were teens !

[thesignlady]

For cleaning the interior considering the extra moisure from the broken windows, use a bathroom spray with bleach like Tilex Mold and mildew remover or Scrubbing bubbles with bleach that sort of thing and Mr Clean Magic erasers. You will be amazed at how bright the interior will be after you are done. I have done mine and it is an amazing difference. It doesn't hurt the vinyl walls, I pretty much used it everywhere windows and all. For the oh so lovely bathroom fixtures if you are wanting to rejuvenate them Krylon fusion for plastics works awesome. I did the bathroom in mine 5 years back with it, lots of colour options even metallics...

And if you are feeling really into brightening it up I did my End caps, fridge and the refrigerator scoop with the Krylon Fusion spray paint to. I should buy stocks soon...

Here's the thread on my end cap restoration...I think there may be a pic of my bathroom in there somewhere

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f39/...ly-124989.html

then for replacing the windows and god know what else you need Vintage trailer supply and InlandRV are great sources for parts.

[thesignlady]

Oh, oh, oh....what year is your trailer, I have a window sitting in my front garden bed that would possibly fit the passenger side one that you have blown out. for some reason my 69' Safari came with an extra window, inner frame and all, maybe it'll work for you

[jakeandkate]

Originally Posted by thesignlady

For cleaning the interior considering the extra moisure from the broken windows, use a bathroom spray with bleach like Tilex Mold and mildew remover or Scrubbing bubbles with bleach that sort of thing and Mr Clean Magic erasers. You will be amazed at how bright the interior will be after you are done. I have done mine and it is an amazing difference. It doesn't hurt the vinyl walls, I pretty much used it everywhere windows and all. For the oh so lovely bathroom fixtures if you are wanting to rejuvenate them Krylon fusion for plastics works awesome. I did the bathroom in mine 5 years back with it, lots of colour options even metallics...

And if you are feeling really into brightening it up I did my End caps, fridge and the refrigerator scoop with the Krylon Fusion spray paint to. I should buy stocks soon...

Here's the thread on my end cap restoration...I think there may be a pic of my bathroom in there somewhere

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f39/...ly-124989.html

then for replacing the windows and god know what else you need Vintage trailer supply and InlandRV are great sources for parts.

I've been reading all of your posts since we got the trailer I've actually been sending the links to my husband's phone so he can see what my goal is

[jakeandkate]

Originally Posted by thesignlady

Oh, oh, oh....what year is your trailer, I have a window sitting in my front garden bed that would possibly fit the passenger side one that you have blown out. for some reason my 69' Safari came with an extra window, inner frame and all, maybe it'll work for you

It's a 73

[thesignlady]

Hmm, any of you more knowledgeable folks on these forums know if the side window from my '69 Safari would fit into her '73 Tradewind?

[SuzyHomemakr]

When I gutted my '72 Ambassador, I moved the bath to the middle, and made a wonderful queen size bed in the back. I've got a Nature's Head composting toilet, and it works well. It was around $900, as I remember. Black water tank was converted to a gray water tank. The bathroom I built is a wet head, there is a shower handle that comes off the faucet. So the whole room can get wet... We have a tendency to use campground showers. Our use is primarily long weekends, so ongoing sanitation is minimized. We also installed a cold water shower (from a boat, a transom shower) in a small compartment out by the door. It's great for a quick bit of refreshment to get the salt water off you, or to clean muddy feet. Both of these are problems in Florida!

If you go with PEX for your water supplies, and 3/4" vinyl hose for your waste, the move is remarkably painless.

[jakeandkate]

Originally Posted by SuzyHomemakr

When I gutted my '72 Ambassador, I moved the bath to the middle, and made a wonderful queen size bed in the back. I've got a Nature's Head composting toilet, and it works well. It was around $900, as I remember. Black water tank was converted to a gray water tank. The bathroom I built is a wet head, there is a shower handle that comes off the faucet. So the whole room can get wet... We have a tendency to use campground showers. Our use is primarily long weekends, so ongoing sanitation is minimized. We also installed a cold water shower (from a boat, a transom shower) in a small compartment out by the door. It's great for a quick bit of refreshment to get the salt water off you, or to clean muddy feet. Both of these are problems in Florida!

If you go with PEX for your water supplies, and 3/4" vinyl hose for your waste, the move is remarkably painless.

Wow that's a big move would love to see pictures!!!

[SuzyHomemakr]

Here's a chronicle of some of my adventures in trailer remodeling. Sad, to say, but I haven't been very good at updating it.
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f354...er-114341.html

[perryg114]

To make that trailer what you want it to be it will take a lot of time and skill and money to do. Most trailers of that era require and gut, structural repair to the frame (usually in the rear) and then replace just about all the appliances with new ones. My 81 was on the brink of a total gut and remodel. I was able to save it but I expect, I will remodel as I get time. I expect I will have a second trailer to camp in while fixing up the other one. Camping a remodeling a trailer usually don't go together.

We have seen some Florida trailers that have had to have the whole frame replaced as a result of corrosion.

Perry

[fth]

You wouldn't need a black tank with a composting toilet.