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RolyPoly · 04-29-2013, 11:49 AM

Hi All,

Looking for wisdom on any/all of the following projects we are working on: (and, would I get more responses if I posted them individually in the various sub-categories or is a general request ok?)

Our Airstream is a 31' 1972 Sovereign. We plan to keep it parked on land, so its mobility isn't very important...

Front Couch/Bed
The gaucho was removed by previous owner. Apart from doing a custom build, has anyone had experience with a pre-made solution? Are there replacements available? We'd ideally like something that can serve as seating and a bed for me and hubby.

Replacing Water Heater with Electric
We currently have a 9.9 gallon Bowen gas heater. We are doing away with all propane, so we want to replace with electric. Can we buy a residential unit? Can anyone recommend a specific model that has worked/fit? Any success with tankless?

Rebuilding Kitchen cabinets:
Ours have been demo'd. Just need something simple to put the sink back into and a small stove. (any stove recs?) Thinking Ikea butcher block counters. We could custom build something (to account for wheel well, etc) but has anyone had success with any off the shelf solution? (We have considered Lowe's kitchen cabinets or Ikea kitchen islands, just need to modify them to account for wheel well, etc)

Flooring:
Our vinyl tile is in bad shape. I anticipate the subfloor isnt perfect either. Since it will be stationary, we are thinking of putting a sheet of vinyl fake wood over top. (specifically it's called Inspire - cushioned, fiberglass backed sheet flooring, from Lowe's) Has anyone used this successfully? The employee at Lowe's thought I could over the existing tile without removing it. Also thought about painting the vinyl tile with deck/floor paint and stenciling it.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!

**DKB_SATX** · 04-29-2013, 12:16 PM

If you're looking to leave the trailer stationary, you might consider a futon that's the right size for the front area. Does your trailer have any service stuff in that area? (various years have fresh water tanks or electrical stuff there, so pay attention to clearance and access if there's stuff you'll need there.

Re: "doing away with all propane": I suggest you think carefully before going all-electric when planning to set the trailer up on rural land in Texas. If you keep the 12v lighting and furnace system with a good battery and a good 3- or 4-stage converter/charger, you can remain quite comfy during a power outage (provided it's not August, of course.) Doing much with an all-electric conversion will require you to rewire for 50A at least, the 30A likely won't let you heat water and the trailer at the same time, much less cook something. There are good gas/electric water heaters available now, so if the Bowen isn't working, you can get gas/electric and run it on electric most of the time if you prefer, especially if you have gas heat and cooking options so you're overloading the electrical system. Electric+tankless=joke, even in residential-class units. The available flow rates at any significant temperature rise are simply not competitive with gas-fired tankless water heaters. The small-suitcase-sized gas Noritz tankless in my attic has been one of the best things I've spent $1k on in a long time.

I've seen some visually-pleasing Ikea cabinet applications in Airstreams, but I have no idea how much modification is required. Making it fit the curve of the side wall may be challenging.