Complete renovation as a tiny residence

[Woodweavil7]

I have a 79, 31' sovereign. I'm looking at a complete gut and remodel as a residence. Can it be wired as a normal 110v? Frame is solid and it's towable. I want to change the entire floor plan. Can it be gutted without losing structural integrity? Any input would be appreciated

[andreasduess]

Originally Posted by Woodweavil7

I have a 79, 31' sovereign. I'm looking at a complete gut and remodel as a residence. Can it be wired as a normal 110v? Frame is solid and it's towable. I want to change the entire floor plan. Can it be gutted without losing structural integrity? Any input would be appreciated

You can do whatever you like - the interior is not load-bearing.

If you google "airstream remodelling" you'll find some great example of what is possible.

I always liked the idea of putting a wood burner in an AS. :
'55 Airstream 26' LOA.

[Belegedhel]

The structure of an Airstream is provided by the ribs in between the outer and inner skins of the shell. The "walls" in the interior are just bulkheads--they don't hold up the roof.

You can get as radical with your rebuild as you have time, money, patience, and ability to support. One thing to consider are the way it is plumbed (in terms of where the tanks are and how the inlets and outlets are set up). You can move the kitchen and bathroom around, but you are going to have to do a lot of tank, floor, and plumbing work to support major relocations.

In terms of electrical, your trailer is already wired for both 110 and 12v. It may be advisable to leave the 12 v wiring intact, as you may not always want to leave it parked, and changing the wiring irreversibly may affect resale value.

Search the forums for "full monty," and you will see some detailed rebuilds.

good luck

[wahoonc]

I have a 1981 that is going to be re-purposed as a guest cottage on our property. It will be fully gutted and redone when the time comes. The good news is that even fully gutted they are still structurally stable assuming that the frame and walls are in good shape. The interior skins do play a part in the structure so if those are off you will have some extra flexing.

Aaron

[Woodweavil7]

Thanks I have or should I say the wife has some pretty good ideas. This trailer belongs to my parents and has been sitting for 13+ yrs I've stayed in it many times at the lake lot in oklahoma where it's at. Never really considered rehabbing it to live in. But I travel for work and have been looking for a travel trailer to pull with me from job to job. And have a place to live when I'm done.