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wvairstream · 11-02-2008, 07:14 PM

I have my airstream parked and I plan on leaving it where it is as a farm house. I need a little extra room so I was thinking about adding a little 12x12 building onto it that connects at the door. I jsut need some extra space to sit in and look out over the land. Has anyone ever done this and do you have any pictures.
Thanks alot.

cameront120 · 11-02-2008, 07:29 PM

This person added a small vestibule. He may be able to give you more information.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/show...3&postcount=36

ROBERTSUNRUS · 11-02-2008, 08:20 PM

Hi, here's one in Seal Beach, Ca. It's hard to see and I couldn't get a better view, but the addition is an aluminum structure. [not the stucko building in the backround.]

norsea · 11-03-2008, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wvairstream

I have my airstream parked and I plan on leaving it where it is as a farm house. I need a little extra room so I was thinking about adding a little 12x12 building onto it that connects at the door. I jsut need some extra space to sit in and look out over the land. Has anyone ever done this and do you have any pictures.
Thanks alot.

My father in law lives in a private park on Indian land smack dab in the middle of Palm Springs, California. I mention this because they are pretty much exempt from the planning department approval process for the city because it is Indian land.

As a result people have been able to be very creative about building "arround" a trailer. Most of the places started out as travel trailers that people then added a screen room to. As more people retired and started to live full time in the units the screen rooms got converted into additional living quarters; complete with bedrooms, bath, kitchen and dinning areas as well as living rooms.

Carports were also added. My father in law is the first to have enclosed his carport and put on a garage door.

He has completely remoded the place. It's beuatiful and he has less than $20K in the place including the cost of the trailer and existing structures which he purchased of $10K.

He has given us lots of ideas. When we tire of being on the road we want to have two places similar to his that we can use in winter and summer. We want to be able to use the trailer in each location. A pull through design so the trailer can be pulled in and out is utmost in our design.

We want a larger kitchen in the house, a guest bed room, a living room and dining room and sewing room. And, of couse, a garage for the truck and motorcycles that will have a large shop area for me.

We would like the trailer to be loaceted between the living area and the garage. And we want to have full hookups for the trailer in its "barn".

Our challage will be finding a place to do this without runnung afoul of the local planing authorites and their approval/permit process. We have no desire to live in a metropolitan area so that makes it a little easier but our task will be somwhat arduous, I fear.

Good luck, I think the only issue for you will be what the local authorites will allow you to do.

Jim

76sovereign · 11-03-2008, 08:50 AM

I don't know if this qualifies as an added to or taken away from

mamos · 11-06-2008, 09:46 AM

What about slide outs

Has anyone added a slide out the their Airstream

mamos

purman · 11-06-2008, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamos

What about slide outs

Has anyone added a slide out the their Airstream

mamos

Now that would be some fun engineering....
They do make the slides but how about 3 or four of them.... You would have to start at the frame......

maybe one day in the distant future I will have to buy a gutted one and try it...

InsideOut · 11-06-2008, 10:42 AM

I like to say we have a 41' 2bed/2bath Airstream.

Guess you could call that "adding on" ~

Shari

reday · 11-06-2008, 01:58 PM

Tennessee Cumberland Plateau Campground is an Airstream only campground near Crossville TN. Most of the lots there have a shelter for the trailer/motorhome and some type of attached shelter (screened or open) for entertaining, cooking or sleeping. Many also have an additional detached storage building or gazebo. Their website does not have many pictures of the structures, but the page that has memberships that are for sale has a few. This should give you some ideas. You might also try to contact a member and see if you can get additional pictures. They will be closing for the winter on the 15th, so if you want to hook up with anyone, you should call soon

Home:

Tennessee Cumberland Plateau Campground

Memberships:

Tennessee Cumberland Plateau Campground

easyride · 11-06-2008, 02:16 PM

I love that Toronado Airstream.

boondockdad · 11-06-2008, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamos

What about slide outs

Has anyone added a slide out the their Airstream

mamos

this past year, I must have had a half-dozen people comment on our slide... they'd say 'never knew airstream made a slide-out...'

couldn't resist messin' with the last curious camper... told him I took it to a specialty fab shop in orange county and had 'em mod it custom for me... I bought an Airstream, money's no object, right?

Jim Foster · 11-06-2008, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InsideOut

I like to say we have a 41' 2bed/2bath Airstream.

Guess you could call that "adding on" ~

Shari

We say that our Caravel has three bathrooms. One off the living room, one off the bedroom. and one just off the kitchen. There's one off the dining room too, but we don't tell folks about that one.

cmell · 11-16-2008, 03:14 PM

yeah I did pretty much that exact thing for $5.99, which was the price of the door hinges. everything else was found in scrap piles, including a 7'x7' floor and door with a window in it.

First we laid the floor in place and staked out the corners of the structure.
Then we cut down some appropriately-sized cedar trees (5"-7" in diameter), limbed them, cut them to length, and set them in holes at the corners of the shed-to-be.
Then we nailed horizontal pieces of wood between the corner supports to connect them, and added a diagonal brace or two. We then built the door frame out of 2x4s and stuck it in place. From there we just nailed scrap pieces of plywood and other materials onto the various cross-pieces until all the holes were covered. Just working with the materials we had. We used thin pieces of wood and foam to seal small cracks and holes. Got a staple gun for $9.99, best investment ever! Nailed some old roofing metal on the top and went up there with a caulking gun at least 4 times before all the leaks were plugged.

We definitely went by the philosophy of "Good Enough Construction," which is a pretty fun and stress-free way of doing it. Plus it leads to a structure with an improvised form and lots of character. it should serve its purpose for a few years at least, which is all we're asking.

We realized after building it that the airstream's step light conveniently lights the shed... and the propane furnace exhausts into the shed as well, which could be a good thing or a bad thing. It definitely smells like propane a little bit in there at the beginning of each blowing cycle, but on the other hand it traps considerable heat that would otherwise be lost to the outdoors.
I'll send some pictures of the inside of the shed if you're interested.

markdoane · 11-16-2008, 04:38 PM

If your furnace exhausts goes into the shed,

theres a good chance you will wake up dead.

cmell · 11-16-2008, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markdoane

If your furnace exhausts goes into the shed,

theres a good chance you will wake up dead.

thanks, I'll keep that in mind... fortunately, though, the situation is not quite as black-and-white as your paranoid adage suggests.

we don't sleep in the shed, there is no significant exchange of air from the shed into the airstream, the shed is not airtight, we don't leave the furnace on over night, we leave a window open a crack, and we have a carbon monoxide detector in the living quarters that is rated to function down to -40°F.

see, you try to understand the potential problem, which is death by inhalation of air with a high concentration of CO, and then you use your innate human rationality to make sure that it's not a possibility. or... you can make all your decisions based on irrational fear and call it a day.

cameront120 · 11-16-2008, 05:42 PM

I don't think there's a need for the attitude. Sometimes, pointing out the obvious is necessary. Take the warning in the spirit that it was offered. Good luck to you and keep us up to date on your wintering adventure.

cmell · 11-16-2008, 06:03 PM

yeah, sorry for the annoyed tone... we've just had lots of people (elsewhere, not on the forums) giving us condescending warnings about the downsides of our various decisions lately.

you are right though, my mind transformed a well-intentioned concern into "you're a careless idiot who is probably going to suffocate in the night" and I took offense. sorry.

it really wouldn't be too hard to redirect the exhaust outside of the shed, we just haven't had reason to believe that it's necessary. anybody else, feel free to chime in if you think it's a super bad idea. I promise not to jump down your throat.

slowmover · 11-16-2008, 06:26 PM

I think it's kind of funny. An unintended "benefit". Keeps the firewood warm and the critters out, eh?

denellen · 11-16-2008, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reday

Tennessee Cumberland Plateau Campground is an Airstream only campground near Crossville TN. Most of the lots there have a shelter for the trailer/motorhome and some type of attached shelter (screened or open) for entertaining, cooking or sleeping. Many also have an additional detached storage building or gazebo.

Tennessee Cumberland Plateau Campground

Attached are picts of our RV port, patio, and shed at Tn.Cumberland plateau campground.
Stop by and say hey (Lot 19).
Dennis