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Inside the Airstream

Inside the Airstream: A Quick Tour {2014 Edition}

For some reason, taking photos of the inside of the Airstream and posting them has been really difficult for me. When I show off my living space, I just want it to be perfect. Totally unrealistic, but I want everyone to see it the way its in my head -not necessarily the way it looks everyday. So, I finally just did gave up on ideal and did it. The kids were off at the park, we were packing up to leave so everything was semi-clean and I just snapped a few quick photos. We are about to drastically change up the bedroom area, and I wanted photos that represented this first 6 months of our traveling anyway.

Our Airstream is a 2008 International CCD 27FB in cilantro (color and type of decoration). The International designation gives it the shiny interior (which we LOVE), plus the cabinet style (I believe).  It is 27 feet long (technically 28′) with a Front Bed, meaning the bed is up by the hitch, and the door is in the rear with the dinette.

Here is the kitchen looking back to the bedroom. The kitchen may look small, but it does the job. 3 burner stove, about a half size oven but I can still fit a 9×13 pan. Not tons of counter space, but I manage. We mostly just try and do simple meals.

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The front bedroom where the kids sleep. We are taking out the queen bed and putting in a U-shaped configuration of beds (once for each kid) as soon as we get back to Utah. Like next week. The bed also lifts up for storage underneath which we’ll have with the new beds as well. The nightstands can go. I hate that they just get piled with all of the kids’ stuff. Probably my fault though since I want the bed to look “pretty” and not cluttered with their random pillows and stuffed animals. 🙂 I think Sam will also build another shelf for the homeschool supplies (paper, folders, extra books) back here as well. The kids also store their books up there, and we’d love to do a different type of bookshelf for them.

Edited to add: See our bedroom remodel here!

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Close up of the hallway. A/C unit on the ceiling, although we’d prefer to stay in climates/areas where it is not needed. Along the hallway, the fridge/freezer and shower are on the left, the pantry and bathroom on the right. The small cupboard above the freezer has spices, flour, sugar, and our 1 pyrex, 4 cup measuring cup. Yes, I only have 1.

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Looking the other way at the dinette and door. You can see the cabinets up above where we installed the shelves that Sam just built while staying with his parents. LOVE them. So happy with the way they organize those tricky cabinets. Also LOTS of windows. Definitely helps the space feel bigger and bring in a lot of light. The couch on the lower right is the gaucho, were Sam and I sleep at night with our bedroll. We do all fit around the table. 2 on the left, and 3 on the right with the outermost person kind of sitting on the corner. Andrew sits up against the window on the right side since he’s left handed.

IMG_6044-EditThere it is! All 188 square feet of blissful, traveling awesomeness. I’ll try and do posts later about toy storage, what’s in the kitchen, the closets, etc. As we get back to Utah and really organize and bring other items we’ve been missing (and lose some we don’t use) a lot of that will change anyway.

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Inside the Airstream

Inside the Airstream: Bathroom Upgrades and Tour

I got a little stressed out back in San Diego, and one of the ways I apparently deal with stress is to redecorate. With only 188 sq feet of living space, I don’t have a whole lot of options, but I managed to change up the bathroom a bit to make it a little more exciting. We have a room on one side of the hallway that has the toilet, sink, and cabinets and then across the hall is the shower.

Here’s the before. Very functional, kind of boring. We did pick up the toothbrush holders on Amazon very first off (months ago) and they have been great. No problems with them ever falling off. We also added the command strip for a lower hand towel before we originally left. I knew the kids wouldn’t hang it up if they couldn’t reach.

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To spruce things up, we removed one of the towel bars (which we never really used anyway) and hung up some IKEA frames with photos using picture hanging command strips. I also bought a cute little IKEA plant (are we sensing a theme?) that sits on the counter. I seriously stared at this thing in the store for like 20 minutes deciding if I really wanted it. I hate clutter – I don’t want things on the counter as its just one more thing I have to put away when we drive. However, the cute little plant in the bright purple pot was just so cheerful I couldn’t resist.

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Here is the after. I moved one of the kid’s towels from the back bedroom to the towel bar to add a little more color and to fill the empty space above the toilet.

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And since no tour would be complete without photos of what is actually IN our cupboards, here you go! This one is a bit of a disaster just because of the shape. The curved back on the top one doesn’t help things stand up very straight and it all falls over when we drive anyway. I’d love Sam to make some custom divider things so that we can just cram it all on on end and it’ll stay upright.

The pink cases are from a Mary Kay make-up keeper I had. I just pulled them off the roll, ad they fit great right in that little space. Sam has one for his razor and deodorant (totally a man that doesn’t care that it is pink), I have my make-up day time stuff in one, and my face wash stuff (night time) in another.

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Under the sink there is a small cupboard that has extra towels, laundry detergent, hand soap, toilet paper, extra body wash, Windex, and 409. Its actually quite a small space, we just don’t have very much of the afore-mentioned supplies. Underneath that cupboard is the water heater so no space there.

Under the counter we keep some more randomness. A container under the toilet paper that has our elastic, brushes, and a comb. That one is constantly in and out and often gets left on the counter. Cotton swabs, extra make up, reserve shampoo and conditioner,  girl supplies, nail polish, extra chapstick, toothbrush heads, and baby wipes. Its your typical bathroom cupboard I suppose. I could probably keep it a bit more organized, but since the doors close and I don’t have to see it, I haven’t made that a priority.

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I was really surprised at the amount of storage space IN the bathroom at first. I had to hunt for things I felt comfortable storing in there (oats, anyone?) because we just didn’t have that much. The little Sterilite containers have been a life saver, helping me keep all the little things organized. I should probably pick a few more up next time we go to Wal-Mart. We try to live simply, so not having a lot is the easiest way to fit everything in.

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Airstream Accessories Inside the Airstream

Kitchen Accessories We Love: Pans, Utensils, Sink Caddy, Knives

Over the past few months we’ve acquired a few things for the Airstream kitchen that we absolutely LOVE! Here are our top current favorites:

Magma 10 Piece Gourmet Nesting Stainless Steel Cookware Set with Non-Stick

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This pan set is everything I could want and MORE. So ridiculously happy that Riveted blogged about it awhile back so that we could discover its awesomeness. I chose the non-stick version (also comes in stainless) because that is the way I prefer to cook. I love that these pans nest together to take up the least amount of space possible. There are two removable handles to share between the pans, and as long as I attach them properly I’ve never had one even come close to falling off. Removing the handles while washing also conveniently fits them in our sink.

Simple Human Brushed Stainless Steel Utensil Holder

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Bought this off Amazon and was unsure whether we’d keep it or not after it arrived. A few days into our first trip, we totally fell in love. Doesn’t hold an exorbitant amount of kitchen utensils, but that’s the way I like it. Love that the front compartment is shallower for smaller instruments (can opener, garlic press) and I LOVE the built in spoon rest. Seriously one of my favorite features.

Simple Human Sink Caddy

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We original thought that this wouldn’t fit on our sink as the suction cups kept falling of. Then we cleaned our sink and it stayed just fine. Oops. Stays great even while towing, holds two sponges (one for wiping off counters, one for washing dishes) and a scrub brush from IKEA. We just unhook it and rinse it out every week or so to clean it. Helps keep our counters clear and less wet.

Kai 6-pc Pure Komachi Knife Set with Sheaths

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We originally just bought a few knives from Walmart and stashed them in a drawer. Then I found these at Costco. We debated for a bit as the set contains knives I don’t really use (citrus? really?) but decided it was still a great deal. I love the bright colors, and having sheaths to slip them into helps me feel less paranoid about my kids reaching into the drawer. Plus, it protects them from nicks and dings. LOVE these.

 

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Airstream Accessories Inside the Airstream

In Which I Replace the Range Hood Fan

Flash back with me to Christmas. We were staying at Huntsville State Park. Jess was cooking. She had the vent hood fan on, which draws air in over the range and pushes it out the kitchen vent in the side of the Airstream. The fan is a bit loud when it is on, but works well. Until, all of a sudden…

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The fan got noisy in a hurry. Jess dove for the switch.

After things calmed down and cooking and dishes were done, I dissected the range hood. The cylinder shaped plastic fan had broken, and the exposed edge of the break was hitting the fan housing.

Locating a replacement part was difficult. Many of the parts Airstream uses are common brands, and easy to find. The vent hood is made by Baraldi, which appears to be a company that mostly makes commercial kitchen range hoods. Unable to find a part online, I called Airstream directly.

Airstream was extremely helpful. I spoke with Carly, and within a few minutes (with the last 6 of the Airstream’s VIN) she was able to pull the schematics of the kitchen, and narrow down the part I needed. She then emailed me the part number, a picture of the part, and a list of Airstream dealers that could order it for me. (Airstream part 512210-101, though your specific model might have a different fan.)

In between finding the problem and calling Airstream, I tried a few temporary fixes: glue and wire. The glue didn’t work. The wire didn’t either. We just didn’t use the range vent fan for a few months, which led to extremely an extremely steamy (!) or smokey Airstream during mealtimes. We used the built in fantastic fans, but the effect isn’t as nice.

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I finally called an Airstream Dealer when we arrived in California, and had the part ordered. It is apparently a rarely needed part, so nobody had it in stock. The part arrived, and was replaced in just minutes.

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A phillips screwdriver is needed to remove the fan assembly, and a pair of plyers (or small vice grips…) is needed to remove and replace the nut holding the fan to the motor. Just don’t lose anything, and put it all back the way you found it, and the replacement will go very easy.

IMG_5558IMG_5560IMG_5562This part replacement was simple, and doing it myself saved some money and a trip for the Airstream into a dealership. It is now back to it’s normally loud operating mode!

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Inside the Airstream

Inside the Airstream: Where Does Everyone Sleep?

Inside the Airstream - Where Does Everyone Sleep

We had an Instagram follower ask us to detail where everyone sleeps in our 27FB International Airstream. I am more than happy to oblige. After we picked up the Airstream back in September 2013, we spent 8 days on the return trip from llinois back to Virginia. I’m pretty sure in those 8 days we tried every sleeping configuration possible. Fortunately, the short Queen bed in the Airstream had custom sheets the previous owner gave us, as well as two fleece sleeping bag blanket things. The weather was still pretty warm, so between the sheets, the blankets, and the hot weather we figured we’d last until we got back and could figure out what we wanted to do long term.

We tried converting the dinette into a bed and sleeping all the kids out in the “living” space with us on the queen bed. We tried all 3 kids in the queen bed (Cara apparently kicks in her sleep) and us out on the dinette. Then us on the gaucho (couch that pulls out into a bed). The kids on the gaucho. The kids on the floor. You get the idea. Our best configuration, by far, is the one we are currently using.

Where do the kids sleep?

ETA: This was our original layout. We have since remodeled our bedroom area and put in separate beds for the kids. See Part I of that process here.

The “FB” designation in the Airstream model stands for “front bed”. There are many layouts to choose from, but this was definitely our favorite. So those panaorma windows you see above the bed are the front of the Airstream with the hitch right below those windows. The door to enter the Airstream is in the back at the other end.

We gave up the queen bed for the kids. Sigh. Coming from a California King at our home in Utah, that was a pretty big sacrifice at first. The bedroom is also a nice enclosed space once you pull the curtain that divides it from the rest of the Airstream. What we realized pretty quickly, however, is that we can close off the kids at night and still have relative freedom ourselves instead of being “trapped” in the back while the kids are sleeping in the kitchen (midnight ice cream snack anyone?). Rachel and Andrew sleep on the queen, and generally do a good job of not hogging the covers. They each have their own pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals that I make them put away every morning so I can still have some semblance of a pretty bed. Mean, aren’t I? It is honestly still too cluttered for me, but I just keep reminding myself that its a kids’ bedroom and there’s bound to be clutter. They also enjoy their reading lights, as they usually read for about a half an hour before lights out every night.

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Cara sleeps on the floor in her “secret hideout” and absolutely loves it. There is just enough space between the queen bed and the wall of the Airstream to fit a Thermarest sleeping pad and her sleeping bag. Her Thermarest is inside one of those gray,  fleece, sleeping bag, blanket things I mentioned earlier, and she has her sleeping bag on top. That way she has some protection against the chill of the Thermarest and it doesn’t slide around. She usually has a stack of boardbooks, her dreamlight, and few stuffed animals lying around as well. To really make it a “secret hideout” involves taking the laundry basket and placing it between the bed and wall to hide her from view. Sleeping Cara here was not something we thought would work, but from the very first night, she loved it. As the weather turned colder, we’ve often checked to see that she is warm enough, and every time she has been as snug as a bug.

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Where do WE sleep?

Sam and I sleep out on the gaucho. There’s a board that slides out from under the couch, extending it, and then you just lay the cushions flat. Pretty ingenious design in my opinion. It doesn’t take us very long, so the hassle factor isn’t high. The total bed space is smaller than a double bed, but it turns out we really just don’t mind. We slept on a double bed the 4 months we were in New Zealand (just after we were married) and I feel like I have plenty of space. Sam’s story might vary slightly as he sleeps against the cold wall and I’m known to be a bit of a bed hog. [ Note from Sam: I prefer to sleep colder than Jess does, so being next to the wall is probably better. Jess IS a bed hog, but with a smaller bed, that means we get to snuggle more. 🙂 ]

We did try to sleep on the dinette space for a couple of nights, but wrangling the table down while holding the cushions out of the way got old really quickly. Plus, that space, while longer, is a bit narrower and we felt a little cramped. Our feet do hang off the bed a bit, but with our top sheet velcroed underneath, our feet stay warm. Sleeping on the outside, I generally am at an angle so my feet can rest on the dinette cushions tucked in close to Sam’s. See? We get to play footsie all night long. How adorable.

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For the trip back from Illinois, we slept just on the existing cushions and quickly realized that wasn’t enough padding. I have back problems (3 pregnancies will do that to you) so we definitely needed something with a little more cushion. We bought a 3 inch memory foam double mattress topper from Costco and used a sharp kitchen knife to cut it down to size. Using the included mattress cover + one we bought from Target we sewed together a sleeve for the pad since that thing sheds like crazy. We then got creative with a set of sheets and some Velcro and fastened together a bedroll that we can easily unroll every night. We also bought a fleece blanket from Costco, and it is amazingly warm and comfortable for how thin it is!

Sam and I get up in the mornings around 5:30am to work at the table, and the kids come out at 7am. The biggest downside of a small adult bed is that there is not enough room for us all to cuddle. I love it when my kids come climb in bed with me in the morning and we take 20 minutes to wake up together. These days we just take turns, and it works out okay.

IMG_4294-EditEvery morning, we roll up our bed, wrap our Fastex buckle straps around it, and dump it on the opposite side of the queen from Cara’s spot. It is generally out of the way and Cara can still take a nap on her bed if we think she needs it.

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We have plans to remodel the bedroom area and either put in bunkbeds for all of us, or create a more U-shaped configuration of 3 beds for the kids while we still sleep out on the gaucho. Nothing has been decided for sure, except that whatever we do will happen when we get back to Utah in the spring and Sam has access to all his tools.

While not the perfect arrangement, it works for now. Everyone gets enough sleep, Sam gets enough work in, and most mornings I’m so cozy I can barely drag myself out of bed.