What’s Old Is New Again! How one couple is renovating Vintage Airstream trailers and flipping these popular road warriors to create profitable “flipped” homes on wheels.
Recycling, Renovating Spawns Upcycling and Downcycling
When I think of recycling, I often think of 1970 and the origin of Earth Day. Truth is, however, that the first recorded practice of recycling occurred in 9th century Japan. Recycling of paper emerged at almost the exact same time as producing paper. As a matter of fact, the recycled paper was considered to be more valuable than original paper. The popularity of recycling reoccurs throughout history. Bibles were made in the New World from rags and pieces of linen. It was common during World War II for many items like tin, steel, and paper to be recycled to help support the American troops. The popularity of recycling in the 21st century has even spawned new vocabulary such as upcycling and downcycling.
Renovating Vintage Airstreams Becomes Hobby, Business, and Art
For some craftsmen like Ed and Coda Zschiesche of Burleson, Texas, renovating vintage Airstream trailers has become a hobby, a business, and an art. Their journey began over 15 years ago when the couple purchased an old airstream. With little to no knowledge of how to strip and polish the metal, they wisely enlisted the help of their 16-year-old grandson who worked diligently to reproduce the motor shine of the iconic silver travel trailer. Vintage Airstream Restore and polishing that shiny metal exterior How to Polish the Exterior of an Airstream
Renovating the Iconic Vintage Airstream
In hardly any time, the “flipped” home on wheels was purchased by a friend, and the couple enthusiastically began buying and reclaiming these American vintage road warriors. One of the Zschiesches’ most prized of their re-dos was a 1971, 23-foot Airstream. In keeping with their mission of renovating vintage Airstream trailers, they gutted it entirely before Coda painted it and made new curtains,
The couple replaced the appliances, flooring, cabinets, and everything else that could be seen or unseen on the silver abode. What was once old was polished like a new penny and ready to take camping in the most prestigious of camping resorts. Time and talent move forward, however, and their largest undertaking is now a work in progress. They are currently recycling a 25-foot 1990s version of the iconic Airstream.
Recycled, Upcycled or Downcycled Found in Texas Vintage Shops
Whether it is renovating vintage Airstream trailers or a quest to find recycled, upcycled or downcycled items, in almost every vintage shop along the Texas highway, somewhere in the corners or on the showroom floors the perfect recycled, upcycled, or downcycled item is waiting for just the right owner to come along and reclaim it’s worth. It very well could be that the item will become of greater value in its new reinvention than it was in its previous life. Ed and Coda have certainly shown us the possibility of such a treasure just like the Japanese paper recyclers centuries before them.
Repurposed Chicken Nesting Bins in addition to Renovating Vintage Airstreams
Coda said she uses galvanized chicken nesting bins for storage containers on her patio – one contains shoes and another one is filled with decorative greenery. A 3-foot-long chicken feeder is hanging on Coda’s kitchen wall. One Texas shop that specializes in all sizes of chicken nesting bins is Three Chicks Treasures Chicken Nesting Bins For Sale
