Remodeling the Airstream

In September 2025 we started the process of restoring the 2002 Airstream, 25ft Safari Edition. It was in pretty good condition with some upgrades, but had not been actively driven or camped in for some time and had the original green plaid upholstered couch and accent wall. We started with the foundation and then made our way to the interior.

The foundation:

All tanks, propane, AC, furnace, refrigerator, stove, toilet, brakes, tires, bearings, roof inspected.
All the tanks flushed, the air conditioner serviced, and the thermostat repaired.
Replaced old manual air vents replaced with automatic MaxxAir fans (one in the living room, one in the bedroom, and a small one in the bathroom).
New brakes, repacked the bearings, and replaced the 10yr old tires.
Resealed the roof.
Exterior marker lights replaced
Exterior washed & waxed

Thank you to All RV Service & Repair in Scotts Valley, CA.

The interior:

Replaced all interior lights with warm bulbs (the existing ones were bright white with some working and some not).
Cleaned the walls and washed all the curtains (successfully removing some of the discoloration).
Replaced the kitchen faucet with a domestic kitchen faucet (taller style with the sprayer) to allow for easier dish washing in the small sink.
Replaced the small plastic shower head with a larger domestic shower head.
Added a large hinge mounted cutting board to the kitchen to create some counter space for cooking
Painted the refrigerator trim white to match the white walls and white refrigerator (it appeared someone had painted the refrigerator white in the past but did not paint the trim).
Added wallpaper to the kitchen and bathroom backsplash walls to accent the slate blue the previous owner chose to paint the cabinets.
The bedroom was left largely intact. Only wallpaper and decorative shelves were added to the was added to the accent walls.
Removed the green plaid fabric from the accent wall in the living room and was thrilled to find wood behind it. Added a round mirror to this wall and it is now a focal point for the living room area.
Removed the original folding wall table and replaced it with a modern design. Doing so required the counter top for the corner cabinet be raised about 1 1/2".
Reupholstered the couch: contemplated (a) pulling it out and replacing with a domestic modern couch, (b) having a custom lounge built, (c) removing it and having it professionally reupholstered, (d) trying to do it myself. Ultimately opted for "d" which was a process.

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The green plaid dilemma

Reupholstering the couch: This was a bigger job than I planned. It started easy with the arm rests, side panels and front panel that opens to storage underneath the couch. I was able to recover all of these with a staple gun. However, the main body of the couch was more complicated. First, it needed to open and close as a sleeper. Second, it is a metal frame so stapling it was not possible.

I opted for a two step process:

Step one was to create a cover made from the chestnut vinyl, sewing the the basic shape with a sewing machine, and then hand stitch it to the original green plaid fabric.
Step two: create an additional slip cover made from white canvas upholstery fabric, designed to be removed for washing, was sewn and put on top of the chestnut vinyl (purchased on Amazon). It is secured in place with elastic ties

The final outcome was better than I expected.. cheaper than my original options in consideration, and much better than the green plaid!

The cafeteria table

The folding wall table was functional but had all the design aesthetic of a table from a school cafeteria in the 1970's. After endless searches there were just no options that had the same function but better design. Most RV tables have a metal pole for a leg that (a) requires a mount in the floor and (b) is not attractive.

Many of the folding wall tables fold up not down, which would not work as it would fold into the window of in this case. The only option that met design aesthetic and folded down / inward was the "Kate and Laurel Kaya Modern Wall-Mounted Folding Table" (available on Wayfair).

However, it was a little taller than the space and did not extend as much as the original table...so we'd loose some table space and have to raise the couter top to install it. Raising the countertop was a little harder than originally conceived. The counter runs from the corner on one side all the way around to the window on the other side. The counter needed to be raised about 1 1/2" and the table also needed to mounted on a piece of wood to extend out from the wall about 2". The loss in table space is made up for with folding TV dinner trays (we liked these on Amazon) that stow perfectly behind the couch.

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Its the little things...

We have been RV'ing for 13 yrs and THIS IS OUR 4TH trailer. Part of traveling and camping in a trailer is knowing the little things often make the biggest differences. Here is a list of some of the little things that have been added to our airstream. It's taken some time to find them all, so we're sharing the following:

Marshall Action III speaker provides the perfect retro look, bluetooth connectivity, and ample sound for the whole trailer. It stows in the cabinets when the trailer is in motion.
KELTY Rad-Arondack Chairs are a nicer take on the standard folding camp chair. They are more stylish and they still collapse to stow in the storage compartment under the couch.
Bamboo cutting board, 22"x18" mounted to the kitchen cabinet with Folding shelf brackets provide the perfect amount of extra counter space. The brackets come two in a set. They are available in different sizes and weight capacities. We went with the largest cutting board the space could accommodate. Add a stool and it doubles as a work / eating space.
The overhead lights leave a lot to be desired. Modern night lights and Magnet Rechargeable LED Wall Sconces add ambiance and softer lighting.
Cubicle hangers work great for hanging light weight framed pictures on the mousefur walls! The pictures come down when the trailer is in motion.
Magnetic knife holder saves space and looks great. This one has hooks for hanging cooking utensils as well.
Refrigerator decal can add a retro look without sacrificing the dual propane / electric function of the old one to upgrade and get the retro look that they only make in the fully electric models.
Foldable stone bath mat, 23"x15" fits perfectly in the super small bathroom, doesn't stay wet, and rolls up to stow when not in use.