{By Kelly}

Riva made out like a bandit this Christmas. Here are a few of the trinkets we bestowed upon our beloved Airstream, plus some delightful gifts from our family and friends. It just goes to show, everyone loves Riva!

On behalf of The Riveted Roost, thank you! 

We can't wait for Alumaflamingo in February, Riva's first trip of 2014. We hope to have her bathroom and plumbing done by then!

Follow our adventures on Twitter @RivetedRoost, or find us on Facebook and Instagram.

{By Kelly}

We worked our butts off so we could attend the 2nd Annual Vintage Trailer Rally at Wickham Park Campground in Melbourne, Fla., April 4-7, 2013. It was a stretch, but Justin installed the laminate flooring, we painted most of the interior walls and ceiling, replaced/sealed several of the windows, replaced a few vents, put the cabinetry back together and installed the new countertop, thanks to our friend Mike.

We were sleep deprived and achy from all the work we had done to Riva to be able to camp overnight in our vintage Airstream. While we didn’t have plumbing, we had electricity, the window shaker A/C, and a roof over our heads – a luxury for us, since we were accustomed to tent camping.

We made the 90-minute drive north to Melbourne with Riva in tow without incident. We had just pulled on to the last road that would lead us to Wickham Park when we saw a gas station and decided to stop for some supplies. The driveway was at an awkwardly steep incline from the road and Riva’s underbelly came dangerously close to the ground. An old drainpipe met its demise and was scraped off. Luckily, we didn’t need it anymore, as it was a remnant from the previous owner’s more permanent septic system. [Sigh of relief!]

We winded our way through the campground to the area in the back where the vintage campers were set up. Many shiny aluminum beauties, plus brightly painted trailers of other makes and models. We parked in our site next to a cute turquoise Runabout. We were a few sites down from our friends, Jean and Suzy, and their gleaming Overlander.

Despite our sandy campsite, Justin managed to back in between our neighbors and the hookups like a pro. We started to set up, as the sun was quickly setting. We got plugged in, walked the dogs, met the neighbors and quickly started to assemble our futon so we would have a place to sleep. The giant futon box and mattress was taking up a lot of space and assembly was a must. I think our fellow campers thought we were a bit rude to be holed up in our camper, but they brought us an amazing dinner of mussels and pasta. Now this is glamping! It took us a couple tries with our Swedish Ikea instructions, but we finally figured it out and collapsed on our new couch/bed in triumph and exhaustion.

After a few minutes, we got our second wind and went out to meet the other vintage trailer enthusiasts. We enjoyed cocktails and good times, then bedded down for the night. There was a nice chill in the air, so A/C wasn’t necessary. Yay!

Justin’s mother, Polly, created some beautiful curtains with the fabric I purchased. They had the tabs attached and were ready to hang. I spent the next morning cleaning up, making the bed and hanging curtains. They really tied the place together! Justin helped me affix the pulls to the kitchen cabinets and drawers.

We enjoyed a nice continental breakfast hosted by the Trailer Company, then toured the other vintage trailers. It’s always neat to see how each trailer has a unique personality and décor.

We had a wedding to attend that evening near Patrick Airforce Base, so we headed to my grandmother’s house in Eau Gallie just a short drive away to freshen up. [Riva is still without plumbing and a real shower certainly beats the campground showers!] Grama was puppy-sitting the dogs while we were away. We had a great evening with Justin’s family. Congratulations, Adam and Vanessa! Then we returned to the campground. It was pretty late and nearly everyone was tucked away into their tiny trailers.

The next morning, my mom, dad, grandmother and my mom’s friends joined us for an open house. We toasted to The Riveted Roost’s maiden voyage with champagne, then showed them the other vintage trailers.

It was a wonderful trip and we’re so grateful to Jason, the owner of The Trailer Company, for hosting this wonderful event. We can’t wait for the next one!


Follow our adventures on Twitter @RivetedRoost, or find us on Facebook and Instagram.

{By Kelly}

In order to get a move on restoring Riva, I knew we needed a deadline. We’re both writers, so deadlines are deeply familiar. We needed something to light a fire under our arses, or else we would procrastinate indefinitely.

When fellow Airstream aficionado, Jean, told us about a vintage trailer rally hosted by The Trailer Company in Melbourne in April, I knew that should be our goal. Given Riva’s delicate state, it would be perfect – only an hour and a half from home. Far enough for a test drive, but not too far away. Plus, we had a wedding nearby, so this would enable us to enjoy ourselves without having to drive all the way home.

BUT… we had A LOT to do.

Justin had finished the subfloor, but we still needed to put the laminate floor on top (thankfully we had a nice supply of remnants, courtesy of my parents’ recent remodeling job). We also needed to paint the interior walls and ceiling, remove the window shaker A/C unit, replace and seal several of the windows, seal all the cracks, replace vents, put the cabinetry back together and install a new countertop, assemble the futon and get curtains, install exterior and interior lights... Plus much more, but those were the things on our immediate list.

So, we spent many late nights and early mornings working on Riva. We got most of our work done, reserving a few “minor” tasks that we would complete at the rally.

{By Justin}

It didn’t take long for me to realize that our banquette was sitting on of top rotten plywood.

I knew the subfloor was shot the first time we stepped inside Riva. Most people would never realize it’s a problem until they actually see the damage, so it’s important to notice how the flooring feels when you step into a vintage camper.

Does it feel soft or creek when stepped on? A subfloor should feel solid and firm. If it doesn’t, then you’ll most likely need to replace a section or two somewhere down the line.

While the previous owner had constructed a fine banquette, it still didn’t hide the fact that it took up too much room and that was sitting right on top of the worst section of subfloor.

The entire subfloor in the front-end cap needed to be replaced, which meant  the banquette had to go and something else put in its place.

Up until now, we had every intention of repurposing the banquette into our redesign, but soon realized that keeping it would’ve been a bad move.

In lieu of the banquette, we decided to go with a futon, which would provide a nice couch and sleeping area. We would eat outdoors mostly, and if it was raining, we could sit on the futon couch and use TV trays. The banquette was difficult to get in and out of anyway.

{By Kelly}

We recently made a trip to the Tampa area to obtain parts for our 1960 Airstream Overlander, The Riveted Roost.

We met our new friends, Jean and Suzie, at the Florida State Rally in Sarasota in mid-February. Jean had offered us the Dometic refrigerator that he had removed from his 1966 Overlander. 

We left Stuart at 5:30 a.m. and met up with them in Largo, excited to learn they also had a ceiling vent frame with lifts and a screen they no longer needed. 

Thank you, Jean and Suzie – your Overlander has saved our Riveted Roost with this generous “organ donation.”

We also had an appointment with Frank Bates, owner of Bates RV in Dover - Frank is another contact we made at the Florida State Rally. He’s planning an art installment made from totaled Airstreams and he offered us the opportunity to see if we could salvage any parts from a 1980’s model.

While we didn’t find much that would jive with our 60’s trailer, Justin was able to remove the breaker box and wiring from the closet in the rear bathroom. Ours was missing since the last owner hooked up directly to shore power. We were pleased to find a grounded, three wire set up, since ours was only two wire originally – and not very safe! We also purchased some Acryl-R sealant and an applicator to keep Riva’s seams sealed and her interior dry.

While at Bates RV, we had to get a closer look at the infamous Airstream Ranch that we passed on our way in. Inspired by the Cadillac Ranch in Texas, Frank Bates engineered the Airstream Ranch in 2007 to pay homage to Airstream’s 75th anniversary.

While some Airstream devotees see the buried trailers as a sacrilege, it is intended to be a work of art and tribute to the iconic aluminum trailer. Mostly salvaged from junkyards or beyond repair, the Airstreams are buried 6 to 8 feet deep at a 20-degree angle and the models range from 1957 to 1994 and 16 to 34 feet in length.

The eight precarious trailers are visible from I-4 between Plant City and Tampa, near exit 14 in Dover. Stop by Bates RV and they can give you instructions to safely view the Airstream Ranch. I actually thought the cows in front of the Airstreams were real at first glance, but they turned out to be wooden cutouts, ha ha!

Our trip was short and sweet, as we both had to get back to Stuart for 7 p.m. engagements. It felt good to find some of the key items we need to get Riva functioning and travel-worthy. Next on the list: tires, new windows and plumbing!

Follow our Airstream adventure on Twitter @RivetedRoost, and find us on Facebook and Instagram.