Renovators are busy with the retro trend.
Silver Airstream trailers have been an unmistakable symbol of American wanderlust since the 1930s, traveling roads and nesting in campgrounds across the country.
With tens of thousands of polished aluminum trailers still on the road, the iconic American brand has gained popularity in recent decades due to its retro design and reputation for long-distance reliability. . Sure, your uncle’s “silver bullet” trailer has been turned into a fancy house on wheels.
This created a niche business for Flagstaff Airstream Renovations LLC, which was incorporated in 2021 by owner Lance Reynolds. He is a longtime restaurateur, a consultant for US Foods, and a part-time musician with the Las Vegas country band Cash Presley.
The trailer journey began as a hobby in 2015 when Reynolds began refurbishing his Avion trailer. The Avion is similar, but more angular than the rounded “shoulders” of the Airstream.
““In 2020, the world was shut down and I wasn’t traveling, so I had some free time,” Reynolds said. “I decided to try and accelerate my hobby a little bit. Some people who came into our lives were very, very, very handy and didn’t have jobs. So I actually We started a company to help them.”
He said he plans to renovate two to three trailers a year to earn enough money to pay bills and provide health insurance.
“And then it started moving. ”
Reynolds’ second client wanted 10 trailers for Prescott’s Air Village Park, which will open in December 2023 with an Avion rig.
“It was a labor of love for all of us. We really learned a lot. ”
The crew built a teardrop trailer for a client and converted an Airstream into a bar and cafe for the Sky Ranch Lodge on Sedona’s Airport Mesa.
Flagstaff Airstream Renovations, also known as Go FAR, has six employees, including Reynolds’ wife, Amy, and his daughter, Hannah, who is the director of operations.
Hanna said she is working with a client who wants to build a hair salon out of a 1965 Bolles Aero trailer.
Go FAR is also working on off-road, off-grid trailers with modified chassis and satellite connectivity for solar power, Wi-Fi and other communications for customers in Mexico.
“That was the inspiration for Recon Rig, the offshoot company we started,” Reynolds said.
The company’s website – reconrig.com – features conceptual images of rugged Airstream trailers reinforced with bulletproof glass and Kevlar panels for security in remote locations. List prices range from $189,000 to $449,000. Prices for new Airstream trailers typically range from approximately $50,000 to $150,000.
Inquiries have been pouring in and Mr Reynolds said he is in the process of looking for a larger store and hiring more staff to meet demand.
Go FAR is currently operating out of a store on South Blackbird Roost in Flagstaff. The team recently worked to upgrade an Avion trailer at Desert House, a trailer park just north of Williams. According to Hannah Reynolds, three vintage trailers will be released this year, with seven more on the way.
America’s roadside attractions have a new look, and retro trailer parks like Desert House and Air Village invite guests to stay in restored Airstreams, Avions, and other vintage trailers.
Tin Can Alley in Kingman is scheduled to open in 2025, featuring restored vintage trailers along Route 66. Shady Dell in Bisbee has been hosting guests in trailers for decades.
Auto Camp, a national outdoor gear store, operates eight overnight glamping trailer parks in scenic spots across the country.
Denny Durbin, owner of Silver Travelers in Phoenix, said he has renovated vintage trailers for customers all over the world, including RV parks in Moab, Utah, and Borrego Springs, California.
After 14 years in business, Durbin has seen a surge in interest in old trailers. “About five or six years ago it took off like gangbusters,” he says. “My specialty is tri-axle Avion trailers,” he said, adding that he prefers the Avion to the Airstream.
Reynolds said he also likes the Avions because they are a little wider and have a sturdy 2-by-6 steel frame.
Avion competed with Airstream from 1956 to 1990, but is no longer in business, making parts difficult to find.
Reynolds likened the gulf between Avion and Airstream fans to the gulf between Ford and Chevrolet fans. “If you put them in the same room, they’re never going to agree on which trailer is better,” he said.
Either way, restoring Airstreams and Avions takes time and isn’t cheap. It can take anywhere from 3 to 8 months to build one trailer.
Reynolds said a key element of restoring the trailer is removing the aluminum shell from the frame, redoing the subfloor and removing any stowaway rodent or black mold debris. A typical trailer renovation costs between $75,000 and $125,000.
“We are not the cheapest. We focus on providing a quality experience that our customers will enjoy for decades, as opposed to putting lipstick on a pig. ” FBN
Peter Corbett, FBN
Photo: Peter Corbett Flagstaff Airstream Renovations staff spent the last month working on Williams’ Desert House’s Avion trailer.
