Restoring a Dream

I admit it--I'm a total novice when it comes to trailers, vintage or otherwise. Mr. Shephard's book is equal parts love letter and cautionary tale. He walks you through the do's and don'ts of purchasing, restoring and maintaining a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. If you're thinking of going the Airstream route, have a copy handy. Nuff said.

I'm not an Airstream owner. It's likely I will never be an Airstream owner. So why, you ask did I read this book? I am a avid RVer. So much so that an RV has been my only home for over 16 years.

Way back when Podcasting was very new, Tim's show, TheVAP, was the first RV related podcast I found. Yes, they only talked about Airstream trailers and really old ones at that. But even old Airstreams are RVs and I'll take my RVing fix however I get it. Besides, who doesn't have a soft spot for Airstream trailers? There's a reason they are the iconic RV.

I've learned a lot listening to Tim's podcast through the years. While most of the information covered on TheVAP is specific to Airstreams, much of it is applicable to just about any RV.

During the early years of the podcast I followed along as Tim kept TheVAP listeners updated during the restoration of his second Airstream. By the time he was done I thought even I could do a restoration!

All of Tim's personal restoration experience along with everything learned from TheVAP Panel of Pros has been compiled and condensed into Tim's book.

If an SOB owner can find Tim's book informative, then it's safe to say anyone interested in Airstream will find it it invaluable.

Wonderful! Finally a book about vintage Airstream Restoration!
Vintage Airstream trailers are so very cool, and this book is a great story of one family man and his journey to restore a couple of trailers. From the man who brought us Airstream podcasting, Tim Shepard tells his very personal story of the challenges and his success in saving older Airstreams.

I could not stop reading about his family and their travels in the USA. Starting with structural upgrades, Tim describes his improvements including welding, riveting, wiring, plumbing, and polishing to a brilliant shine. This book contains some very detailed information on how he updated his trailers. Tim shares his options and choices - the same decisions which would be faced by anyone upgrading almost any brand of trailer. New trailer owners can use this as a refernce to learn how their trailer works. Passionately written, the book was easy to read cover to cover.

I've always loved camping and traveling with a trailer. Even as a small child, I knew that I wanted to see the world with my own little house on wheels. And upon seeing my first Airstream in 1974, I was smitten. Written with logically organized chapters, I will use this book over and over again. Thank you iBooks for a way to bookmark pages for my upcoming restoration.