Wow. Wintering in Ontario. But I suppose you canadian nudists must be pretty tough to begin with, huh? :) What's your technique for putting plastic on the curved windows? What kind of work do you do? The double-ended 28 would have been my first choice--sure do like those windows! WOuld love to see pix of your office set up, and would be glad to trade images, as soon as I take some. What do you do for water and septic--use facilities other than your trailer? Dan Weeks 75 Argosy 26 > From: John Brooke <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Thu, 01 Mar 2001 21:15:41 -0500 > To: Multiple recipients of VACList <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [VAC] Re: Making a living in an airstream for three years > > Hey there Dan Weeks, > > I have noticed your postings about your working from your Argosy many times, > but I > just can't let this one go by. > > I have been living, restoring and working full-time in my 1975 Argosy 28 - The > "Tin > Ten", Three Winters in the Frozen North is enough particularly after this one. > > I have wrap around windows both ends, great for Mexico and lots of other > windows, > lots of heat loss, for sure. Each year the trailer gets better, the first > Winter I > could not have the lights and the furnace on at the same time. The previous > owner's > hobby seemed to be knitting wiring. Anyway the "Tin Tent" had a bedroom in the > rear > and that ended-up as a perfect wrap around workstation for my computer, > printer, > scanner and all that stuff. Replaced the weird Magnetec converter with Todd > and > basically sorted out and re-wired the entire trailer - replaced the floor and > the > plumbing and all that dirty jazz. I just use the 30 amp ac power supply in the > park > where I am located - no water supply and no septic. So it is possible to get > by and > turn out paying work right from the Argosy and I have been doing it for, as I > said > at the outset for over three years, winter and summer. Experience has taught > me to > just keep it simple, other that sealing the windows with plastic film and > insulating the VistaView windows and of course rebuilding the under belly and > insulting with fresh fiberglass, I don't do very much more to prepare for > Winter. I > use my 26 year Suburban furnace and balance the heating with a couple of > ceramic > heaters for and aft set on low. I also use an air purifer/ionizer that moves > the > air around. My black and gray water tanks are both heated as was set up by > Airstream originally/ > > The Argosy is ready to roll when my bank account allows, Ole! > > John Brooke > 1875 Argosy 28 > Located in the Four Seasons Family Nudist Resort in Freelton Ontario > > Dan Weeks wrote: > >> Jill: >> >> Though my airstream is parked in my back yard, where I've run underground 30 >> amp power and 2 phone lines (my own, 1-trailer park), I make my living in >> it, and LOVE it. Your thoughts about adding a workshop area to yours prompt >> my writing. I have a 26' Argosy, and have found it wonderfully easy to >> modify into a combination of living/office quarters. I've removed one of my >> center twin beds, boxed in the water heater and wheel well that were covered >> by the bed and storage under, and cut down a hollow core door (lightweight, >> strong, and free for the asking--also matches the woodgrain finish on wall >> panels nearly perfectly) and installed it there as a desk. It sits on a >> couple of modular file drawer units and is fastened to the wall, forming a >> wonderful, and quite large work station. I've also removed the front sofa, >> and for now work on the dining table with my back to the front window. WHen >> I have a chance, I've got another hollow-core door I've cut down to form a >> desk that will match the contour of the coach, and extend forward from the >> street side bulkhead that boxes in my fridge, swing the radius of the front >> corner of the coach, and then extend as a narrow strip, just bookshelf-deep, >> across the front at just-below window height. The watertank, which sits >> under the window, makes for another shelf, and I might add a third shelf >> surface midway between the tank top and the "return" of the desk. Then I'd >> sit with my back to the door, my monitor in front of a blank spot in the >> streetside wall where it doesn't obstruct the window. I have saved all the >> parts, so I can put the whole rig back to stock, should I want to, with >> about a day's work. Also, I should mention that I've put a work surface that >> rests on the top of the backsplash, and on little feet on the front of the >> surface (3/8 ply), that covers the stove and sink area. It's easily >> removable (just lifts off) and I think might be useful for laying out stuff >> for you, as well. >> >> I'm a full-time freelance writer, and I've been working in this setup every >> day since last May. All my cubicle-bound ex-colleages think I've got the >> best office they can imagine. As I used to work for magazines side by side >> with graphic designers, I can easily imagine you working well out of a >> trailer. If I was going to full-time in one and office in it too, I wouldn't >> want less than the 26' I have, and would probably go whole hog for a >> Sovereign or Excella, 31 or 34', just so I had ample room for >> life-sustaining stuff like groceries (my dometic 3-way fridge is currently >> stuffed with reference magazines--food for thought, but not to eat!). But I >> know a guy who full-times and does web production out of a 22-footer, but he >> did have the thing gutted and a custom interior office-living suite built to >> purpose. He tows with a Suburban, says he uses every bit of the space in the >> truck, and wishes he had at least a couple more feet of trailer. I can >> easily believe it. >> >> I originally got my rig as a cheap alternative to buying a bigger house with >> room for a home office. Or so I thought. Actually, I'm a long-time >> backpacker and small-sailboat cruiser, and the compact feel of a trailer >> fits my aesthetic, as does the fantasy that some day I will do as you plan >> to--take the show on the road! Freelance writing, like design, can be done >> from anywhere. >> >> Thanks for sharing your dream with all of us. If I can be of any help re: >> trailer mods, let me know. I have some thoughts on insulation, as well, that >> may be useful to you if you're going to go into cool climates. I' currently >> sitting in 3-degree Des Moines, Iowa, toasty in my A/S with just an electric >> heater (Pelonis Flex-Furnace II--the best!) and a $15 electrically-warmed >> automotive seatcover on my office chair, plugged into the power point next >> to the dining table. >> >> Dan Weeks >> '75 Argosy 26 >> Des Moines, IA >> >> >> >> (big Snip) >> > > > > > To unsubscribe or to change to a daily Digest, please go to > http://www.airstream.net/vaclist/listoffice.html > > If replying back to this message, please delete all the unnecessary original > text from your reply. > > > > To unsubscribe or to change to a daily Digest, please go to http://www.airstream.net/vaclist/listoffice.html If replying back to this message, please delete all the unnecessary original text from your reply.
