HOW TO CREATE A LUXURY MOBILE RETREAT

The Transformation from Airstream to Luna, a Luxury Tiny Home on Wheels

Function and beauty often collide when it comes to traveling the open road in style. More and more, however, there are those road warriors who have created a luxury escape that can travel with them. With the right materials, some imagination and a taste for adventure, you too could be taking to the road with only a compass as your guide.

Renowned full-time traveler, tiny home owner and adventure junkie, Kristen Sarah has shared her experiences and costs to renovate a vintage Airstream. With a budget of approximately $54,300 USD (about $70,000 CDN), Kristen crafted a mobile sanctuary that even the most discerning champions of home comforts would be happy to occupy.

The journey to renovation began when Kristen and her partner Siya Zarrabi found an ad on Craigslist for a classic 1976 Airstream (soon to be christened Luna). Without much experience in purchasing these shiny beasts, Kristen was able to find one with an outside shell in excellent condition. The inside was a little less so and the gutting was deferred to the experts allowing Kristen to focus on her award-winning travel and lifestyle website, Hopscotch the Globe.

“She definitely wasn’t Luna back then, but we saw her potential. She was decked out in 70’s attire, and smelled musty and unused. She needed love and we wanted to give that to her,” says Kristen.

It took weeks of ripping out the interior walls, removing 40+ year old insulation, pulling out electrical cables, scrubbing walls and waterproofing. Once the bare-bones of Luna were exposed, it was time to rebuild from the inside out. Designers Kate and Ellen of The Modern Caravan were able to bring Kristen’s design dream into reality. The transformation from old and cold to fabulously modern took about 12 weeks. Luna was ready for the road with all the luxuries of a traditional home including power provided by Go Power!’s own Solar Extreme complete solar system.

“Solar was an essential part of the dream home, especially when it needs to be a portable film studio for our YouTube series. Partnering with Go Power! was a big puzzle piece put into place,” says Siya.

Committing to the RV lifestyle does not require years of experience or knowledge. As stated earlier, a sense of adventure and imagination is all you need! Take it from Kristen herself.

“It’s definitely a learning process living in an Airstream, without any prior knowledge of RV life, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Discover more about Kristen and Siya’s life by following their Instagram channel @livinginluna. You can read more about Luna’s renovation and see pictures of it at hopscotchtheglobe.com. If you would like to start your own journey, don’t forget about adding solar to your RV home. Go Power! offers affordable mobile solar options for all your adventure needs.