When Sheena and Jason found their 1977 Airstream Sovereign, it was sitting in a field in Tennessee, slowly being reclaimed by the earth. Most people would have walked away. They saw a future home on wheels.
The 31 foot trailer got a full rebuild from the ground up. New subfloor, new insulation, new electrical, fresh welding on the frame, and every single built-in cabinet made from scratch. About the only original piece left is the aluminum shell you see on the outside.
The video below walks through every corner of their 200 square foot home, but here’s a look at what makes this rolling apartment so special.
A Second Airstream Built for Life on the Road
This isn’t their first rodeo. Sheena and Jason started out with a 27 foot Airstream from 1975, and living in it taught them exactly what they wanted the next time around.
At the top of the list? A bigger bed, two separate workspaces, and a real door between the living area and the bedroom. Both of them work remotely, and Sheena did not want to hear Jason on every phone call. No offense to Jason. He understood.
The rebuild was a true family project. Sheena handled the design and aesthetics. Jason tackled the plumbing, a good chunk of the electrical, and built one of the doors himself. The heavy lifting, including all the custom cabinetry and Craftsman style furniture, came from Sheena’s parents and their family business, New Abode.
A Living Room and Kitchen That Feel Like a Real Apartment
Walk inside and the first thing you’ll notice is that it doesn’t look like an RV. That was the whole point.
Sheena wanted the front living area to feel like a small apartment, so the furniture appears to float in space (it’s actually bolted to the wall). The sofa started life as a Joybird, then her mom took it apart and reworked it into something that fits the space better. A future version will even have hidden storage built right in.
Instead of a typical RV banquette where you stare down the length of the trailer, the chairs face the front windows. As Sheena puts it, the whole point of being on the road is to look at what’s outside. Underfoot you’ll find washable rugs from Ruggable. The original Turkish rugs got destroyed fast thanks to two dogs and the fact that there’s nowhere to wipe your feet when you walk in.
The kitchen got a complete teardown and rebuild. Custom maple cabinets, waterfall countertops, and a real ceramic herringbone backsplash that her dad swore would crack on the road. So far it’s holding up just fine. Sheena keeps the open shelving looking great with a clever trick: most of the items are stuck down with gorilla tape or museum putty, while the everyday stuff like cups and bowls stays loose. The whole pack up before hitting the road takes about ten minutes.
A Handmade Door, a Hidden Hallway, and Two Workspaces
The door separating the living area from the bedroom is Jason’s pride and joy. He made it himself from scrap quarter inch plywood, cutting strips and gluing them down in a pattern before staining the whole thing. It looks like a heavy wood door, but it’s lightweight enough for an RV and works as a serious sound barrier.
Past the door is Jason’s workspace, with a desk built right into the frame and a lift up countertop that hides laptops, papers, and supplies. There’s also a mounted TV, which Jason swears he never plays video games on during work hours.
Look up in the hallway and you’ll see something most Airstreams don’t have. The original curved ceiling was flattened with aluminum panels, creating hidden ductwork that pushes AC and heat back to the bathroom and bedroom through small vents above each door.
A Tiny Bathroom and a King Sized Bedroom With a Hidden Basement
The bathroom in their first Airstream had the shower head pointed the wrong way, which was rough on Jason at over six feet tall. He describes showering in it as a tearful experience.
This time they went with a mid bath layout, where the shower head comes from the opposite direction and you can actually stand up. Custom cabinets with maple countertops, a composting toilet, and all the messy plumbing tucked behind cabinet doors so the pretty stuff stays pretty.
The bedroom fits a king sized bed almost wall to wall. At the foot of the bed, where a regular door wouldn’t work, Jason built a sliding board on a drawer slide that pulls across to keep their two dogs (one of them blind) from falling out at night. Magnetic baskets on floating shelves hold odds and ends without flying around when the trailer moves.
The best surprise is underneath. Their Airstream didn’t come with a rear access door, but Sheena’s dad cut one into the back. Now the empty space under the mattress works like a basement, holding electric scooters, helmets, hammocks, and an inflatable kayak.
Outdoor Living and Why They Built It All
When the weather’s nice, the awning comes out and the living space basically doubles. A recycled plastic patio rug, a few folding chairs, a side table for drinks, and two little camp beds for the dogs turn any campsite into a backyard.
So why go through all of this? Sheena and Jason looked back at years of marriage and realized the memories that stuck were the trips they took together. They wanted more of those moments instead of staying put. Once Jason landed a remote job, the whole thing came together.
Now they can park five miles from home at a nearby lake or head out to the Rocky Mountains, all while keeping their bed, their dogs, and their favorite mugs right there with them. Sheena handled the creative side and Jason built the systems that make it all run, proving that with the right partner and enough trial and error, you really can build the home you picture in your head.