We wrote this post after returning home from Big Trip #1.

We made it home to Virginia with mixed feelings: we were disappointed our big adventure had finished (for now), but we were happy to get back to our friends and our relatively incredibly spacious non-wheeled home. We have a couple Airstream trips planned for this summer, but until then the trailer goes into storage mode.

Here’s what we did with the Airstream so it can happily sit in our yard (yes, we are that classy) until the next trip:

Clean the Airstream:

Inside, we cleaned the bathroom, kitchen, floors, and refrigerator. We propped the fridge and freezer open to defrost and air out. Outside… we intend to clean and polish the exterior. But it’s really hot out and that job sounds totally miserable, so we haven’t quite gotten to it yet.

Protect the Airstream:

The exterior cleaning and polishing isn’t just for looks, it’s to protect the aluminum skin. We really need to do it! The tires are protected, at least: we covered the tires to shield them from UV damage.

Remove these items from the Airstream:

• All food, oils, spices–anything edible
• Personal items: clothes, shoes, toiletries
• Paper products: TP, PTs, tissues, anything a mouse like to use for nesting
• Sheets and towels for washing (they were returned to the trailer for storage afterward, sealed for mouse protection)
• Items borrowed from our “real” house: some kitchen gadgets, games, dvds, computers, camera, checkbook, passports
• Bugsy’s stuff: bed, bowls, toys, etc

Leave these items on the Airstream:

• Kitchen items: utensils, food storage containers, wraps/foils/bags, pots, skillet, baking dishes
• Cleaning supplies
• Living room pillows and throws (stored in the overhead bin to keep them away from mousies)
• Yard furniture: camp chairs and table, CGear mats (the orange outdoor rugs you see in pictures of our yard setup)
• Tools for Airstream-living: grease, gloves, tubes, pipes, chocks, locks, blocks, hoses, etc

I’m working on compiling some statistics for you on how far we traveled and how much beer we drank. Stay tuned!