Joe DeLoss wanted a change. He was living in a cape cod home in Bexley and had a decent amount of stuff. Not anywhere near the level of a hoarder, but it was starting to feel overwhelming. So he was looking to pare down. Change his lifestyle. Become less tied down to a mortgage with traditional home ownership and all of the aspects that are part of that. He had always thought about living in an iconic Airstream trailer. The beauty of being able to move your home where you’d like, its attractive style and sleek design, the limiting 165 square feet of space that would keep your personal belongings to a minimum – it all intrigued him. His search turned up exactly what he wanted on Craigslist.

He found a 1963 Airstream Overlander, originally made at the Jackson Center, Ohio factory. It had been gutted and repaired just enough that he could make the changes he wanted and it was close – a mere hour or so away in Danville. It was perfect. He put his house on the market, thinking it would take some time to sell (this was only last year after all) and he would be able to fix up the Airstream at a leisurely pace. Then the house sold very quickly and he found himself needing a living space for himself and his beautiful Weimaraner B. He was able to get the electric fully upgraded with a larger electrical box, added new flooring, installed the kitchen set (combo mini-fridge/stove-top/sink/water-pump), picked up a decommissioned locker from Pattycake Bakery and painted the Airstream’s interior a bright lime green.

Before view, looking toward the back of the Airstream

Before view, looking toward the front of the Airstream

Work in progress

He kept the original closets. Removing the doors keeps his possessions in view and makes editing them easier. Joe is happy to have 100% of his possessions in his small home. He likes to follow the one-in-one-out philosophy, where he must get rid of one thing in order to add a new one.

With his new living space came a new way of life. Except for consumables, Joe has not bought anything new this year. Everything he has needed, he has found second hand. He does admit that a friend gave him a heated blanket for his birthday which was a welcomed gift during this cold winter. Getting through the cold weather was part of his trial phase and he feels that went well and looks forward to really making the place into a home and not a trailer.

Some of the ideas he has to upgrade his “urban off-the-grid condo” include: covering the wheel wells with storage, adding a flippable combination bed/sofa to give the space a livable workspace vibe, installing a full bathroom and a low current electric composting toilet, adding solar power panels, redoing the windows, adding a mini gas fireplace as the main heating source and perhaps working a full size sink in there as well. In the warmer months, he enjoys relaxing outside. The Airstream has an awning for shade and he has a grill for cooking. (Airstream Print by artist Maggy O’Reilly VanOrder of Orielly Ink).

Joe really is enjoying this new way of life. It has been part of a conscious decision to help him be very entrepreneurial because he does not have many debt obligations. He feels the entrepreneurial spirit in Columbus is strong.

“If you want to do unique things and make a unique impact, it’s really an unbelievable place to be,” he shared.

At Home is a monthly column on Columbus Underground focused on urban home remodeling and style as well as older home renovations and unique homes in Columbus. If you would like to have your home featured in the At Home series, please send an email to me at [email protected].



[At Home is sponsored by The Hamilton Parker Company. Located in Columbus, Delaware and Cincinnati. The Columbus Showroom, open to the public and located at I-670 and Leonard Avenue, features brick & stone, ceramic tiles, garage doors and fireplaces for your home and landscaping projects. Click here for current promotions or stop by their showroom. M-F 8-5pm, Sat 8-noon, Extended hours Tue & Thur 5-7pm]