A lot of parents dream of hitting the road in an RV with their kids, but not many families would choose to live that way full time. Well, that’s not the case with today’s featured Tiny House story! Meet are the Longneckers, a family of SIX that have been living full time in an RV for the last 5 years! They started out by downsizing into a fifth wheel trailer, but after a few years on the road, they realized it was too big. Parking their giant trailer was difficult, and they weren’t able to go off-the-beaten track as much as they would have liked. So they downsized once again! This time into a renovated vintage airstream.
TAKE A TOUR OF THIS FAMILY’S INCREDIBLE RENOVATED VINTAGE AIRSTREAM :
COST TO PURCHASE & RENOVATE AN AIRSTREAM
- The Longneckers were able to find a vintage airstream for just $13,000. That’s a steal when you consider the new airstream of the same size could retail for up to $96,000!
- Renovation costs were somewhere around $35,000
- So the total cost is estimated to be $48,000
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FEATURES OF THIS RENOVATED VINTAGE AIRSTREAM:
- Large kitchen
- Solar Power – 400 amp hour batteries
- Bathroom with shower & nature’s head compost toilet
- Desk/Office area so that Jonathan can work on the road
BUT…. WHERE DO THEY ALL SLEEP?
With very limited space in their renovated vintage airstream (only 220 square feet) the Longneckers had to get creative with their interior design. The four children share a sleeping space, with two parallel bunk beds in the middle of the trailer. The parents sleep at the end of the trailer, and every night they have to make their bed by folding down the dining table and re-arranging the couch cushions into a mattress. This process might seem like a pain to some, but sometimes creature comforts have to be sacrificed if you want to live tiny.
WHY LIVE IN AN AIRSTREAM WITH YOUR FAMILY?
The Longneckers have had some amazing experiences over the last five years. They hike and camp in some of the United States’s most beautiful locations, and they home school on the road. As a family, they are closer than most. The kids have formed strong bonds with each other. Everyone is happy, living together on the road, and isn’t that what we all want for our family?
WOULD YOU LIVE IN A TINY HOUSE OR AIRSTREAM WITH YOUR KIDS?
A heartfelt father-son duet by Phil and Nic Collins
As the Not Dead Yet Tour approached, legendary drummer Phil Collins began to experience nerve problems in his hand that made drumming increasingly difficult. To address this problem, he enlisted his son Nic Collins to take over drumming duties for the tour from 2016 to 2019. During a tour stop in Houston, the father-son duo shared a memorable moment when Nic walked up to the piano after Phil introduced him to the audience.
Phil revealed to the audience that Nic had discovered a song from his debut solo album, You Know What I Mean, that Phil himself liked. In a playful exchange, Phil joked about the number of songs Nic liked, and Nic clarified: “Two songs… mainly just one”. They then delivered a soulful performance of the song, with Phil on vocals and Nic on piano.
The performance was warmly received by Phil Collins’ fans, who were happy to see him perform live despite his health issues. The video of the performance has been viewed over 2.7 million times and many viewers were touched by the father-son collaboration. Comments praised the emotional connection and Nic’s obvious musical talent. One viewer remarked: “Wonderful to see father and son together like this”, and others confirmed: “Nic Collins has inherited Phil’s musical talent”.
The tour also allowed Nic to showcase his diverse musical skills, especially on the drums. At the same show in Houston, Nic demonstrated his drumming skills in a duet with percussionist Richie Garcia, impressing even his father. When Nic joined Richie and Phil for a cajon performance, the group developed into a dynamic drum trio.
After the tour ended in 2019, Nic continued to support his father as a drummer on the Genesis tour from 2020 to 2022. He also joined Mike and the Mechanics, the band led by his father’s Genesis bandmate Mike Rutherford, and showcased his drumming skills with them. In 2022, Nic released his solo project “Better Strangers”, which offers a deeper look into his drumming skills. With a promising future ahead of him, Nic Collins is ready to further his musical career while continuing his father’s legacy.
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