No one said a tiny home has to feel like a downgrade, even though it’s widely assumed to be the rule. Loretta is here (and has been for the last four years, traveling across the U.S. on family vacations) to prove assumptions wrong.
Loretta is also a good example of upcycling for an extended shelf-life. It started out as a 1989 370LE Airstream Motorhome but is now the perfect family vacation home that can sleep up to seven people: the six members of the family and one guest. It also provides basic creature comforts and, to boot, it doubles as a private cinema. A home on wheels and a rolling movie theater, all wrapped up in a beautiful, shiny package, what more could you want?
Loretta is a project by Colorado-based Timeless Travel Trailers, which boasts of being the “largest and most experienced custom builder in North America,” with an impressive portfolio of private and corporate customers. Done on commission for a family of six from New York City seeking “a getaway that still resembles their home in the city,” Loretta has a “modern and minimal aesthetic, [while] the interior is simple and fresh.”
Words can only do this much in terms of conveying the message, so the photos in the gallery will offer whatever proof is still needed that this is a beautiful project in every way. The interior is clean and functional, modular yet still very elegant and inviting. The exterior is top-notch, with the shiny aluminum skin extending within the walls, which forms a beautiful contrast with the natural wood-engineered white oak flooring. The company behind the conversion says that they removed all the original aluminum skins and added the new type of skin that Airstream uses in its current models.
Photo: Timeless Travel Trailers
Inside, there’s a lounge that doubles as a dining area and sleeping area, depending on the time of day. Couches offer comfortable seating during mealtimes, convert into beds, or into lounges when the projector screen comes down for movie nights. There’s a double couch that becomes a king-size bed and another couch reserved for sleeping one guest. At the rear, in a separate room, Loretta has two more couches that join to become a bed and two elevated bunks for kids. In total, there’s sleeping for seven people, and the size of the motorhome allows for some sense of privacy despite the high number of people inside.
Speaking of which, Loretta is 37 feet long (11.2 meters). The three-axle motorhome also has space for a kitchenette, which comes with a sink, pantry, storage, microwave, induction cooktop, and a fridge with a freezer compartment.
The entire family can sit down for dinner at the fold-down tables, and there’s a certain sense of refinement to the space thanks to the marble-like waterfall countertops. Since Loretta was designed to travel, no real marble was used, as it would have added too much weight; a real marble stone veneer on a plywood substrate was used instead. One of the counters integrates a bar with a wine chiller and a secret liquor compartment that comes up from the countertop. Fancy – and most welcome after a long work week.
The bathroom is small but practical, with a toilet, a shower with a stainless steel pan, and a duckboard.
Photo: Timeless Travel Trailers
The lounge area can become a private cinema thanks to an ultra-short-throw LG projector and projector screen, coupled with a Sonos stereo system with a hidden soundbar. A 32-inch television is also available in the kitchen, on a swivel arm for more convenience.
Further upgrades include new wiring and plumbing, a new generator, water heater and pump, furnace, AC and two fans, new fresh, gray, and black water tanks, and a security system with surveillance cameras for peace of mind when the family leaves this beauty unattended. According to Timeless Travel Trailers, Loretta remains one of their most popular projects. Completed and delivered to the owners in 2018, it’s been on several cross-country trips since and is holding up remarkably well.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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