Note: This is Part 3 of a series on the Argosy line of travel trailers Airstream produced in the 70s and 80s. Part 1 is a history of these curious, painted Airstream cousins. Part 2 is a profile of Argosy Odyssey, a husband and wife duo that went all-in on their Argosy’s paint job. Today, we meet a couple who are at the start of their renovation journey with a vintage Argosy travel trailer they call Rosy.
For some Airstream owners, renovating a vintage travel trailer is a lifelong dream. They see it as a blank canvas on which they can shape their life on the road. The renovation journey can lead to plenty of adventures – and misadventures – as they turn their dream into a reality.
Jamie Taflinger and Arnavick Tendilla weren’t specifically looking for a vintage Airstream Argosy when they decided to embrace life in a travel trailer. But when they found the trailer they eventually dubbed “Rosy the Argosy,” it was love at first sight. “I was enamored the instant I saw Rosy,” says Jamie. “Like she was destined to be our camper and that we were destined to live in her.”
The couple’s name for their Argosy comes from the rose-tinted wrap-around windows on the trailer’s front end, which cast a gentle red glow on the interior. That’s not Rosy’s only interesting feature, though. While many vintage Argosy trailers have a maroon stripe separating the top half from the bottom, Rosy sports a set of three green stripes, each a bit lighter than the last. The stripes sealed the deal on Rosy.
Initially, Arnavick wanted a 30-ft trailer, but he compromised with Jamie and agreed to look for 28-foot trailers. “I didn’t realize that there were 27-foot Argosies,” he laughs. “I kind of fell in love with her when I saw the green stripes, so that one foot wasn’t a deal-breaker.”
The couple love telling people about Rosy, and explaining why they chose an Airstream. They are currently renovating the interior to fit their lifestyle, and they share their trials, tribulations, and celebrations on their blog, Team Jamavick, as well as on their Instagram feed.
Their focus in the renovation is on creating a home, not just a travel trailer. “The fact that we can take our home on vacation with us is a bonus,” says Arnavick, who’s thrown himself into the renovation while Jamie applies her creative energy to designing the interior décor and layout. “We plan to do a lot of customizing to fit our lifestyle and decorative preferences,” says Jamie. “I’m super excited to doll her up.”
Together, these first-time travel trailer owners have shared plenty of adventures already, especially on the 1,200-mile journey from where they purchased Rosy in Ohio, back to their home in Northeast Texas. “I had never towed a travel trailer in my life,” says Arnavick, who’s now fully embraced the experience. “The white smoke from your brand new tires will make your heart sink as fast as learning that you can still be invisible to an 18-wheeler, even when towing a white, 27-ft trailer!”
Team Jamavick is taking it in stride, learning and laughing along the way.
“The most difficult thing wasn’t the trip, actually,” says Arnavick. “It was backing her in to where we are going to be working on her. I dented my bumper!”
Live and learn.
