How a Vintage Airstream Found New Heights

P&S Trailer Services out of Helena, OH has been a labor of love since 1968, when Kevin Ruth’s grandfather, Paul, bought his own antique Airstream camper that needed some TLC. After doing some research on the restoration process, Paul used a whole lot of wits, polish, and elbow grease to get his Airstream buffed back to its original glory. He was astonished by just how good it looked. When he was finished, the dealer he bought from was impressed: “Well you know, Paul, I’ve got another one…”

And the rest was history.

Paul (“P”) and his son, Steve (“S”) started P&S Trailer Services in an old family dairy barn shortly afterwards, which still houses the operation to this day. While Paul has since passed away in recent years, Steve, Kevin, and Kevin’s son, Billy, are running the show. Although P&S originally began just as a polishing and restoration service, it was their customization work that caught Bobby’s attention. And as luck would have it, Kevin found himself in Nashville with a recent project when Bobby initially contacted him:

Bobby was looking for an out-of-the-box project to sling craft cocktails and local beer out of a rooftop camper.

Kevin helped to source the perfect Airstream, a 1966 Caravel, out of Marion, KS and got to work. The P&S team gutted the inside, repaired the damaged exterior, and retrofitted the existing structure to make it ready for the bar crew to work their magic on the inside. The process went smoothly, and renovation was complete within three months.The Airstream bar has since become an iconic element synonymous with Bobby, and debuted during the Rooftop Music Series this summer. Kevin and his family were able to travel to Nashville and see it in action.

“It was really neat to see it operational up there. Sometimes you have clients that you never hear from once you complete the project, but I got to see folks waiting in line to get a drink outta my trailer. Because, you know, it’s cool to get it out of an Airstream.”