Airstream Life SUMMER 2011

AIRSTREAM AVENUE • NASA ASTROVAN • FUTURE AIRSTREAM

Online Edition

Summer 2011

Airstream Life Back IssuesRound Out Your Collection Before They’re Gone!

We have limited quantities of prior Airstream Life issues remaining. Once they’re gone, they won't be reprinted.Issues not listed are unavailable. Only $8 each!

Order online at www.airstreamlife.com/storeFALL 2005

WINTER 2006

SPRING 2007

SUMMER 2007

SPRING 2006

SUMMER 2006

FALL 2007

WINTER 2007

FALL 2006 SPRING 2008

FALL 2008

WINTER 2008

SPRING 2009

FALL 2009

WINTER 2009

SUMMER 2010

____ issues x $8 = $_______ please enclose this amount or fill outcredit card info below.

MAIL TO:AIRSTREAM LIFE BACK ISSUES411 WALNUT ST #4468GREEN COVE SPRINGS, FL 32043

Order online at www.airstreamlife.com/store

FALL 2005WINTER 2006SPRING 2006SUMMER 2006FALL/WINTER 2006SPRING 2007

SUMMER 2007FALL 2007WINTER 2007SPRING 2008FALL 2008WINTER 2008

SPRING 2009FALL 2009WINTER 2009SUMMER 2010FALL 2010WINTER 2010

Credit Card #: Security Code:

Exp Date:

Card Signature:

Phone # (For our eyes only):

Name:

Address:

City:

State:

Zip:

Please check your selection:

traveling well

ALM

OS

T G

ON

E!

ALM

OS

T G

ON

E!

FALL 2010

WINTER 2010

4 A I R S T R E A M L I F E O N L I N E E D I T I O N • w w w . a i r s t r e a m l i f e . c o m

• • • • • Editor’s Page

The official Airstreamlifestyle magazine

Editor and Publisher: Rich [email protected]

Associate Editors:

Tom BentleyBecky Blanton

Layout and Design: OneTree [email protected]

Advertising Sales: Brett [email protected](802) 877-2900 Ext. 2

Editorial Illustrator: Brad Cornelius

Culinary Consultant: Eleanor O’Dea

Customer Service: Lisa T. Miller

Associate Contributors:

Jody BrotherstonJ. Rick CipotFred ColdwellRenee EttlineBert GildartJohn IrwinForrest McClureCharles Spiher

Contact

Airstream Life411 Walnut St #4468Green Cove Springs, FL 32043Telephone: (802) 877-2900

Fax: (802) 610-1013www.airstreamlife.com

Airstream Life Online EditionYou can get Airstream Life online, for free! Each issue we select 15-20 pages of theupcoming magazine and make it available on the Internet to readers who sign up atwww.airstreamlife.com/online. It's a sneakpeek, with no cost, no obligation!

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Airstream Life’s world headquarters are the dinettetable of a 2005 Airstream Safari 30 We’re always gladto hear from you, but if you have a simple question,please check our website for help first. There you cansubscribe, renew your subscription, change youraddress, get advertising information, downloadwriter’s and photographer’s guidelines, notify us of anaddress change,and get answers to frequently-askedquestions. See www.airstreamlife.com or call (802) 877-2900.

Airstream Life (ISSN 1550-5979) is published quarterlyby Church Street Publishing, Inc., 411 Walnut St#4468, Green Cove Springs FL 32043. Subscriptionprice is $24 per year. Periodicals postage paid atFerrisburg VT and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Airstream Life,411 Walnut St #4468, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043

© Copyright 2011 by Church Street Publishing, Inc.AIRSTREAM® is the property of Airstream, Inc.Licensed by Global Icons LLC. All rights reserved.Printed in CANADA.

Airstream AnniversariesIn Airstream Life magazine we like to talk about the history of Airstreaming asmuch as the present. Only Airstream can claim the incredible legacy of caravans,people and trailers, going back many decades, that have made it a true icon ofthe American spirit. When you buy an Airstream, you’re not just getting a greatproduct -- you are joining a long line of adventurers who wanted to explore theworld, just like you.

When we write about past world-spanning caravans, or Airstreams of thepast (such as in Fred Coldwell’s series, which is continued in this issue), I thinkof them as having happened just recently. To me, the people and the trailers arestill with us in spirit. Having read the stories and seen the pictures of their amazingexperiences, it feels like Wally and Stella Byam are dear friends only recentlydeparted, and the famous “Cape Town to Cairo Caravan” was no further awaythan my high school graduation.

But in fact it has been much longer.In 2009-2010 we celebrated the fiftiethanniversary of the African caravan. Mostcompanies in the travel trailer industrytoday can’t even claim to have beenaround in 1959, but by then Wally Byamhad already spanned Europe, NorthAmerica, and Central America in hisAirstreams, with dozens of eager fellowtravelers in his wake.

This year marks another importantfiftieth anniversary, the arrival of the most famous Airstream model ever made.When neophytes think of Airstreams, they often think “Bambi,” for the oh-so-cute16-foot model first introduced in 1961. Produced only through 1963 (and then asthe “Bambi II” in 1964), this tiny trailer captured people’s attention so thoroughly thatit still resonates in the public consciousness today.

The Bambi was not the “best” Airstream ever made (it was later supersededby the roomier and more functional Caravel), nor was it the first small Airstream.But somehow the 1960s Bambi made its mark in a way that no trailer before orsince has ever done, which explains why Airstream brought the name back in thelate 1990s and continues to produce 16 and 19-foot Bambi trailers today. It is alegitimate emblem of the peak of traveltrailers as industrial art.

Next year, we will have a moresomber fiftieth anniversary, marking the passing of Wally Byam on July 22, 1962.Wally is remembered for his many impor-tant contributions to the Airstreaming cul-ture we enjoy today, but I particularlyadmire the amount of adventure andaccomplishment he managed to pack intotwelve short years from 1948 to 1960. Inthat time he brought Airstream from post-World War II hibernation to one of theleading manufacturers of travel trailers,led dozens of caravans all over the world,wrote two books and many pamphlets,launched a club that still exists today

Wally and Stella Byam, 1955

1961 Airstream Bambi at the Museum ofModern Art

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 A I R S T R E A M L I F E O N L I N E E D I T I O N • w w w . a i r s t r e a m l i f e . c o m 5

About our cover...After nearly two decades as a freelanceillustrator working with clients such as WaltDisney, Warner Bros., and Scholastic, coverartist Bob Brugger decided to cultivate hisoriginal interest in oil painting.

These days he balances both careers,explaining that the traditional tools of oils,brushes and canvas are a nice break fromthe largely digital creation of commercialart. His paintings are on display at galleriesthroughout the south bay area of LosAngeles. Bob resides with his wife anddaughters in Redondo Beach, CA.

(WBCCI), and created a legacy of travel thatcan never be matched. Although he hasbeen gone for decades, his exampleremains a huge inspiration to me, and I’msure to many of you.

If you’d like to explore this history ofthis amazing leader, consider traveling upto the Baker Heritage Museum in BakerCity, OR (Wally’s birthplace). An exhibit willtell his story this summer, with memorabiliaand artifacts donated by the estate of HelenByam Schwamborn. The Oregon Unit ofWBCCI will hold a Wally Byam BirthdayParty Rally at the site from July 1-5, 2011.

Looking ahead to 2013, we’ll have yetanother fiftieth. The magnificent Around-The-World Caravan ran from Singapore toPortugal in 1963, with many stops alongthe way including the Soviet Union, Iran,Iraq, and other nations. As with many of thehistorical caravans, the Around-The-Worldis one that cannot be repeated today, andwhich yielded spectacular photography ofsights that no longer exist. (For more onthis, see Airstream Life, Spring 2009.)

All of this is your legacy, as an Airstreamowner. Five decades ago Airstreamers just

like you proved that they could go anywhere,do anything, that they wanted to do withtheir tough travel trailers – if they just puttheir hearts and minds to the task. Thesegrand anniversaries can remind us that thedoor to the world is still open to those whochoose to explore. I hope every reader ofAirstream Life magazine will find a littletime this summer to use their Airstream tocontinue the legacy.

Travel well,

Rich Luhr, Editor & Publisher

Andy and Connie Charles pause with Tallie Hall at the ancient tomb of Sapor I just outside Isfahan, Iran, duringthe Around The World Caravan in 1963.

PHOT

O: FRA

N HA

LL

What's Coming:• Streaming with Lewis & Clark

• Airstreaming In Japan

• Bluegrass Festivals

• Caravanning

6 A I R S T R E A M L I F E O N L I N E E D I T I O N • w w w . a i r s t r e a m l i f e . c o m S U M M E R 2 0 1 1

Airstream ParksDear Airstream Life,I’m proud to be a charter subscriber. I look forward to every issue!Then, I share the magazines with my parents who own the Airstream.I also share the postcards in the middle of the magazine with otherAirstream owners I meet.

Have you ever been to Holiday Park Campground in Grawn(Traverse City) Michigan? It’s an Airstream Park, or was at one time.It’s a beautiful park! When I share with other Airstream owners aboutthe park they say they have never heard of it. I’ve taken note thatthis park is not listed in Airstream Life – what a shame!

KRISTA GABLE

AMHERST, OH

The “Airstream Parks” advertising section is limited to parks thatare primarily Airstream-only. Holiday Park was apparently an Airstream-only park at one time but has since branched out. Still, we welcomeadvertising from any RV park in our general advertising pages.

What About Argosy Trailers?Rich,I have been the proud owner of a 1966 Caravel which went recentlyto my son who said “This baby must stay in the family.” It is nowback in El Paso, Texas where it was first brought to market.

I then found a 1979 Argosy (by Airstream) and fell in love immediately. We are in the process of fixing it up (new water heater,furnace, water pump). It is now wintering in Ensenada and getting a

new paint job and floor. We’ll pick it up in the Spring and head downthe peninsula in search of warm weather as we do every end of winter.

My first copy of your magazine is the Fall of 2005 and haveloved each and every issue. However, I don't recall ever seeing anyarticle, not even a mention, of the Argosy as an Airstream model. HaveI missed something? I would love to know more about these vehicles.

SINCERELY,TICO NAVARRO

DURANGO, CO

We love the Argosy trailers too. Long-standing readers will remem-ber the “Vintage Thunder” series that ran in the magazine during 2004-2005. That trailer was a 1977 Argosy 24. But you’re right, we haven’tdone much on Argosy since then, and it’s probably about time we did.

A Six-Year Labor of LoveRich:Love to read Airstream Life. I’ve been restoring a '68 Airstream forabout six years so I will enjoy the articles on restoring. I’m just at thepolishing part. I don’t want to screw that up. That’s an art but I hopeI have the skills for it. I am plaster/stucco by trade.

THANKS,JOHN F DONNELLY

Good luck, John. You’ll do fine. Send us a picture when the jobis done and we’ll publish it here.

How Much To Go To Europe?Dear Sir,One compelling reason for me to buy magazines such as AirstreamLife is to find “how to” pieces and articles that guide and inform mewith relevant information such as the sections in the Spring 2011edition on National Parks and trailer sway. You can therefore imaginemy disappointment with the article “Airstreaming in Europe” subheading “Take Your Own Trailer?” It promised information on asubject that I am seriously considering. The article’s only observationand conclusion, after a very cursory treatment was ‘No, too expensive.’

I have been researching this very option and considering a twoor three month trip to Europe in my own rig. The cost of shipping my

Winter Camping Isn’t Always EasyHi Rich,I went to go camping in Conn., but I realized my driveway was too small!

ENJOY,ED. BEAUCHAINE

I subscribe to your magazine and enjoy the feature articlesvery much. You may note by the attached photo that of our “highbrow” snow sculptured nosed Airstream is in “cold storage”within our back yard (presently -20 degrees C) awaiting a springthaw sometime in March or April.

BRUCE CLEVELEYSpringtime will be all that much sweeter for what you folks

have endured! We’ll see you on the road!


23' Airstream and Dodge RAM 1500 from Halifax to Southampton is$2,300—not $5,000. That cost is for me to assess not the authors.Having concluded that the mistaken $5,000 was too much they simply drop the subject. Nothing on modifications needed forpropane tanks; whether the ball and safety chains are acceptable inEurope for a visiting outfit—nothing else at all in fact.

A pity. And a “F” on the article. Yours truly,RM BOURASSA

Sorry that you felt the article was inadequate, but we didn’t see the point in going into all the details since hardly anyone choos-es to convert US-spec trailers for short-term European use, oncethey see the full cost. Instead, we warned that it would be extreme-ly expensive, which is true.

As the article mentioned, the cost of shipping is only the tip of theiceberg. EU regulations require considerable modification before UStrailers can be towed on their roads. As Michael Hold noted: “… The USversion ... would not operate over here if not converted to compatibleelectrics, gas, brakes, road lights, heating, water systems and so on.”

We don’t want to discourage you from doing your own researchinto the subject. It’s a big topic and there simply wasn’t room to discuss all the relevant details in this article. That’s why we noted,“The job involves considerable modification to the trailer, so look forcompanies that have experience converting to EU specifications.”

Short Notes From SubscribersLess travelogue stuff – that’s AAA stuff. More Airstream photos, customizations, pricings, art and novelties. — JH

I will not be renewing as your magazine is going from an Airstreammagazine to a travel magazine – let me know when you refocus.Thanks — PM

Airstream Life is an excellent magazine. I can’t see paying $24 for 4issues. When you revise the price please contact me. — LR

Love the magazine. Love the artful renderings. More Airstreamsplease. — JB

We love the magazine and finally got our trailer: 1986 Excella namedStella. — SS

We like to see interior remodels and refurbishing that people havedone. — W&SF

Great magazine!! Two year renewal. — B&LC

We love Airstream Life! — MF

Whoops—No Floorplan!Unlike Steven Horn, I find the balance of articles to be fairlyappropriate (articles and pictures about Airstreams vs. articlesabout “parks”). Your articles about places to go and things to dowith our Airstreams are inspiring.

Two complaints about the Spring 2011 issue: (1) The editingwas not up to its usual excellence (grammar, syntax, spelling,etc), and (2) the “Floorplan Review” of the Eddie Bauer Airstreamdid not include a floorplan.

SARAH GOODMAN

Wow, you caught us! In our defense we should point out thatthe floorplan of the is basically the same as all of the other 25FB(Front Bedroom) floorplans. Still, we should have included it withthe article. Here it is.

Custom Greeting CardDear Rich,We love to get our Airstream Life magazine each quarter. Inthe Spring 2011 issue, I see that you mentioned changing themagazine up a little and that is a good thing to always bemoving forward. Certainly, the articles that are being dropped,like eBay, can always be revisited at another time.

Reading the article about Miranda Lambert’s vintageAirstream was so much fun and I noted on your Editor’s pagethat you mentioned Matthew McConaughey's three Airstreams.I don't remember seeing the end result of his vintage Airstreamthat the magazine was following during its restoration.

Lastly, I am enclosing the business card we hand out to otherAirstreamers. We came upon this idea after meeting such nicepeople and being asked for our e-mail, etc. We thought,“Wouldn’t it be nice to put a name and face with the e-mailaddress?” The other side of the card is a fish-eye image of ourAirstream door.

Thanks again for such a wonderful magazine.BARBARA & JACK DELLA-BITTA

CAMBRIA, CA

Matthew McConaughey's vintage Airstream was eventuallycompleted, but sadly we never received photos of the finalproduct. We’ve heard it is now being used as a guest house at his home in Malibu CA. And although eBay Watch is gone,we are working on a replacement column on a similar buying/selling topic.

Is your trailer a designer home for year-round travel,or a rugged camper outfitted for a weekend fishingtrip? A team of architecture and interior design

students at the Interdisciplinary Design Institute atWashington State University-Spokane see a daywhen the interior of an Airstream can convert fromone to the other with little more than the flip of a lever.

That’s the concept behind “The Airstream Project,”a 1958 26’ Airstream Overlander that the team ofWSU students is retrofitting as a prototype for howAirstreams could be designed in the future. Their ideais to install technology systems, including electricityand plumbing, under the Airstream floor with outletson the surface to connect to interior components.

“The students call it ‘plug-and-play’,” said ToddBeyreuther, WSU clinical assistant professor. “Adesigner creates a component, such as a sink orchair or shower unit, and owners can choose whichcomponents they want to plug in to their trailers. Anycomponent would work as long as it has a standardizedconnection. If successful, it could transform the wholetrailer industry.”

Installing a sink would involve a flip of a lever tolock it to the floor with an automatic hook up towater. Some of the components could beparts of packages based on how peoplepre-pack for different types of outings. “Auser might own many components butwould be able to customize the trailer foreach trip—a cross country tour wouldrequire different components than aweekend fishing trip,” Beyreuther said.

Some components would be verysimple or ‘dumb,’ such as a sitting component, while others might be verysmart with ubiquitous technologies thatwork together to adjust lighting and temperature as a person moves aboutthe trailer. Beyreuther says the project isbeing developed for the aftermarket, butthe students also see potential for it indesign for new Airstreams.

Beyreuther credits the concept tosome very talented students of design,architecture and engineering who havebeen working on the project since last summer. The students startedby exploring the Airstream culture and learning what it means to bean Airstream enthusiast. “They decided right away to preserve theiconic nature of the trailer. The shell is something they wouldn’t

modify, so the task became to design something appropriate inside,”Beyreuther said.

The students dismantled the Airstream and polished the shell.With no interior walls to impede space or ideas, they designed and

An Airstream for the FutureBy Marcia Hahn • Photos by Alison Turner

TOP: The iconic aluminum shell is the only design element the students working on "The Airstream Project" will retain.From left to right: Prof. Todd Beyreuther, with architecture and design students Aaron Pasquale, Shona Bose, Kate Tripp-Addison, Ashlee Holtman, and Brandon Patterson. BOTTOM: Cardboard designs are used to explain the process.


built the floor in varying heights and contoured shapes to define theliving spaces. The floor’s stacked layers of wheat board were elevatedwith bolts, which also represented where plug-ins to plumbing,wiring and other infrastructure might be placed.

“They needed a conceptual design without walls to get peopleto think differently about how the inside of the trailer could be configured,” Beyreuther explained.

That conceptual phase of the project received positive reviewswhen the WSU Airstream and the students’ designs of futuristic interiorswere exhibited last fall at the Design Research Conference on theSpokane campus. The goal now is to complete the interior with realisticcomponents that all Airstream users can appreciate. The final trailerwon’t have multi-level floors, but Beyreuther says the creative exercisehelped to show how wiring and plumbing could go underneath thefloor to create a type of motherboard for interior components.

Airstream enthusiasts can follow the project’s conceptual development online and contribute their own ideas on The AirstreamProject’s website (http://airstream.wsu.edu). Beyreuther describes thewebsite as a virtual place where users, designers, and manufacturers

will connect to share and develop component ideas.Like a virtual applications store, people will beable to order plug-in-ready designer components.

Built-in financial mechanisms will motivate users and designers to create many innovative solutions. The website’s open sourceenvironment will enable anyone to share an idea for a product—including established manufacturers.

“Kohler could design a plug-and-play bathroom sink, [or] HermanMiller could design a plug-and-play chair, similar to the way Airstreamhas partnered with designers for special edition trailers,” explainedBeyreuther. “The model will be successful if smaller designers and individuals from the Airstream community will be able to sharecreations right alongside—or even sell their ideas to—the largermanufacturers.”

“The Airstream community is very passionate, and the studentsfeel this project is an opportunity through design to propose innovative and perhaps more responsible living environments to anAmerican icon.”

Plans are for the finished prototype to be on tour in late summer/early fall 2011 at museums and Airstream rallies in theNorthwest. All of the progress, ideas and tour schedule will be posted on The Airstream Project’s website. •••

LEFT: The Airstream shell temporarily braced and ready forits new interior. ABOVE: Professor Todd Beyreuther workswith Brandon Patterson on design.



• • • • • Rivet Bits

Maybe it’s the silver cigar shape reminiscent of UFO’s thatNASA liked. Or, as astronaut Mark Kelly said in a previousAirstream Life article [Winter 2008]: “Of all the vehicles that

are commercially available, the Airstream in particular has a SpaceAge aspect to its design.”

Whatever the reason, NASA selected Airstream as their vehiclesof choice over forty years ago, and like most Airstream owners,they’ve stayed with them. When the Space Shuttle program ends forgood in June 2011, the NASA Astrovans that tote astronauts out tothe launch pad will become permanent museum pieces – givingAirstream lovers a chance to see an incredibly valuable piece ofAirstream history.

Airstream first became part of the space race when severalspecial, air-tight trailers without wheels were constructed in 1969 tohouse returning Apollo astronauts. Melpar, an American-Standardsubsidiary, won the bid and used Airstream as a subcontractor toconstruct the one-of-a-kind “Mobile Quarantine Facilities.”

In 1984, three years after the Space Shuttle program began,NASA switched from a regular transportation van to a modified 1983Airstream Excella. Dubbed the “Astrovan,” the Airstream motorhome has been the only vehicle used for transporting astronauts tothe launch pad for space missions ever since. There will be onemore space shuttle flight on June 28, 2011 at 3:48 EDT before theshuttles, and the Astrovan become history.

“We’re not sure what will happen to it yet,” Tracy Yates, mediaspokeswoman for United Space Alliance (USA). USA provides thedrivers and security for the Astrovan. “But I’m sure it will end up ina museum or someplace where people can see it, or tour it.”

There are actually two Astrovans – the primary, on which theastronauts ride, and a back-up in case something goes wrong or theprimary fails. According to Astrovan driver Ronnie King, that hasnever happened, so the back-up Astrovan has never been usedother than to follow the first van out and back.

In fact, while the primary Astrovan awaits its last trip to thelaunch pad, tourists at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex'sApollo/Saturn V Center can now see it on display. You won’t see thedesign and custom features you might expect, but you will seewhere history has taken place.

After NASA purchased the Airstream motorhome in 1984, it wasstripped of everything but a generator, sink, and bathroom. Bencheswere installed along either side to allow the astronauts to face eachother on the ride out to the launch pad. Helmets and the astronauts’personal air apparatus are stowed prior to their boarding, so they nolonger have to carry those items to the van. It may be Spartan, butit gets the job done, King explained.

While the interior is simple, it’s meticulously cleaned for eachand every ride. “We do a lot of prep work,” King said. “The weekprior to the launch the Astrovan is washed, waxed, the tires, rims,windows are cleaned – it’s really polished inside and out.” When it’snot on the road to the launch pad, it’s garaged in a climate controlledgarage, out of the elements and the heat. There’s not a lot of oppor-tunity to get it dirty, but it’s cleaned as vigorously as though it was.

If you’re wondering what NASA uses to polish the van?“Meguiar’s cleaner wax and we hand buff, wash and wax,” King said.

History and TraditionEvery astronaut who’s been part of the shuttle program, including77-year-old astronaut John Glenn, who went back into space in 1998,has ridden in the Astrovan, said King. King is one of four Astrovandrivers and has been with the van since 1986. There was a short-livedattempt to get rid of the Airstream at one time, King remembers, butthere was a lot of opposition to the proposal from the astronauts.

“The crew wanted to ride in something their predecessors haveridden in,” he said. “They opposed getting rid of it so NASA kept it.It’s steeped in history and tradition even though the only time it’sused is to and from the pad.”

It’s Astronaut Hall of Fame names like “John Glenn,” the firstAmerican and the third person to orbit the earth in 1962, or KathrynSullivan, the first American woman to perform an extra-vehicularactivity in space who give the Astrovan its historic ambiance.

Passengers have included John Young, who walked on the moonin 1972; William Shepard, commander of the first international spacestation crew; and James Wetherbee, the only person to command fivespaceflight missions. Even Lisa Nowak and William Anthony “Bill”Oefelein, now more famous for being the first two astronauts dismissedfrom the space program after a love-affair gone sour, rode the Astrovan.

The NASA Astrovan Becomes HistoryMembers of space shuttle Discovery's STS-131 crew pose in April 2010 for a group portrait before boarding the Astrovan for a “dress rehearsal,” prior to an actual launch.Left to right: Mission Specialists Clayton Anderson, Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Stephanie Wilson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger and Rick Mastracchio; Pilot James P. Dutton Jr.; and Commander Alan Poindexter.

BY BECKY BLANTON


The Astrovan has carried Barbara Morgan,who was selected as the backup payloadspecialist for the Challenger to primary civilianrider Christa McAuliffe and finally went intospace in 2007, 21 years after the Challengerdisaster, as has Mae Jemison, the firstfemale African-American in space.

Twin brothers Mark and Scott Kelly, theonly siblings who have both traveled intospace have made the short trip on the van.Scott is the commander of the internationalspace station. Mark Kelly is a shuttle pilot andamong the few astronauts who have stayedin a vintage Airstream, while on a weekendtrip to the Shady Dell in Bisbee, AZ with hiswife, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

The names and the list go on, includingfilm stars who have appeared with theAstrovan in movies, such as Bruce Willis andClint Eastwood. The iconic mystique, respect,history, and tradition of the Astrovan ride arealmost palpable among those who are offeredthe chance to see it. The ride to launch paditself is at the top of the list of things rookieastronauts look forward to, King says. Aftera week of testing and other activities newastronauts are given a ride out to the launchsite for TCDT–Terminal Countdown Demon-stration Test. It’s the highlight of the week.

But not all of King’s memories are goodones. Two shuttle crews and a total of 14astronauts have never returned from theirdrive out to the launch pad. The seven-person crew of the Challenger, destroyedwhen it disintegrated during ascent onJanuary 28, 1986, never re-boarded theAstrovan. Neither did the seven-membercrew of the Columbia, 17 years later.

“I was the driver when the Columbiawent out and that crew never came back,”said King. “My heart sank to my feet. Wewere out there on the runway waiting forthem to come in. We all get ready like fourhours before landing – the whole landingcrew, probably a couple hundred people. Wewere all there on the runway waiting for it to[sonic] boom boom and we never heard it. Ihad Jerry Ross and some of the ex-crewmembers ride out there on landing to helpwith the off-load operation, you knowbecause they’ve been-there-done-that. Jerry,you could tell he was upset. He told me, ‘Weneed to go to the crew quarters right nowbecause the family members [of crew] are atthe O&C [Operations and Checkout building].’It was a bad day for NASA.”

Astrovan SecurityFamous people have bodyguards, and sodoes the Airstream Astrovan. While the onlythreat that the Astrovan has ever faced isthe same threat every shuttle has encoun-tered – the weather – that doesn’t mean thepotential for danger isn’t there. “They (NASA)won’t even let ‘em get out of the bus if there’sa level two weather warning,” King said.

But NASA and King are prepared for anypossibility anyway, and even have their ownSWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team.All drivers are trained in escape tactics fromterrorists and the van is surrounded by ahigh level security force with machine gunsat all times.

“There’s an air escort helicopter, securityfront and back, an armored attack vehiclecalled a Bearcat, and a flight team of doctorsand surgeons in an escort vehicle that don’tgo all the way out, but stop before the LCC[Launch Center Control],” King said.

The trip from crew quarters to the launchpad isn’t long – about nine to ten miles, Kingsaid. The road is all within the confines of thebase as well. But security is extreme. All trafficon the base is stopped while the primaryand backup Astrovans and the securitydetail make their way to the launch pad.

Airstream, Making Dreams Come TrueThey have walked on the moon, walked inspace, orbited the earth, touched the universein ways none of us ever will. They strapthemselves onto rockets, endure incredibleG-forces, leave their families, and risk deatheach time they undertake a mission.

When security shuts down the roads,and an armed helicopter and guard pulls intoposition behind the transport vehicle thereare ten miles of long flat road to travel. Tenmiles to a shuttle that will hurl them intospace again as the world watches in awe.Media, scientists, spectators, all waiting. Allwatching. On the return trip, there is relief athaving completed another mission. AndAirstream is part of it in a warmly familiar way.

On TCDT days (non-launch days), whenthis elite, highly trained group of men andwomen traverse that ten miles of concrete,what do they do, what do they talk about onthe way there or the way back?

“Well,” King said, “sometimes we look atalligators. We'll see one on the road; they getto be about 14 or 15 feet long you know. Andwe'll stop the bus and get out and look at it.”

The astronauts may have walked amongthe stars, but no matter who you are, whenyou’re in an Airstream the remarkable viewis always just outside your window. •••

• • • • • Rivet Bits

Airstreams Sprout in South AfricaA few acres in a South African orchard make a fine place to grow Airstreams.

After opening an Airstream trailer park in the sky above CapeTown, entrepreneur Jody Aufrichtig now has his feet more firmly on the ground.But far from turning his back on the American icon, he has

bought another 12 of them and built an eco-friendly park on thebanks of a pine forest, an hour’s drive from the city.

Glistening under the African sun, the silver bullet trailers are half consumed by wooden lodges offering guests a part-trailer, part-cabin holiday.

“I love these trailers and yes, you could say I am obsessed. Theyremind me of youth and the way things used to before we had thecomplications of modern day life,” says Jody, 37.

Two years ago Airstream Life featured his first Airstream venturewhen he opened a trailer park on top of his Grand Daddy Hotel inCape Town city center [Spring 2009]. The hotelier had hoisted sevenAirstreams on to the roof by crane and then built a little bit ofAmerica, complete with themed interiors, bar, outdoor cinema andUS-style mail boxes.

“It was a great success and we had an occupancy rate ofaround 80% when the average rate in the city is 45%. It was probablya 50/50 mix between South Africans and tourists. I remember oncegoing up on the roof at 7:15 a.m. when it was still a bit cold andthere was this couple in their late 60s suntanning on the deck. Theyhad been staying in the five-start Cape Grace Hotel in Cape Town butheard about the Airstream park.

“They said they didn’t want to be in a tourist hotel and wantedto do something different. We also had many advocates [lawyers]

staying and then going off to court in the morning. It was fantasticbut I did learn a few things – mostly that they were too small.”

Jody later sold the hotel but retained the naming rights and concentrated on his next Airstream venture which was to be an eco-friendly trailer park near Elgin, in vine and orchard country. Heteamed up with a local black empowerment trust 18 months agowhich owned 320 hectares (790 acres) of land where they farmedmostly apples and pears.

They told the businessman that they had a spare 1.5 hectaresof land which they could lease out with a view to Jody employinglocal people and especially youngsters.

Jody relates: “I went to meet them and explained what I had inmind and they loved it. We wanted to give kids an opportunity otherthan farming and the plot of land looked ideal – they couldn’t use itfor farming because it was on a slope, poor soil quality and had treeson it.

“We had to get the land rezoned and we had a lot of oppositionfrom three local farmers who just didn’t want to see change. Wewere confident we’d get it through and so the next stage was getting hold of some new Airstreams.” Jody worked out that hewould need around 12 Airstreams and the best place to start looking was Ohio.

“I contacted Bob Wheeler at Airstream who told me to comeover. He said over the last thirty years, people dropped off Airstreamsat the factory when they’d finished with them. Old ladies whose husbands had died and knew they wouldn’t be used, would takethem back to the factory – a sort of ‘going home’ journey.”

STORY AND PHOTOS BY IAN EVANS


TOP: Vintage trailers from Ohio make up much of the suites. BOTTOM: The Dirkie Sanchez Airstream suite pays homage to a Mexican wrestler.

He bought six Airstreams at the Jackson Center site, mostly 25-30feet long – larger than the smaller ones on the hotel roof – paying atotal of $40,000.

Jody then bought another five from Steve Ruth of P&S Trailer for$23,000 and arranged to have them shipped to South Africa. “Lasttime I waited months and applied so many times for import permits,but this time, because they knew me from last time, I got them intwo days. The shipping was meant to take 35 days but ended upbeing nearly four and a half months.”

The twelfth trailer he found near the Zimbabwe border inLimpopo province. The 20-footer had taken part in the Cape Town toCairo Airstream caravan in 1959 but the owners had failed to getproper import documentation for its return entry to South Africa so ithad just remained there since 1961. Jody paid R48,500 ($7,000) forthe trailer which was dirty but in good condition.

Like the trailers on top of the hotel, Jody wanted the twelveAirstreams at Elgin to be themed and decided to use the samebranding for the park calling it the “Old Mac Daddy.” Designers were


14 A I R S T R E A M L I F E S U M M E R 2 0 1 1

asked to submit their entries over a three-day period which resultedin 1,340 suggestions. They were shortlisted to twenty designs andthe final twelve decided by Jody and a small team.

The result is a dozen weird and wacky interiors designed bylocal and international artists. They include Give Bees a Chance – aplay on John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance.” The trailer is kittedout in yellow and black with honeycomb and bee imprints with a nodto the local fruit orchards.

Keeping with the yellow and Beatles theme, there is a YellowSubmarine with nautical clocks and dials and a working periscope.The King Midas suite offers luxury and all things gold while Digit isa homage to figures and arithmetic with numbers festooned acrosswalls and ceilings in different guises.

Slightly more adventurous is the Metamorphosis suite, sponsoredby brewer Grolsch where the interior design is ultimately up to theresident. The shelving, lights, and jigsaw wallpaper are all magneticso the guest can switch them around to their liking. The Airstreamalso includes an electronic magnetic clock designed by theUniversity of Cape Town and works by a guest dropping iron filingson the clock dial which are then attracted to the minute and hour arms.

Other trailers include Life before Colour which celebrates blackand white photography, smoked mirrors, laced curtains and a generalVictorian-era feel. There’s the Mills & Boon trailer – a sugary andkitsch love nest for the more romantically inclined.

The Private Life of Plants doffs a Panama hat at evolutionistCharles Darwin with the Airstream full of bell jars, textbooks, plantsand cages while The Dream celebrates artist Henri Rousseau’spainting of the same name and is alarmingly green.

The Dirkie Sanchez suite in homage to the Mexican wrestlerincludes a mini boxing ring with wrestling-inspired,coloured interiorwhich probably requires sunglasses. Realizing that South Africa

should not be forgotten, Jody has one trailer dedicated to old styleAfrikaner living called For Better or for Boerwors – a South Africanbarbecue sausage.

All trailers have queen-sized beds, cotton sheets, Smeg fridgesand air conditioning, with access via a door into the adjoining woodenlodge. There is also a separate, stand-alone villa and a giant convertedbarn where visitors can eat in the eco-park.

But it is the Airstreams which offer the most fun and the venue’sx-factor. According to Jody, “These are works of art in trailers whichare a work of art themselves. They are an international brand and tome, represent the breaking away from the complexities of life. Youcan go in them and forget about your problems.

“We’ve got bookings months ahead and people have boughtinto the fun concept. I could have tripled or quadrupled the size ofthe park and still done well which is testament to the business ideaand the Airstreams.”

Because of his devotion to the aluminum trailers, he gets emailsfrom overseas and South Africa offering him old models. At hisoffices in Cape Town he is currently babysitting a 1970 Excella foran old lady from Johannesburg who didn’t have room for it.

“It’s one of the smaller models and a bit too new – I prefer1950s and 1960s models but it’s a nice little thing. We rent it out forshoots and it’s a bit of an attraction.”

He would like to return to Ohio to look for more Airstreams oncethe business has settled and he has room for expansion. Pointing tohis computer he shows me an e-mail from Dave Schumann atAirstream. “Dave’s sent me a picture of a 1960 Pacer which they’vegot there and is wondering if I want it. He knows I love them and findit difficult to say no. I’d love to open another park – another one on top of a hotel maybe in Manhattan. That would be phenomenal,or maybe Barcelona, Paris, London – we could do them all round the world.” •••

“Give Bees A Chance” is one of the wacky themes that resulted from a design competition.




From the Archives“Globetrotting with Wally Byam”was the name of a monthly magazine columnWally wrote in the early fifties for the westcoast magazine Trail-R-News. In it, he recordedhis travel adventures and invited others tojoin him in two-lane freedom.

Before the Wally Byam Caravan Club wasformed by a number of his close friends in1955, Wally’s caravans were open to allbrands of travel trailers. He believed ownersof other brands would quickly see in personthe superiority of Airstream constructionwhen compared side-by-side to their trailer. Itwas a hands-on way to win new customers.

This month’s photograph captures Wallyleading the Western Canadian Caravan in thesummer of 1954. The scene is just outsideBanff National Park, as the Caravanners lineup for the next leg of their journey, towardsCalgary. Wally chats with a local policemanabout the upcoming journey.

The Airstream behind Wally is a 1954Ohio-built model with a 13 panel convergingrear end cap, as indicated by the lowest rivetline coming off the bottom of the rearmostside window. The year, early 1954, is indicatedby the position of the side marker light, at therear of the side panel. Wally’s trailer is next inline, behind his Cadillac. His is also an Ohio-built Airstream as indicated by the same bottom-of-window position of the rear endcap lowest rivet line. But the different position of the side marker light, on the rearof the front panel, tells us his is a later 1954or 1955 model.

Behind Wally’s trailer, Airstreams outnum-ber other brand trailers by a 2-to-1 margin.Take a deep breath, AAAHHH-H-H-H, and youcan smell those pine needles . . . •••

- FRED COLDWELL

The last five years have shownAirstream that, at least inmotorhomes, smaller is bigger.

Airstream’s big Class A mohos ended withthe 2005 model year, while the relatively tinyClass B Interstate based on the MercedesBenz Sprinter chassis has continued to surgeahead despite a solid six-figure price tag.

Now Airstream has broadened the linewith a new Chevy-based B-van called the“Avenue” — shorter, less expensive, gas-powered, and still with all the amenities thatmake it qualify as an Airstream. But ratherthan just being a gas-powered clone of theInterstate, the Avenue is finding its own market.

“The Avenue is not only attracting traditional B van buyers,” says Tim Garner,Airstream’s Touring Coach General Manager.

“We are seeing more entrepreneurs andbusiness owners looking at [the Avenue] forboth personal and professional use.”

Mark Gauthier was one of the first cus-tomers. As a single and self-employedMarketing and Public Relations consultant,he was frustrated with the challenges oftraveling by air to client offices in BritishColumbia, Washington DC, New Hampshire,and Florida. After some research, he realizedthat an Airstream Avenue would be perfectfor his lifestyle: a “hotel room” for eveningsafter a day of work that is nimble enough tonavigate urban areas and fit in a regularparking space. Mark also realized that eating healthy food was a lot easier when hehad his own kitchen, and he was able totravel with his two dogs.

Airstream is finding that peoplewho have never owned an

RV before, like

Mark, are looking at the Avenue. Some justwant a touring vehicle with a bathroom,some want a family vehicle that is morecapable than an SUV, and some want abackup to traditional hotel/motel rooms.

The Avenue fits the bill well due to itsSwiss Army knife-like capabilities. It comeswith a hefty tow rating of 7,925 pounds, farmore than the prior year Interstates (whichwere limited to 5,000 pounds). This meansthe Avenue can tow most Airstream trailers,or any car. A 155 inch wheelbase gives theAvenue noticeably better turning in tightspots, compared to the 170 inch wheelbaseof the Interstate, and the Avenue is alsoalmost two feet shorter overall.

Seating inside varies by floorplan, butthe Avenue will have ultraleather seats fortwo to four people up front, and a loungewith power sofa that seat three more in theback. The initial Avenue floorplan has fourcaptain’s chairs up front plus three seat on

the sofa for a total of sevenseats (six of which will havethree point seating harnesses).The big difference buyers

will notice is the lower price: a solid$30,000 less than the Airstream Interstate(MSRP about $95,000). Primarily the costdifference comes from the Chevy gas chassis,which features a high output 6.0 liter enginethat is E-85 compatible. This puts Airstreamin the B-van market with a product that isprice-competitive with the big players:Roadtrek and Pleasure-Way.

• • • • • • Floorplan Review

A stylish interior puts the Avenue at par with the Interstate, but at a price point about $30,000 lower.

Airstream Expands B-Van


AIRSTREAM “AVENUE” SPECSEngine: 6.0 liter V8 ChevyFuel: Gasoline (Flex Fuel / E-85 compatible)MSRP: $95,000Tow Rating: 7,925 poundsWheelbase: 155 inchesDimensions: 21.1 feet long, 9.1 feet tall, 6.7 feet wide

Line With Chevy BY RICH LUHR



• • • • • • Floorplan Review

“Yes, we are going after ‘the other guys’ but we’rekind of doing it uniquely,” says Garner. “We’re offeringhigher fit and finish quality. [Inside], everything’s almostidentical to what you see in the Interstate.” The Avenuealso offers some safety features exclusive to Airstream,including driver and passenger head curtain side-impactair bags.

Estimated fuel economy for the Avenue is about 15to 16 MPG, a bit lower than the diesel Interstate, but stilla reasonably economical level for such a useful vehicle.Mark Gauthier notes that his fuel bill is actually lowerthan when he was driving an SUV, in part because he’sno longer commuting to client sites. Now he just parksovernight in their lots while he enjoys his mobile “hotelroom.” In fact, he’s found it so useful that he has barelyreturned to his home in Gloucester, MA since buying the Avenue.

“Whenever I stop at a gas pump, it’s like a magnet,”with people coming up and asking for a closer look, saysMark. “As soon as I show the interior they can’t believehow beautiful it is.”•••

Two floorplans are available atpresent, with more in the pipeline.

Here’s what’s in the Summer 2011 print edition of Airstream Life! Subscribe today to get this issue!

The official Airstream lifestyle magazine

Future Airstreams, page 50

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, page 20 Airstream Avenue, page 16PHOT

O: R

ICH

LUHR

Summer 2011

6 Inbox

9 Old Aluminum: 1954-1957 Airstreams

14 NASA's Airstream "Astrovan" Retires

16 Floorplans: Airstream Expands B-Van Line

20 Hot Airstreaming at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

26 From the Archives: Globetrotting with Wally

29 Bicycling Across America

32 Interiors: A Hands-On Approach to Design

36 Great Ideas: Eyes in the Back

38 Airstreams Sprout in South Africa

42 Chiricahua – Off The Beaten Path

49 Fun Page

50 Airstreams Head Back To the Future

56 WSU's Airstream For The Future

64 Last Mile: Interview with the Huts

Future Airstreams, page 50

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, page 20 Airstream Avenue, page 16

Airstream Life SUMMER 2011

Documents

airstream life issn

airstream safari

property of airstream

life online editionyou

i r s t r e

i n e e d i t i o n

i f e o n

green cove springs fl