Airstream Purists

      To many Airstream enthusiasts, the Clipper is known as 'Granddad'. Contrary to what one might assume, this name was coined out of respect and adoration for the vehicle, rather than ridicule and mockery over its age. After all, the Airstream has only undergone five major body changes since 1936, and none of these alterations had any affect on the iconic aluminum shell of the Airstream trailer. Over the years, the Airstream designs have been changed to accommodate larger interior spaces and improve ease of towability, but the reputable aluminum casing that surrounds the Airstream's exterior is just as lustrous and round now as its first model. It's no wonder, then, that people have developed a particular fondness for the iconic Airstream look. In fact, any models that deviate from these aesthetics are heavily condemned by the purist community.

Airstream Clipper '36

      In 1989, an Airstream Land Yacht was released in a beige colour with a sawed-off, square-ish front. Not surprisingly, the trailer was quickly dubbed the 'Squarestream', which -- unlike the 'Granddad' -- was not at all endearing. To say the least, it wasn't one of their most popular products.

                                                                     The 'SquareStream'

      Later on, Airstream released a trailer named 'Integrity' with a fifth wheel attached to an additional axel. Anyone who was unfortunate enough to be seen traveling in this trailer was dubbed the 'Tupperware Trailer'.

Integrity, a.k.a. 'Tupperware Trailer'

Sources:

Burkhart, Bryan, and David Hunt. Airstream: The History of the Land Yacht. San Francisco: Chronicle, 2000. Print.

Airstream Lifestyle

Airstream Trailer Park

      When buyers purchase an Airstream they're not just buying a vehicle they're buying into a lifestyle.  More than just a trailer, Wally Byam created the entire culture of trailer travel.  "Airstream fans always have one foot reaching for the open road."  The trailer was marketed as a way for buyers to travel all around America and the world while taking their own accommodation with them.  After over seventy years that fact haven't changed but today it has also become about owning a piece of American history and nostalgia.  In many Airstream trailer parks one would often find many of the 50-year-old vintage Airstream models that are still used today parked right along side the brand new 2012 editions. Airstreamer enthusiasts often spends most days from Spring to Fall on the road, going from place to place and meeting up with fellow Airstreamers to form their own little temporary communities.  "There's no point in owning one of the campers and not being part of the community."

Sources:

Schleis, Paula. "Airstream - and its fans - going strong at 80." Cape Cod Times. Cape Cod Times, August 17, 2012.
      Web. 7 Dec 2012. <http://http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120817/LIFE/208170309>

Airstream Hotel

The Grand Daddy Penthouse Trailer Park

     The iconic Airstream travel trailers has recently been appearing all around the world in many hotels and motels as trendy alternatives to the standard hotel room.  Aside from its popularity the efficient use of space, multiple beds, and fully equipped kitchen makes it both cheap and functional.  One of the earliest adapter of this trend was The Shady Dell Trailer Court in Bisbee, AZ who opened in 2007 and carries nine fully restored vintage Airstream trailers for rent.  Another Airstream Hotel attraction is the Grand Daddy hotel in Cape Town, South Africa.  Owner Jody Aufrichtig had spent millions of dollars buying and restoring a fleet of Airstreams to put on the roof of the Grand Daddy to create what he calles the Penthouse Trailer Park. 

Sources:

Catchpole, Karen. "World's Trendiest Airstream Hotels." Travel + Leisure. Travel + Leisure, July 2009. Web. 5 Dec
      2012. <http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worlds-trendiest-airstream-hotels#>.

Airstream: the Icon

      In the 1940s, the shape and style of the Airstream trailer had become as recognizable and iconic as the Zippo lighter or Coca-Cola. Every where you looked in pop-culture, a semblance of the trailer was visible. For example, this clip of an old Disney cartoon depicts Mickey, Goofy and friends going on a camping trip in what looks to be an early 1930s Airstream.

Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse and Goofy - Camping Trip

Airstream: A Way of Life

      Since 1936, Airstream has become not just an icon but also a way of life. Spurning its own Airstream-exclusive trailer parks, cult-like followings, and even it's own magazine entitled "Airstream Life", owning an Airstream has become more than just owning a mobile home.

Wally Byam Caravan Club International

Although most Airstream owners are passionate travellers many of them were intimidated by the idea of travelling alone.  Wally had noticed that many of the buyers were just letting their trailers sit in the front yard and decided to round up a group of fellow Airstreamers for a caravan.  The first Airstream caravan left in 1951 and travelled to many parts of Central America including Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras and more.  The group eventually grew into the "Wally Byam Caravan Club Internation" (WBCCI) and became one of the largest RV owners club in the world.  At one point the club had became so popular that Wally had to limit the amount of participants to only Airstream owners.

The WBCCI first began touring most of North and Central America and eventually all around the world.  The famous Cape Town to Cairo Caravan began in 1959 in Africa and had included over a hundred participants.  Caravaner enthusiasts gathered from all over on this excursion to see the pyramids and deserts of Central and Northern Africa.  And in 1964 the club set out for Singapore, tracing the silk route originally taken by Marco Polo and travelled 35 000 miles in over a year and visited almost every country in Southern Asian, Europe, and the Soviet Union.

Soon the Airstream became one of the most internationally recognized trailers in the world, spotted in many famous sites and photographs from all around the world.  After Wally's death in 1962 the WBCCI continued and grew to be one of today's leading caravans in Northern and Central America.

Sources:

"Fast Facts." Airstream, Inc. Airstream, Inc., n.d. Web. 14 Nov 2012. <http://www.airstream.com/comp

      any/fast-facts/>

"History." Airstream, Inc. Airstream, Inc., n.d. Web. 14 Nov 2012. <http://www.airstream.com/company

      /history/>

Reasons, Don. "The Airstream Web Ring." The Airstream Web Ring, n.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov 2012. 

      <http://sd2cx1.webring.org/l/rd?ring=airstream;id=50;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecalldon%2Ec

      om%2Fair%2Ehtm>