Airstream

Airstream is an American brand of caravan ("travel trailer" in American English) which are easily recognized by the distinctive shape of their rounded and polished aluminum coachwork. This body shape dates back to the 1930s and is based on the Bowlus Road Chief, an earlier all-aluminum travel trailer designed and built by Hawley Bowlus, the same designer and engineer who also oversaw the construction of the Spirit of St. Louis.[1]

For other uses, see Airstream (disambiguation).
Airstream
A large Airstream trailer.
Product typeTravel trailers
OwnerThor Industries
Introduced1920s
Previous ownersWally Byam
WebsiteAirstream

Airstream trailers and recreational vehicles are manufactured in Jackson Center, Ohio, United States. The company, now a division of Thor Industries, employs more than 800 people, and is the oldest in the industry.

History

The company was created by Wally Byam who began building trailers out of Masonite in his backyard in Los Angeles during the late 1920s.[2] Byam published a magazine selling "how-to" kits to customers wishing to build their own trailers. In 1936, Byam introduced the "Airstream Clipper", which was essentially a rebadged 1935 Bowlus Road Chief, with the door relocated from the front to the side. The design cut down on wind resistance and thus improved fuel efficiency. It was the first of the now familiar sausage-shaped, silver aluminum Airstream trailers. The first Airstream, called the "Clipper" in 1936, was named after the first trans-Atlantic seaplane. It slept four, carried its own water supply, was fitted with electric lights and cost $1,200.[3] Of more than 400 travel trailer builders operating in 1936, Airstream was the sole survivor of the Depression.[4] During World War II, travel became a luxury most could not afford and non-military industries faced an acute aluminum shortage. When World War II ended, the economy boomed, and people's attention once again turned towards leisure travel. Byam's company went back into production in 1948. In July 1952, a new facility in Jackson Center, Ohio, was established. 1979 saw the last Airstreams to be manufactured in California.

In 1974, Airstream began manufacturing a Class A motorhome, badged "Argosy".[2] They began as painted 20- and 24-foot (6.1 and 7.3 m) models, and were followed in 1979 by the first examples of the Classic model motorhome, with an unpainted aluminum body much like the trailers.

This 1962 Airstream Tradewind on display at the 2019 Vintage Camper Trailer Rally in Gillette, Wyoming was custom ordered by then President of Airstream, Art Costello in 1961. This trailer and Stella's Gold Airstream are the only two known gold Airstreams.[5]

Airstream-badged Class A motorhomes began as 24- and 28-foot (7.3 and 8.5-m) models in 1979, and in the 1980s and 1990s, models ranging from 25 up to 37 feet (7.6 up to 11.2 m) were marketed. The aluminum motorhomes were followed by more traditional-looking fiberglass models in the 1990s. Airstream discontinued manufacture of Class A motorhomes in 2006. One bus model, the Skydeck, featured interior stairs leading to a deck on the roof.

In 1981, Airstream's Commercial Vehicle Division marketed a Class A motorhome as a funeral coach. It was designed to transport family, flowers and the deceased from the funeral home to the cemetery.

Starting in 1989, Airstream built Class B motorhomes based on the Ford Econoline chassis and the Dodge B-series van chassis.[2] Production ceased after the 1999 model year. In 2004, Airstream introduced the Westfalia and Interstate, built on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis. The Westfalia was discontinued in 2006.

Airstream, still based in Jackson Center, is a division of Thor, Inc. Airstream produces several models — Basecamp, Bambi, Caravel, Flying Cloud, International, and Classic. 2020 trailer sizes range between 16 ft to 33 ft (4.9 to 10 m).

Airstream in UK and Europe
A twin-axle Airstream trailer in Germany

Airstream are distributed in the UK and Ireland by Lowdhams Airstream Direct (Lowdham Leisure World Ltd)[6] with four models made for Europe and specifically tuned for the British market. The International "534", "604", "684" and the new "25"[7] have been created with smaller dimensions to accommodate narrower European roads. The International are still entirely manufactured at the HQ in Ohio and shipped over for final fit of market specific items.[8] Airstream are also popular amongst the European market for takeaway diners and business stands.[9]

Airstream Europe are distributed by Airstream Germany and Airstream Italy.

Production

As of January 2015 Airstream was producing 50 trailers per week or about 2,600 per year. The company was expanding its capacity with plans to increase production by at least 50% over 2014 levels.[10] By April 2016, the Dayton Business Journal reported Airstream was producing 72 trailers per week--an annual rate of 3,744 assuming consistent production all year. The same article said they were aiming to increase to 77 trailers per week in 2016.[11]

Nest Acquisition

In 2016, Airstream acquired Nest Caravans, which was an Oregon-based company which had one product in development, at the prototype stage. Nest trailers are made of molded fiberglass. The Nest is a smaller and lower priced trailer than any in the Airstream line, but at the upper end of prices for its market segment, that was to be sold for $29,995 before the acquisition. Airstream CEO Bob Wheeler said "Nest is a product that conveys sophistication, simplicity, and upscale modernity, so it made sense for us to partner and help bring this design to market."[12] Airstream moved the company to Ohio and expanded staff for production which is underway. Airstream Nest trailers are scheduled to be available in early 2018.[13] The Airstream Nest was withdrawn from the market in September 2020.

Airstream parks
1966 Airstream Overlander International

There are more than a dozen Airstream parks throughout the United States.[14] These are RV resorts or campgrounds where owners of Airstream-manufactured units are allowed to buy, rent or lease a site. Some of these facilities welcome non-Airstream products, while others are more strict in their admission. Some of the parks require membership in the WBCCI (Wally Byam Caravan Club International) to be admitted. Several of the resorts are owned and operated by the local unit of the WBCCI.

Airstreamers

Airstreamers are a group of "RV-ers" who share a community spirit because of their common love of the trailers. In the early 1950s, Airstream company founder Wally Byam began leading groups of owners on travels to many portions of the world, where the towed trailers were quite remarkable. Photos taken of the trailers in front of many famous tourist sites were common. This promoted a mystique which surrounded Airstreams and persists to this day.

A modern Airstream, 2016 Flying Cloud 23D travel trailer shown with tow vehicle, GMC Sierra

The Wally Byam Caravan Club was formed in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada during the 1955 Eastern Canada Caravan. Later, the word "International" was added to the club name, resulting in the acronym "WBCCI". On August 17, 2005, a commemorative plaque was dedicated on the site. The club continues to offer RV caravans all over the USA, Canada, and occasionally Mexico each year. Club members join together for one large International Rally each summer, and hundreds of smaller local rallies are held coast-to-coast by "units" (chapters). The club even has a very active "unit" in Europe. Airstreams are still popular, and restoration of older models is a passion shared by many.

Space program
The Astrovan drives in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building.

In 1969, upon their return from the Moon, the crewmen of Apollo 11 were quarantined in the Mobile Quarantine Facility, a modified airtight Airstream trailer, until it could be determined that there was little likelihood of their having brought back lunar pathogens with them.

For decades, NASA has used a fleet of Airstream motorhomes to transport astronauts to the launch pad. The space shuttle program used a modified 1983 Airstream Excella beginning in 1984 dubbed the Astrovan.[15]

On October 21, 2019, Airstream and Boeing announced that a modified Airstream Atlas (which also uses a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis), will be used to transport Boeing commercial crew astronauts to the launch pad where they would board the CST-100 Starliner on their way to the International Space Station.[16]

United States Air Force

Airstream trailers are commonly used to transport American officials around the world. The trailers are strapped down inside military cargo planes. The trailers feature leather seats, air conditioning and climate control, wood paneling, porcelain toilet, LED televisions, surround sound, and Blu-ray players.[17]

Tokyo Smoking wagon is a modified Airstream

References
  1. Potter, Everett. "How a 20-Something Revived the Bowlus Road Chief". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  2. "History of Airstream". airstream.com. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
  3. Wilson, Craig (2007-07-02). "For Airstreamers, it's one big 'silver family'". USA Today. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
  4. "Thor Industries, Inc. History". fundinguniverse.com. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
  5. "Gold Airstream". Vintage Camper Trailers. Vintage Camper Trailers. 2019. Archived from the original on 2018-08-27. Retrieved 2019-07-13.
  6. "The Swift Group". Airstream UK. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  7. "Airstream Caravans for Sale | Lowdhams Caravans of Nottingham". www.lowdhams.com. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  8. "Airstream stars alongside Holly and Phil on This Morning". Airstream UK. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  9. Jo Taylor, HSBC Mobile Airstream, retrieved 2019-01-11
  10. Stacy, Mitch (January 1, 2015). "Airstream can't keep up with demand for iconic silver trailers". Washington Post. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  11. Navera, Tristan (May 3, 2016). "Exclusive: Airstream planning more major growth". Dayton Business Journal. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  12. "Airstream Acquires NEST Caravans". The Small Trailer Enthusiast. April 2, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  13. "The Nest is in Production". Airstream website. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  14. "Airstream Parks". viewrvs.com. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
  15. Mansfield, Cheryl L (2008-07-15). "Catching a Ride to Destiny". NASA. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
  16. Gitlin, Jonathan (October 21, 2019). "Airstream builds Astrovan II for Boeing CST-100 astronaut transport". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  17. Silva, Mark (2007). "Automobiles > Slide Show > Keeping The Shiny Side Up". The Chicago Tribune. The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-03-20. The trailer used by Vice President Dick Cheney on an international trip. Anchored inside the vast cargo hold of an Air Force C-17, it provided a private respite.
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