AIRSTREAM   America's Trailer

“I know it’s American made…….so my chest just swells with pride – as I grab the stainless steel handle and take a step inside…..” song by the Vandals “Airstream – Get Out of my Lane”

 We’ve all seen them – on the highway, in a trailer park and we agree it’s the icon of American traveling! Founded by Wally Byam, a born a traveler, the Airstream has had more than 70 years of history behind it.  Here at racerchicks we decided to look into the history of this famous marque.

Looking at Wally Byam’s biography, you can see the seeds were planted early.  Not only did he as a young child travel with his grandfather on an Oregon mule train, but later on he was a shepherd living in a two-wheeled donkey cart outfitted with a kerosene cook stove, food, water, a sleeping bag and wash pail. Following a stint in the merchant marines he returned to the United States, entered Stanford University earning a law degree that he never used.  Instead Wally worked in  advertising then progressed to publishing, starting a number of magazines.

It was one of these do-it-yourself magazines that published an article describing plans for the construction of  a travel trailer.  Unfortunately readers complained about the plans and after trying them out himself, Wally agreed - the plans were no good. He then set out to build his own model. His plans sold immediately for five dollars a pop creating a demand so high Wally started  building improved versions of his trailer in his Southern California backyard.

 It was the drop floor that made it possible for the campers to stand up straight inside the trailer that became a major selling point. Comfort was king.  By 1930, Americans were beginning to take to the roads in greater and greater numbers and Wally became a full-time builder of travel trailers. First built of plywood, but soon made of  masonite, the trailers began to take on a more "aerodynamic" look as Wally incorporated aircraft construction methods. In 1934, Wally Byam introduced the name "Airstream" because his improved trailers cruised down the road "like a stream of air." Two years later,  the Airstream Trailer Co. introduced the "Clipper", and an American legend was born.

The Clipper was truly revolutionary.  With its monocoque, riveted aluminum body, it had more in common with the aircraft of its day than with its predecessors.  It could sleep four, thanks to its tubular steel-framed dinette which could convert to a bed, carried its own water supply, had an enclosed galley, and was fitted with electric lights throughout.  The Clipper boasted of its advanced insulation and ventilation system, and even offered "air conditioning" that used dry ice.

At $1200, the Clipper was expensive, especially during the Depression years, yet the company could not build them fast enough to keep up with the orders that poured in.  And Wally Byam's meticulous attention to quality would prove crucial.  Of more than 300 trailer builders operating in 1936, only one, Airstream, would survive. But survival was soon threatened from without.  On December , 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and leisure travel and the materials necessary to build trailers both became luxuries the country could not afford.  Structural aluminum was classified as a critical war material, available only for the building of vital aircraft.  Tires and gasoline became scarce. Wally Byam closed his doors until the war’s end when he would use what he had learned about in the aircraft industry (aluminum fabrication and design) to build better trailers.

In 1962, Wally Byam passed away.  Many companies would find it difficult to survive the loss of such a dynamic, visionary leader, but Wally's technical and organizational skills had been absorbed by his successors, and the company continued to flourish.

Airstream's long tradition of design and manufacturing excellence led Money magazine to declare them one of "99 things that, yes, Americans make best."   Airstream are found in both the Smithsonian Institution and the Henry Ford Museum.  An Airstream trailer was selected by NASA to house the first astronauts back from the moon.  Airstream motorhomes continue today to be an integral part of the space shuttle program.  Airstream have truly become an American Legend.

“Can’t tell if it’s a 64 or 81……” song by the Vandals “Airstream – Get Out of my Lane”

Over 60% of all Airstreams ever built, including some built from the original five-dollar plans, are still rolling down the highways.  Airstreams have survived millions of miles across some of the roughest roads in the world and Airstreamers have enjoyed the freedom to go where others only dream of traveling.  As they relax in their climate-controlled coaches, enjoying a cold drink and eating dinner prepared in a microwave oven while watching racing by satellite TV, Airstreamers are realizing a dream made possible by the vision and dedication of Wally Byam and the adventurous spirit of those early Airstream explorers.  The Airstream is truly an icon.

For more information – or to find a dealer near you, feel free to contact prawak@airstream.com or vlazier@airstream.com

 Thank you to www.airstream.com for some content and historical information