For the Love of Airstreams…

Hi, it's Tiffany from wanderingairstream.com, Nicole invited me to talk about my love of Airstreams, why they are so beloved, and what itʼs like as an Airstream owner versus another style of RV or travel trailer.

A little about me... I grew up in a tiny town in Arkansas, am a University of Arkansas Alumni, love the South, warm weather, traveling and meeting new people.
After college I traveled East, met & married my husband Sean and have been in Charlotte, NC until this past January. I began a company called Organized Living, which entailed design work, store layout & interiors, staging & organization, home management, and more personal such as wardrobe, and one on one coaching. My husband and I enjoyed this business for the past 13 years but the call of the open road would not dissipate so we sold most of our possessions, packed up, and waved good-bye in an Airstream we fully restored and renovated. We are living our dream of seeing all there is to see from coast to coast.

I grew up traveling in Spartans, Avions and Airstreams. My parents obviously had a love of the silver trailer all across the board! The Airstreams were always consistent and what stayed in my mind. They were just as classic then as they are now. The design of Airstream, although tweaked and improved over the years, has essentially remained the same. The overall design was always streamlined, with basic classic appeal. The main deviation I have seen that separates then from now would be with the new Eddie Bauer edition. The toy hauler cargo gate is the first 100% departure from classic Airstream.

My husband and I travel full-time in a painted Airstream Argosy. Argosy was a line that Airstream sold from 1972-1979 (1972 being the first year they were designed and manufactured) and these were the first and only painted Airstreams. The Argosy travel trailer is not a silver trailer underneath, well.. not exactly. Silver Airstreams are all aluminum and the Argosy is made with a combination, the heads on each end being made of steel. This makes it a heavier, and somewhat more durable, trailer. We chose the painted Airstream because it has the classic lines and shape with the vintage appeal we were looking for. Part of the draw of pre 1980ʼs Airstream are the materials the cabinets, counters, etc. were made from. Usually some style of faux wood and laminate versus the use of oak during the 80ʼs and 90ʼs. When comparing different decades, the use of oak or similar is the one feature that (for us) takes away from the overall style.
More modern and sleek materials were introduced in the 2000ʼs till today. The more mod interiors are much more reminiscent of the original character in the 50ʼs, 60ʼs and 70ʼs. Our second reason for choosing the Argosy was the panoramic window, prior to this the front window was a smaller window, similar to what the back window is in most models. This brings the outside in and makes 175 sq feet feel much larger. Lastly, the floor plan on the model we chose was very open and felt more spacious.

Why we chose an Airstream (versus other RV lines) has a multitude of answers, many that I feel would be consistent across the board with all Airstream owners.
I feel like I had a leg up, if you will, on being directly pointed to the Airstream without much looking and comparing of other styles since I grew up around them and already had the connection. Regardless, Airstreams have two major draws that very few other travel trailers compare to. First, the exterior of the Airstream is such an eye catcher -- nothing compares in the RV world. The curved lines, besides being much more aerodynamic, are modern and cool no matter if the Airstream is a 2011 or a 1970 model. Secondly, and the thing that I feel no other RV even compares to is the sense of built in camaraderie that comes with just being an owner of an Airstream. There is an enormous sense of history that comes along with them and the legions of travelers that have gone before you. The volume of clubs revolving around being owners is unparalleled, which lead to caravans, gatherings, and more. The excitement of owners about their own trailer is equal to any and all they come into contact with. When we drive down the road we pass hundreds of RVʼs but only Airstreamers wave at us, an unspoken bond without even having to meet.

For us, whether we are traveling for a weekend, a month or a year, our Airstream is our home. It isn't just a box on wheels to serve a purpose. The appeal of our home on the road needs to match the appeal of what we would want as a home that is stationary. While we certainly did many things to personalize our Airstream, it already had the look and feel that we wanted before even getting started on personalization. I look at so many other styles of RVʼs and in this sense they just donʼt compare. The joy of pulling back into the campground and having our little painted Airstream be what we get to see is just as inviting and welcoming as any home weʼve ever lived in.

A big thank you to Nicole for inviting us to guest blog!!
If you have any questions for us, give us a shout...