Airstream,
RV Camping
& Travel Tips

The fine folks of George Sutton RV towed three spanking new Airstream trailers to a recent WBCCI rally for us to paw over.

When we bought our little DWR lo these many years ago, the sales process was a simple matter: we pointed to its photo on the cover of the Design Within Reach catalog and exclaimed “we’ll take it!” I wasn’t aware of the usual drill when purchasing a new Airstream: options abound, Chinese menu style, and many features are customizable.

I was also unaware how intimately involved local dealerships are with Airstream production and innovation.

Jackson Center, Ohio: population 1365—where Wally Byam found the vacant paper factory in 1952 that would house his Airstream production center. Today, workers in JC continue to crank out the aluminum beauties at the only plant that builds new Airstreams and delivers them by flatbed to dealers across the country.

‘Streamers, plan a pilgrimage to the factory at your earliest convenience. (New buyer tip: order from a dealer, obtain the production number of your unit, and scurry to Jackson Center where you’re welcome to watch [and photograph] your very own Airstream being built step by step on the line during its nine day assembly process.)

“I have something to show you.”

Ralph wouldn’t tell me what to expect when I arrived at the house. He sat me on the deck, put a gin and tonic in my hand, and said, “close your eyes.”

I opened them to see the cover of the Spring 2007 Design Within Reach catalog, with the sublime Christopher Deam Airstream on the cover.

“In 2000, Airstream’s motto, ‘Make only improvements, not changes,’ was shaken by architect-designer Chris Deam who gutted a vintage trailer to create a booth for the International Contemporary Furniture Fair,” states the DWR online catalog.