The origin story of our Airstream “Beauty” and truck “The Beast” — how the right rig became the foundation for our life on the road.
Published on April 12, 2026 – Narrated by Jim
“Tale as old as time,
song as old as rhyme.”
Mrs. PottsBeauty and the Beast
Once upon a sunset in 2015, a retired couple longed to cross the bridge from their cozy little island and venture over yonder to see what they could see.
First, we called Carmen’s dad, Allen Perry, in Mississippi to ask which RV to buy.
“You’re looking for an Airstream,” he said.
As if we’d asked, “Who’s the greatest football coach of all time?”
“Why, Bear Bryant, of course.”
Carmen chimed in. “I knew he’d say that! On family road trips he was always on Airstream watch. ‘Kids! Look!’ he’d shout. ‘There goes the finest trailer ever built!’”
“Think of the one thing that you’ve always wanted.
Now find it in your mind’s eye and feel it in your heart.”
The BeastBeauty and the Beast
Allen’s Counsel
It’s intimidating to call my esteemed father-in-law into question. A retired U.S. Navy aeronautics engineer, mechanic, and aviation officer — and a super-ager at 92 — Allen Perry seems to have expertise in just about everything.
When Allen speaks, people tend to reach for a notebook. But this decision was too important to rely on anyone’s first advice — even Carmen’s dad.
“So why didn’t you ever own one?” I asked, respectfully.
Allen’s tone softened as he explained how he fell for that riveted aluminum camper with military-style moxie back in the 1950s. But Carmen’s mother — an award-winning chef — wanted deeper storage and a bigger galley to prepare grand meals for family reunions and church camp.
Carmen laughed. “It woulda been a bloodbath bunking four rambunctious kids within reach of ‘the guillotine,’ Mama’s industrial-sized food processor.”
But Allen was already thinking ahead —
“The 30-foot Classic will give you a good long time of service. Just don’t get any dumb ideas about pulling it with your ’65 Mustang convertible — looks great, real stupid. You need a road beast. Get a RAM 2500 Cummins with four-wheel drive. Safest rig on the highway.”
“Everything is under control.”
CogsworthBeauty and the Beas
The List
Allen said the next decision was whether to buy used or new — and what to name her.
Carmen’s heart was set on GoGoRuby, after my mom. Rubies are aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃). And Mom’s nickname — another super-ager who loved travel — was Go-Go-Girl.
That night, over beers at CBC, we realized how many details we’d overlooked — safety, efficiency, weather, park size limits, and self-care.
So we made a list of must-have features: no particle wood or laminate (Me),
a private loo with natural light (She),
plush recliners (We).
all-around awnings (She),
personal desk space (We),
a sound-conditioned interior for studio-quality audio for Carmen’s voice-acting biz,
and a top-notch gourmet galley.
Our rig would be personal — built for a happily ever-after of good home-cooking and slow-paced travel, and cozy enough to support us in sickness and in health.
Our list of needs required customization, so we visited Air Forums to learn more about the history, features, and tech — and to browse interiors.
Recognition
One morning — at the exact same moment — we emailed each other the same ad for a used 2001 30-foot Excella.
Both emails were titled: “Found it!”
Later that week, Allen drove to Alabama to inspect our potential Airstream. After looking her over, he called with his report:
“She’s a beauty.”
Just like that, it was “Hello, Beauty.”
A few weeks later, on the Mississippi/Alabama border, Allen found the biggest vehicle we’d ever own — a 2014 RAM 2500 Cummins.
Voilà! Our team was complete. Months later we flew to the Deep South for our 40th wedding anniversary to meet our team and take them home.
(left to right: Jim, Chris Perry (Carmen’s brother, and Allen)
“I want adventure in the great wide somewhere.”
BelleBeauty and the Beast
The Airstream Way
But let’s get real — a trailer and truck are just a rig.
Yeah.
Like the Orient Express is just a train.
Like Doc Brown’s time machine is just a DeLorean.
Some things are more than they appear to be.
Airstream’s founder, Wally Byam, had a Da Vinci-style spirit.
“Adventure is where you find it.”
Wally Byam
Beauty and the Beast fuel our travel fantasy — wanderlust, growth, and purposeful play — like someone we know who recently scored two holes-in-one at his local golf course.
Allen was right. Airstream was the way to go — and it’s still the most iconic trailer for more than 90 years.
Good genes are impressive, but top-notch craftsmanship sealed the deal.
Flashy accessories have their charms, but most are doomed to become ugly stepsisters. Before visiting an RV show, stop by the county dump to see what’s NOT there.
Or just ask Allen — for maximum mobility, bigger isn’t necessarily better. More space means more maintenance, more packing and unpacking, and less lighthearted fun.
For Beauty, age — like the arbitrary 10, 15, and 20-year rules — is just a number. The reservation desk always says, “The age rule doesn’t apply to Airstreams.” Not because Airstreams don’t age — but because they rarely show it.
Nearly three-quarters of all Airstreams ever built are still in use — rolling down highways or tucked into campsites under the stars, just as they were designed to do. In the short run, they’re not the least expensive choice, but quality over quantity pays off. Airstream isn’t a starry-eyed belief system. It’s a one-and-done long-term relationship built to last.
On the flip side of her crown-jewel exterior, Beauty is an old-fashioned girl in sensible shoes. Her cabinets meet our hands where we naturally reach, her storage is logical, orderly, and enough.
Like an airplane fuselage, her aluminum shell is semi-monocoque — the curved skin carries the load. That’s why these trailers last for decades — and often far longer.
At 25 years young, Beauty is a pristine vintage classic, and admirers often ask if she’s this year’s model.
“Try the gray stuff, it’s delicious! Don’t believe me? Ask the dishes!”
LumièreBeauty and the Beast
Even with a 5 o’clock shadow, our 180-square-foot working gal dazzles.
Morning, noon, and moonlight — nothing escapes her serene brow.
“Do not be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within.”
NarratorBeauty and the Beast
Traveling Light
Lightweight gear is the faery dust that makes Living in Beauty run as smoothly as a magic carpet ride.
With not an inch to waste, every item is dual-purpose.
Our gear is like connective tissue holding Dem Bones together so the parts function as a whole.
Our desire to travel depends on our ability to travel. Our ability to travel depends on our health and happiness — and our health and happiness is hitched to our gross travel weight. Minimalism and a healthy dose of idealism provide lift.
Towing too big has limitations. Towing too small has discomforts. Towing Beauty is just right.
California — Beauty’s ancestral home — where her capsule was designed and tested on rugged terrain, prepared her for anything.
Travel isn’t always a bed of roses. After a gnarly 4-3-2 day in backcountry, you need a hero.
And Beauty’s welcoming interior is ready for relaxing,
hot showers,
dinner,
ice cream,
a movie,
and bedtime.
“This is not proper!”
CogsworthBeauty and the Beast
Summer is coming. Soon, we’ll move on.
Here, in our home base since early November for my first pre-surgery appointment, hitch-itch is setting in.
Carmen, Stella and I walk the campground every day to get in our steps.
At first our long walks relieved anxiety about medical stuff, but now that rehab is going so well, the conversation turns to summer destinations. Mountains or coast? Lake or beach?
But this morning, Carmen’s focus shifts to the words painted across the front caps of RVs.
“Integrity. Uh-uh. Too much pressure.”
“Lone Wolf.”
“Ew. Sad and kinda creepy.”
“Allegro.”
“Not us. We’re more ‘Lento.’ Slow, like slow dancing, slow cooking—”
“No one’s gonna buy a vehicle called ‘Slow’”.
“Probably not.”
“So, what word describes our travel vibe?”
She pauses and floats, “Sexy?”
“The vice squad’ll love it.”
She gives me a wry smile. “It’s a squeaky initialism: Surreal Excursions Into The Yonder.”
“That’s SEXITY.”
“Even better.”
She sells it. “When the team is hitched, sashaying our everything through dust storms, icy mountain passes, and sandy desert washouts without a whimper or a groan, it’s like magic and—
“Magic is sexity.”
“Bingo.”
And with that let’s just say the flamingo stops here.
Was it Bear Bryant who said, “An Airstream isn’t everything, but it sure beats the second best trailer”?
I’ll ask Allen.
“There must be more than this provincial life!”
BelleBeauty and the Beast
The Point of It All
In the end, what makes this life work for us is not a logo, a look, or even a legacy. It’s thoughtful, disciplined design with user-friendly systems that keep us from worrying about the ride — and frees us to focus on the possibilities ahead.
But Beauty isn’t the whole story. The Beast complements her attributes and carries her over the threshold into adventure — a well-suited team for the extraordinary RV retirement we set out to discover.
This story is entirely our own. We were not paid, reimbursed, or influenced in any way by anyone.
Do you have a story about how you chose your RV? Please share!
You can see our exact route on this map.
*Photos in this post, unless otherwise noted, were taken and copyrighted by Living in Beauty.
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What a fun story about how it all started. We’ve been following you almost since the beginning and always enjoy seeing an email with your latest article.
Martha, thank you for following Living in Beauty for all these years. Happy to know you enjoyed this story. Jim
Well written and documented. Sounds like major surgery-hopefully with great success so that you can continue your second decade of travel. Best Wishes from San Diego.
As always, great to hear from you Kevin. The complete reverse right shoulder replacement surgery did go well, thank you for asking. Onward!!!!! Jim
I’ve been following you, too, for years. I wish you knew how much I look forward to your stories and how I enjoy recognizing many of the places you’ve been (Tioga Pass today) and studying your gorgeous pictures of the places I hope to go one day. Thank you for sharing your adventures, your highs and lows. I’m so glad Carmen is healing and you’re thinking about getting back on the road. It’s apparent that you thrive there!
Joanne, well… you made our day. Glad to hear you look forward to our stories. Hard to believe this one was our 224th. Wow!! Both of us are healing and anxious to get rolling again. Thank for following LIB. Jim
Hey Jimmy – boy
You introduced a new word into my lexicon : monocoque (pronounced mono-coke). I had to look it up. Apparently it can be applied to airplanes, racing cars or eggs !
Such adventurers and brave souls you are. They say the number one fear people have is getting up and speaking in front of a crowd. As you know that, for me, is like dessert !! However, I could never do what you do in setting out into the unknown and calling it adventure. I would get hives, dyspnea, sphincter dysfunction and probably go bald.
I admire and respect you two (while throwing in a large portion of love as well). But don’t envy you. I am writing this as I look out onto my back patio at the squirrels (Jeff and Judy) scrambling to collect the peanuts I toss to them every morning as I listen to smooth jazz playing from the CDs on my brand new CD player (inside joke).
Can you have a cigar next week? Let me know
As ever we remain, obediently yours
Funniest Man In San Diego and She Who Must Be Obeyed
FMISD & SWMBO, glad we could be of service in educating a very old man. Kinda gives me goosebumps. We know you will never travel like us, but we are glad you are still reading about our crazy adventures. Send our love to Jeff and Judy and Groucho and Harpo, oh and your lovely wife. I remember seeing an ancient machine in a museum they called a “CD Player.” Not sure what it did, but many decades ago, they say it was popular. Cigars? Always! Jim
I LOVE that bird bath! I searched online for it without success, so I suspect you found it in some cool out-of-the way store. This latest blog was extra fun for me because your photos always give me such great ideas for decorating or rearranging our International Serenity, Daphne Blue.
Mary,
Happy to hear you enjoyed this post and it gave you a few decorating ideas.
Here is a link to the bird bath.
Carmen recorded a video for you about it.
https://videos.files.wordpress.com/5HWH87uk/img_6370.mov
Safe and happy travels.
Jim
Carmen, thanks so much for the video! We are still in Merida but I will order the bird bath when we return to Ottawa at the end of April.
You all are awesome (I’m including your pup, Beauty and the Beast in that)! Fun to follow your journey to owning Beauty; she really does shine. My fav line: “Towing too big has limitations. Towing too small has discomforts. Towing Beauty is just right.” No thanks to mega rigs, no sir.
So glad to hear your shoulder is healing well and that you’re dreaming about mountains and coasts. Looking forward to catching you again somewhere in this wide world!
Dakota, thank you for your kind words. Carmen coined that line, I love it too. Surgery well great and recovery is happening. Hope our paths cross again someday. Jim
We are six years into our Traveling Gnome Coffee Airstream, spending half the year traveling cross country. When we say our coffee is adventure inspired, our 27 ft Intl is at the heart of it all. We get you! Cheers to living riveted.
!
Patty, congratulations on six years! Carmen and I consider coffee as ‘nectar of the gods.’ A morning ritual we never plan to miss. Thank you for following Living in Beauty. Jim
Exquisite, as always. I tend to stop whatever immediate plans I might have to read every word and dive into every photograph. You inevitably find a way to use words to convey heartfelt emotions fellow Airstreamers have yet cannot easily express.
Thank you all of this.
Alan, thank you for your kind words. We do try to be helpful! 😉. Jim
Hello Jim and Carmen,
When you say and show it this way, Beauty sure seems mighty comfortable and perfect. Of course, I’ve always known that. There are some important legends in your post – precious people who have meant the world to you both.
I hope you are recovering nicely, Jim, and that Carmen is totally healed as well by now. You two will be healthy and rearing to go soon! I’m curious to see where you’ll head next – sea or mountains. And hopefully the current “political climate” is not affecting you too much.
Liesbet, as always, wonderful to hear from you. The surgery did go quite well and I am recovering. We do hope to hit the road soon. The plan is north!!! Jim
Thanks for another wonderful blog and the tip on the solar fountain. Have been looking for a good one for years.
We are still riding and enjoying our Dolphins and several of our friends bought them after seeing ours and reading your search criteria. That was another hot tip from you.
Shameless plug: if you are anywhere near Michigan this summer we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the 1966 International Rally in Cadillac Michigan. There were 2828 trailers at that rally which doubled the population of the town during the event. Hard to image that many in one place! Airstreams Return to Cadillac: 60th Anniversary Celebration Rally | ACI
After all, you are officially vintage now.
Kat
Kat, thank you and glad you enjoyed this post. Carmen absolutely loves her bird bath setup. We also still enjoy our Dolphins, although I have not been able to ride a bike for awhile. I hope after I recover from this surgery, I will once again be able to cycle and kayak. Because of the surgery, we (I) cannot travel far for several months, so we are staying on the west coast this year. That event in Michigan sounds fantastic! Thanks for following LIB. Jim
You’re correct, Jim and Carmen, nothing beats an Airstream. You and yours tell a beautiful story.
Kathy, it is always wonderful to see you and Steve’s name pop up. Thank you for following Living in Beauty all these years and sticking with us. I recall you bought your Airstream back in early 2016 or 2017, so you know the joy of its ownership. Stay safe out there and happy travels. Jim
Great writeup! Thanks for sharing.
Did I always know I wanted an Airstream?
Not exactly. When I was a kid we had a GMC motorhome. It was pretty bad ass. While it was an RV we used it as a travel bus and rarely actually camped in it as a family. There were eight kids so it was a good way to get from here to there.
Once, while on the interstate, my mom commented that she always like Airstreams. That comment stuck.
I was looking for something to live in for full-timing. I looked at a few things including some monstrously large square breadbox trailers. Then my mom’s comment came bubbling up and the next thing you know I had purchased a 1973 Trade Wind that had been sitting for 15+ years. It was one of the better purchases I’ve ever made. (I made up for it with one of the worst purchases I ever made: a 1962 Safari, that’s another story).
And once I had it I quickly became and Airstream fanatic.
Did the meaning of owning an Airstream change over time?
Absolutely, but that too is another story.
You can read more about my experience with my 1973 Trade Wind in the link in my signature.
Cheers!
Jim, thank you for sharing your story of why you purchased an Airstream. I did click you link and enjoyed reading your article titled “Utahredrock’s 1973 Airstream, a tribute.” Someday you will have to share the story of the 1962 Safari. Jim
Kris and I wishing you a speedy recovery. We look forward to your future travel adventures. Darrell (BTW, still,loving our Dolphins – we have four of them now because . . . . . Why not😉)
Kris and Darrell, it is hard to believe it has been almost 5 years since we saw you two at Shenandoah National Park. Wow! time does indeed fly. Thank you for your well wishes. FOUR!!! well, we’re glad to hear you still enjoy your Dolphins, we still do . I expect my surgery recovery to go well and I can get back on a bike. I have missed it. Hope some day our paths cross again. Stay safe! Jim
Very wise father-in-law!
Yep
Enjoyed your words and pictures as always! Glad to hear the rehab is progressing well. Love, Jim and Sam
Sam, thank you and glad to hear you enjoyed this one. Jim
Did I actually see a cork floor in Beauty? Looks just like what I have at home. Also, the marble looking print on the walls, wallpaper? It’s beautiful. Saw you at Sun Outdoors. Didn’t want to bother you. :):)
Postiecat, yep, that is a cork floor, we had Vinnie install for us back in 2018. We love it! And yes, that is wallpaper we installed ourselves a few years ago. If you are still at Sun, come on by. Jim
Shortly after we got our Airstream I wrote an article for The Blue Beret giving the whole history – all 60 years!
We’re really enjoying our Airstream. We’ve been to one 4CU Rally and are on our way to the International Rally in Minot. We’re full-timers, and this is perfect for us.
David, we will miss the International Rally in Minot this year, but have enjoyed them in the past. Being a fellow full-timer, maybe our paths will cross some day on the road. Stay safe out there! Jim
When I was a kid we had a Skamper popup, and later a Santana conversion van on a 1978 Chevy 30 van chassis. We took a lot of camping trips, and one of the things I remember well was the wistful look my father would get in his eyes when he’d see an Airstream. He’d comment about how beautiful and nice they were. So that planted the seed.
When I was 12 or so (1981 or 82), we spent a week at Wasaga Beach, ON. I’d met a group of other kids to hang out with and one evening the parents got together to play cards, so I got to hang out in another camper with my new friends, and it happened to be an Airstream. While we were in there a huge thunderstorm came up and I can remember the lightning flashes through the windows. I can also remember many of the details of the interior, and it was a rear twin bed layout, with avocado green carpet and stained wood cabinetry.
Anyway, the image of Airstreams stayed with me, and ownership became a hope, but it always felt distant. My wife and I spent years tent camping alone, and then with our kids. Virginia summers led us to buy an air conditioner that just happened to have a cheap Springdale SOB camper with bunks built around it. Then we bought a 2021 Alpha Wolf 26DBH-L. Both of these campers really soured us on the quality of materials and workmanship in today’s ‘conventional’ campers, with cabinetry swelling from barely a drop of water, and exterior finishes turning to dust, even with meticulous maintenance.
Meanwhile, we sold our second home in Colorado and found ourselves with meaningful cash proceeds. We’d also both saved our whole careers for retirement, so this money felt like something we could convert a portion of to a durable asset, that we could enjoy. With our son announcing at 17 he was done camping with us, our minds went to thinking more and more about an Airstream. We visited our local dealer a few times, and we both fell in love with them – especially the 28RBQ, and the 27FBQ floorplans. Ultimately, for the places we camp, having a rear living area with large windows would be a huge benefit, so that’s how we decided.
As luck (a blessing?) would have it, a pristine 2017 International 27FB came up for sale locally, so we scheduled a visit. It had been stored indoors since new and was used 4-5 times a year. Inside and out it was as close to new as makes no difference, so we bought it and have been thoroughly enjoying it ever since!
David, thank you for sharing your story. Loved reading it! Jim
Thank you, Jim. And I have enjoyed reading the stories and adventures on your website for many months. Thank you for sharing.
My 1st Airstream was an offer from neighbor, who kept it under the tree for 20+ years, before offering it to me.
I used to work in remodeling, so such project was in line with my skills, so used it for couple of seasons and sold it for nice profit.
Now, retired and buying mountain cabin, I sold my last motorhome to end almost 40 years of RV ownerships.
But my sons moved far away and don’t own big houses, so to see our granddaughter, we would have to stay in hotels. Not to say that after 40 years of RVing,, you feel something is missing.
To add, UT has beautiful areas, who are farther, than daily trip from our cabin, so having already nice SUV, getting Airstream was easy decision.
Unlike motorhome, trailer doesn’t bring lot of additional keeping costs, when Airstreams, being time capsules with siding, who will not chalk under the sun are almost an investment.
That said, I am bit disappointed with the 2001 model, who shows no insulation.
Back in 1965, when fiberglass was expensive, they did put lot of it in Airstreams, but doesn’t look like they do it anymore.
Not to mention polyurethane would be more appreciated for the application and my 1972 Prevost was all sprayed, what made it very well insulated.
Kris, thank you for sharing your story! Jim
My wife and I looked at all kinds of trailers when we were planning to retire. Saw an ad for a used Airstream in the Sunday paper one weekend, and decided to go look at the used one at the Airstream Los Angeles dealership. We didn’t know anything about Airstreams… but were curious about them. The used trailer was not the one for us, but the sales manager took me into his office to give me the Airstream sales pitch and tell me why we should buy an Airstream. In addition to saying they are very durable and long lasting, he talked about the style, the comfort, the ease of towing and even the fact Airstreams are well sealed so that mice can’t get into them and cause damage like they can in what he called box trailers! This mice fact resonated with me since I had been renting box trailers for fishing trips to Idaho and Montana for a few years and often ended up with mice in the rented trailer. While talking with the sales guy my wife burst into his office (after roaming the sales lot unsupervised!) and excitedly yelled out to me “Oh, you’ve got to see this one out there that I was just looking at!” Well… that’s the 2013 25’ International I bought that day! For my wife it was love at first sight and she hadn’t reacted like that to any other trailer we had looked at over the past year. I just knew that since she loved it so much it was the one we needed to buy, and once I got over the sticker shock and decided we could afford it if we took a loan over a few years… I bought it! Have now had 13 years of beautiful travel in that trailer and have never had a mouse get inside… even though they do get into my truck from time to time. We are happy Airstream owners and have had many adventures with that trailer over the years. Would do it all over again!
Curt, what a great story about your wife’s love at first sight seeing your 2013 International. Thank you for sharing. Jim
I knew from the time that I was five years old and the 1964 Overlander Land Yacht International was brand new that I would, one day, own one of those big silver trailers of my own. I was sold from my first night in one of its hammock bunks. At the time, the Overlander belonged to friends of my family and it was the third Airstream that they had owned and they were on their shakedown cruise after having special ordered the Overslander from the Airstream Dealer in Detroit, Michigan. I unknowingly purchased the Overlander from its second owners in 1995, 15 years after they had purchased it from the original owners after they retired from travel. I had wanted to purchase the Overlander in 1980, but my parents dissuaded me even though I could have purchased it for half of the cost of the brand new Nomad Light Weight Special that I special ordered instead. That Nomad was a lemon that I kept for three years then traded and went back to tent camping in a 9′ X 12′ cabin tent until I purchased the Overlander in 1995.
I had actually intended to purchase a brand new 1995 Airstream in 1995, but when I traveled to Ace Fogdall RV to inquire about the available new models, my required floor plan was no longer available. I would only consider either the 1970s Caravanner floor plan or the 1960s/1970s 24′ to 28′ twin bedroom with rear bathroom floor plans. Since those models were all no longer available, I resorted to a search for a pristine pre-owned Airstream with one of those floor plans in the upper Midwest.
Six months of searching, 60+ Airstreams, six states, and over 6,000 miles later, I happened upon this 31-year-old 1964 Airstream Overlander Land Yacht International in the hands of its second owners who had just purchased a new 1995 Airstream in preparation for retirement. This Airstream had been garage kept whenever not in use, and the interior was pristine, and the exterior was in remarkable condition as well. They had it setup next to their large machine shed connected to full utilities and invited me to test every one of its function while taking my time to get acquainted with all of its functions. I tried every one of its options and standard features and couldn’t find anything that didn’t function as originally intended. The only thing not operational was the original furnace which had been condemned as its heat exchanger was rusted out so it was an automatic addition to the needed replacement list as was the refrigerator which was also a non-original replacement (but the original cabinet had been left totally in-tact. The trailer was in such immaculate condition, and with all but those two items functional with the best price of any of the trailer that I had looked at, I made an immediate deal. Left a cash deposit with arrangements to return in two weeks to tow it the 250 miles to my home in Wisconsin.
I didn’t waste any time. When I got back to Wisconsin, I had a hitch configured at the hitch shop in Dubuque, Iowa for my Jeep Grand Wagoneer, and made arrangements to join the Wally Byam Caravan Club International. I obtained the Bank Draft for the balance of the purchase price from my local bank, and was on the road bright and early the Saturday as per arrangement. The tow home was totally uneventful, and my neighbors were shocked when they saw the big silver trailer being backed into my side yard as they had no idea that the single Business Teacher who lived next door had any interest in Airsreaming!
Over the years, I had the Fowlers of Fowler RV Interiors of Symsonia, Kentucky restore the interior, and the Ruths of P and S Trailer Service in Helena, Ohio Polish and Plasticoat the exterior. I learned about a year after purchasing the Overlander that it was actually the same trailer that I remembered from childhood from the original owners’ son who identified the trailer from the drapes that his mother had sewn shortly before they had retired from traveling and sold both of their Airstreams in 1980. I added a 1978 Minuet 6.0 Metre to my fleet in 2002 when I had the opportunity to purchase it from its original owner when he retired from teaching and wanted a larger Airstream for his retirement years and I wanted a smaller weekend trailer. I continue with the WBCCI/ACI as a Lifetime Member since 2005. I can’t imagine owning anything other than my Vintage Airstream!
This is my 1964 Airstream Overlander Land Yacht International with my all-time favorite tow vehicle, my 1975 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible. My current tow vehicle is a 1992 Buick Roadmaster Limited sedan — I am one of the renegades who refuses to tow with a hulking pickup truck!
Kevin, that is a great story. What an amazing coincidence about the 1964 Airstream Overlander Land Yacht International. Thank you for sharing. Jim
Greetings Jim!
There was even something of a unique twist as to how I came to acquire my 1978 Argosy Minuet 6.0 Minuet in 2002. I had only been vaguely aware of Argosy travel trailers and motorhomes prior to attending my first WBCCI International Rally in 1998 that was held in Boise, Idaho. It was there that I encountered my first Argosy in person, and that began my curiosity. It would be a year or two before I would encounter my first Minuet. I am not certain whether it was 1999, 2000, 2001, or possibly 2002. I do know that by 2002 I had encountered at least one Minuet 6.0 Metre, and it intrigued me enough that I had been considering purchasing one as a weekend getaway vehicle. By happenstance, a member of the Vintage Airstream Club placed an advertisement on our website a day or two after I got home offering his 1978 Minuet 6.0 Metre for sale — he happened to be located less than 250 miles from my family farm where I spent my summers, so I arranged to see it the next day.
As it turned out, it was the same Minuet 6.0 Metre that I had seen at the International, and the owner was retiring from teaching at the Post-Secondary level and had purchased a larger Vintage Airstream for his post-retirement travels. The price was right, and the condition was right so I purchased his Minuet 6.0 Metre on the spot, making arrangements to return in a few days to tow it home. He had purchased the Minuet brand new so it had all of its original books/manuals, and I had to rewire the 7-pin to match my tow vehicle’s 7-pin configuration for the tow home. As would be expected, the Minuet followed my tow vehicle that was accustomed to towing my 1964 Overlander with absolutely no problems. The nickname for the Minuet is Teacher’s Pet since both its first owner and I are retired teachers — he taught Art, and I was a Junior-Senior High School Business Education and Computer Science Teacher.
The 1978 Minuet 6.0 Metre in 2005 in preparation for departure to the WBCCI International Rally in Springfield, MO — the 1975 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible was my all-time favorite tow vehicle!! The Airstream Rock Guards were additions that I had Ace Fogdall RV Install after my purchase of the Minuet to protect its original Panoromic front windows!
Kevin
Started our camping like many, with a tent…then 4 kids later, we got a popup. With 6 bikes on top, we all slept inside when wet out, or we had a small tent if dry for the kids. Drove from Texas to Canada, over to Vancouver Island, then to Montana one summer when the older twins were just out of 8th grade. Decided we needed something a bit more accommodating and less work, so I found a Class A motorhome, 25′ long, called a Calypso…sitting in a field. Was only 8 years old with 12K miles on it, but had been sitting in a field couple years; engine started right up so I was “excited” at my find! I paid $11K for it and off we went after a “shakedown” weekend camping trip to Ventura area.
Still had the small tent for the kids if needed. This unit had a big dinning area/bed ara in the rear, another bed area, a bit tight, and a pull down double bed above the cab…off we went to Montana after that weekend shakedown. Was barely out of SoCa area when a guy pulled me over and showed me one of tires had a big bubble on the side….changed it out, and few miles down the road, same thing happened to another tire. Then a third…I ended up replacing all 4 tires, which I should have done in first place. Then a guy flagged me down outside Salt Lake…said he had been trying to get my attention, that my exhaust was dragging…we walked around back, and he said, “my mistake; must have fallen off a while back”! Fixed that then the transmission started acting up and needed to be rebuilt…wife started calling it the “CalapsO!”
We made it back to CA and sold it for $2K to my cousin. Always wanted an Airstream and in 2009, found a 2006 25′ Safari which was pretty nice…my tow vehicle, a new Tahoe, struggled with towing, but worked good enough. 2 years later I found a 2008 25′ FC with “twin beds & solar, with batteries that would run the AC for 3 hours”; which I purchased online, in Tucson without seeing first. Big mistake not seeing first. Kitchen stove and fan were filthy and stank like old bacon. Solar was home grown, and did not work properly; the twin bed was a conversion from a Queen, and there were creaking issues with the way the did the frame to name a few. The Tahoe was only 2 years old but it had issues towing up hills, so I let the GM dealer talk me into a “new one” again, which he swore had 30 more HP and more torque! Same issue…no power on hills.
I got back from Montana that summer in 2011, sold the airstream, and bought a new 2012 25′ FCTwin, and a new 2012 F150 4×4 Platinum Echoboost! Best decision for towing and a great combination…except I was not “educated” enough to looking at the payload on the F150! I drove all over North America with the combination, loading up the bed of the truck with a generator, camping gear, etc…not knowing about payload yet. The F150 had a 1300 lb payload on the sticker…the AS when I finally weighed the tongue, it was 1150lbs. I had been way over my limits for several years and even though they worked well, with plenty power in the F150, I was likely stressing the truck each trip, and didn’t know it.
So, when wife wanted a larger 27′ or 28′ AS in 2017, I also got the F250 6.7L King Ranch 4X4…great towing combination, plenty room inside the Airstream, and luckily, we have had no problems with either last 8 years…now feeling a bit older for sure…195K on the F250, 78K miles on the 28′ AS, thinking a new F150 Echoboost, with the 7.4KW and a new 25′ FCTwin again; better everyday driver with the 150 and a bit easier to park 25′ AS again…all I have to do now is convince the wife! She is starting to think about it…(I think she is anyway). Airstream life has been good this past 24 years for sure…something about getting ready for a trip gets her in a great mood…which of course, gets me in a good mood! All due to Airstreaming!
Jerry, 25 years owning and camping in Airstreams. Enjoyed the story and thank you for sharing the details. Loved it! Jim
My widowed buddy met a lady who had lost her husband, and they hit it off. After they were together for a few months, buddy called me and said I should come look at her late husband’s motorcycles and shop equipment that she was ready to sell off. At age 65, I passed over the hotrod magneto Panhead Harley, the Knucklehead, and the 105CID Evo Cruiser. My attention was on the 2001 19ft Airstream Bambi under the carport. Made her an offer and towed it back from Texas to Arkansas with no sway control or WD, and learned that it would go OK at 66mph, but 70 required careful use of the electric brake.
Now, after several years of travel and camping, it has a new up-rated axle, vinyl plank flooring instead of carpet, a larger porcelain toilet, poly carbonate rock guard for the front window, and lots of other improvements and mods that have all been fun to do and made it more enjoyable. I figure I will never be able to afford another AS, so I am making this one into it’s “best version”. After owning a couple motorhomes and an SOB box TT, I’ll never go back! Airstream is the ultimate way to go.
G.A. We are like you, we found the Airstream we wanted in 2015 and have never thought of switching to a different one. We have been traveling full time for 10 years in the same Airstream and still loving her, with all her aches and pains. Thank you for sharing your story. Jim
My wife and I both grew up camping. Over the past decades we have rented sailboats, trailers or motorhomes a number of times but with moving so much for work (3 continents, three provinces) it never made sense to purchase. Once we retired, we looked at trailers, and Airstreams, and decided on a 27, but health issues got in the way. I had always wanted an Airstream, ever since seeing what I recall was a 31 in a campground on Vancouver Island when I was 10 or so. 2 years ago, we decided we weren’t’ getting any younger, so rented a Basecamp to see if we still liked camping. Yes, but not in something that small. The Globetrotter was the result. We are enjoying it. In a few weeks we will make a trip to Vancouver Island, and we are planning at staying at the same campground where I saw that Airstream in 1970. They have been in business for 114 years now, according to their website. Many of the trips we have planned are retracing routes we did years ago.
Jeff, thank you for sharing.The Globetrotter is a beautiful Airstream. Vancouver Island is one of our favorite places. Would you mind sharing the name of the 114 year old campground? Stay safe out there! Jim
Park Sands in Parksville.
We will also stay at Surf Grove in Tofino, and in downtown Victoria
Jeff