(Newswire.net — July 24, 2020) — The Airstream company was born out of several factors. Firstly, the founder Wally Byam grew up on a sheep farm with his uncle. They lived in a wooden wagon pulled by a donkey, which was a pretty standard set-up then.
Within this wagon, they had everything they needed, a stove, food, water, and other necessities.
Jump several decades ahead; the young Byam is out of college and newlywed. He and his wife enjoyed going on frequent camping trips, but she never did enjoy sleeping on the floor of a tent.
In 1929, Byam had the bright idea to attach a tent to the top of a Model T chassis. It was a great first attempt; it did the job and was mobile. However, it wasn’t the most comfortable set-up and took forever to put together.
He went back to the drawing board and replaced the tent with permanent shelter. Remembering the wagons of his youth, he added a stove and ice chest, probably creating the first proper recreational vehicle.
Many other travelers loved the idea, so he published a DIY guide in the prominent engineering magazine, Popular Mechanics. Soon he had requests from neighbors to build trailers for them, leading him to open the first Airstream factory in Culver City, California, in 1931.
When the Airstream company started in the early 1930s, they had but a handful of competitors. Within the next five years, the demand for trailers had increased. So much that there were over 400 trailer manufacturers in the country. Unfortunately, the Great Depression and WW2 took a significant toll on many of these companies, with only the Airstream surviving.
However, during the war, even Airstream was not spared the austerity measures that followed. Due to the scarcity of aluminum, the production of Airstream trailers had to be halted, and the staff dispersed to find work elsewhere.
While working as a certified manufacturing engineer and production supervisor at Curtis Wright Industries in 1945, Wally persuaded the management at Curtis Wright Industries to allow him to manufacture a line of travel trailers. He called the Curtis Wright Clipper, similar to the Airstream Clipper, but made better with Wally’s new manufacturing know-how.
In 1947, he left the company to begin production of a new trailer called the Airstream liner. Driven by a crazy idea, he toured continental Europe for a year with a close friend in one of his trailers. The idea was to finally test the design and discover faults that could be improved.
Not one to err on the side of safety, Wally decided an even bigger test was needed. He decided to drive from Los Angeles to Nicaragua in one of his signature trailers. Initially intended to be a private journey, newspapers soon got wind of the audacious odyssey.
Rather than shy away from the publicity, the company decides to use this opportunity to showcase just how sturdy the Airstream trailer truly was. He invited all adventurous Airstreamers to join and was surprised to see that 63 trailers honored this invitation.
The journey was anything but easy. A total of 63 trailers began the trip, but only 14 were able to finish. After the arduous journey with a discouraging end, he vowed never to attempt it again.
In 1952, the company found itself in need of a second facility. After scouting east for a location in the Midwest, he settled on Jackson Centre, Ohio, which had been its primary site for the past 65 years.
Even with all the success he found with the Airstream trailers, Byam decided he could push the limits further. Deciding that he would be the first person to produce the first-ever self-contained travel trailer, he recruited some of the most brilliant inventors and innovators of his time. One of his most significant accomplishments was creating the first-ever hot water system for a trailer, in conjunction with Mark Bowen of Bowen Water Heater Co.
Sadly in 1962, the company went through a major upheaval when it lost its head and founder to a hard-fought battle with cancer. However, he left behind a torch that would soon be carried up by a new generation of innovators and great thinkers.
With new leadership at the reins, the company went through several new phases in its history and, in 1969, went through its first major redesign. Both the exterior and interior designs were remodified to give the Airstream a sleeker, more modern design.
After years of the management changing hands, in 1980, Wade Thompson and Peter Orthwein, owners of Hi-Lo Trailers, acquired Airstream through their new company Thor industries.
The Airstream company and its iconic trailers have grown to be American icons, representing the American dream. The success of the Airstream continued unhindered, with its next major redesign coming in 1994.
In 2006 the company celebrated its 75th birthday. Known for their sturdy design, in 2006, up to 65% of the Airstream trailers built since Wally Byam’s first trailer were still on the road. This is just further proof of the strength and precision of the design.
In 2018 the corporation acquired its first new plant in over 50 years. A sign that the company is only growing more substantial, the Airstream company is truly a giant in the recreational vehicle industry.
Airstream is an in-demand recreational with a long history before it. It boasts a powerful engine, sturdy body part, efficient fuel consumption, roomy space, essential facilities to make you feel at home, and other outstanding features.
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