Airstream Life Winter 2009

GREATRIVERROADTOUR • GREENAIRSTREAMING • CARAVANNING IN 1958

Online Edition

Winter 2009

2 A I R S T R E A M L I F E O N L I N E E D I T I O N • S U B S C R I B E F O R F R E E

• • • • • Editor’s Page

The official Airstreamlifestyle magazine

Editor and Publisher: Rich [email protected]

Layout and Design: Ellicott [email protected]

Advertising Sales: Brett [email protected](802) 877-2900 Ext. 2

Editorial Illustrator: Brad Cornelius

Chief Financial Officer: Eleanor O’Dea

Associate Contributors:Jody Brotherston Interior DesignRich Charpentier TechnologyJ. Rick Cipot FeaturesFred Coldwell HistoryRenee Ettline FeaturesBert Gildart National ParksJohn Irwin Great IdeasRoger Johnson eBay WatchCharles Spiher CrosswordForrest McClure Cartoonist

ContactAirstream Life411 Walnut St #4468Green Cove Springs, FL 32043Telephone: (802) 877-2900Fax: (802) 610-1013www.airstreamlife.com

Airstream Life Online EditionYou can get Airstream Life online, for free! Eachissue we select 15-20 pages of the upcomingmagazine and make it available on the Internetto readers who sign up atwww.airstreamlife.com/online. It's a sneakpeek, with no cost, no obligation!

CUSTOMER SERVICEAirstream Life’s world headquarters are the dinettetable of a 2005 Airstream Safari 30 We’re always gladto hear from you, but if you have a simple question,please check our website for help first. There you cansubscribe, renew your subscription, change your ad-dress, get advertising information, download writer’sand photographer’s guidelines, notify us of an addresschange,and get answers to frequently-asked ques-tions. See www.airstreamlife.com or call(802) 877-2900.

Airstream Life (ISSN 1550-5979) is published quarterlyby Church Street Publishing, Inc., 411 Walnut St#4468, Green Cove Springs FL 32043.. Subscriptionprice is $24 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Fer-risburg VT and additional mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Airstream Life,411 Walnut St #4468, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043

© Copyright 2009 by Church Street Publishing, Inc.AIRSTREAM® is the property of Airstream, Inc. Li-censed by Global Icons LLC. All rights reserved.Printedin CANADA.

The [RV] Recession Is Over!I’ve been seeing a curious phenomenon in the RV and camping industry lately.While camping nights are reaching all-time record highs, many folks in the industryare still acting as if we’re all sitting at home.

Airstream reported in September that production rose 30% in the previous sixweeks, and the company had its first hiring round since 2006. The largest RV showin America, at Hershey PA, saw a 14% increase in attendance over last year, witha record 31,700 people.

Dealers all over the country are reporting a rapid recovery. The RecreationalVehicle Industry Association says sales across all brands jumped 136% since Jan-uary, with a 16% increase in August alone!

People aren’t just buying new trailers and motorhomes, they’re using them.KOA says it will match its all-time record for camper nights this year. The NationalPark Service says visitation is up so much that it too will have a record year. Evenwith increasing day-use fees, state parks are crowded all over the country.

If you want to check my facts, go to our website and read the news for yourself.I’ve linked to some recent reports here: http://airstreamlife.com/advertising/ re-cession-over

But some folks haven’t figured it out yet. They’re still convinced that we’re inan “RV recession.” (I think they’ve been watching too much gloomy financial newson TV.) As a result, they’re trying to “survive” by hunkering down, and cutting theiradvertising and marketing budget.

Not surprisingly, when you stop marketing your business, people stop comingto buy your product. Some of the companies that tried to “wait it out” have goneout of business forever. This isn’t a time for merely “surviving,” it’s a time for beinginnovative and smart. It’s an opportunity for growth. Those of us who are busycamping, traveling, and renovating vintage trailers still want to know where to buy.We need to know who we can trust, and who is going to be in business next year.

You have probably guessed that I’m talking to potential advertisers as muchas I’m talking to subscribers of this magazine. Advertisers need Airstream Lifemagazine to get their messages out to our loyal community, and Airstream Lifeneeds those advertisers.

You can help end the “RV reces-sion” by reminding the Airstreamdealers, parts suppliers, and after-market accessories manufacturersthat this is the time to advertiseagain. A healthy RV economy benefitsus all, and will help prevent more ofthe companies we depend on fromdisappearing.

Speaking of disappearing, besafe out there and don’t fall off a cliff.Think I’m kidding? You’ll find outwhen you read Renee Ettline’s articlein our printed edition about “America’sScariest Tows.” If you’re not a printsubscriber, you can still get the issuethrough our web store or by sub-scribing and choosing our “Get TheFirst Issue Fast!” option.

Cover artist Michael Depraida relaxes with a "PartyStream" t-shirt of his own design.

W I N T E R 2 0 0 9 A I R S T R E A M L I F E O N L I N E E D I T I O N • S U B S C R I B E F O R F R E E 3

We’d love to see your vintageAirstream family photos!

For more information [email protected]

Advertise in

Contact Brett Greiveldinger802-877-2900 ext. 2

[email protected]

Want to reach 12,000Airstream owners?

What's Coming InOur Print Edition:• Traveling Alaska (2-part series)

• HowTo Save (Or Ruin) Your Tires

• Favorite Tourist Traps

• Checklists

• Safe Hitching

About our cover...A vintage caravan travels through exoticAsia inthis fantasy illustration by freelance artistMichael J. Depraida. For this cover, entitled“Caravan Club,” Michael combined digital im-ages and historical photographswith artwork.

Michael is a freelance artist who hasbeen working off the grid and full-timing inhis 28’ Classic since 2000. You can purchasea poster version of this cover and see his fullline of Airstream Artwork online athttp://www.CampStreamUSA.com

The print edition also includes 40 pages of other articles, including aninspiring article by John Brunkowski and Michael Closen about collectingAirstream postcards. We’ve also got great articles on places to go next summer.From Germany, Armin Heun explains how to rent an Airstream in Europe—andwhy it makes sense. But if that’s too far away for you, check out the pair ofarticles by Bert Gildart and Renee Ettline on Canada’s Jasper National Park, andthe famous Icefields Parkway.

Still too far away? Not much vacation time this year? No problem, FredColdwell has a plan to keep you traveling for the next decade. Our National Parksare celebrating their centennials over the next few years, and you can visit eachone as it happens. It’s all in the print edition of Airstream Life magazine.

In this free Online Edition, you can read Tom Palesch’s great introduction totraveling the Great River Road in the mid-west. Tom will surely get you interestedin exploring Huck Finn territory with his enthusiast descriptions of life along theMississippi.

You can also read about “Green Airstreaming.” It’s a controversial subject, butas our research suggests, being in your Airstream (or almost any RV, really) canbe one of the greenest ways to live. Check out the article starting on page 16 andsee if you agree.

And, for the first time we’ve included a regular feature that appears in theprinted magazine, called “From The Archives.” Historian Fred Coldwell takes anold picture of Airstreaming the way it used to be done, and gives you a little bit ofhistory with his expert interpretation.

As always, we’ve tried to pack as much good information in this free OnlineEdition as we possibly can. If you enjoy it, pass it along to a friend and encouragethem to subscribe too! It’s always free and always fun.

See you on the road,

Rich LuhrPublisher and Editor

4 A I R S T R E A M L I F E O N L I N E E D I T I O N • S U B S C R I B E F O R F R E E W I N T E R 2 0 0 9

Painting A Family Airstream SceneI just got the latest (Fall 2009) today and the cover reminds

me of something that just transpired with us. I was contactedby painter Kay Crain. She was looking at the old Airstreampictures that I had scanned and uploaded to Flickr. She wasinterested if she could use them as ‘inspiration’ for her paintings.Maybe using the scene or trai ler but putt ing differentthings/people in it. I told her it would be OK but a compensationwould be nice. She told me that she would be willing to paint a se-lected slide for me.

Here is the photo that I chose, and her result. I guess a lot ofpeople love Airstreams!

ROGER SMITH

Reader SuggestionCan I tell you once again how enjoyable a read your magazineis. And I know you have heard it before . . . I read it from coverto cover. Both the “Best Beachfront Camping” and “BadlandsNP” articles will help carve our future camping adventures. Itwas very interesting seeing the variety of landscapes one cancome across in beachfront camping and discovering the wondersof the Badlands.

But what I found most intriguing was the article on ElegantAirstreams of the Thirties. I dream of owning a vintage one day.Any plans on making this a continuing series? 40’s? 50’s?60’s? 70’s?

BEST,ALICE WYMER

Good idea, Alice.We’ll talk to Fred Coldwell to see if he’s readyto tackle another decade soon.

Airstream Camping In EuropeI’m Rene from Airstream Professionals in The Netherlands – main-port of Europe. I receive Airstream Life a couple of times a year asa private person. Last year I decided to become certified Airstreamdealer for the Benelux countries in Europe.

I think Airstream has enough potential in Europe. I’mdeveloping services for US Airstreamers who would like to visit Eu-rope and want the Airstream Way of Life to accompany them. I’mcreating a network of campsites that have up-to-date AirstreamTrailers or can facilitate them. It is also possible to rent a brandnew EU Airstream to travel across Europe starting from variousEU Airports.

RENE LEENDERSAIRSTREAM PROFESSIONALS

WWW.AIRSTREAMPROFESSIONALS.NL

• • • • • • Inbox


In this issue you’ll find our first articleabout Airstream camping opportunities inEurope. We’ve gathered information aboutvarious places where Airstreams can berented, fully furnished.

Where In Canada is Whistler?I have read your recent online edition ofAirstream Life and have certainly enjoyedit.We do not own an Airstream, but my wifecertainly picks them out from a distancewhen we travel.

The reason for this letter is for asentence I read on page eight: “In November2008, an Argosy, made by Airstream, wasused as a ‘canvas’ for an abstract painter ina live art performance inWhistler, Canada.”

Hopefully in future articles, the entiretown, province and country should be men-tioned. This would be a great way to edu-cate your readers about Canada as I’m notsure someone in Virginia would knowwhere Whistler, Canada is located.

I have yet to hear anything about Colby,United States in the news.

SINCERELY,JAY SCHAPPERT

Jay, you’re right of course, andnormally our practice is to give city andstate, or city and province (in Canada). Forthe record, Whistler is in the province ofBritish Columbia, Canada. I’m not so sureabout Colby!

Kudos From Region 2I thought I would let you know I had a fewcopies of Airstream Life left over from the2008 Region 2 Rally and handed them outat our ‘Niagara Falls for Region 2’ Rally inLockport May 21-26 – naturally they all wentand hopefully some members will considersubscribing as it is a fantastic magazine.

CHEERS,DON MCKELVAY

WBCCI PRESIDENT REGION 2

Airstream Life Is Online For Free!Thanks so much for putting Airstream Lifeonline. Trying to find copies had become areal bear. Love the last issue. Thanks again

BILL CLAYTON

To all other readers:We select a coupleof articles from each issue of Airstream Lifeand make them available to anyone for

free, online. If you haven’t tried our OnlineEdit ion, check it out at airstream-life.com/online and tell your Airstream-loving friends too!

And Another Correction…In our “Best Beachfront Camping” article(Fall 2009) we wrote that CharlestownBreachway State Beach was located inCharlestown, CT – but oops, it’s actually nextdoor in Rhode Island. Our apologies toanyone who spent the weekend drivingthrough Connecticut trying to find it. •••

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Airstream owners tend to be inquisitive explorers.We travel to in-teresting places, meet fascinating people and become part ofour new environment. Since Wally Byam’s day, Airstreamers

have sought to be more than just visitors, by becoming activeparticipants within the world we travel. This is our lifestyle; we bringour home with us and for a while become citizens of the placeswe visit.

Come along and get a taste of traveling the Great River Roadalong the banks of Mississippi River. It is an “Airstream” kind of ad-venture. The highways that parallel the river reveal naturalbeauty all along the way. Views from towering riverside bluffsprovide incredible vistas, trains chugging along the riverbank createa picturesque setting, recreational boaters abound and sportfishermen are everywhere. Campgrounds are near the water,and charming towns fill summer weekends with events andrecreational opportunities.

Best of all, most Midwesterners live only a day’s drive from thisgreat river of history. There is so much to see and do along the “Ole’Miss” that you can take a weekend to whet your appetite or spend

Story and photos by Tom PaleschTOURING THE

Ever-changing views of the Great River are possible from your Airstream as you tourand camp. TOP: A view of St. Paul MN from Mounds Park.MIDDLE: Lake Pepinsection of the river from Frontenac State Park. BOTTOM: Romantic moonrise viewfrom a Corps of Engineer campsite.

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the rest of your life getting toknow it.

The river is a trail of legends. Itbegins in northern Minnesota as a smallstream flowing out of Lake Itasca; this is PaulBunyan’s country of deep forests and roughterrain. The stream grows as it divides forestsand enters farming prairies approaching LakeWoebegon-like country made famous by Gar-rison Keillor. The river changes from a wilder-ness stream to a prairie river still ofunimpressive size. While it progressessouthward it maintains its character as arocky and clear-running wild river.

Flowing and tumbling through the TwinCities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, the

MississippiRiver begins toshow the character thathas made it a great waterway. Theriver is now a navigable waterway, a sourceof power generation, grain milling andshipping of natural resources of food,timber, ores, steel and energy productsproduced all across the upper Midwest tomajor markets downstream. The MississippiRiver becomes a highway to the world.

DAMS, LOCKS, AND BARGESThe Upper Mississippi Valley from the TwinCities of Minneapolis/St. Paul to Dubuque, IAis considered by many to be the mostbeautiful section of the Mississippi Rivervalley. Eleven US Army Corps Of Engineers

GREAT RIVER ROAD


(COE) dams and locks can be found between Minneapolis andDubuque. You can spend a whole day at each of the locks watchingshore and barge crews skillfully maneuver barge-strings, threebarges wide and five barges long (105' wide by 1000' long). The“push boats” handling these loads have engines of 5,000 horsepoweror more! You can get next to the action and sometimes converse withcrews on shore.

HISTORICAL SITES AND MUSEUMSEarly pioneer settlements, Native American burial mounds and oldmilitary forts can be found along the road. Almost every town alongthe way has a historical museum with a collection of local artifacts.The larger cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul have significant museums

and interpretative displays about their early history. The Mill City Mu-seum in Minneapolis will impress you with the role thatagriculture and grain milling played in the growth of this area. St.Paul has a wonderful new Museum of Science and Industry.Smaller downstream cities each have their displays unique totheir area. You can step back in time at each and get a sense ofwhat it was like to be an early explorer or settler along the Mis-sissippi River.

Traveling this route is also an opportunity to visit many of the an-tique shops and art and craft galleries that frequent the small townsand cities. Anywhere along the way you get a sense of being part ofthe area’s early history.

NATURE AND WILDLIFEThe river is a natural flyway that has attracted migratingwaterfowl and raptors for thousands of years. As the seasonschange, the wildlife follow the river road as we do now. Along theriver bottoms the state and federal government haveestablished refuges and viewing areas where native and mi-grating birds can be seen in the thousands. Many duck species,Tundra Swans, Trumpeter Swans, Sandhill Cranes, Egret, Geeseand Herons are everywhere. Bald Eagles have made parts of theshoreline their full-time home and migrating eagles gather alongthe river when ice begins to break up. If you are a “birder,” bringyour binoculars and spotting scopes and you will enjoy the timeof your life.

HIKING AND TRAIL WALKINGEach city and village has parks and recreational areas that haveall-season hiking trails. There are state parks, Corps of Engineers fa-cilities, and recreational areas that have established trails and pub-lished maps. Bring comfortable walking boots, sunscreen, and insectrepellent and be ready to enjoy the best of this outdoor world. A cam-era would be handy as well, as you never know what is around thenext bend.

Ask the local campground host or ranger about hiking trails inthe area. Being river country, many trails are flat and follow the riverbottoms. Other trails can be more challenging and climb the hills andbluffs away from the river. The rewards of the climb are alwaysgreater when you reach the top and have a grand vista over thevalley. Here again, bring your camera; carry plenty of water andan energy snack to celebrate when reaching the top. A word ofcaution: river-bluff country does have a small population of timberrattlesnakes. They are not a serious problem, but one shouldstay alert.

Dams, locks, bridges, and boats define the navigable piece of the Mississippi,but are only the beginning. Alongside the river are museums, historical sites, andcities for your exploration. TOP: Paddle wheel river tour boat in Wabasha, MN.MIDDLE: Old Stone Bridge in Minneapolis crossing St. Anthony Falls.BOTTOM: River stone bridge arches are now part of Minneapolis' heritage.

“This is our lifestyle; we bring our homewith us and for a while become citizens of

the places we visit.”


BOATINGThere is plenty of opportunityfor boat ing along this famouswaterway. Rent a canoe or kayak or bringyour own so you can enjoy the Mississippi Riverbackwater. A powerboat is another way to enjoy the environment.There are boat-launching ramps and marinas near every populationarea and if you want to rent a watercraft, most marinas can take careof that need. But remember that this is a big waterway and you shouldhave good boating skills. Depending upon the time of the year and thewater levels, you will have to deal with currents that range from swiftto treacherous. Boating the river can be a wonderful experience, but

youm u s t

p r a c t i c eboating safety.

Unique to this partof the country is the opportunity

to captain a houseboat on the river. Powered houseboats can berented in Winona, La Crosse or Wabasha and you can enjoy a week-end or week playing Huck Finn along the backwaters. Here again youmust have some boating skills.

With a play on words, also unique in this area is the phenomenaof “boat-houses,” clusters of floating homes, in which people live

The Mississippi starts here, at the headwaters of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota.

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year-around. They represent an interesting culture that is a part ofthe “river scene.”

If you still want to experience the river scene but leave thedriving to others, take a river excursion. All of the larger cities haveexcursion boat rides that can last a few hours or be over-night ad-ventures. Most are on replica steamboats, and the family will love theexperience.

If you enjoy fishing, you can fish from shore, a boat or near thedams and locks. If you just want to “eat ‘em” and not “catch ‘em,”fried catfish is advertised up and down the river at local cafes andrestaurants. They know how to “fix ‘em” on the river.

CASINOSThere are pros and cons about what casinos do for the social structureof America, but they are popular with people interested in gaming andeating. They often provide an abundance of food at reasonable prices.Along the river you could be at a different casino every night as youtravel. They are in Dubuque and Marquette, IA, as well as Red Wingand Shakopee, MN. Some even have RV parks on site.

CYCLINGRiver valleys by nature are flat and meandering. Roadways and trailsmade from converted railroad beds follow the river. Along the Wis-consin and Minnesota shores are hundreds of miles of trails built andmaintained for this activity. Cities like La Crosse, Winona and RedWing sponsor cycling events periodically during the year. Lake City,MN also sponsors a Lake Pepin Ride that takes bikers around this

large pool of the Mississippi. La Crosse is near the famous ElroySparta Trail, a thirty-mile long crushed stone pathway that has camp-ing spots along its length.

INTERPRETIVE CENTERSThere are three important Interpretative Centers along this byway.Dubuque has recently opened the National Mississippi River Museum& Aquarium where one can learn about the people, the industries andthe water life on the river. They have aquariums that house every typeof fish and turtle found in the river system. Another part of the Cen-ter is devoted to the heroes of the river, especially Mark Twain. Thereare classes and study groups for children, events and themes

throughout the year and interactive displays where you can test yourskills at guiding a barge-string into a lock.

Winona has the Minnesota Center Of Maritime Art, located on thewaterfront. It displays art about the river and water transportation inphotography, sculpture and oil paintings. Recently the center had ashow entitled, “The Art Of The Canoe” with displays ranging fromearly birch-bark models to state-of-art racing canoes and kayaksmade from space age materials. There are also book-events with au-thors introducing their work about maritime topics.

The small town of Wabasha, MN has established the NationalEagle Center on the banks of the river. This is a new facility for thecare and rehabilitation of injured eagles that are shipped here fromall parts of the country. The eagles come to mend their wounds andhopefully to return to the wild. (Those who can’t either remain hereor are found homes in zoos around the country.) People come to be

LEFT: Old Minneapolis river front at the first lock and dam near St. Anthony Falls.RIGHT: Kayakers paddle in the backwaters near Goose Island campground, southof La Crosse, WI.

“Once your journey begins, you will find that you have just scratched the surface of thearea and it is even more interesting than you thought it could be.”


close to these majestic creatures and to learn from and about them.Outside the center’s windows, across the river is an eagle refuge.These birds congregate here during the spring on their migration tobreeding grounds. This is truly an impressive place!

CAMPGROUNDSThere is a wide selection of campgrounds as you move up and downthe river. The typical RV parks are near the larger cities and close tothe major highways. Smaller campgrounds are tucked away neareach city and town. Your directories and the Internet will help you findthese places. There are state park campgrounds near McGre-gor, IA and along the river in Wisconsin at Cassville, Wyalusing, Per-rot and Merrick State Parks. All have camping sites close to the river.

Minnesota has two state parks on the river. A unique one if yourAirstream isn’t too large (25 feet maximum) is Bluffs State Park nearWinona. This is a primitive facility high on the bluff overlooking theriver valley. Near Red Wing, MN is Frontinac State Park close to thetown of Old Frontinac. This town was established in the mid-1800 asa cluster of family summer homes for riverboat captains. It’s a uniquetouch of the “old South” in the North country with antebellum archi-tecture. It’s an interesting side-trip.

You can find casino camping in Dubuque, Red Wing andShakopee, MN. There is a beautiful Corps of Engineers campgroundjust south of Desoto,WI called Black Hawk Recreational Area. Here youcan camp on the river’s edge along the main channel. It’s a wonderfullyshaded place with lots of wa-tercraft action passing in frontof your RV. Bring a fishing poleor boat to become part of thescene.

Several cities have nicecampgrounds too. Dubuque hasone on the waterfront near theirmarina. Goose Island RegionalPark is very nice, just south ofLacrosse,WI.Winona has a citycampground on the river. Smalltowns like Alma and Stock-holm, WI have limited but de-lightful city park campgroundson their waterfront too. You canfind private campgrounds inWabasha, Lake City and Hast-ings, MN and in the river townsof Guttenberg and Lansing, IA.

To help you build excite-ment about this trip, check

websites for events in cities and towns along the river. Big RiverMagazine is a great source for additional information, as well as aseries of Great River Road travel books written by Pat Middleton. Onceyour journey begins, you will find that you have just scratched thesurface of the area and it is even more interesting than you thought itcould be.

Follow the wise words of Mark Twain, our riverboat captain onthis tour:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by thethings that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off thebowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds inyour sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” •••

Remember these tumblers from the 50s and 60s? Made of lightweightaluminum, unbreakable, and stackable, they are the perfect accessory foryour Airstream. Smooth finish with scratch-resistant coating. Ideal for fun

occasions under the awning or everyday use.Available in two sets of four brilliant colors.

Order both sets to get all eight cheerful colors.Just $19.95 per set of 4. Order online at www.airstreamlife.com/store

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From the ArchivesCaravanning in Western Canada,Summer 1958

Members of the Wally Byam CaravanClub prepare to camp during the1958Western Canada Summer Car-

avan. The caravan was identified by finding theone caravan attended in common by five cou-ples whose trailer numbers appear left-to-right in the photo: 1796 – John & Ethel Lintonof San Antonio, TX; 1804 – Jack & Mary Eisenof Tustin, CA; 14 – Hollis & Edwina Bottomleyof Melbourne, FL; 1794 – Burl & Marie Hefnerof Lexington, IL; and 1506 – Paul E. & “Cholly”Miller of Philadelphia, PA.

Knowing the photo date also helps us identifysome Airstream trailers. Forward of the curbacross the bottom of the photo are, left toright, an Ohio built 1954-55 22’ Safari, a 1957Ohio-built 22’ Caravanner, and another 1957Ohio-built 22’ Caravanner to the right of theblack Packard. Between the Safari and centerCaravanner are three 22’ Flying Clouds, a1952-53 one on the left, a ’55 Ohio-built dou-ble bed with bathroom Flying Cloud center,and a 1957 California-built Flying Could on theright. How many other fifties Airstream mod-els can you identify in this beautiful photo-graph? •••

- FRED COLDWELL

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Minnesota Airstream ParkA member-owned RV resort in the lakes area of mid-Minnesota.

• 125 sites with full hook-ups on eighty acres of naturaloak savannah.

• Transient accommodations with daily, weekly, and monthly rates.• Tennis courts, a nine-hole executive golf course, heated swim-ming pool and sauna, horseshoe pits, and a shuffleboard court.

• Good fishing and boating lakes nearby. Four miles from publicaccess to the Mississippi River.

• Free wireless Internet access• Clubhouse with a kitchen and meeting space.• Activities scheduled all summer long.• Ownership opportunities available.

Visit us on the way to or from Madison in 2009! The parkhas 35 rally sites with water and electrical hookups available.Just an hour’s drive from the Minneapolis/St Paul metro area.

www.airstreampark.com • (320) 743-27718795 82nd St, Clear Lake, MN 55319

Washington Land Yacht Harbor,Lacey, WAA 2007 WBCCI Superior Merit Award Unit

Always open for Airstreams to visit year-round!• 160 spaces with 3-point hookups• Meeting hall, and smaller Gatehouse available for rental• 192 homes on 62 acres of land• Close to shopping, including Cabelas and Costco

Check our website for more information, a completeschedule of activities, and properties for sale:

www.washingtonlandyachtharbor.com

(360) 491-37509101 Steilacoom Road S.E., Olympia, WA 98513

• • • • • • Parks Showcase


Land Yacht Harbor of Melbourne FLIt's all here!• Over 300 days of sunshine with an average temperatureof 72 degrees

• Long term rentals, and transient sites available as well

• Close to Kennedy Space Center, Disney World,golf courses and beaches

• 304 sites, large air-conditioned recreation hall witha library and billiard tables

• Free WiFi throughout the park

Please explore our website and look at the activities andattractions we offer. Stay a day, a week, a month or a lifetime.

www.landyachtharbormelbourne.com

Between exits 180 and 183 off I-95201 N. John Rodes Boulevard, Melbourne, FL 32934(321) 254-6398

Highland Haven Airstream Park• Mountain setting

• Blue Ridge parkway less that 5 miles away

• Bluegrass music every Friday night at the Floyd country store

• Hiking trails with waterfall

• Weekly activities in the clubhouse

• Beautiful sunsets

• Wireless internet

vahighlandhaven.org

540-651-9050

Come visit us!

Crossville, TN • www.airstreamtcpc.org

Come visit us!

PLATEAUT E N N E S S E E

C A M P G R O U N D

CUMBERLAND


For most people, the sight of an Airstream floating serenelydown the highway sparks the imagination. Everyone fanta-sizes about the exotic lifestyle of traveling the wide-open

spaces of America and leaving all the worries behind. An Airstream isinstantly a touchstone of happy thoughts.

But mention the SUV or pickup truck that is likely to be towingthat Airstream, and you will often get a different response. It’s“common knowledge” that traveling by RV or towing a trailer with atruck is an attack upon the environment, spewing pollution, adding to

global warming, and squandering precious natural resources. In theminds of many, RV travel is as anti-environment as an oil spill.

In this case, common knowledge is mostly wrong. While there’sno question that the fuel economy and carbon output of nearlyall tow vehicles or motorhomes on the road is worse than theaverage passenger vehicle, it’s not nearly the end of the story. Asyou’ll see, the overall experience of RV travel is actually very “green”— a result of lower resource use, new technology, and moreenvironmentally-friendly practices by campgrounds.

GreenBy Rich Luhr

Airstreaming


LOWER RESOURCE USEA recent study for the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA)found that RV vacations have a significantly smaller carbon footprintthan similar vacations conducted using air travel and hotels. Accord-ing to the study, in many cases the traditional vacation emitted nearlytwice the amount of carbon dioxide as the same RV vacation.

Partially, that’s because the fuel consumption of an RV is only afraction of the overall resource picture. Yes, many RVs get 8-10miles per gallon of fuel. But when they stop moving, they areexemplary models of conservation.

Let’s start with water consumption. Few houses or apartmentsare set up with a toilet that requires only ounces of water per flush,water-restricting taps and shower head, a tiny 6-gallon water heater,and no water-thirsty amenities like dishwater, lawn, or swimmingpool. Nearly all recreational vehicles are. The average US householduses about 70 gallons per person per day, although this varies widelydepending on season, age of appliances, plumbing leaks, and otherfactors. Some estimates claim 150 gallons per day per person.A prof-ligate water-waster in an RV on full hookups would have to work hardto use even one-quarter that amount.

Since what comes out of the RV matches what goes into it,sewage is likewise decreased, reducing the impact on municipalwater-treatment systems or septic systems. You might think 30gallons of black tank water is a lot when you get to the dumpstation, but it’s hardly anything compared to the amount ofsewage water you’d flush at home or in a hotel.

Most RV’ers don’t worry much about the fresh waterthey get from the campground, but others go to extremes.Brian Brawdy, a self-proclaimed green RV’er andspokesperson for the “Go RV’ing” campaign, customizedhis Lance truck camper to save resources. A rain filtrationsystem collects and purifies water for use in the camper,allowing him to stretch his water supply whenboondocking – as long as there’s rain. But for mostcampers, the simple fact of being away from homeprovides plenty of reduction in water use.

Electrical power is another resource that RV’s tendto sip. Except for some very large Class A motorhomes,most RVs get by with only one or two appliances thatrequire AC power, typically the microwave and airconditioner. Everything else runs off DC current fromthe batteries, which in most Airstreams are rechargedby a small power converter. Unless you are runningthe air conditioner all day, you’re not really using mostof the capacity of that 30-amp power connectionat the campground. By comparison, your houseprobably has 100 to 200 amps of capacity, and in

average daily use it requires several times the amount of power of anaverage RV.

For this reason, it’s easily feasible to power an RV from solar pan-els. However, it’s hard to justify the cost. Payback on a solar powersystem compared to simply plugging in at a campground will be manyyears, because RV’s tend to use very little electricity. If you’re run-ning on solar, you might consume 1-2 kilowatts per day, or about$0.25 worth of electricity in most areas. Considering the installed costof a pair of solar panels, extra batteries, and a charge controller, thepayback time can far exceed a person’s lifespan.

It’s also hard to justify solar on the basis of energy savings. Thereis some debate about the energy required to build the panels in thefirst place. Some argue that the “embodied energy” of a panelexceeds the likely output of the panel in normal use, and thus thatsolar panels aren’t really energy-savers in the real world. Studiesindicate that the energy payback of a solar panel can be anywherefrom two to 12 years, depending on the type of panel, the type ofcharge controller, and operating conditions. Given that most RV’erswill use their solar panels only occasionally, a payback in eitherdollars or energy will probably never happen.

For RV’ers, the practical advantage of solar is its quiet,maintenance-free operation, and ease of use. Solar remains popular (18% of RV’suse it, according to RVIA

John Byfield and Kate Heber’s 1962 Airstream Flying Cloud features a composting toilet, solar panels,low-flow fixtures, and recycled or renewal materials inside – with a beautiful vintage Airstream exterior.

Everyone fantasizes about the exotic lifestyle oftraveling the wide-open spaces of America and

leaving all the worries behind.


statistics) because it enables freedom fromthe electrical grid, allowing campers to stayin remote spots without resorting to agenerator. Avoiding generator use and the re-sulting air pollution of a two-strokegasoline engine is clearly the greatestenvironmental justification for solar.

In the rush to condemn RVs for theirfossil fuel consumption, many forget theimpact of heating a home. An RV takes a lotless energy to heat than a house, eventhough houses are usually better insulated.This is for several reasons. First, RV’s tendto follow the warm weather. Few people livein their travel trailer in a cold Minnesotawinter, but plenty of them flock to Florida andArizona. Second, RVs are much smaller thanhouses, often about 1/10th the size in termsof square feet. That’s 1/10th the space toheat. Third, many RV’ers will do somethingwhile camping that they won’t do at home:lower the thermostat. With a pair of 7-gallonpropane bottles as your sole source offuel, energy-consciousness comes muchmore easily.

Think that’s a small difference? Take alook at your heating bill from last winter. Forthe fuel cost of heating a northern homethrough a typical winter, most people couldtake their RV to Florida for a month-longvacation, all expenses paid.

GREENER RV’s AND CAMPGROUNDSBeing environmentally sensitive can be goodbusiness for manufacturers in the RV industry.The high fuel prices of Summer 2008 gotmany manufacturers thinking about ways toimprove the fuel economy of their products.Consumers have begun looking for lighterchoices that can be towed or powered bymore efficient engines, and as a result, anumber of interesting new products havebegun to surface.

Airstream has expanded its line oflightweight “Sport” trailers, with Gross Vehi-cle Weight Ratings low enough to be towedby smaller SUVs and minivans. While thetowing fuel economy of these trailers is onlya little better than other Airstreams, theirlighter weight enables a wider rangeof permissible tow vehicles. That meansbetter fuel economy is possible when nottowing, which is usually the majority ofuse for the vehicle. Hybrids and lighterV-6’s are now feasible for many newAirstream owners.

Similarly, the Airstream Interstate seriesof motorcoaches with Mercedes V6 dieselengines turn in industry-leading fuel economy,with owners reporting up to 22 MPG innormal use.

Alternative powerplants are just nowmaking their way into RVs. Biodiesel-capableengines and hybrid engines are getting closerscrutiny by motorhome manufacturers.Winnebago got first bragging rights in 2008when it announced the 2009 AdventurerHybrid based on the Freightliner “ecoFRED”chassis. The motorhome went on a publicitytour in summer 2009 but remains only aconcept vehicle at this time. Hybridizing largevehicles is considerably more challenging thancars, and the fuel economy gained by theAdventurer is reportedlyminimal,especially dur-ing long highway drives where such a vehi-cle would typically be used.

Since chassis and engines are generallysupplied to RV manufacturers by othercompanies, a changeover to more efficientpower can’t be effected solely by the RVmanufacturers. But the market forces thatare encouraging fuel economy in passengercars will push the chassis industry as well.

There’s more to this story than just fuelconsumption. Manufacturers are choosingmaterials for new travel trailers andmotorhomes to reduce off-gassing ofVolatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) andreduce pollutants during manufacturing. Forexample, RVIA has adopted California’sstandards for reducing formaldehydeemissions from composite wood productssuch as particle board and plywood. Manyowners of new RVs have complained aboutthe smell of off-gassing chemicals during thefirst few months of use, and the reduction offormaldehyde should be a positive steptoward resolving that problem.

Greener material choices also allowmore of the final product to be recycled onceit reaches the end of its useful life. Airstreamhas made much of this with its “Silver IsGreen” campaign, pointing out thatAirstreams are made mostly of recyclablematerials (aluminum and wood). It’s alsoknown that Airstreams consume less fuelbecause of their more aerodynamic design,and that Airstreams last longer than“disposable” white box RVs.

Still, don’t expect radical changesthroughout the RV industry. Althoughmanufacturers know lighter weight and

better fuel economy are desirable, they aren’tsure what consumers are willing to payfor “green” features. Traditionally the bulkof the RV market has been price sensitive,and so many manufacturers will proceedwith caution.

Campgrounds are coming up to speedwith their own ecological improvements. TheNational Association of RV Parks andCampgrounds (ARVC) launched an initiativecalled “Plan-It Green” in 2008, designed toeducate member parks on eco-friendlypractices. These practices include teachingparks how to reduce use of water and energy,use renewable energy sources, and reducewaste. As a result, parks are adoptingxeriscaping, gray water re-utilization, recycledbuilding materials, geothermal energy, energy-efficient appliances, and implementingrecycling programs.

It doesn’t hurt that most of these ideasalso save the campground owners money,and in some cases actually bring in new busi-ness. ARVC says its research shows that con-sumers enjoy visiting “environmentallyfriendly” campsites, which in turn gives parksan economic incentive to get greener.

SIMPLE STEPS TO GREENER RV’INGWhile we’re waiting for the ultimate 30-MPGRV to hit the States, any RV owner can takesome simple steps to decrease their impacton the environment. For example, takingshorter trips has a direct and significantimpact on pollutants and your costs. Insteadof towing 1,000 miles roundtrip to visit aparticular spot, you might find one you likejust as much in only 500 miles of travel.That’s a clear savings of $150 in fuel costsalone, based on current fuel prices andtypical towing cost of $0.30 per mile.

You can use that extra $150 to spendanother couple of days in the campground.Staying longer is a good “green” practice too,since every day you camp you’re likelyconsuming far fewer resources than youwould if you were home. In other words, driveless, camp more— a sure formula for havingfun!

In daily life, consider the “three R’s” ofenvironmental conservation, which are Re-duce, Re-Use, and Recycle. For RV’ers thefirst “R” is easy. There’s just not much spaceto accumulate things. Many travelers havea simple rule: If something comes in,something else must go out. Whether it’s a


box of cereal or a snow globe, living in less space means you have tothink more carefully about what you acquire. As a result, people tendto buy less stuff when they are in the camper.

Reducing your purchases means you also reduce your garbage,which is a significant impact. All over the US, landfills are reachingcapacity and being closed, forcing municipalities to open new placesto put garbage. Americans produce about 4 pounds of garbage perperson per day. Buy less, throw away less, and you’re already livinggreener than you were before.

If you want to reduce further, start with something simple, likewater bottles. Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles everyhour of the day. Refilling bottles with filtered water frompublic water sources can have a huge impact on your garbagecompared to going to the warehouse store to pick up another case ofbottled water. That’s the second “R”— Re-Use.

The third “R” can be harder when traveling. Recycling programsexist nearly everywhere, but not all campgrounds collect recyclablematerials. If you save aluminum, plastic, and fiberboard boxes forrecycling and the campground doesn’t accept recycling, considerbagging those items for recycling when you get home, rather thantossing them in a dumpster. It’s worth the effort. Americans throwaway enough aluminum cans to rebuild our nation’s air fleet everythree months.

You can also help out campgrounds by choosing tank sanitizersthat don’t use formaldehyde. Formaldehyde prevents odors in tanksby killing the beneficial bacteria that help break down waste.Unfortunately, “pickling” the contents of your holding tank alsoprevents septic systems from working, and this has causedproblems for campground owners. It’s also a known carcinogen.California has banned formaldehyde-based tank chemicals and otherstates are likely to follow suit.

Choose a chemical that doesn’t have formaldehyde, orchemicals that break down to it , such as benzaldehyde,paraformaldehyde, or bronopol. “Bacterial digestant,” “enzymebased,” or “septic safe” products are the best choice.

If you are in the market for a new tow vehicle, considersomething that has good fuel economy when not towing. Unless it’sa dedicated tow vehicle, you’ll probably log a lot more miles withouta trailer in tow. Any new car has improved emissions technologycompared to an older car, but 2009-model year and later “50-statelegal” diesels have taken a particularly large leap forward, with dieselparticulate filters and urea-injection systems to make their exhaustcleaner than gas equivalents.

Finally, if you really want to maximize your green-ness, considerthe ultimate alternative: Sell your house and go full-time! It may bejust a dream for most of us, but there’s no question that living in

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100-200 square feet of Airstream, with the world as your living room,can be the most economical and low-impact way to live.

If, like most folks, you are not ready to go full-time rightnow, take some of the lessons you’ve learned from your campingdays and apply them to your life at home. If everyone in North Amer-

ica lived like Airstreamers do in their trailers and motorhomes, usingless water and power, generating less sewage and garbage, burningless fossil fuel for heat, recycling, and buying less “stuff,” just imaginethe beneficial impact it would have. So if you want to be greener, livelike an RV’er. •••

ABOVE AND BELOW: Bamboo, linoleum, cork, and other renewable materials were used in the makeover of this 1962 “eco-friendly” Airstream.


Eco-Discovery TourJohn Byfield and Kate Heber customized their 1962 AirstreamFlying Cloud to explore what it means to be “green” in a traveltrailer. The Airstream features a composting toilet, solar panels,and low-flow fixtures, all of which were chosen to make thetrailer as self-sufficient as possible.Water and electrical use arereduced to a bare minimum, and the trailer’s panels can supplyall the power the couple needs.

The trailer was built specifically to try out concepts andmaterials about green living. Recycled or earth-friendly andnaturally-renewable products were used in the makeover,including cork floors, walls made of kirei (a waste product fromthe sorghum plant used to make molasses), bamboo cabinets,and countertops of linoleum.

“It’s a combination of materials and learning,” says John.“We were not really what you’d call RV’ers prior to thisexperience.We’re applying green living principles to RV’ing, andusing the RV to take it to the extreme.”

The composting toilet has worked well, he says, eliminatingthe need to dump the black tank. Every six weeks, compost isremoved, which can be used as fertilizer. Their water budgetaverages a skimpy 5-7 gallons of water per day, including navyshowers under an Oxygenics showerhead, and cooking.

Despite all their alternative technology and materials, Byfieldand Heber have learned that even ordinary RVs are not a badstart. “RV’ers by nature are conservative in their use. We’velearned from the experience,” says John. Their purpose in tour-ing with the trailer is to present a “rolling showcase” of ideasthat can be applied to daily household life.

They’re also tracking their energy use and total “carbonfootprint” carefully. Over the next few months, they hope to gatherenough data to compare their actual impact to theirformer style of living in a typical 3-bedroom ranch house.

The “Eco-Discovery Tour” began July 2, 2009 and has nofixed itinerary. To follow the couple and get more information,visit their website at www.ecodiscoverytour.com.


Here’s what’s in theWinter 2009 print edition of Airstream Life!Subscribe today to get this issue!

The official Airstreamlifestyle magazine

Touring the Great River Road, page 22

Rent an Airstream in Europe, page 33

MN-MRP

CPH

OTOLIBR

ARY

Jasper National Park, page 36

PHOT

O:BE

RTGILD

ART

Winter 20096 Inbox

8 eBay Watch:What’s Your Pleasure?

12 Collecting AirstreamPostcards

16 Green Airstreaming

22 Touring the Great River Road

28 From the Archives: 1958 Caravanning

30 Floorplans: Stella’s Ideal

33 Rent an Airstream in Europe

36 Jasper National Park

43 Canada’s Icefields Parkway

47 America’s Scariest Tows

51 Fun Page

52 Old Aluminum: National Park Smorgasbord

60 Great Ideas: Sometimes, Change is a Breeze

64 Last Mile: Love is Like...An Oil Change?

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