Structural aluminum was classified as a critical war material, available only for the building of vital aircraft. Tires and gasoline became scarce and Wally Byam closed his doors. By , Airstream Trailers, Inc. Wally had learned much about aluminum fabrication and design in the aircraft industry, and he was ready to begin applying that knowledge to his trailer concepts. The demand for Airstream trailers seemed to know no bounds, and it was soon obvious that Airstream had become a nationally known product.
In July , the lease was signed for a facility in Jackson Center, Ohio, to serve the eastern market. By August the first Ohio-made Airstream rolled off the production line, and the California factory was moved to larger facilities in Santa Fe Springs. For the next ten years, Wally continued to improve and refine his products, and the company continued to prosper and grow.
During this period, the company made the transition from direct, factory sales to a dealership network, providing even better service and responsiveness to its customers. Then in , Wally Byam passed away. By the early seventies, the popularity of motorhomes had grown by leaps and bounds. After several years of development, the first Airstream motorhomes were introduced in And then finally, what I found in traveling and experiencing all these different groups, is that coming together around the campfire I think just stokes that ancient part of ourselves.
As a young man Wally Byam set out his ambitions. The foot trailer joined Hanks on the set of Sleepless in Seattle, Forrest Gump, Philadelphia, and Sully, traveling coast to coast for nearly three decades.
Automotive History. Airstream: 90 years of American adventures Nik Berg. Thor Tech Inc. A Story About. Hagerty covers all kinds of collector cars, trucks and modified vehicles. Get an insurance quote. More on this topic. Lists 8 rugged classics with military origins you should know Bryan Gerould. Ronnie Schreiber. Share Leave comment. More Innovation As customers began taking their Airstream trailers to farther and more difficult locales, the company continued to innovate to keep up with demands.
In Byam worked with Bowen Water Heater company to create the first hot-water system for a travel trailer. In the Airstream International was introduced as the first-ever completely self-contained travel trailer.
With onboard water and power, its owners could venture farther from civilization for longer periods of time. Bambi By the Airstream lineup had grown, ranging from the foot Bambi to the foot Sovereign. The Bambi was as a small, lightweight option pulled by smaller vehicles. The Bambi name stuck — Airstream refers to any single-axle traditional-style Airstream as a Bambi. After a bit of infighting at the company, Art Costello was named Airstream president and business continued to grow.
First Major Redesign Airstream made its first major changes to the trailer design in , giving it a face-lift as well as making structural changes.
The new model was more luxurious inside, and with rounder edges featured a more streamlined look. For the Astronauts That same year marked the first visit to the moon. There was concern that the astronauts might return with some sort of space germ or other illness, so NASA worked with Airstream to build a Mobile Quarantine Facility where the Apollo 11 astronauts could rest comfortably until it was determined they could safely return to society.
This special trailer featured living and sleeping quarters as well as a kitchen and bathroom. Argosy In the early s, Airstream decided to expand with a line of trailers that would carry many of the features associated with the iconic trailer but be available at a lower cost. The company established a separate assembly line with its own management and production teams and introduced the new Argosy line.
Although Argosy trailers employed the same aluminum structure, they were made with a lower grade aluminum which was then painted. Argosy Motorhome Throughout his tenure at Airstream, Wally Byam had at various times considered building a motorhome but had never made the move.
In , Airstream decided it needed to expand its offerings from just trailers and introduced a motorhome on the Argosy line. Sales were never very high, and with the looming fuel crisis the entire Argosy line was shut down in Thor Industries In the owners of Hi-Lo Trailers saw the growth in the trailer market and moved to take advantage of it. They started a new company called Thor Industries which in turn acquired Airstream.
Airstream is still part of Thor Industries today. Class A Motorhomes After Airstream stopped producing models under the Argosy name, the brand introduced the Airstream Excella and International Class A Motorhomes in the same style as the aluminum trailers. Airstream would continue to build large RVs until the mids, when it would phase out the large purpose-built motorhomes in favor of van-based models.
Fifth-Wheel In Airstream went a bit larger with the introduction of its first Fifth-Wheel design. At 35 feet long, this hefty travel trailer was only sold for that one year in rather small numbers, making it rather rare today. Safari In Airstream brought back the Safari — it had been discontinued after the s. The Safari was less expensive than competitive models and lighter weight for easier towing.
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