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Originally Posted by Darol Ingalls
...I realize that the Cutters, Landyachts, Skydecks, etc. all carry the Airstream name but they surely look like all the other SOBs out there - big fiberglass boxes. If JAXON's opinion holds true, would Wally have been seen in those? I've been accused of being stuck in the '60's (what's wrong with that??) so when I think of Airstreams, I always think shinny rounded aluminum, usually vintage. ...Darol
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Actually, in the 1950's while Wally Byam was still at the helm, Airstream did experiment with...gasp...fiberglass Airstreams!
They were even white...oh, my!
Granted they still had the tubular shape. Let us not forget that the original Airstreams weren't aluminum at all but were made of wood and Masonite and were given the 'Airstream' name because, even with such linear materials, Wally was able to produce a streamlined and functional design that had superior towing characteristics even in the 1930's. Just look at Doc. Holman's 1936 Airstream. It is now covered in aluminum, but originally it was just Masonite sided. So I guess that might mean that Wally would have been seen in one of the modern fiberglass box Airstream motorhomes and even one of the Squarestreams or Squargosies. He might have even allowed non-Airstreams in the club in the early days.
But, after he passed, the club collectively decided it wanted to be Airstream only. We all know that there was debate and great difficulty for Argosy, Class-A and B-van Airstream products to be allowed into this post-WB club. This is the hypocrisy of the officers and crux of the idea of SOB motorhomes for many of the members today. Like many, I joined an "Airstream only" club and that is what I want in the club.
The only palatable way I could see allowing SOB's in the club would to form an intra organizational sub-club for SOB's for senior members similar to the Classic Airstream Club and the Vintage Airstream Club. Give them specific requirements that they had to have owned an Airstream product (including an Airstream or Argosy motorhome) up until the time they wished to buy an SOB; had to have been a member for a certain number of years; and the member had to be a certain age or have a medical reason for not being able to handle a travel trailer any more, i.e. bad back, heart problems, limited mobility, etc.