1962 24' Oddball?

[ventport]

Since this is such an old thread can someone post new pictures of the trailer in question as the old links to the photos do not work anymore. Very interesting story and I would love to see the trailer as it looks today.

[66Overlander]

Originally Posted by ventport

Since this is such an old thread can someone post new pictures of the trailer in question as the old links to the photos do not work anymore. Very interesting story and I would love to see the trailer as it looks today.

Here are the only photos I have of this Airstream, including closeups of the WBCCI numbers on the trailer. Warning, the "100" is hard to see, but it's there front and rear, with all three digits squeezed onto the center end cap segment. The 7328 spreads over three end cap segments front and rear, but is much easier to make out in the rear photos - you can sort of see parts of it in the front if you know what you are looking for.

[Ganglin]

Joe, I'm pretty sure he was on that Mexico trip. I seem recall some pictures he showed me of Wally and Stella and his Mother. Also, stories of his adventures wandering around at night. I need to return a phone call to him later this weekend - do you want me to check or would you rather do it....

[66Overlander]

According to the the 1966 membership Directory, neither Wally & Stella, nor PeeWee nor Helen are listed as having participated in caravan #29 - Eastern Mexico Winter 1962.

Feel free to close the loop with PeeWee to see if he remembers the trailer. I am home sick right now and don't feel like talking to anyone, but occasional typing is OK.

[2vets]

This is such a cool thread! The mystery continues....if only airstreams could talk! I love the double axles on it...very jealous!

[Snedwid]

We spent some time chatting with PeeWee and his charming wife at Alumafandango. What a great couple, we are so glad that we got to spend some time with them. Had I known about this thread, I would have picked his brain, but alas, I was unaware. I did get a lot of insight from him however, and look forward to seeing him again.

[Ganglin]

Originally Posted by 66Overlander

According to the the 1966 membership Directory, neither Wally & Stella, nor PeeWee nor Helen are listed as having participated in caravan #29 - Eastern Mexico Winter 1962.

Thanks for the correction - realized my error shortly after posting as Dale was younger on his Mexico trip.

So I had a long conversation with Dale this evening. His Mexico trip was Wally's first organized rally in 1951. Dale was 12.

He did not recall ever seeing the trailer in question but restated that 100 belonged to Art Costello.

His best guess, since only one gold trailer was ever produced, was that the gold aluminum was left over from building Wally's trailer. Why the unit was built and how it ended up in Art's hands he could only speculate about.

[66Overlander]

An update to this story:
In the February 2016 issue of the WBCCI email News & Views newsletter, I submitted a story about this unusual Airstream, more or less summarizing the story told in this thread, with one notable addition (see pages 11-13):
http://wbcci.org/component/jdownload...-february-2016

The addition is a photo of what I believe is this Airstream on the 1962 Eastern Mexico Caravan, showing the wife of the President of Mexico on the goacho accepting a chartible donation from Art Costello and Andy & Connie Charles. This photo and an accompanying letter came from the Sierra Nevada Airstreams web site and were posted there by Dale Schwamborn:
http://sierranevadaairstreams.org/me...62-mexico.html

The overhead cabinet design of the Airstream in that photo was only used in 1962 California built Airstreams, and I have not seen the metal grate seen in the center overhead cabinet door in any other trailer suggesting it was a custom addition. I can almost imagine it being gold in color to coordinate with the gold theme in the trailer, but of course we cannot confirm the color in a B&W photo

If Mark is listening, it would be great to learn if his trailer has this metal grate, because I have not seen any interior photos of this trailer to confirm it myself.

[66Overlander]

Decided I might as well re-post the photo so that you don't need to follow the link:

[Hittenstiehl]

66 thx for posting the pics. Very nice. We always tease that some day we will do a photo shoot with dress and pumps and a blazer for Christmas cards.

[66Overlander]

Major Update!!!

This "oddball" trailer has been sold and is in the process of being restored and will make a road trip to Jackson Center and other locations this coming summer!!!

Apparently "Mark in Modesto" passed away and in the summer of 2017 this trailer was purchased from his estate by the owner of Vintage Camper Trailers magazine.

Here is a link to a page about the restoration and road trip:
https://www.vintagecampertrailers.co...airstream.html

Here is a link to a little more history about this trailer and interior and exterior "before" and "deconstruction" photos from the ongoing restoration:
https://www.vintagecampertrailers.co...m-history.html

Those that want to see the restored trailer will have several chances during the road trip this summer! Check the top link above for schedule details.

Rest in peace Mark. It sounds like your trailer is in good hands.

[Eagle Keeper]

Wow! Thanks! Very interesting.

[Hittenstiehl]

Overlander and others,

What a nice completion to a mystery beginning story.

I'm very impressed by the knowledge, the curiosity, and the willingness to unravel these Airstream stories.

I hope Airstream appreciates our love affairs with their product.

Thank you for documenting all of this and for updating us on the progress.

Rest in peace Mark from Modesto and thank you for your continued checking in on the formus over the years.

[StevieB]

Thanks for sharing Joe!

[66Overlander]

To update my latest "theory" about this trailer, I am now not so sure it was used by Art Costello to lead caravan 29 to Eastern Mexico in 1962 because the new interior photos of this trailer show it to be different than the one in the photo with the wife of the President of Mexico. One would assume that if this trailer went on the 1962 Caravan, the wife of the President of Mexico would have most likely been greeted inside it, though Art Costello using this trailer on that caravan still seems possible and maybe even likely.

The new piece of information that I gleaned from the "more history" link in my last post above is that, according to the Airstream Company Historian, in 1961 Airstream was investigating making a "Golden Caravan", essentially a "cost is no object" top of the line trailer. It makes sense that this trailer with a gold band was a prototype for that activity, though this does not prove or disprove the Mexico Caravan theory.

If this trailer was not used to lead the 1962 Eastern Mexico Caravan, I can only guess that Art Costello may have taken this trailer to a Rally to get feedback from potential customers. At least this is my only other working theory as to how the WBCCI number 100 might have come to be on the trailer.

Maybe someday photos will surface of either the 1962 Eastern Mexico Caravan or some Rally (possibly a 1962 Airstream Company sponsored rally) showing this trailer in use with #100 on it to support one, the other, or both theories.

[66Overlander]

Minor correction. As I was looking for something else today, I found multiple citings noting Art Costello as the leader for the 1962 Western Mexico Caravan, not the 1962 Eastern Mexico Caravan. Not sure how I got that wrong all those years ago.

Not that this tiny detail matters much, as Andy Charles led one of the 1962 Mexico Caravans and Art Costello the other. Both caravans ran simultaneously and met in Mexico City. I just try to keep my postings as factually accurate as possible and don't have a problem posting a correction when necessary.

[GMFL]

Great work Joe!