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guy99 · 07-29-2005, 08:33 AM

When you pass another Airstream on the road do you wave or blink your lights?

Beginning with my Triumph TR3 in 1965 I have found that owners of uncommon or small market vehicles tend to acknowledge each other as they travel the road. It was true of british sports cars, it was true of Corvettes, it was true of vintage mustangs.

But, when I wave or flash my lights at another Airstream on the road, I seldom get a response. Do TT owners not consider Motorhomes real Airstreams? Is there a "secret handshake" I don't know about?

Next week we're going to leave California headed for North Dakota, I don't want to be flashing my lights at every Airstreamer if such acknowledgment isn't generally welcome.

DEO · 07-29-2005, 08:35 AM

We do ! And we have seen many others who do also...

jaiman · 07-29-2005, 08:36 AM

I always do, and most of the time a get a "right back at you!"

kl8ton · 07-29-2005, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guy99

Do TT owners not consider Motorhomes real Airstreams? Is there a "secret handshake" I don't know about?

I am not too familiar with all the motor homes. I don't really pay attention to them and if one was coming toward me I probably wouldn't realize until it was too late to respond. Obviously it is easier for a MH owner to pick out another AS MH than a TT owner picking out an AS MH.

guy99 · 07-29-2005, 08:57 AM

My motorhome is an 84, which has the rounded profile and aluminum skin, so its pretty easy to spot.

Barbara Peerenboom · 07-29-2005, 09:41 AM

You must have been traveling in the wrong neighborhoods

If anyone in my family passed you, not only would you have gotten a blink, but a wave, maybe chase you down, and asked you over for dinner.

Keep blinkin', I'm sure you'll get a right back at you on your trip.

Barb

PWRSTRK · 07-29-2005, 11:39 AM

We get... and give... all kinds of waves.

I even have signs in all our cars (in case we don't have the trailer with us!) That say

WBCCI
10260

Which are about two feet wide... for self-identification purposes to other A/S people who don't know we are A/S people. They are done up in the same red lettering as the numbers for our trailer.

Tom

ford8n · 07-29-2005, 12:07 PM

I certainly flash my lights and wave even when not towing our trailer. I just love to see Airstreams out on the highway because I know they are special and so are the people in them or towing them. If you can extend your trip just a little further, instead of North Dakota come on to North Carolina, I will not only flash my lights, wave and blow the horn but if I can catch you I will buy you a cup of java. Safe travels and see you down the road!

**Stefrobrts** · 07-29-2005, 12:12 PM

I wave or blink, and have gotten waves back. I have missed responding to a few also, because I wasn't paying attention or didn't see them until the last second. I'll wave if I see you, I don't care if it's a trailer or a motorhome or an Argosy!

Chaplain Kent · 07-31-2005, 08:09 PM

I drive a shiny 82 classic and get many honks and waves from all sorts of people some driving and some standing on the street corners. I wish I had attracted this much attention when I was 16.

streamer23 · 07-31-2005, 08:29 PM

I have blinked at oncoming Airstreams many times in the past and usually got a response.The classic motorhomes are easy to spot coming towards you but some of the newer ones are not until it's too late.

Chaplain Kent · 08-01-2005, 08:24 AM

Those new green, yellow, brown, red and white with squiggles painted on the sides; flat front, flat back, left, right, top, and bottom, just do not look like Airstreams. No offense to the purchasers of these million dollars babies they just simply do not cut the mustard when it comes to the charm of owning an Airstream. Even the now discontinued Land Yacht MH had some Classic looks to it. I would not feel bad if you miss blinking at a square AS on the highway, it looks just like a Bounder only difference is a 6" square sign that says Airstream.

mello mike · 08-01-2005, 08:55 AM

a hearty thumbs up!!! Works for me.

Westfalia · 08-01-2005, 09:02 AM

We passed several Airstream TTs on the road, and EVERY one of them waived. I waved back. I usually don't flash my lights. It's illegal in CO, and tends to piss of people more that it greets them.

mtpalms · 08-01-2005, 12:01 PM

On our way home from Williams, AZ weekend before last, we were 1/2way between I40 and Amboy on KelBaker Rd, and my husband said, "Geez, those people just took a picture of us, what gives?"

I suspect they were taking a picture of our Safari, I found it funny that it didn't occur to him!

And yeah, we're fanboys, we honk and/or wave and/or flash our lights, whichever suit the moment best.

AirHog · 08-01-2005, 06:33 PM

We wave frantically with our arms out the window and flash our lights, and somehow the oncoming AS's know we are waving to them and not the SOB's

. Of course they return the gesture with waves & lights flashing .

I even look up the BIG RED numbers in the WBCCI book, which we keep in the car, to see if I might know the owner. It's a fun game to play while traveling!

Gail

CanoeStream · 08-01-2005, 07:57 PM

The Harley wave won't work for those honkin' Ford or Chevy haulers, but if you have a Morris Mini TV like this dude....

(with apologies to American Thunder, Athens TN)

Claybuster · 08-01-2005, 08:01 PM

Westfalia - What's the deal with flashing the lights being illegal? And why would someone bother being upset by it? Do you have something funky in the water out there?

bdlwet · 08-01-2005, 08:02 PM

Wave 'n Blink dem lights......Sure can in Colorado. No, it is not illegal doing "a flash your lights" at anyone, don't flash brights at night close, but if I see an Air stream,. I wave honk, flash my lights and almost anything to say HEY looking good.......even those not shiny ones. I waved and flashed Airstreams through Wyoming, yellowstone, Montana and back early last month and we saw 33, 20 of them on the road, I think. In fact it was almost a mantra to look for them on the road, our 10 year old had a wonderful time trying to find Airstreams and probably became the best spotter in the family by the end of the trip. I had a great trip, but tore a/c cover on a low pine tree, lost a vent cover right off the get go in Denver due to stupidity and had a window that just wouldn't stay locked.....(thank god for duct tape in middle of night) But our first trip in our Tradewind was Marvelous. Think I am going to Placerville, CO. next week for another round of breaking it in.

hookedonclassic · 08-01-2005, 08:06 PM

We were out on I90/I94 in Wisconsin last weekend and saw more AS's than I had for a long time. Motorhome, Bambi, Excella, newer classic. Sometimes it was too late to flash. One time I did without a response and remembered I wasn't towing ours. Just did it out of habit.