Are you embarrassed by your Airstream?

[Turtle]

Do you ever get embarrassed by your Airstream? Recently I've been feeling a bit that way. Airstreams attract so much attention. And a small one seems to attract even more. We've had to give tours to so many people over the years. At campgrounds, gas stations, grocery stores... Does the same thing happen with bigger Airstreams? I feel a little privacy violation but I'm polite and let them look. Do they say your trailer is "cute"? Not so bad with my wife along but I've done a few solo trips and aside from the "cute" factor, there is the know monetary value of a newer Airstream. I try to live a quiet, obscure life. But, dang is it a wonderful way to travel. I blame my wife. In a good way. I've adapted to the house being purple so this must just be a faze I'll get through with the trailer. Thank you for letting me get this off my mind... Jamie

[AtomicNo13]

Try a 34'! Its like trying to be subtle towing a whale in a bottle. You can't escape all the attention they draw. Everyone I encounter says they have never seen one that huge. I agree... much more Titanic than a little 16 footer.

[DandTPerez]

We just finished ours and have yet to take it out anywhere, but I was wondering how many times people ask to see in it or are caught looking in the windows. Ours is a 20 ft Globetrotter so I guess we will be getting the "cute" comment a lot too. I know when people come to our house we have to show it to them, but I was thinking it was just because they know we did work to it. We should be going out in it in the next month or so. I'll have to report back about how much attention it gets.

[c_lewis77]

Originally Posted by AtomicNo13

Try a 34'! Its like trying to be subtle towing a whale in a bottle. You can't escape all the attention they draw. Everyone I encounter says they have never seen one that huge. I agree... much more Titanic than a little 16 footer.

Try a polished 34'

[idroba]

Turtle: One reason I like my slightly scruffy Argosy 20' is that it does not attract quite as much attention as my "cute" 18' Caravel. There are other reasons (easy chair, dry bath, gray water tank) too, but mostly I am more invisible in the Argosy. People believe that the Argosy is 38 years old but the wow factor of a very nice 41 year old Caravel is enough to bring them out and they want to talk ...

But I sure understand your feelings. It is hard to hide in an Airstream of any age. Polish it and you will be in two ruts, one polishing and the second talking to people about it, and giving tours.

[AtomicNo13]

If I polished my 34 I couldn't stand myself.....

[Bill M.]

Ours must be pretty dumpy. Have had one person ask to look in it in 7 years of pulling.

[Alumaholic]

Once while camping at Cochiti Lake we had a grandmother, a mother, and her daughter all queue up in front of our 1976 Safari 23 insisting on a peek inside. These were not small women, and they all insisted on wedging themselves into our Airstream the same time. Deciding it was a good time to check the relative bearing grease, I bailed out leaving my wife to entertain.
She reported that they observed loudly to one another that though it was very cute on the outside, it was exceeding cramped on the inside. Wondering out loud why we had such a tiny trailer they made a hasty departure back to their humongously, huge fifth-wheel.

[Skater]

Oh, yes, as an Airstream owner you pretty much have to be ready to give tours. People love 'em. I gave many tours of the B190 (it's a quick tour), and we give tours of the 30'. Most Airstreamers, I've noticed, are thrilled to show off their campers.

[3campers]

I'm always answering questions and giving tours! Once at a KOA in Virginia a professional photographer wanted to shoot interior pictures and we made it into his book! Most people either have never seen one up close or have one and want to compare...mostly just curious...but I do the same with other Airstreams and owners!

[MaxTow]

A single weekend trip with the Airstream yielded more comments and questions than the two years with the SOB. Certainly a different experience.

No requests for a tour (other than from the neighbors when the AS is parked in the driveway).

AS: 3
SOB: 0

Airstreams are by no means the largest RVs on the road - but their aspect ratio (length versus height above the road) make them look longer then their SOB brethren. This combined with the aluminum exterior make them attention magnets.


Not embarrassed yet by the attention...

[DanielB]

I've had mine out a few times. One comment from a 10 yo or so kid "man, that thing is old!" lol..

Most stares are from old guys. Airstreams are old guy magnets..

[RangerJay]

Originally Posted by Turtle

Do you ever get embarrassed by your Airstream? Recently I've been feeling a bit that way. Airstreams attract so much attention. And a small one seems to attract even more. ..........

This is a question we've (sort of) entertained a few times .....

We seem to frequent two extremes of campgrounds .....

The one extreme is the typical "RV Park" - which we hit when we are in our fall "travelin'" mode. Typically - our little 19 footer - is the "small kid on the block" - often (actually pretty much always) in the middle of a sea of giant (to us) coaches ...... we never feel embarassed - but the "it's so cute" comment that sure pisses me off .......

The other extreme is why we have a 19 footer - our personal "comfort zone" is at its most "comfortable" in national, provincial or state parks -those campsites that take a little work to back into - but always have a view (lake, mountains, horizon .... whatever) - trouble is - we are now the "big kid on the block" - we have an Airstream ..... it kinda sticks out in a sea of tents and a few SOB's ...... so yes ..... we feel a little embarassed with our aluminum "mansion" in the wilderness ..... when everyone else is sweating we have AC ..... when everyone else if freezing we have heat ..... when everyone else is soaking wet we have a roof ..... what can I say ...... sometimes it's embarassing ...... but we've learned to get over it ......

.... and yes ..... we love the tours ......


Jay

[Friday]

We had more interest in our Basecamp when we dragged it to Disneyland and back, but our Intl gets the odd query as well. It sits beside the house in the summer, and if I am outside people will often ask to see it... never had anyone intrude by coming to my door or anything.

At campgrounds, I don't get as much interest as at gas stations or mall parking lots...

[Splitrock]

I had that trouble with my 1948 Harley 74 pan head. I had to carry a club to beat the women off it. I had absolute strange women walk up to me at gas stations and ask me to take them for a ride. Happened over and over.

I'm scared to death to take the Airstream out.

[eubank]

Yep, currently we are. The poor thing really needs a polish job. Alas, last summer did not turn out the way we had thought it would, and the job didn't get done. Ah, not done, and not even started. That, and just about every other project we had on the docket for the summer.

Lynn

[Protagonist]

At every single campground I've been to, and more than half of the interstate highway rest areas, and every time I go to Camping World, my Airstream Interstate attracts at least one admirer.

The admirers tend to be either old guys or young couples. Oh, if only it was a chick magnet!

However, it's not because it's an Airstream. Most peole start off with, "Wow! I didn't know Mercedes made motorhomes!" Then I get to give the nickel tour, and explain how Mercedes only made the outside, and Airstream made the inside.

I try not to discuss the price tag with the admirers, though. Almost without exception, they underestimate the price by 50~60%, and guess a price as low as the original Mercedes Sprinter van would have cost without the Airstream conversion.

[cbcnm]

this thread made me chuckle. my 57 flying cloud is an absolute man magnet. if i had known, i would have traded my vw westfalia in years earlier!
chris
solo mom to 2

[noreen&sal]

Originally Posted by Splitrock

I had that trouble with my 1948 Harley 74 pan head. I had to carry a club to beat the women off it. I had absolute strange women walk up to me at gas stations and ask me to take them for a ride. Happened over and over.

I'm scared to death to take the Airstream out.

My deepest sympathy. I feel your pain. Sal

[SL4BLLT]

We could have paid for many of the upgrades we have done to our International had we charged for the tour.
I don't mind sharing the visit with other Airstream owners as it is a time to see how the new ones look and how the old ones like ours have been maintained. Some new owners have walked away stating they wish they had bought and upgraded to their needs rather than buying to the factory standard that was at the dealer. The newer 23 and 25 rear corner beds are not the best things going for older couples, but the layout and design of the rest of the coach cannot be beat.
We try to accommodate to the best we can, but will admit, when we are outside drinking our coffee in the morning that is when we have to declare that the museum is not open on Saturday or Sunday's.
We love owing our Airstream as it has been refereed too many times as a weird trailer, or a grandson asking his grand Dad that owns the Beaver Coach, why he doesn't own a cool trailer like that (the Airstream). But we are pleased to share out Airstream and let folks know that it is a lifestyle with a great community.

I've attached a picture to include the 8" brass(removal) Captains Bell, that is "hung and rung" for Happy hour! One of many things to include the Weems and Plath nautical clocks and barometers that make the International Land Yacht, with the "red sky at night, a sailors delight" an a attraction sight.

All well worth, another Wally's Sucess Story and proud to share it.

SL4BLLT