The stories your airstream could tell...

[gomotomoto]

I can't help but think about the life our 1964 ambassador has lived. The previous owner told us that it was covered in graffiti and was being used as a mobile tattoo parlor. I'm sure it's changed ownership several times, each a chapter in it's life.

What stories could your Airstream tell?

[AIR-Quarius]

oh boy....Mine could tell alot of stories...birthing cats...polishing...maintenence...
That is a big question. Ours was formerly owned by a lady who was a model. There is leopard skin print carpet in here. And three interesting paintings. They say she used it to keep her clothes in. The paintings are one of a high heeled shoe...the other is a set of coffee cups and the other small one above my bed is a glass press of a fern branch. It would be interesting for all of you to take pictures of your art. I am boookmarking this thread to see want comes up.

[terryV]

I have wondered about that, also. I bought it from a dealer in Springfield, and I was way too excited at the time to ask about the PO.

When I took the title to the DMV to transfer it, the lady told me she could not do it because there were two names on the title, but only one signature.

The lady sitting next the one working on my title asked to see the title. She looked at it briefly and then said it was OK. She said "See that little mark right there. That means she (POs wife) died."

That is so sad. I wish I knew more. I would love to send the PO a thank you note, and tell him how much we love his lovely Airstream.

I'm sure there was at least one more PO because I looked up the WBCC number, and it turned out to be a different name.

This AS is in such nice shape. I would love to thank the POs for their gift.

If you owned an '02 31' Classic with the number 1890 on it, thank you so much, and I would love to hear from you.

Terry

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from AZ. . . I'm thinking I might not want to know ! When I bought our '05 in '10, we had to replace the plaid sofa & both mattresses due to heavy. . uhhh. . .staining. Took a month for her to get it cleaned to her satisfaction. Regards, Craig

[terryV]

Originally Posted by ramblinmanga

hi from az. . . I'm thinking i might not want to know ! When i bought our '05 in '10, we had to replace the plaid sofa & both mattresses due to heavy. . Uhhh. . .staining. Took a month for her to get it cleaned to her satisfaction. Regards, craig

oops !!!! :d

[Stefrobrts]

I'm the third owner of mine. Original family kept it for 25+ years. Second owner fixed up a lot of stuff and took it to Alaska every summer and all over the US, to international rallies and such. Now it's my baby for the last 11 years, and I've done a lot of work to it too. Been in the NW all it's life. I sure appreciate all the care the previous owners put into it. It really shows, and I think maybe that's part of why it is such a happy place to be.

[Isuzusweet]

My Airstreams PO obviously had no neck and couldn't look up as both the front cap and part of the rear cap have been replaced.

Also my "Mistress" would have loved the expression on my face as the PO quizzically looked at me and asked "What's that?" as I was pulling the oil dipstick out.

[Lily&Me]

Our Interstate has only been ours. I would like to think it would say "it's been a great ride."

It would tell of lots of ramblin' miles, lots of beautiful places, lots of love shared, (a few spats here and there) two people who developed an even deeper bond during 6 1/2 years of retirement travel together...and of a sweet little black dog, found one sunny day at a state park in Louisiana, whose first home with us was the Interstate.




Maggie

[fraubear]

I found these bits of Airstream history really interesting and I bet many other Airstream owners would as well. I compile the WBCCI "News and Views" newsletter and I would like to ask permission, particularly to Gomotomoto and Airquarius.to quote your Airforums post in an article that would be sent to all WBCCI members. If anyone else has a good story about their Airstream's former (or current) life that you'd like to share, please email it to ecc@wbcci.net as well as posting it here. Pictures would be wonderful!

[BoldAdventure]

After discovering my floor cover up.... I don't think I want to know. But the original owner did tell me he had taken the Airstream to every state in the lower 48 and driven the Alaskan highway twice. So, not sure I can complain that much about my rock guards being dinged up or a rotten floor. I'd love to know the milage on this thing.

[noreen&sal]

Our 1981 Excella was purchased at a local dealer who was selling it for a Pa. widow. We found receipts for work done all over the country. We also found out that before the folks from Pa. had it, a parish priest from our home town owned it so he could travel with his elderly dad. Sal

[Gnorts]

We bought our '12 from the local dealer here in Portland, who had sold it new two years before to a man from across the Columbia River in Washington. He took it home and titled it in WA, and paid about 9% sales tax on it. Then, he apparently developed a health problem and couldn't use it. He consigned it to the dealer, who sold it to us. He accepted a pretty low offer, which surprised us.

The poor guy. In his less than 2 years of ownership, he probably took about a $30K bath, including the tax. As far as we could tell, the trailer had never been camped in. Everything is just like new. The only damage we found is the folding cover on the galley stove has been scuffed up by use of scouring powder.

Now, my *previous* airstream could probably tell some tales! And that would include "once around the planet" while I and my former GF owned it. NW to Key West, up to DC, into Mexico twice, up to Canada twice, 25K miles in 18 months. That was back in the 90's. It was a '71 18ft Caravel, single axle.

When we decided to take our "tour," we bought an '86 F150 4x4 with cap, and found the Caravel advertised in (remember those?) the Nickel Ads, in Vancouver, WA. "For Sale: 1971 18 ft Airstream and 1974 Cadillac Sedan DeVille tow vehicle. Will Not Sell Separately." We decided, wtf, let's go look anyway. We liked the trailer, and decided to press the issue about her selling it to us without the Caddy. "No way," she said. So, I pulled out the fat wad of hundreds and started laying them out for her, and pretty soon she was remembering somebody down at the beauty parlor who liked the Caddy. We bought the Caravel for a stack of fifty Franklins.

When we returned from the "tour," my GF (who had actually paid for the trailer; I bought the truck) sold it to her sister in BC. I towed it up there, her sister bought it with Oregon plates and title, and she and her husband parked it at their lot on a lake on Vancouver Island. The sale wasn't reported, since duty, GST and PST would have been a tidy sum. That was over twenty years ago, and the trailer, which we dubbed "the Flying Toaster," hasn't moved from that wooded lot. It's right where I parked it for the last time. They use it as a "guest house" when they bring their 5th wheel up to the lot in the summer. It's spent twenty years sitting outside in BC winters. I heard a tree limb fell during a storm and put a bash in the front end cap.

Where had the Toaster been before we owned it? Big unknown. But I can account for its whereabouts ever since! Actually, I may be pressed back into service at some point to tow it back to the US since I promised to do so if her sister should ever decide to sell it. Or, at least help her find a buyer in the US, since she certainly can't sell it in Canada without opening a genuine can of snakes.

So now, we're generating a whole new set of memories in "Ted" (see sig below) - off to the desert in February! (a couple of months too late, if you ask me...)

[m.hony]

Ours has only been ours and it is only 2 years old, but it should still have plenty of stories to tell, both happy and sad. Although we have a beautiful camping trailer, life still happens. Loved ones get sick. Loved ones pass from this life. Pets get sick. Our trailer could tell of funerals and weddings. It has been back to where it was born. It might have funny stories to tell of newbies just learning the systems. It could tell of living a pampered life and of enduring a hail storm. Our trailer has "been around the block a time or two" in its short lifetime.