Iconic American Products for Airstreams

[danlehosky]

Since buying an Airstream trailer and have been actve on this forum I have realized that there are other iconic American companies, Pendleton Woolen Mills among them that lend themselves to use in an airstream. I would like to honor the spirit of this very special trailer by accessorizing it with these items. Lets leave vintage cars out of this list. I'm not talking about nostalgic or old items. Just things that will be useful to camping.Something being made that your parents could have used that si still being manufactured today
.
So far we have a real old Coke bottle opener which is very useful on Micro brew bottles and some Pendleton blankets. Items could include tableware, pots and pans, bedding, lanterns, outdoor furniture, grills, clothes, you get the picture. I would like to know of regional companies as well. One that comes to mind for me is Filson in Seattle.
Dan

[c_lewis77]

I always remember my dads old Coleman stove and propane lantern. I keep a Coleman stove in the AS for outdoor cooking (fish, shrimp and such), it just wouldn't be camping without it!

[vswingfield]

I have a 6-quart Presto pressure cooker. It is a new model. Mirro is still making pressure cookers, too. I have a 2½ quart Mirro that I use more often, but it is older and no longer in production.

Great kitchen addition. Unfortunately the new Presto cookers are made in China. Still a very nice product, though. For the old ones, there's always eBay.

[doorgunner]

oh yea Filson, great sportsman clothing.
how about some cast iron cookware.

[danlehosky]

All good. I wonder if the cast iron company that used to operate out of I think Erie PA and made cookware but were famous for their cast iron cake molds is still in business

[quiltbike]

We have furnished our Caravel with Melamine dishes made by Boonton in New Jersey, purchased on ebay and consignment shops. Also use Dad's old Coleman lantern, Penquin ice bucket, and silverware made in USA circa 1960's, Weber Smokey Joe charcoal grill. We highly recommend ebay, etsy, and check any and all junk shops. There is lots of great finds if you look!

[DGJackson]

For cast iron I've always been partial to Lodge. They are made outside Knoxville, Tn near Great Smoky Mountains. Learned to cook over a fire with cast iron in Boy Scouts. If you are traveling through Knoxville there is Lodge outlet store a couple of miles off interstate. I get through there every couple of months on travel. There are some good deals on blemished cookware. Also complete line at full retail.

[rbs]

We just yesterday put a 1957 Sunbeam toaster in the Airstream. You remember them, beautiful chrome appliance that automatically took the bread down slowly and raised it slowly when done. I use my Great Aunt's 1953 model at home, just so many great memories and I am so glad that I have and get to use it. One of the many American made items that were built with pride and built to last.

[Lily&Me]

The rather junky antique shops are a great resource for cast iron, aluminum and other vintage accessories. If I took the notion, I could peddle these things out of a cart pulled by the Interstate. Love those junk shops.

There are many aluminum items out there, also appliances and dining accessories. I found a folding, tiered serving tray a couple of years ago that I thought would be great for rallies, but have yet to use it. Keep forgetting it is in the cupboard. Maybe this year.

Maggie

[SilverRanger]

My wife collects Fiestaware and thinks they go rather well with Airstreams, which we also seem to collect. It's still made in Newell, WV. It can be a challenge to transport in the Airstream, but that hasn't stopped her because it's pretty durable.

She'd be the first to suggest that Airstream and Fiesta collaborate on a special edition model, like they did with Swiss Army and Eddie Bauer. I guess the potential for color schemes is great. She informs me they're coming out with a new color in June-Flamingo.
She collects those, too.


Fiesta (dinnerware) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Denis4x4]

I collect Beacon and Pendleton blankets and ran across this one that is a truly an iconic American product!

[ROBERT CROSS]

Retro coffee.... and toast.


Bob

[bganso]

Estwing Tools - A campers axe and a rock pick. I remember my dad using an Estwing axe on my first camping trip to the Marshall Gold Discovery site in Coloma, CA. That was about 55 years ago.

[Gene]

First of all, I am an old iconic American product. Maybe not iconic, but certainly old.

We have a reversible Pendleton bedspread that replaced the old-fashioned, but not iconic OEM one. We also have a couple of dinner plates and some smaller plates from the Corning Ware blue cornflower period—I had a set of those in 1962 and a few remain. They are hard to break (though it appears I succeeded over 50 years), so they are good for trailer travel.

Gene

[slowmover]

The iconic American diet, ca. 1962:

Caffeine, nicotine, fat & sugar.

And highballs at five.

Compared to the pill-addicted, obese and gadget-obsessed of today one might argue the above was better. Certainly more fun. You'll note we've not won any wars or become any richer as a nation since then. Quite the opposite in fact. When "nostalgia" is a predominant theme things have taken a desperate turn.

That said, I've enjoyed cast iron and hammered aluminum pieces as they seem to be as permanent as a good trailer or a Cummins diesel.



And the superior cast iron cookware is GRISWOLD.

I would say that as to "iconic" that a ZIPPO lighter is mandatory. Refillable, lifetime guarantee and always a need for a fire starter with an RV.

.

[Antique Pedaler]

Did someone mention Pendleton?

[mimiandrews]

I'm using Revere Ware cookware inherited from family members and bought off eBay for the day to day kitchen stuff in our Airstream. I even have the coffee percolator my mom bought back in 1950.

Very durable. Lighter than cast iron (which works better over a campfire than in a kitchen most of the time IMHO). Nests into itself to store in a minimum of space.

[danlehosky]

Lots of good ideas. We did get a melamine set. I will have to look where it was made.
Dan

[Fly at Night]

..... the iconic DC-3, the airplane that taught the world how to fly.

The Grand Old Lady - Douglas DC-3/C-47 (Part 1) - YouTube

[Getaways]

Tarheel1972 started a thread last year about grills. He had a PKGrill that was made out of cast aluminum from I believe the 50's. Perfect companion to an Airstream. I did some research and actually contacted the company about his pic on here and would they want his or other pics for advertising. They responded favorably and I passed on the email from PK to him. Never followed up to see if he sent them pics they could use.... However, the material and mnufacture is iconic in the sense you are talking about so one of their grills might be a great addition.