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Old 02-23-2009, 08:57 PM   #1
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1959 African Caravan Utility Vehicle

When the fuel powered vehicles are unloaded off the passenger freighter, African Enterprise, it is necessary to push them to a fuel source.

All flamable materials are removed at the point of disembarkation.

Here is a picture of the vehicle waiting to be moved to the fuel location.

Your drive to the Brooklyn Dock on the right hand side, you take pocession of your vehicle on the left hand side.
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Old 02-24-2009, 05:02 AM   #2
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Was it a far push? Two of you actually lived in that little thing for nine months? That looks about as big as a prison cell. I bet the views were better though. Pee Wee, do you know what happened to those trucks after the caravan?
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Old 02-24-2009, 07:02 AM   #3
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Was it a far push? Two of you actually lived in that little thing for nine months? That looks about as big as a prison cell. I bet the views were better though. Pee Wee, do you know what happened to those trucks after the caravan?
I found this picture after I did my other posting. If you go to the history group and look under Aux Vehicles. It will tell you more about the vehicle
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Old 02-24-2009, 07:37 AM   #4
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Amazing little Airstream camper. Do you have any more pictures of this little gem? I saw in one of your PDFs an interior picture of the bunk. Are there any others? It would be great if this turned up in someone's barn after all of these years.

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Old 02-24-2009, 11:24 AM   #5
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Limited pictures of Scout and Mechanic Vehicle

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Originally Posted by flyfshr View Post
Amazing little Airstream camper. Do you have any more pictures of this little gem? I saw in one of your PDFs an interior picture of the bunk. Are there any others? It would be great if this turned up in someone's barn after all of these years.

Brad
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Brad,

There may be a few more pictures. I have one of the dock workers pushing the vehicle. I have only the one interior picture of the "home life"

Pee Wee
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Old 02-24-2009, 02:00 PM   #6
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Please, Pee Wee, more scout truck photos... Hey are you getting ready to go on a caravan through Washington DC? When we find you the right rig, you will be able to paint that on your trailer too...

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I imagine you would have quite the list to say the least.

Please more scout truck photos please.

PS This is my desk top now, Thank you.
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Old 02-24-2009, 03:56 PM   #7
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I'm likin this thread so far. Hope it lives for a while. Thanks Peewee
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Old 02-24-2009, 05:30 PM   #8
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Once again, thanks for sharing this history - pretty remarkable
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Old 02-24-2009, 05:46 PM   #9
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Questions from Inquiring minds...

PeeWee, Was the camper made specifically to fit the truck frame by Airstream to use as a scout vehicle? Did Wally design it? I know the interior demensions were tight but I bet you guys had a Blast of a time on such great adventures. Especially as the scout vehicle (out front and exploring) looking for river crossings and the best roads (when you could find roads)!!! I am very glad that you are willing to share your experiences with all of us. Again, Thank You so much. Ed
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Old 02-24-2009, 06:15 PM   #10
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Trucking through darkest, deepest Africa in 1959

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PeeWee, Was the camper made specifically to fit the truck frame by Airstream to use as a scout vehicle? Did Wally design it? I know the interior demensions were tight but I bet you guys had a Blast of a time on such great adventures. Especially as the scout vehicle (out front and exploring) looking for river crossings and the best roads (when you could find roads)!!! I am very glad that you are willing to share your experiences with all of us. Again, Thank You so much. Ed
Ed,

The shell was made to fit on the Chevy frame. Wally probably had an imput, maybe many do-this-and-thats. My Mother's two trailers, at Wally's direction, were custom Airstreams made in Jackson Center, under the direction of Andy Charles (President) with specifications from Wally.

I am quite sure that the same took place for the two aux vehicles. Andy Charles had a vested interest, considering, his 17 year old son was going on the Caravan.

Nick and I had fun. But the entire African Caravan was fun. The Caravanners had fun even with hardships. We saw and did things that will never be duplicated.

Ed, thanks for asking.

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Old 02-24-2009, 06:19 PM   #11
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Massage on the Torpedo picture

I took the picute of my holding the print, and cleared it up a tad. Hopefull this will present the basic print in a "different light."

Pee Wee
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Old 02-24-2009, 06:25 PM   #12
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I am going to build one Pee Wee. In honor of Wally and old Doc that kept those plans hidden all these years.
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Old 02-24-2009, 09:27 PM   #13
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Scout Truck So-so Pictures

Not the greatest pictures.
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Old 02-25-2009, 12:03 AM   #14
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Great Stuff!!!

PeeWee, I can't tell you enough how great it is to have someone on the forums with all the personal knowledge and background information that you have. It must have been the experience of a lifetime to have gone on the carravans and traveled to all those exotic ports and countries. It is a real shame that the world has grown so much crueler and meaner than it was in these more innocent times. These types of adventures probably can never really be done to that extent anymore or over again. It is very risky just to travel abroad as an America these days and would likely not be worth the dangers involved today to try many of the things that the old caravans were able to do. I see the hardships of those trips to be part of that great adventure and I am happy that you are here to help us see what it really was like back then. Great stuff as I said in the header. Thanks so much! Ed
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Old 02-25-2009, 04:15 AM   #15
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Not trying to be argumentative, but man has always been cruel. Just open your history books and read between the lines. It is filled with brutality and cruelty beyond imagination. Often it was given wonderful sounding names such as Manifest Destiny, The Crusades, The Cultural Revolution, The Conquest, or the Empire. Holy Empire was even thrown in a few times for good measure. My point is that man has always been a cruel animal, it is just that in our times we are exposed to it much more. We have a greater awareness when it takes place.

Part of what made the caravan from South Africa all the way to Egypt so incredible was the danger. Pee Wee may disagree, but he had no clue what he was getting into. I also doubt Wally fully knew what he was sending him into. That unknown has been lost. We now can look at any spot on the planet from our home computers. Virtually everything has been mapped and explored at this point. And that is what has changed. The 1959 caravan was a spectacular adventure to say the very least. I am envious that I could never have such an experience myself.

It could be done again and should have been done in 2009. Adventurous people do it often. It has been done on bicycle and has been done on foot by quite a few now. My take on Wally was that he was a self appointed ambassador of good will. Good will is powerful tool. It is almost as strong as positive thinking and determination. I am more than a little disappointed that the 2009 caravan was canceled. If I had the funds, I would be doing it with or without the support of the WBCCI or Airstream. I have more fear of loosing my life driving to work than loosing my life to the hands of someone who perceives all Americans as evil. Now if anyone out there wants to grant me the funding, I would be glad to take my trailer and my family into the mouth of the lion.

Sorry to highjack the thread Pee Wee. I hope more photos of the scout vehicle appear from that wonderful filing cabinet of yours. I especially like the sepia one you just posted.
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Old 02-25-2009, 04:43 AM   #16
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A little off subject but, now that a 4 wheel drive version of the Dodge Sprinter is available one could take the shorty truck and convert it into an off road on road Airstream Interstate. That would be coooool! jim
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Old 02-25-2009, 04:48 AM   #17
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PeeWee,
You may have covered this before, but where did you all stop for gas and propane (or was it butane then)? Did everybody have auxiliary tanks and extra jerry cans? I don't imagine there were too many service stations on this caravan to get your winsheilds wsashed and oil checked.
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Old 02-25-2009, 05:15 AM   #18
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I just knew there had to be some great stories involved with the outfront, scout vehicles. Thanks everyone for building this thread and jogging PeeWee's memories.
I too love that shot of the S.V. under the Shade of the tree. It kinda says, Ahh! a place to rest, to me.
PeeWee thank you for the additional pictures, and congratulations on your 500th post. I for one am hoping there are many more. For certain no other member of this forum has had so much interesting Airstream history to share in only 500 postings. Air Karma To Ya. Keep up the great stuff, and thanks again.

Silverhawk, Bob
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Old 02-25-2009, 06:59 AM   #19
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PeeWee,
You may have covered this before, but where did you all stop for gas and propane (or was it butane then)? Did everybody have auxiliary tanks and extra jerry cans? I don't imagine there were too many service stations on this caravan to get your winsheilds wsashed and oil checked.
All of our vehicles were gasoline. We purchased gasoline from stations, tanker trucks and 55-gallon barrels. Many Caravanners had aux gas tanks. The scout and mechanic vehicles had a standard 30-gallon tank, and two 50 gallon aux tanks. 130 gallons is a "bunch" of gasoline.

Away from the cities and civilization we had pre-arranged rendevous with Mobil, Shell etc.

Propane/butane was whenever and wherever. Also pre-arranged meetings.

Caravanners had extra this and that including jerry cans for extra fuel.

A bucket, a rag, a ladder, a long reach and everyone had their own clean window.
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Old 02-25-2009, 07:05 AM   #20
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2009 Bad Mo Jo in Africa

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Originally Posted by 62overlander View Post
Not trying to be argumentative, but man has always been cruel. Just open your history books and read between the lines. It is filled with brutality and cruelty beyond imagination. Often it was given wonderful sounding names such as Manifest Destiny, The Crusades, The Cultural Revolution, The Conquest, or the Empire. Holy Empire was even thrown in a few times for good measure. My point is that man has always been a cruel animal, it is just that in our times we are exposed to it much more. We have a greater awareness when it takes place.

Part of what made the caravan from South Africa all the way to Egypt so incredible was the danger. Pee Wee may disagree, but he had no clue what he was getting into. I also doubt Wally fully knew what he was sending him into. That unknown has been lost. We now can look at any spot on the planet from our home computers. Virtually everything has been mapped and explored at this point. And that is what has changed. The 1959 caravan was a spectacular adventure to say the very least. I am envious that I could never have such an experience myself.

It could be done again and should have been done in 2009. Adventurous people do it often. It has been done on bicycle and has been done on foot by quite a few now. My take on Wally was that he was a self appointed ambassador of good will. Good will is powerful tool. It is almost as strong as positive thinking and determination. I am more than a little disappointed that the 2009 caravan was canceled. If I had the funds, I would be doing it with or without the support of the WBCCI or Airstream. I have more fear of loosing my life driving to work than loosing my life to the hands of someone who perceives all Americans as evil. Now if anyone out there wants to grant me the funding, I would be glad to take my trailer and my family into the mouth of the lion.

Sorry to highjack the thread Pee Wee. I hope more photos of the scout vehicle appear from that wonderful filing cabinet of yours. I especially like the sepia one you just posted.
Frank,

This is campfire fun talk. The 1959 trip to Africa was less threating, and today a similar trip has hazards so perplexing that you need a good lawyer and a sound will and testament before you leave the United States.

Pee Wee
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