Tag Archive for: Airstream

Airstream Classic 33FB

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Airstreams. I love them. Lorraine doesn’t understand my passion for these trailers. She thinks that they are too small for full-timing and not at all practical for us. She is right. We would have a hard time squeezing everything we have with us now into this trailer. Okay, we would never be able to squeeze everything we have with us now into an Airstream.

Airstreams have a timeless, classic design and they last a long, long time. Much simpler to operate than a Class A motorcoach and, in several areas, more technologically advanced than our current Class A motorcoach.

Not well known is the relationship between Airstream and Thor. Thor was founded in 1980 when Wade Thompson and Peter Orthwein acquired Airstream. Yes, Thor began as Airstream.

There are two Airstreams at our park, one of them a new Classic.

My favourite model is the Classic 33FB. Priced out at around $230,000 CAD (before tax), it is an expensive trailer. I’ve seen lightly used ones selling for much less. Lots of great features which you can find detailed at the Airstream website here. Nice floor plan.

And here is a video walkthrough of the Classic 33FB from Airstream.

Swift Basecamp

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I guess there is more than one Basecamp on the market. Airstream has one. And Swift has one.

Swift makes their RVs in the United Kingdom. I don’t believe that they are available in Canada. They have, however, decided to enter the Australian market.

The Swift Basecamp is described as a compact crossover camping vehicle focused on pretty much the same demographic as Airstream’s Basecamp: younger outdoor enthusiasts.

As always, I find the clever use of space very interesting. And the next few photos show just how much, or how little, space can be used to full effect in a compact area.

Swift offers the Basecamp with 13 exterior paint treatments. And many of the onboard systems can be controlled via a smartphone, something, I might add, that cannot be done with our big Class A machine.

You can find their Facebook page here.

A Martian Airstream

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Found this really cool article about a research project involving an old Airstream trailer.

The Mobile Extreme Environment Research Station (MEERS) at the Daytona Beach Campus is a student-run project to design and build a mobile laboratory and space habitat simulator out of a 31-foot 1976 Airstream trailer for the purpose of testing and advancing space technologies. It will allow for the study of human behaviors and performance in extreme environments, such as Mars.

Cool RV Designs

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coolrvs

When we were at the Hershey show earlier this year, both Lorraine and I noticed that most of the RV manufacturers were really close in terms of their basic design. This was especially true for the 5th wheel and trailer models with the exception of the Airstream products.

That said, there are some very interesting RV designs out there.

Case in point, the Mehrzeller – the multicellular caravan.

Not sure that it would be my first choice but it is a very unique design. You can find out more about them here.

mehrzellerext

mehrzellerint

Airstream Basecamp

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basecamp

We will be heading out to the RV show in Hershey next week. Billed as America’s largest RV show, we are looking forward to seeing a lot of the new models.

I have a bit of a soft spot in my heart for the Airstream travel trailers. Their designs really bring back memories of when I was growing up, probably because of all that aluminum. It looks like something from the 1950s or 1960s although the first Airstream was built in 1929. You can find an interesting history of the Airstream trailers here.

The folks at Airstream were kind enough to let me know about their new Basecamp travel trailer.

They market the trailer this way:

Loaded with innovative features that will satisfy and amaze both the experienced long haul traveler and the weekend warrior who is just getting back in their adventure groove, Basecamp is the result of nearly a decade of planning. With comfort and convenience in mind, Basecamp allows campers to stop wondering and start wandering.

This is one of their marketing photos of the new trailer:

basecampmkt

The Basecamp looks like the type of unit that would appeal to an active, younger couple without children. What fascinates me about the design of this particular trailer is the attention to detail and the use of space.

Within that really small footprint is a kitchen, a washroom with a shower, and a living and sleeping area. 16 feet long by 7 feet wide.

basecampflrpln2

 

Check out the details behind the floorplan here.

I hope they have one on display at the RV show. It would be cool to see one in person.