Feb 07 2011

The Newbies Guide To Airstreaming

When you’re the editor of a magazine, or a serial novelist, or an egg-laying chicken, your workload tends to rise and fall as your products are eventually completed and released to the public. It’s a great relief when a particularly tricky project is finally completed and off the desk (or out of the henhouse, as the case may be). That’s where I find myself right now.

No, I don’t mean in a henhouse. I mean I am in the final stages of finishing a new project that I am particularly proud of: “The Newbies Guide To Airstreaming.” It is a 104-page book designed to give new Airstream owners a “quick start” to traveling, camping, and owning their shiny Airstream travel trailer.

I’ve been working on this book for about eight months, with help from a few friends. The job has been to collect as much useful and accurate information about Airstreams (how they work, how to maintain them, what to expect) and summarize it into a format that people will actually find useful. There’s lots of information out on the Internet, but much of it is based on conjecture, or just plain wrong. Likewise, the Owner’s Manual provided by Airstream is full of useful facts, but it’s very dense and certain important facts are well obscured, so few people actually bother to read it. Rather than having to search hard for the basics, new owners will now have an easy guide to the stuff they need to know first.

Right now the book is in the final draft stage. Review copies are being printed this week and will be fact-checked by a team of experts at Airstream and in the Airstream community. Once I have the review copies back, I can make the final edits and release the book.

I expect we’ll have it out by April 2011, and it will be for sale at the Airstream online store, the Airstream brick-and-mortar store in Jackson Center OH, Amazon.com, and select Airstream dealers, for just $9.95. (I worked hard to make sure we could keep the price reasonable.) You can pre-order it now in the Airstream Life store for April 2011 delivery. We’ll have a Kindle edition, too.

A lot of thought went into this project. In fact, I’ve been thinking about it for several years, ever since I first saw the Airstream Owners Manual. It’s a bit rough, and has needed some updating. I have a small collection of manuals ranging from 1968 to 2005, and each of them uses nearly the same wording in places, the same advice, and the same checklists. There are bits of advice that go back 40 or 50 years, some of which are timeless and others which are … uh, not so much.

From a recent manual: “Avoid cash. Use Travelers Checks …” “Pack camera and film.” Yeah, along with those traveler’s checks and film camera, be sure to pack a spittoon, typewriter, and spare buggy whip. These days people are more concerned with carrying the iPhone, Gameboy, and laptop. Film? What’s that?

Teasing aside, I have to tip my hat to the Owner’s Manual. It does have much more info in it than I could ever get into a 104 page book, so in a few places I’ve deferred to it. But in most of the book I gave my best shot at succinct, practical and tested answers to the most commonly-asked questions and typical “newbie” problems. That’s what made it fun — finding the best possible answers so that people can get up to speed on the Airstream as quickly as possible.

The book has sections on all kinds of newbie topics: understanding all the systems, camping, towing, solar & generators, maintenance, winterizing, simple repairs (like changing tires), packing, backing, dumping, filling, winter travel, Internet, cleaning, tools, myths, and a few sample checklists. I think one of the best parts is the “Jargon Guide,” with eight pages of definitions of commonly used terms that newbies have probably never heard before.

I’m also really excited about the wonderful illustrations in the book. Brad Cornelius, who has been a regular contributor to Airstream Life for years (and also designed the Alumapalooza art for 2010 and 2011) agreed to make over 30 illustrations for the book. You can see one of them in the sample page above (that’s me). Brad invented a pair of great little characters who demonstrate their Airstream as I explain things in the text. I like looking at the pages just to see what they’re up to.

So I’m feeling good about my project now. It took as long as making a baby, and the birthing process will probably be just as exhausting, but like a baby, it’s well worth the effort. If the book does well, I’ve already got plans for a sequel on “Advanced Airstreaming” to produce next year. Time to go start another egg …

Jan 29 2011

Car and trailer shows

Although much of the rest of the country is frozen solid right now, it’s car show season in southern Arizona. Every couple of weeks there’s a small car show somewhere around Tucson, and about once a month there will be a fairly major one nearby. California has the reputation as being the state most crazy for collector cars, but here in southern Arizona we’re not far behind. We’ve got a lot of old retired guys with classic rides, and they love to show them off.

This weekend the big show was the Santa Cruz Valley Car Nuts’ annual show at Tubac Golf Resort, which is about 50 miles south of Tucson. I decided to enter the old Mercedes 300D because it was a way for me to get into the middle of the show with a picnic lunch and watch all the action. I didn’t think many people would give a hoot about a slow and squarish 1984 Mercedes, since at these shows most of the attention seems to go to hot rods, American muscle cars, and exotics.

And I was right. The car was mostly ignored, which gave me the opportunity to sit in my folding chair and read a book while occasionally glancing at the parade of people going by. Once in a while someone would point and smile at the car and I could hear them relating a tale of the “one we used to have just like that.” A lot of people used to have Mercedes cars like mine, which is not surprising since 2.7 million of them were made worldwide.

A few people took note of the car, but I wonder if any of them noticed that mine was the only Mercedes on the line bearing a “250,000 km” badge on the grill. That’s an honorary badge awarded by Mercedes Benz USA for very high-mileage cars. My next badge comes at 500,000 km (310,000 miles) and I hope to get that one someday too.

I was flattered when a guy came by and asked if I wanted to sell the car, because he wanted a nice example of an old Mercedes to drive around in Mazatlan, Mexico, where he had a house. I declined. I wasn’t looking to sell, just to have fun.

It is fun, just to be a small part of the spectacle. There were over 500 cars on display, ranging from a Nash Metropolitan to an Aston Martin Vanquish. You name it, it was there. Most of the cars were in excellent condition, but I was pleased to see that even people with interesting cars in poor condition came out to show the world what they had. It wasn’t just a show of garage queens. Some were obviously daily drivers.

Eleanor had made me a huge picnic basket with lunch, suitable for about five people. I had grilled chicken skewers, Israeli couscous, a sort of marinated tomato/zucchini/onion salad in a homemade dressing that I can’t even begin to describe adequately, a delicious homemade chutney, and Emma’s “rainy day” brownies with chopped nuts on top.

Since I had the opportunity for elegance, she also packed me a big blue tablecloth and cloth napkins. When lunchtime came around, I spread my tablecloth and hauled out the wicker basket, and invited my friend Charlie and his friend Flash to join me on the grass. More than a few people spotted our little picnic on the golf course next to the Mercedes cars and said, “Now, that’s the way to do it!”

Ken and Petey showed up with their 1955 GMC pickup and a 1947 teardrop called a “Tourette.” Most teardrop trailers were made of wood, but this one was made of aluminum. It’s remarkably intact and in good condition. I believe it was the only travel trailer at the show, and it got a lot of attention. Teardrop trailers were mostly made from kits, and there have been dozens (if not hundreds) of teardrop kit manufacturers over the past decades, so if you’ve never heard of a Tourette, join the club.

With spectacular weather (about 70 degrees and all sun), a fine golf course setting, hundreds of interesting cars, many more interesting people, and a fine picnic lunch, the day passed very quickly. I was surprised to realize it was 3 p.m. — I had been there for five hours. It was rather a shame to pack up and head out, but at least I had the compensation of a leisurely drive of 50 miles to get back home in a fine old German sedan on a beautiful day in beautiful southern Arizona.

I am really getting into this show thing. That’s part of the reason why I’ve been working for the past few months to curate another show, the Modernism Week “Vintage Trailer Show” sponsored by Airstream Life magazine. We are expecting 19 very interesting vintage trailers at that event:

1935 Bowlus Road Chief

1960 Airstream Caravel

1959 Airstream Globetrotter

1962 Airstream Flying Cloud

1962 Airstream Globe Trotter

1961 Airstream Bambi

1960 Holiday House

1950 Airfloat Landyacht

1973 Airstream Safari

1969 Airstream Tradewind

1957 Catolac DeVille

1948 Spartan Manor

1958 Airstream Caravanner

1936 Airstream Clipper

1948 Westcraft

1960 International Harvester Housecar

1965 Airstream Caravel

1955 Spartan Manor

1948 La Cosse Vacationer

If you are coming out to Palm Springs for Modernism Week this February, tickets for the Vintage Trailer Show can be purchased on-site at the Palm Springs Riviera Resort & Spa, Saturday and Sunday Feb 26-27. It should be quite a spectacle, with some very rare trailers open for tours, an Airstream “bar,” presentation of the new Airstream Life “Wally” award, vendors selling cool stuff, and a lot of fun. Maybe I’ll see you poolside at the Riviera?

Dec 26 2010

Dear Santa

I know it’s just one day after Christmas and you’re on vacation, but I’ve got a new Christmas list for 2011. See, we’re getting ready for a trip into the California desert later this week, and as we re-pack the Airstream a few ideas have occurred to me. Some of the things I want are pretty tough to find, so I figured you and the elves would appreciate a little extra time.

The first thing I’d like is a GPS that doesn’t get lost. GPS is a technological miracle 99% of the time, but watch out for that one percent when it isn’t. How many times has Garminita tried to send us down roads that don’t exist, or blind alleyways in the interest of chopping 15 feet off our route? Why does it take three years to get a new road into the database? It’s no fun having a navigator you can’t always trust. I can see why you use Rudolph.

I’d also like a factory-approved bicycle rack for my Airstream. That way I don’t have to carry folding bikes inside the car. If I could pop a pair of full-size bikes on a bumper rack (with protective covers), it would be incredible. I’d probably ride a lot more. Some people say it isn’t possible, but I’m pretty sure Santa Claus can do anything.

A quiet fuel cell power generator would be great for long boondocking trips in cloudy places. I love the solar panels we use, but a fuel cell would be a great auxiliary power source — silent, non-polluting, and long-running, under any conditions. This is technology that exists today, so all you need to do is figure out how to get the cost down.

I don’t think this exists in the RV world yet, but how about a combination oven/microwave that runs on propane? Right now the limited space inside a travel trailer is wasted by requiring separate convention and microwave ovens. Or better yet, how about a removable RV grill: indoors it’s a regular stove, but you can remove it for grilling outdoors! That way we won’t have to carry our Weber grill in the back of the car.

Thanks for bringing me the Blu-ray player for the house. Now, can I get one for the Airstream? This time of year, with long and cold nights, we tend to watch a lot of movies after dinner. That old JVC DVD player that came with the trailer is past its prime. We’d like to be able to see every one of Shrek’s nose hairs on the new HD screen I installed. A new set of Bose speakers would be great, too.

Can you try to do something about the state parks in Arizona? We have so few that offer camping, and nearly all of them are in danger of closure thanks to budget problems at the state level. It would be nice if a few of them didn’t have to depend on community bake sales in order to stay open.

That’s probably too political for you, so if you can’t do that, how about arranging for biodiesel everywhere? Every drop of biodiesel is effectively carbon neutral, reduces dependence on dino oil, and the exhaust smells like french fries. Even B5 (5% bio, 95% dino) helps, and any diesel can burn that. If I could find it more often, I’d use it more often.

I’ve got a bunch of other things I’d like, if you have room in the bag. An instantly self-drying awning would be great for mornings where the fabric is covered in dew and we’ve got to get going. That way it won’t get moldy when we roll it up wet. I’d appreciate a stoneguard that can be left up on a windy night without rattling, compartment locks with unique keys, wheel bearings that don’t require annual re-packing and a truly unbreakable sewer hose.

I’d also like to thank you for some of the stuff I got last year. I asked for trailer tires that actually worked, and I got them. I asked for 100 trailers at Alumapalooza, and I got 127. You even delivered me that gift I waited for five years to get: an Airstream entry door that closes properly, with a light touch. So I know you can work miracles. After managing those gifts, I’ll bet my list for 2011 will be a cinch.

Thanks, and have a great vacation on The Keys.

Dec 15 2010

Modernism Week 2011

Last February you might recall that I took the 1968 Airstream Caravel out to Palm Springs for a few days. It was one of eight vintage trailers on display at the ACE Hotel, which was a small part of the big Modernism Week even that takes over Palm Springs every year.

The event was surprisingly popular, considering the small number of trailers that were on display. Over 600 people came through to tour the trailers, inside and out. So I proposed to the organizers of Modernism Week that R&B Events (our little company that organizes Alumapalooza) get involved and try to make the event larger.

They accepted, and so during February 25-27, 2011, we’ll have 18 really exceptional vintage trailers on display at the Riviera Resort & Spa in downtown Palm Springs. Most of them will be 1960s Airstreams, including a Bambi, two Caravels, two Globe Trotters, a Trade Wind, a Safari, and a Caravanner. All of them will be completely restored, whether customized or original.

In addition, we are expecting several interesting non-Airstreams. Already signed up are a 1935 Bowlus Road Chief, a 1960 Holiday House (pictured at left), and a 1950 Airfloat Landyacht. If you went to Alumapalooza in 2010, you might have seen John Long’s Bowlus already — it’s absolutely stunning. Pictures of it were also featured in a recent issue of Airstream Life.

Kristiana Spaulding will be there with her “silver trailer” jewelry and her Caravel. She’s a fun person to chat with, since her interests encompass many aspects of design including jewelry and vintage trailers. She and her husband Greg own a small fleet of trailers, some of which they rent for vacations.

John Byfield and Kate Heber will be there too, with their customized “Eco-Discovery Tour” Airstream (a 1962 Flying Cloud). This trailer was featured in Airstream Life. It’s sort of a rolling showcase of alternative ideas and materials that can make everyone’s life greener. You can see some pictures of it on their website.

If you’d like to come see the show, you should check out the Modernism Week website. There’s a free “exterior” (closed-door) showing on Friday, February 25. You can just show up at the Riviera Hotel and wander around from 5 pm to 8 pm.

Open-door tours, where you can see the interiors and talk to the owners, will be Saturday and Sunday, Feb 26-27. There’s an admission fee for the interior viewings on the weekend, which I believe will be $15. Hours are 10 am – 3 pm Saturday, and 9 am – 1 pm Sunday. There will also be several vendors on site, with all kinds of modernism / vintage trailer inspired goodies. I believe that David Winick, creator of the Airstream 75th Anniversary Bambi, will be there with his new book, too.

At this point we’ve got 12 trailers signed up to participate. We haven’t made a public call for participants up till now, because it’s an invitation-only event. The trailers have to be approved before they can be in the show. This is to ensure high quality for the people who are buying tickets to tour the trailers. Plus, we only have space for 18 trailers.

But it’s a heck of a deal. For an $85 entry fee you get two free nights in the Riviera hotel, two receptions, lots of fun, and the chance to win the new “Airstream Life Award,” hand-made by Stevo Cambronne. (The award is something new we’ve developed. Two will be given to great trailers at Modernism Week, and we are also planning to give a couple away at next year’s Alumapalooza in Jackson Center OH.) Just hanging with the other owners should be worth the entry fee, since they are all interesting and motivated people with great restoration talents.

So if you’ve got a nicely restored vintage trailer of any make, and would like to attend, send me a few photos (use the Airstream Life “Contact Us” form to send an email and I’ll reply with an address). But hurry! We’ve only got 6 spaces left, and they are going fast. Whether you’ve got a trailer to show, or just want to come through and see them all, I hope to see you in Palm Springs next February!

Dec 03 2010

Kindle experiments

A lot of people believe e-books are the future. To be more accurate, I would say they are in fact part of our present. The famous Kindle seems to be getting adopted by a lot of people who wouldn’t otherwise be interested in new technology; this is probably because it’s doesn’t feel “technological” to use one. My 10-year-old daughter uses one, and my xx-year-old mother uses one. (Age deleted to protect senior modesty.)

It’s a great device for the Airstream. I like the light weight, slim design and low power requirements. It’s as if they designed it specifically for trailer owners. One thin pad carries hundreds of books for me — or it would, if I had that many loaded into it. In reality it only carries a couple dozen, but that’s still very useful.

So on the theory that if I like it for my Airstream, others will too, I’m playing around with publishing content for the Kindle. My first few attempts were horrible. Airstream Life magazine does not render on Kindle very well at all. I checked a few other major magazines and they are equally bad. It’s just not a good platform for color magazines. I am sure the iPad would be better, but there’s a whole ‘nother set of technological obstacles there and (sorry to iPad owners) I’m not willing to jump through those hoops just yet.

On the other hand, the Kindle works very well for books, so I’ve adapted the Wally Byam books (Fifth Avenue on Wheels, and Trailer Travel Here & Abroad) to Kindle. You can now buy them both in a single combined volume from Amazon. I downloaded the sample last night and it looks good. You can get a free sample at the link above, if you have a Kindle.

This blog is actually available on Kindle too, at the price of $0.99 per month. I put it up there on a whim several months ago and was surprised to find that I got a few subscribers. I just got my first author payment from Amazon last week, for a whopping $10.20. It’s obviously not a living, but getting the payment was like finding a ten dollar bill in the couch cushions. Thanks to those of you who subscribed. Knowing you’re out there inspires me to keep writing even on those days that I really don’t feel like it.

I’m working on some new projects for 2011 (of course, because I can’t stand to leave well enough alone), and all of them will have an electronic publishing component. In fact, from now on I expect just about all new content produced by myself or my company will be published on Kindle. These e-book adaptations probably won’t do much for my bottom line, but if they are useful to people then I think I should make an effort to supply them.