Vintage Airstreams shine in Sisters

A group of mainly vintage Airstream trailers took over the Sisters Inn & RV Park last week. It was a scene virtually unchanged since the 1930s, when Airstreams were first produced. Sunlight glinted off the trailers’ buffed aluminum panels and their jolly owners availed themselves of Sisters’ hospitality and perfect weather.

Airstream clubs all over the country and internationally make members welcome and organize rallies and trips across the nation. There are over 100 active clubs, called “units.” Most of the 35 trailers that visited Sisters belong to members of the El Camino Real, California unit of the Wally Byam Caravan Club International (WBCCI).

Wally Byam was the founder of Airstream and is revered among Airstream owners. His foresight and ingenuity resulted in a travel trailer that takes its design from the aeronautics industry and has remained true to that design for nearly 70 years.

According to Herb Richter, whose grandparents were charter members of the WBCCI in 1955, there are interclubs under the main WBCCI umbrella. Some of those are for vintage trailers, those over 25 years of age. The El Camino Real Unit is one of those vintage clubs.

An Internet notice about the visit to Sisters brought together a group with a range of trailers from the ’50s to current models. To the novice, the differences were hard to spot — which Airstreamers say is part of the charm of ownership.

The trailers are famous for their streamlined design and lightweight construction, which makes for easier towing. For many owners, that aluminum hull just speaks of the freedom of the road.

All that shine and sparkle on some Airstreams doesn’t come without dedication and effort.

Richter said, “My wife says it’s like painting the Golden Gate Bridge. You start at one end and keep going until you get back to the beginning, then you start over again.”

Not everyone believes in a dazzling shine, so some trailers have a more matte look as they age naturally.

Regardless of the dazzle factor, an Airstream is distinctive, whether it’s on the road or nestled among the crowds at an RV park.