airstream life spring 2012

AIRSTREAM LIFE ONLINE EDITION | AIRSTREAMLIFE .COM 1

traveling well

INGO RADEMACHER • CARAVAN COOKING • HARVEST HOSTS

Online Edition Online Edition

Spring 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS traveling well

The official Airstream lifestyle magazine

Shooting Star Drive-In, Page 10

Ingo Rademacher and family go full-time, Page 15

2 AIRSTREAM LIFE ONLINE EDITION | AIRSTREAMLIFE .COM

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Spring 2012

4 EDITOR’S PAGE

6 INBOX

10 Pure California Design RIVET BIT

12 Caravan Cooking MEDIA

15 Full Timing In Hawaii FEATURE

20 Harvest Hosts DESTINATIONS

Harvest Hosts, 0


EDITOR’S PAGE

Ah, Spr ing … that most hopefu l season, when Airstreamers in the north begin dreaming of upcoming summer travel, and those in the south enjoy some of the best camping of the year.

If you’ve been pent up over a long winter, I strongly recommend springtime travel. You may have dodge a

few potholes in the east and mountain passes still snowed over in the west, but springtime also brings the compensations of quiet campgrounds and early blooms. It’s a great time to get out of town and shake off the doldrums of winter, like the pioneers depicted on the front cover of this magazine.

No matter what the season, my favorite aspect of Airstreaming is that there are always new people to meet. The Airstream is an absolutely amazing “calling card” that opens up doors everywhere we go. Most recently our Airstream helped us meet Ingo and Ehiku Rademacher, who you will read about in this issue. They’ve downsized from a large California house to a 30-foot Airstream for the next phase of their lives in Hawaii.

Honda used the slogan “You meet the nicest people on a Honda [motorcycle]” in the 1960s. That’s a tag line that would work well for Airstream in any decade. From an Airstream barbershop in the Pacific Northwest, to an Airstream restaurant in New Mexico, and to incredible “Victorian” Airstream southern Texas—all of which are documented in the print version of the Spring 2012 Airstream Life—there are interesting people behind every Airstream we encounter. The trailers themselves open the door, and we just walk through.

There are also always new places to go. In that same printed issue Bert Gildart will give you his personal experience at Chaco Culture National Historic Park, a great summertime destination—but perhaps not the best choice in November when he went.

Tom Palesch has another suggestion, to try the Harvest Hosts program and find unique campsites at farms, orchards, and wineries. We’ve tried this and it’s a lot of fun. Read about it in this free edition.

My personal suggestion is to consider dropping in on Alumapalooza in late May, at the Airstream factory in Ohio. This will be our third year of Alumapalooza, and each time we make sure it’s a little bit different and a lot of fun. If you’ve never been to the Airstream factory for a tour, this is your best opportunity all year. For details, see the ad on page 14 of this magazine.

ABOUT OUR COVEROur cover art was created by author/illustrator Chris Gall, and was originally published in his book America the Beautiful, a 2004 Publisher’s Weekly Best Book selection.

For 25 years, Chris Gall’s artwork has been seen in almost every publication in America, including Time, Newsweek, People, Fortune, The New York Times, and the Washington Post. He has won over 50 major awards from Communication Arts Magazine and the Society of Illustrators. He is also the author and illustrator of six books for children, including the bestselling Dinotrux. More of his work can be seen at www.chrisgall.com.

WHAT’S COMING• Vice Streams

• Tech Tips

• 1968 Ambassador Renovation

• Wally’s (Sea) Yacht

You Meet The Nicest People In An Airstream

Editor and Publisher: Rich Luhr [email protected]

Associate Editors: Tom Bentley Becky Blanton

Layout and Design: OneTree Marketing [email protected]

Advertising Sales: Brett Greiveldinger [email protected] (802) 877-2900 Ext. 2

Editorial Illustrator: Brad Cornelius

Culinary Consultant: Eleanor O’Dea

Customer Service: David Winter

Associate Contributors: Jody Brotherston J. Rick Cipot Fred Coldwell Renee Ettline Bert Gildart John Irwin Forrest McClure Charles Spiher

CONTACTAirstream Life411 Walnut St #4468Green Cove Springs, FL 32043Telephone: (802) 877-2900Fax: (802) 610-1013www.airstreamlife.com

AIRSTREAM LIFE ONLINE EDITION You can get Airstream Life online, for free! Each issue we select 15-20 pages of the upcoming magazine and make it available on the Internet to readers who sign up at www.airstreamlife.com/online. It’s a sneak peek, with no cost, no obligation!

CUSTOMER SERVICEAirstream Life’s world headquarters are the dinette table of a 2005 Airstream Safari 30 We’re always glad to hear from you, but if you have a simple question, please check our website for help first. There you can subscribe, renew your subscription, change your address, get advertising information, download writer’s and photographer’s guidelines, notify us of an address change,and get answers to frequently-asked questions. See www.airstreamlife.com or call (802) 877-2900.

Airstream Life (ISSN 1550-5979) is published quarterly by Church Street Publishing, Inc., 411 Walnut St #4468, Green Cove Springs FL 32043. Subscription price is $24 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Ferrisburg VT and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Airstream Life, 411 Walnut St #4468, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043

© Copyright 2012 by Church Street Publishing, Inc. AIRSTREAM® is the property of Airstream, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in CANADA.

traveling well

The official Airstream lifestyle magazine

Too far east for you? Well, we’ve got another event in the works: Alumafandango. Yes, after many requests we’ve managed to work up another event at a historic amusement park in Denver, CO. Sponsored by Timeless Travel Trailers, it will feature live entertainment, great seminars, on-site service, demonstrations, cookouts, free rides, and many surprises. It will be just like Alumapalooza, but of course completely different. Tentative dates are August 21-26, 2012. Curious? See alumafandango.com for more information.

It’s going to be a great camping and traveling season. See you on the road!

Rich LuhrEditor & Publisher


...enjoying this

drive makes us

really appreciate

that we are living

the American

Dream.

INBOX Rocket Ship & Space ShuttleFour years ago we mated my 1959 Cadillac white convertible “Rocket Ship” together with my girl friend Kelly’s 1967 Airstream “Space Shuttle,” thus pairing two American iconic designs together.

Whenever we take the rocket and shuttle out it brings smiles and joy to everybody. We have taken the rig to the Mendocino coast, car shows, and traveled for weeks using it as a photographic shooting platform for a Collectible Automobile magazine article on Packards.

Our rocket and shuttle has even gone to Yosemite, which I do not think I would do again. There are some inclines where I felt like Desi pulling the “Long Long Trailer” up the mountain and Kelly was like Lucy, bug eyed, stuttering “I am scared,” while I was chanting to her, “Smile and be Happy.”

Our last trip we were invited to the Ironstone Concourse Car show at Murphy, California. We left at 10:00 p.m. driving into the night with the heavens full of stars. Seeing this sea of twinkling stars makes any problem you have insignificant, and enjoying this drive makes us really appreciate that we are living the American Dream. Driving a 1959 Cadillac convertible with the top down, pulling a 1967 Airstream Space Shuttle through a blanket of stars with the music of Nat King Cole in the background … life is good.

Houston, please alert NASA Mission Control. We will be ready for lift off again, soon!

Happy Airstreaming,

Captain, Phil ToyCo Pilot, Kelly NgWalnut Creek, CA



The Greenest Airstream YetWe went on [WBCCI’s] Ontario’s unit - Heritage Trails caravan last July 2011, run by Kendra & Joel Norris, and Michael & Tina Lambert. It was a tour through the RV museum, trip to Airstream plant, etc.

Thought these pics might interest you. For the end of caravan (Hawaiian part) I made an Airstream Bambi out of a watermelon! The couple in the reflection are Ann and Art Van Belle.

Susan Kelly

Airstream Food Fest TrophyMy name is Jay Gordon. I own and operate a business, Blackout Signs & Metalworks. Recently we were commissioned to build a trophy for a local event here in Austin, the Gypsy Picnic trailer food festival. I thought this would be of interest to your readers.

Hand sculpted flying trailer with butter knife wings. Old Airstreams are popular down here as conversions to food trailers. Hope you like it!!

Jay GordonBlackout Signs & Metalworks

Austin, TX

A Case of Mistaken IdentityPerhaps of interest? While on spring vacation if Florida, at Paradise Airstream Park, we met a couple from Quebec, Canada. They have a 1979 5th wheel Excella. Maybe one of five built. Really like the new mag layout!

Sylvia and Larry BellChatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada

We’d never heard of a fifth wheel made by Airstream other than the short-lived fiberglass “Legacy” trailers, so we forwarded the photos to Dave Schumann at Airstream for confirmation. Here’s his response:

The serial number would indicate a 1980 31 ft trailer built in Ohio. I have spoken to two people that worked in Engineering at that time and they state that it was not built here. The name plate looks odd as well as some of the other features, decal compartment doors etc. I never say “never” but I believe it is a home made trailer.

Dave SchumannVP, Airstream

We passed this information on to Sylvia and Larry Bell, and they replied:

Appreciate your response. It sure is an eye catcher.We have refurbished four Airstreams in 12 years and continually

look for another. We currently own a 64 Overlander. Many times we have made U-turns only to find that it was a propane tank, baled hay wrapped in grey tarp, or another Airstream inspired make. I always have a camera ready.

Sylvia and Larry

INBOX Another Awesome Airstream Birthday CakeThought you would enjoy a photo of the birthday cake I had made for my husband, Bart!

Also attached is also a photo of our 1958 Traveler, we named Opal. Opal was in a gentleman’s private collection and she had been sitting in his barn for 25 years. When we cleaned her out, we found a child’s opal ring buried deep in all the dust.

Love your magazine!!!

Teryn Bonime

Peak Fall Colors In Michigan’s U.P.I love the new look unveiled in the Winter 2011 edition of Airstream Life. The pictures just pop, and the layout is crisp. As a bonus, the “centerfold” Orvis Airstream may be the most beautiful customization I have ever seen. Well done! It is a joy to see what others have done with their ‘Streams.

I thought your readers might like this photo of our ‘Stream amid peak fall colors in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where Carolyn and I spent September ‘11. This seven-week trip was our 17th and the longest yet in our 2008 23’ Safari SE (now Flying Cloud).

Best wishes.

Tom (& Carolyn) RiggsClearwater, FL

It is a joy to

see what others

have done with

their ‘Streams.

We’d like to see your Airstreaming pictures and hear your stories. Email us at [email protected]. High-resolution (not reduced) photos in JPG format are best. You can also mail letters and photos to Airstream Life, 411 Walnut St #4468, Green Cove Springs FL 32043, but keep in mind that photos won’t be returned.



“Retromobile” Provides A Safe Haven For A Little GirlWe are new Airstream owners, and enjoy your magazine. Thank you for hooking us up with the community. It is fascinating.

We have come to be Airstream owners in a most unconventional way. Two years ago in the winter, our 2 1/2 year old daughter, Ellie-Dot, got a cold and went into severe respiratory distress and spent 9 days in the intensive care unit. Docs could not really determine why. Last year in the winter, she went into respiratory distress again and spent a week in the ICU. The only link is infection.

My husband and I thought long and hard about this, and knew the solution was to avoid infection at all costs. And voila—the Airstream! I will be taking my 5 year old son and 4 year old daughter to northern Florida from Jan-March the next two years to live in medical isolation.

We had no understanding of the rich and interesting history of the Airstream, and it’s been a joy retrofitting our 1974 Argosy. We affectionately call it the “Retromobile,” and have decorated around the blue, teal, red, and black and white tile on the interior. I am a flight instructor, and one of my student pilots custom-painted it the eye-popping exterior.

The children and I will be spending our days homeschooling in our Airstream, and plan to carefully manage Ellie-Dot’s illness from the comforts of our new luxury-mobile.

Kindest regards,

Jan Sawyer

Editor’s note: For this issue I have received some of the most wonderful letters and photos I can remember getting since starting the magazine. Thank you all. Folks, we love to hear your stories and see your pictures, so please keep in touch!

Your “quick start” guide to traveling, camping, and owning an Airstream travel trailer!This fun guide is filled with succinct, practical and tested answers to the most commonly-asked questionsand typical new owner challenges. Includes sections on all kinds of “newbie” topics: understanding all thesystems, camping, towing, solar & generators, maintenance, winterizing,simple repairs, packing, backing, dumping, filling, winter travel,Internet, cleaning, tools, myths, and sample checklists.

Makes a great gift for new Airstream owners, and a handy reference even for experienced owners. Includes

over 30 illustrations, and an indispensable eight-page “Jargon Guide” with definitions of commonly used Airstreaming terms.

Spiral bound (so it lays flat while you're reading it), and 6x9" paperbackformat so it will fit on Airstream shelves. 104 pages. Written by Rich Luhr(Editor of Airstream Life) with contributions by Airstream Life staff.

$9.95 at the Airstream Life store at www.airstreamlife.com/storeand Vintage Trailer Supply at www.vintagetrailersupply.com

Available as an eBook for Kindle and iPad/iPhone too!

RIVET BIT

A 1936 Airstream Clipper leads off the most recent exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) for good reason. This beautifully streamlined trailer was the first of Wally Byam’s all-aluminum designs (patterned after the seminal 1935 Bowlus Road Chief). This piece of pure California design kicked off eight decades of aluminum trailer production, and was the very beginning of Airstream as an American icon.

The Clipper is one of 350 works that comprise the exhibit “California Design, 1930-1965: Living In A Modern Way” at LACMA. The show examines California’s key role in shaping the material culture of America.

The magnificent Airstream on display was borrowed from Vince Martinico’s “Auburn Trailer Collection,” [see Airstream Life, Spring 2005]. The year 1936 not only represents the first production of streamlined aluminum trailers by Airstream, but also the first year of true factory production. Prior to that, Airstreams were mostly sold as plans to be assembled by the purchaser, or built as one-off production.

Vince reports that the Clipper is close to the original condition, as purchased by Los Angeles antique dealer Gladys Philpot in 1936. The cushions have been re-covered in English chair leather, the linoleum floor has been replaced, and the interior wood has been refinished by a prior owner (a Hollywood producer). The trailer includes a rare “pipe frame” chair that matches the screen door frame. Outside, the skin was re-polished for the LACMA show.

“Living In A Modern Way” will run through June 3, 2012.

By Rich Luhr

PureCalifornia Design

This...was the

very beginning of

Airstream as an

American icon.

10 AIRSTREAM LIFE | WINTER 2011 | AIRSTREAMLIFE .COM10 AIRSTREAM LIFE ONLINE EDITION | AIRSTREAMLIFE .COM

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MEDIA

When Monica Rivron and her family bought their “Bailey” caravan (travel trailer) there were no Airstreams available in Europe. But when the time came to illustrate her book, “The Caravan Cookbook,” Rivron insisted on using an Airstream trailer in the photos. Having photos of the Airstream in the book as a backdrop to her cooking was as important as having pictures of the recipes themselves.

Her publisher agreed and now Rivron’s Dundee cake, scallops with bacon, chicken satay, fried calamari rings and more than a hundred other recipes are spotlighted with a European model Airstream International. The term “heavily illustrated” doesn’t do the book justice. Rich, lavish, mouth-watering and delicious photos is a better description. In addition to the Airstream shots, there are photos of every recipe—including many preparation-stage photos and pictures of Rivron’s family enjoying the meals in a campground setting or sitting outside the Airstream. Everything about this book is luxurious—from the photo quality to its cover, pages and overall production. Even holding and reading it feels like you’re sampling some sort of rare food treat.

Caravanning is Europe is often a family tradition, just as it is in America. But Rivron and her family, including her three children now aged 16, 15 and 10, were almost forced to go caravanning as part of her husband’s job.

“My husband worked for the BBC as a ‘Holiday Show’ television presenter,” she said. “The BBC needed a family to take a caravan trip to France for the weekend and reluctantly we agreed. Our holidays up till that point had always

By Becky Blanton

Photos by Yuki Sugiura

Caravan...we have had

some of our most

memorable evenings,

feeling really safe and

dry, tucking in to a

family dinner in our

little caravan.

C O O K I N G


been to Florida. When we arrived in France I slowly began to see what fun the children were having on the campsite and I heard wonderful stories of fantastic adventures. I thought I would like to give this ‘caravanning thing’ a try without the cameras. That was ten years ago and we have spent every summer in one ever since.”

“My cookbook started out life as a little notebook that I left in the caravan. Every time I made a dish that was successful I would write it down. One evening we were sitting at the table and I was saying how useful my little notebook had become, and the thought came to me to see if any publishers would be interested. When we arrived back in London I contacted the Caravan Club of Great Britain and within a few days I had two publishers interested.

When camping, Rivron has a two-ring gas stove and a “Barbie” (grill) under the trailer’s awning. The stove, a skillet, her barbie, and her array of essential spices and cookware make her caravan a real gourmet kitchen. All she really needs is the food itself—and that she gets wherever the family is staying.

“I tend to buy local produce and often spend the morning wandering around local markets buying beautiful fresh ingredients. I find this means you really connect with the area you staying in,” she said.

Food, for Rivron in the UK as for Americans, is all about the sense of family and love. “It is really cozy when it rains,” she said. “All the family are packed round our caravan table sheltering from the weather, and we have had some of our most memorable evenings, feeling really safe and dry, tucking in to a family dinner in our little caravan, our summer home.”

“I always make a travel cake before we leave, so for the first few days I know that if tempers are getting frayed from a particularly difficult drive, it can be sorted out with a cup of tea and a slice of Dundee Cake!”

OPPOSITE PAGE: Author Monica Rivon cooks one of her many gourmet meals outside the Airstream. Learning to actually cook in the great outdoors instead of just “throwing a chicken on the barbie” helped her come to love and embrace camping. INSET: Bacon and scallop salad with button mushrooms, red peppers and garlic.


Antsy McClain and The Trailer Park TroubadoursAlso, music by Hymn for Her and Mojave

May 29-June 3, 2012 at the Airstream factory in Jackson Center, OH

More entertainment, more opportunities to make new friends!

• Three live Airstreamer bands• “Open Grill” cookout three nights• Roving Happy Hour• Over 20 educational & fun seminars• Daily morning yoga• Kids’ program• Dutch oven & Airstream cooking demos• Tons of door prizes • Factory tours twice daily• Rivet Masters competition• Bicycling tours• Swap meet and vendors• Community festival in town• Catered dinner on Saturday ... and much more!

Stay for 3 to 5 nights, your choice!• 3 amp electric, water, and dump• Generator section & pump-out available• Good dogs welcome• Kids under age 15 free w/paid adult!

COO

KIN

G DEMOS DOG

S WELCOME

MOJAVE

$70 per adult, $125 per campsite (3 nights); $30 per additional night.

Alumapalooza will sell out, so book early to avoid disappointment!

Much more information & online booking at alumapalooza.com or call 802-877-2900 ext. 4

Be a friend of ASL ALUMAPALOOZA on Facebook for regular updatesFollow us on Twitter: twitter.com/alumapalooza

music by

HYMN FOR

HE

R

ANTSY MCC

LAIN

FEATURE

Customizing a vintage Airstream is a popular project, but why restrict yourself to only vintage trailers? The late model trailers make excellent platforms for easy customization projects, without all of the expense of an extensive restoration nor the hassle of cleaning up decades of mouse nests.

Just ask Ingo Rademacher. The actor (well known to soap opera fans for playing the hunky corporate raider Jasper “Jax” Jacks on “General Hospital”) recently converted an Airstream Safari 30 bunkhouse for use as his family’s full-time home in Hawaii. Starting with a lightly used 2005 model, Ingo was able to have the trailer professionally customized on a relatively small budget of about $13,000.

The trailer project was conceived as a way for Ingo and his family (wife Ehiku and four-year-old son Peanut) to enjoy their property on the north shore of Oahu without building a full-size house. Concerned about the environmental impact of traditional construction, they began searching the Internet for alternatives and quickly latched onto Airstream.

The “green” aspect of living in an Airstream appealed to Ingo. “We build and and build all over this planet,” he notes. “Having a trailer is kind of a nice alternative to putting up another building. The environmental impact is probably

By Rich Luhr

Photos by Jeff Katz Photography

Full-timing inHawaiiActor Ingo Rademacher finds his bliss in an Airstream Safari

Having a trailer

is kind of a nice

alternative to putting

up another building.


FEATURE

less than a house. A hundred years from now that Airstream can be removed so that nobody will ever know it was there.” In addition to the naturally lower water and energy use inherent in all Airstreams, the trailer will utilize solar panels and LED lights.

Living smaller held appeal as well. Having owned large houses in the past, Ingo and Ehiku realized that bigger wasn’t always better. “I started looking at the 40-foot park models with the sliding doors,” says Ingo. “Then I saw one of the more modern interiors of an Airstream, probably one of the International CCDs. But we realized there was no way we could live in a 28 or 30 footer without a second bedroom. On Google, I typed ‘Airstream 2 bedroom’ and I found the bunkhouse.”

Ingo’s next step was to learn everything possible about the bunkhouse floorplan, including reading an article in Airstream Life [Winter 2010]. “I said, ‘This will work, we’ve just got to downsize a lot more. It’ll last for a really long time, and we can renovate it’.” In addition to having the essential element of two bedrooms, Ingo and Ehiku also appreciated the “usable” kitchen, since they like to cook and prefer an oven to a microwave.

But they weren’t in love with the original interior stylings of the Safari. They wanted the sleek aluminum interior of the current model Flying Cloud series, as well as the fully-opening windows instead of the standard Hehr windows. They also hadn’t yet found one of the elusive Safari bunkhouses (of which fewer than 80 still exist). Reaching out to his

TOP: The rear bedroom in Safari 30 bunkhouse is perfect for a little boy like Peanut Rademacher. BOTTOM: Bathroom walls were overlaid with aluminum, and the commode was upgraded to a porcelain model.

This will work, we’ve

just got to downsize

a lot more.


loyal fan base via Twitter, Ingo asked if anyone could help him find the Airstream of his dreams and a company to renovate it. Fellow Airstreamer and General Hospital fan Marlene Lin replied with a tip, connections were made, and soon a 2005 model was located in Massachusetts.

C&G Trailers in Bellflower, CA did the makeover, which included complete replacement of the flooring, re-covering the walls with aluminum sheet, replacing most of the windows, and adding three windows (one opening and two Vista Views).

The windows were the most important element to Ingo and Ehiku, and the primary cost item. The trailer is oriented to allow Oahu’s trade winds to blow through, eliminating the need for air conditioning. The emergency escape window at the trailer’s tail end was replaced with a fully-opening one which facilitates the breeze and still allows egress if needed.

Because the Safari 30’s layout causes the entry door to overlap the curbside window an adjacent fully-opening window was added, and two Vista Views were installed above to increase the amount of light inside. Ingo and Ehiku leave the bedroom door open most of the time for air circulation, which causes the mirror in the bedroom door to be be inaccessible, so a second mirror was added to the bathroom door after these photos were taken.

The flooring, special-ordered through Home Depot, was chosen for its light weight and to accentuate of the new aluminum wall coverings, giving the entire trailer the look of a modern apartment. The aluminum was brought up only to the ceiling line, leaving the original white ceiling, a practical move since the padded factory ceiling provides insulation and sound deadening. Metal trim was installed on the countertops and dinette table to match.

The curtains were made from the very last of the Ocean Breeze fabric in Airstream’s inventory. The net effect of all the alterations is a light-filled, inviting space that hints at what the Safari 30 bunkhouse might have become if the floorplan hadn’t been discontinued in 2006.


FEATURE

Non-decorative tweaks included replacing the original toilet with a porcelain one, and replacing the foam mattress. The new mattress is a little larger than the one it replaced, but it suits Ingo’s six-foot-two frame better.

The empty area on the curbside where the sofa used to be is “a work in progress,” according to Ingo. The sofa had been removed by a prior owner. “I want to build a table myself, or find an antique piece, to put the laptop on. It will look different from everything else in the trailer, but complement the rest of the interior.” In the meantime, the round cushion on the floor is a favorite spot for Peanut to sit.


OPPOSITE PAGE: The original couch was missing from the trailer when purchased, leaving an open space for future furniture. Meanwhile, aluminum walls, an extra window, and new flooring combine to give the interior a modern apartment look. In the front bedroom Ocean Breeze curtains lend an island flair. ABOVE: The space may be small but in temperate Hawaii, it’s all this family needs.

After C&G completed work on the trailer, the Rademachers lived in it at Malibu RV Park for several weeks (where these photos were taken), in the same space that fellow actor/Airstream lover Matthew McConaughey once occupied. The trailer has since been shipped to Oahu and is now installed in its semi-permanent home on the North Shore.

The Rademacher family plans to live full-time in the Airstream. Ingo has left “General Hospital” after fifteen years and is exploring his interest in stand-up paddleboarding between appearing in various TV and film projects, including “Hawaii 5-0” and the movie “I, Alex Cross.” Eventually they will build a roof over the Airstream and are considering a deck.

But settling down doesn’t seem to be in Ingo’s nature. “I have a feeling [the Airstream] is going to live here for quite some time, but I want to keep it mobile in case we want to do a tour, or if I’m doing a movie in Hawaii and want to live in it,” he says.

Thanks to Cheryl and Jeff Landry of Malibu RV Park for their assistance.


DESTINATIONS

A fun part of Airstreaming is anticipating the end of your day on the road. The highway is behind you, and a peaceful camp lies ahead. Ideally it will treat you a lovely sunset where you enjoy a relaxing libation followed by a tasty dinner. If this is your style, consider a great new experience called “Harvest Hosts,” which allows free camping in bucolic settings that you otherwise might not get to enjoy overnight.

In 2010, avid RV travelers Kim and Don Greene launched Harvest Hosts to mimic similar networks that have existed in Europe for many years. For a modest annual fee, Harvest Hosts provides access to over 300 host member vineyards, wineries, farms, orchards and ranches scattered all over North America and Mexico. Since the membership of Harvest Hosts is just now approaching 1,000, it’s likely you’ll have most sites entirely to yourself—a boon for those who like uncrowded camping.

Harvest Hosts has an easy to navigate website (see www.harvesthosts.com), which lists hosts by geographical region. There is also a forum where members participate in discussions about trips and hosts they visited. Choosing a site is simply a matter of picking it from the regional map.

By Tom Palesch

Days of Wine Roses … and Apples

...a boon for

those who like

uncrowded

camping.

DESTINATIONS

&

PH

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O: R

ICH

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Members they must be self-contained (no tents), and are advised to call the host a day ahead to make arrangements. Since hosts are not running campgrounds, they don’t offer hookups, and some have limitations about RV size, pets and visiting times.

Many of the vineyards and wineries are impressive commercial establishments with live musical events or other activities during their season and at certain times of the week. While your stay is limited to a single night, a Harvest Host can be a good destination for a special occasion, where you can enjoy entertainment, sample and purchase wines or farm products and tour the farm. Each farm host has an interesting and inspiring story and you can’t help but notice that they are very family oriented and work as a family unit. In short, Harvest Hosts is a pleasant alternative to ordinary camping experiences.

Each host has a unique story about their business. Some were born into it, like the Hauser family of far north Bayfield, WI. The fifth generation is now working their orchards. Since founding in 1908, Hauser Superior View Orchards has expanded into retail sales of orchard products, and now own and operate Bayfield Wineries, which produces fruit wines and meads. Their facilities are on a high

A quiet night is ahead for this Airstream parked at the edge of the grass, at an orchard in Connecticut. Styled after European networks, Harvest Hosts opens up hundreds of new places for Airstreamers to camp in peace and solitude, alongside blooms and fresh produce.

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DESTINATIONS

hillside overlooking beautiful Lake Superior and their woodlot is laced with walking trails.

Amy Sterling and Howard Davies established Arché vineyard and winery less than a decade ago. Before that they had worked in the fast paced corporate world and owned a printing business. They restored their hunting property in Saint Jo, TX (north along the Red River and Oklahoma/Texas border) back to a vineyard and recently added wine making and bottling facilities. They have a lovely farm in rolling hills along the river with plenty of room to enjoy country style camping. You can sample their products and go to sleep serenaded by coyotes. They have walking trails and—being in Texas—an oil well too.

The Normans of Norman Vineyards have been in the grape and wine business for many years and enjoyed the RV life themselves. Lei Norman now runs the business and enjoys the camaraderie of visiting RVs at the vineyard and winery in Paso Robles, CA. Lei loves the concept or RV overnights at vineyards and wishes they had that opportunity when the family had time to travel.

RJ and Juanita Lint of Plum Hill Vineyards in Gaston, OR are enthusiastic supporters of Harvest Hosts and want to encourage visitors to come and enjoy their facilities. They are putting in a dog park for visiting canines and have a small picnic area and pond for their two-legged guests to enjoy. RV visitors thus far have left them with a very positive impression.

Country hosts offer you a friendly and inviting welcome to an entirely new camping genre. As members of Wally Byam’s caravans in the 1950s discovered, spending the night off the busy highway and in the quiet of a farmer’s field can yield unexpected and wonderful experiences—and great refreshments.



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2 AIRSTREAM LIFE | SPRING 2012 | AIRSTREAMLIFE .COM

TABLE OF CONTENTS traveling well

The offi cial Airstream lifestyle magazine

Shooting Star Drive-In, Page 16

Ingo Rademacher and family go full-time, Page 31

Magnolia Pearl Airstream and Rose Royce, Page 362 AIRSTREAM LIFE | SPRING 2012 | AIRSTREAMLIFE .COM

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4 EDITOR’S PAGE

6 INBOX

10 Pure California Design RIVET BIT

12 Harvest Hosts DESTINATIONS

16 Shooting Star Drive-In DESTINATIONS

20 Hensley Hitches TOWING

24 1958: Alberta, Canada FROM THE ARCHIVES

26 1958 Airstreams OLD ALUMINUM

31 Full Timing In Hawaii FEATURE

36 A Victorian Airstream INTERIORS

42 Chaco Culture National Historic Park NATIONAL PARKS

47 Hairstream RIVET BIT

50 2001-2009 30’ Slide-Out BUYER’S GUIDE

54 Eat, Drink, Go! at Slurp RIVET BIT

56 Caravan Cooking MEDIA

64 The Lesson of the One-Antlered Buck LAST MILE

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airstream life spring 2012

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