65 airstream globetrotter — Wandering Airstream

home on wheels tour…

September 22nd, 2011 2

Today a vintage beauty for our home on wheels tour.. a tiny & shiny ’65 Globetrotter…
and I’ll tell you right now that I’m super jealous of their Home Sweet Home screen door push plate.
Mary & Tom are the proud owners, even though Tom got pulled into the whole thing a little unawares! (;
They gave us a shout, shared photos and did a Q&A.. thanks you two!!

1. How did you get into RV traveling? and do you travel full or part-time?
For probably 10 years prior to getting our vintage Airstream, I wanted one. My dad actually found this one in Northern Michigan about 6 years ago. I screamed with delight when I knew I actually owned it (bought it sight unseen). My husband, Tom, was not as thrilled as I was. He didn’t realize we were actually going to travel in it. He thought I was just going to leave it parked in the yard to use as a studio.

2. What year & model is your Airstream?
1965 Airstream GlobeTrotter, 20′ long

3. What made you choose Airstream, and vintage at that?
It’s a design icon!

4. Have you traveled in other types of RV’s? and if so, what and why did you make the switch?
Never even camped before getting our Airstream.

5. Did you restore your trailer or was it already good to go when you purchased it?
It needed a lot of work. We had a long (very long) list of things that needed to be replaced or repaired. We tried to prioritize the list because we couldn’t afford to do everything at once. Since we didn’t know anything about trailers we made some beginners mistakes along the way. For example, before we had the water hose fixed, we couldn’t use the faucet. So, we decided to take gallon jugs of water for our first trip out. I put these in the upper storage bins above the sink. When we arrived at our destination and opened the trailer door, we saw a huge mess. What happened?? The weight of the jugs of water had pulled the storage bins away from the wall and all the jugs split open so everything was soaking wet. What an expensive lesson we learned! What was the lesson?? Never store anything heavy in overhead bins. Of course any experienced camper knows things like that, but we didn’t. These are the kind of things you learn through doing.

6. What do you love the most about traveling in an Airstream? The least?
The people you meet along the way is the most fun part. The least fun is all the work of setting up once you get somewhere and trying to figure out things when they don’t work!

7. Where are you from and what are your favorite spots to camp at?
We live in Ada, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids. We love Platt River Campground in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It is located in Northwestern Lower Michigan along the eastern shoreline of Lake Michigan. The closest city is Traverse City, 25 miles to the east. We also enjoy Camp Dearborn in Milford, Michigan for the Tin Can Tourists Rallies.

8. Best advice you could give wanna be Airstreamers?
Buyer beware! Know what you are getting yourself into if you purchase vintage. If you don’t know enough, find someone who does and is willing to check things over so you don’t end up owning something that is a money pit.

9. I know you went to Alumapalooza this year, do you belong to an Airstream group? and what’s that like?
Yes, we belong to WBCCI (Wally Byam Caravan Club International) and the Vintage Airstream Club, an intra-club of WBCCI. We also belong to Tin Can Tourists, a club for all makes of vintage trailers (although some Airstreamers call the other makes, “SOB’s”…. some other brand!) We especially enjoy belonging to these clubs because you meet some great people, have activities that promote kicking back and enjoying a simpler way of life. Also, it is wonderful to meet people willing to share ideas about how to fix things or answer questions you have on how something works. And, it’s always enjoyable to share a meal over the grill or marshmallows over the campfire!

10. What has traveling in an RV taught you?
Patience, enjoyment of seeing new things, meeting new people, slowing down and experiencing nature. Also how much you can simplify life and still get along quite comfortably.