airstream history of the land yacht

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Airstream : the history of the land yacht

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Remembering Airstream’s fanciest trailer: the Land Yacht

The nautically-themed trailer is out of production, but its memory lives on in other Airstream models

Airstream trailers have been nicknamed a lot of things: the Silver Bullet, a Toaster-on-Wheels, and even the Silver Twinkie. But the now iconic American aluminum trailer—especially its largest models—has also been known as a “land yacht,” thanks to its high-end design reminiscent of the largest ships on the sea.

Airstream lived up to this title in 2014 when it debuted what it called “the most luxurious Airstream ever conceived.” The special edition model—the Land Yacht 28 —boasted three rooms and was designed with the help of Mauro Micheli, head designer at yacht design firm Officina Italiana Design , with cabinetry from the Italian firm Tecnoform.

All of that impressive pedigree meant one thing for the Land Yacht: It was fancy. Designed to resemble a luxury watercraft, the 28-foot trailer slept six and came with boat-deck plank flooring, LED lighting, and Corian countertops. The master bedroom boasted a pillow top queen mattress, a 30-inch flatscreen, and plenty of under-the-bed storage.

The technology and decor was also first class. A powered pedestal table moved the dining room table out of the way to free up space, and a powered outdoor awning made shade accessible. The interior came in two color options, dark wood and cream or a lighter wood with dark grey seating fabric.

The Land Yacht started at $146,362 and because it was a special edition model, it had limited production.

“It doesn’t come down to how many Special Edition units we sell, it’s about creating truly unique models that allow our team, and those we partner with a creative outlet to try new ideas,” said Bryan Melton, General Manager of travel trailers at Airstream.

“When you remove certain constraints, you allow engineers and designers to maximize their creativity. The results are truly special, like the Land Yacht, which continue to make strong statements within Airstream’s prolific history.”

Not long after the debut of the Land Yacht, Airstream took many of that model’s favorite qualities and added them to the remodeled Classic trailer and their new line of Class-B luxury touring coaches . Today, the Land Yacht is still on the product page of Airstream’s website , but according to a reputable Airstream dealer in Colorado, the only Land Yachts still left for sale are in Canada.

For many Airstream fanatics, the Land Yacht will go down as one of the fanciest—and best designed—trailers in the company’s history. Take a 360-degree tour, over here .

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Airstream: The History of the Land Yacht Paperback – 1 Feb. 2000

• Print length 144 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Chronicle Books
• Publication date 1 Feb. 2000
• Dimensions 27.31 x 1.91 x 24.13 cm
• ISBN-10 0811824713
• ISBN-13 978-0811824712
• See all details

Product description

About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chronicle Books; 1st edition (1 Feb. 2000)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0811824713
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0811824712
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 27.31 x 1.91 x 24.13 cm
• 730 in Automotive Technology
• 827 in Automotive Pictorial
• 1,928 in Automobile Engineering

About the author

Bryan burkhart.

Bryan Burkhart is a print and digital designer & art director with 15+ years experience. As a print designer he has designed and co-authored several monographs including AIRSTREAM, The History of the Land Yacht (Chronicle Books), PREFAB and TRAVEL TRAILER, A Visual History of Mobile America. (Gibbs Smith, Publisher), SPA and CHEAP HOTELS (Taschen).

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Airstream: The History of the Land Yacht

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“Airstream: The History of the Land Yacht”…

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“Airstream: The History of the Land Yacht” by Bryan Burkhart and David Hunt (Chronicle Books, 144 pages, $19.95)

No one who’s ever gone seven leagues on a U.S. highway could mistake an Airstream for anything else on wheels. Sleek, aerodynamic, polished-aluminum Airstreams, since their origin in the 1930s, have often been called the Rolls-Royces of recreational vehicles, land yachts. Their fondest fans regard them with an affectionate awe that borders on manic cultism. Now comes a volume of lyric, informative text and photographs that are simply celestial, celebrating this high-camp adoration that has drawn tens of thousands of owners and passengers to virtually every point on Earth. For another $15.95 you can get a box of 40 different Airstream postcards to mail on your fantasy journey.

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Product Key Features

• Book Title Airstream : the History of the Land Yacht
• Number of Pages 144 Pages
• Language English
• Publication Year 2000
• Topic Automotive / General, Automotive
• Illustrator Yes
• Genre Transportation, Technology & Engineering
• Author Bryan Burkhart, David Hunt
• Format Trade Paperback
• Item Height 0.8 in
• Item Weight 29.3 Oz
• Item Length 9.5 in
• Item Width 10.8 in

Additional Product Features

• Intended Audience Trade
• LCCN 99-039938
• Dewey Edition 21
• Reviews Adventure is where you find it any place, every place, except at home in the rocking chair.Wally Byam, creator of the Airstream, Adventure is where you find it any place, every place, except at home in the rocking chair. Wally Byam, creator of the Airstream -- -, Adventure is where you find it any place, every place, except at home in the rocking chair. Wally Byam, creator of the Airstream
• Grade From Eighth Grade
• CLASSIFICATION_METADATA {"IsNonfiction":["Yes"],"IsOther":["No"],"IsAdult":["No"],"MuzeFormatDesc":["Trade Paperback"],"IsChildren":["No"],"Genre":["TRANSPORTATION","TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING"],"Topic":["Automotive / General","Automotive"],"IsTextBook":["Yes"],"IsFiction":["No"]}
• Dewey Decimal 629.226
• Grade To College Graduate Student
• Synopsis Sleek and shiny, Airstream trailers have been turning heads on the highways since they first started caravanning across America in the 1930s. These "aluminum skinned, gleaming silver bullets" are currently enjoying a revival in popularity. Praised for their clean lines and timeless aesthetic, movie stars and design buffs are snapping up these vintage beauties. Airstream equal parts travelogue, cultural history, and biography of Wally Byam, Airstream's charismatic inventorcelebrates the trailer's enduring appeal as an icon of simple, aerodynamic living. A dazzling array of images tell the story of how Byam, the father of modern trailer travel, created less a product than an entire culture. From the Eiffel Tower to the pyramids of Giza, from the Acropolis to the Golden Gate Bridge, Airstream caravans continue to travel to the far reaches of the earth. Amazing photographs from the Airstream archives document this metallic nomad's significant place in the history of design, from its streamlined origins to its current vogue. Airstream has always been synonymous with the freedom of the open road. Today the dream lives on., Sleek and shiny, Airstream trailers have been turning heads on the highways since they first started caravanning across America in the 1930s. These "aluminum skinned, gleaming silver bullets" are currently enjoying a revival in popularity. Praised for their clean lines and timeless aesthetic, movie stars and design buffs are snapping up these vintage beauties. Airstream equal parts travelogue, cultural history, and biography of Wally Byam, Airstream's charismatic inventorcelebrates the trailer's enduring appeal as an icon of simple, aerodynamic living. A dazzling array of images tell the story of how Byam, the father of modern trailer travel, created less a product than an entire culture. From the Eiffel Tower to the pyramids of Giza, from the Acropolis to the Golden Gate Bridge, Airstream caravans continue to travel to the far reaches of the earth. Amazingphotographs from the Airstream archives document this metallic nomad's significant place in the history of design, from its streamlined origins to its current vogue. Airstream has always been synonymous with the freedom of the open road. Today the dream lives on.
• LC Classification Number TL297.B77 2000
• Copyright Date 2000
• ebay_catalog_id 4

HISTORY OF AIRSTREAM TRAILERS

Very informative book on Airstream trailers. Now I only wish I could afford one.

My review on the Airstream book

I decided to buy the book "Airstream" by David Hunt because of our purchase of a new Airstream, Safari camper. I wanted to know the history of this great American camper now in production for 75 years. I enjoyed reading it, it goes into great detail about the man that designed and built the first one in 1936 and all the changes and improvements over the years.

If you love Airstreams, you'll love this book. The 50's ads alone are worth the price.

David Walliams History Nonfiction Paperbacks Books

History nonfiction trade paperbacks books, history paperback textbook, trade paperbacks, trade paperbacks books, history nonfiction romanian paperbacks books.

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Your Airstream Story

A Land Yacht, not just by name

-Mark Twain

Airstream over the years has used plenty of nautical names in our product lines. A few include Clipper, Land Yacht, Liner, Caravel, Trade Wind, and Flying Cloud. Even the interior structure walls are fashioned after bulkheads.

As a young man, Wally Byam was drawn to the seas. In joining the Seaman’s Union, he sailed the South Seas.

Tahiti in Wally’s first visit wass a tropical, uncultivated, natural paradise. Wally had fond memories from his youth and his first visit to Tahiti.  Memories that he shared with others.

Prior to the 1959 Airstream Wally Byam African Caravan, he and his wife Stella sailed for Tahiti. Unlike today where there is jet service to the Polynesian Paradise, in 1958 Tahiti remained very similar to the first time Wally visited the islands.

This 1958 trip gave Wally a well-deserved vacation, prior to going to Africa.

Airstream’s benefits from Wally’s love in seafaring are many. Sleek construction parallel to the finest yachts, compactness utilizing every nook and cranny for comfortable living and storage.

Truly, Airstream is a Land Yacht. Yachts sail the oceans and Airstreams journey on the world’s byways and back roads.

Tags: Throwback Thursday , history

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The Airstream Land Yacht is One Trailer You Have to See

• Steve Fennell
• August 1, 2016

Table of Contents

To strengthen the Land Yacht theme, Airstream consulted with Mauro Micheli, the acclaimed yacht designer for prestigious Riva Yachts

Airstream has an interesting history of building Special Edition models. In past years, they have offered the contemporary Eddie Bauer Edition as well as the rustic-themed Pendleton National Park Service Edition. One of the latest selective models to be conceived – and a departure from its other special trailer predecessors – is the Land Yacht 28, which was introduced in late 2014 and has achieved plenty of attention across the highways of North America.

Every special edition model that the company devises carries a distinct theme. What makes the Land Yacht so unique this time around is it was inspired by Airstream leaders of past and present – late company founder Wally Byam and current President and CEO Bob Wheeler as both share a passion for recreational sailing. As Byam inspired many traditional Airstream designs from his passion of travel – on and off the water over the years – Wheeler and his design team commemorated that passion into the Land Yacht 28.

The exterior of the Land Yacht.

To strengthen the Land Yacht theme, Airstream consulted with Mauro Micheli, the acclaimed yacht designer for prestigious Riva Yachts and co-founder of Oficinia Italian Design firm based in Italy. The results were the iconic Airstream profile on the outside with a clean, modern and stylish interior with several forms of function on the inside.

“The Land Yacht is unique as we teamed with Mauro Micheli,” said Bryan Melton, General Manager, Travel Trailers for Airstream, Inc. “With our engineering input, he and his team created the design elements. Our goal was to have a super clean, beautifully appointed interior with attention to every detail. For example, he designed the fridge and freezer to be concealed behind a padded panel, while the cooktop and sink in the galley are concealed with a wood enclosure and built-in aluminum back splashes. They are all hidden providing a refined appearance, yet are easily accessed when they need to be used.”

“Airstream’s Bryan Melton explained that only 45 Land Yachts were scheduled to be built when the model was first introduced. There are only 12 left in the market place across North America and the last one – number 45 – will be completed at the end of September.”

Other key appointments are found in the lavy. While it’s not uncommon for Airstream trailers to feature the shower and toilet/sink in separate areas of the unit, the Land Yacht has an all-encompassing lavy with the essential components in the same space – with fit and finish executed to the tiniest of detail. Another functional design includes the master bedroom. It comes complete with a power memory foam, pillow top queen mattress, plus under bed storage, however, the standard 30-inch flatscreen TV is cleverly located behind a two-way mirror allowing two common functions in one small area.

The all-encompassing head that includes a shower, sink, and toilet in one ideal location.

Some Land Yacht Standards Include:

• A powered solid wood dinette table* • Power stabilizers • A premium awning package • Comfortable, convertible seating • Power entry steps, • Induction cooktop • The Quietstream A/C unit* • Interior hardware* • A new bathroom design* (*Airstream Firsts)

“With its features, the Land Yacht has a heavy designer influence that makes it incredibly clean and unique with a strong yacht theme, while still making it functional, practical to use,” said Melton. “That’s really what it’s all about. Special editions are meant to take us outside our comfort zone allowing us to set new boundaries. The reward comes from our customers who are seeking something a little different, and our special edition models provide just that.”

Melton explained that only 45 Land Yachts were scheduled to be built when the model was first introduced. “We build only two a month and have since we began this Special Edition,” he explained.  There are only 12 left in the market place across North America and the last one – number 45 – will be completed at the end of September.

The Land Yacht is available in two interior colors, Mocha (seen Here) and Polar (shown at top).

“The Land Yacht is kind of an ode to the olden days of Wally (Byam) with his dream and passion of travel, adventure and sailing,” explained Melton. “This model represents the most luxurious Airstream model, with fine detailing and design elements throughout. Once #45 rolls out of the factory, we will temporary suspend the famous Land Yacht badge.”

While Special Edition models from Airstream (including the Land Yacht) have a scheduled life span in the consumer marketplace, the influence and design that are incorporated into these models commonly stay within the Airstream brands. There were a series of features introduced in the Land Yacht, with the most popular being the Quietstream ducted A/C, which has become standard on all but the Sport Airstream models.

“It doesn’t come down to how many Special Edition units we sell, it’s about creating truly unique models that allow our team, and those we partner with a creative outlet to try new ideas.,” said Melton. “When you remove certain constraints, you allow engineers and designers to maximize their creativity. The results are truly special, like the Land Yacht, which continue to make strong statements within Airstream’s prolific history.”

If you have any questions about the company`s Land Yacht Design or wish to join in on the Airstream discussions with other owners be sure to go to AIRForums.com .

Specifications

Length: (exterior):28′ Width: (exterior): 8’5.5″ Height: (exterior) : 9’9″ (w/A/C) Interior width: 8′ 1″ Interior height: 6’6″ (w/A/C) Hitch weight: 842 lbs. (w/LP Batteries) Unit Base Weight: 6,586 lbs. (w/LP, Batteries) Gross Vehicle Weight Rating: 8,200 Net Carrying Capacity: 1,614lbs. Fresh Water Tank: 39 gal. Gray Water Tank:  37 gal. Black Water Tank: 39 gal. Water Heater w/electronic ignition: 6 gal. Ducted Furnace: 25,000 BTU Sleeping Cap: 1-5

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I had a 31 ft many years ago. Fabulous RV. What scared me sometimes was that it towed so easily that you would forget it was back there. Really. The reason I sold it was that I wanted a motor home and at that time they were not being made.

My husband sailed for many years and loves boats- so he had a great desire for us to change our 27 FB I International Signature for the Land Yacht. It is absolutely beautiful but while there is lots of storage it is perhaps less functional than with our first AS. For example, there is no kitchen garbage can nor is there a medicine cabinet. However, we have figured out solutions for these issues and have very much enjoyed our special model.

The Airstream Land Yacht looks very nice, appears to be quality built. Looking at the Specifications, the one item that everyone needs to know is not listed. The Price. Most new 25 to 30 foot trailers sell for $20 to $30K. I suspect that that Airstream sell in the $80K range.

According to the Airstream website, the Land Yacht starts at $146,362. Hope this helps you.

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