Road Signs: A tale of Airstreams & Elvis…
My RV and Pro-Sound worlds collide!
Road Signs: A tale of Airstreams and Elvis
Sounds confusing, doesn’t it? Say Elvis-Aluma-Palooza three times fast and you’ll find it quite a mouthful. Well, a few years I had just finished doing an RVelectricity Seminar for Alumapalooza® (the Airstream factory rally in Ohio) on a Friday, and run sound for my first Elvis Presley show on the next Saturday.
No, I definitely DID NOT dress up like Elvis singing Hound Dog – I was simply setting up all the microphones, speakers and other sound gear needed for a small concert, and mixing the King for a non-profit event.
However, I WAS dressed up as Mike Sokol for the Alumapalooza rally on Saturday and taught my full RV Electrical Safety seminar to owners of all those shiny silver Twinkies.
Why am I writing about my parallel but seemingly unrelated activities? To me, Elvis and Airstreams have a lot in common. Read on…
Both have a unique look
You can recognize Elvis (or an Elvis tribute performer) from a long ways off. His look is unmistakable. While Elvis changed a bit with the times, you can still recognize him no matter what his age was. And just say, “Thank you, thank you very much,” with his classic drawl and everyone will know you’re talking about the King of Rock ‘n Roll.
You can recognize any Airstream trailer from a long ways off. An Airstream’s look is unmistakable. You can simply say “Bambi” and everyone knows you’re talking about a single-axle Airstream. Yes, there are variations, but no matter the details, the design is basically the same and everyone knows it’s an Airstream.
Longevity is in their blood
Elvis has been around for a LONG time. Starting in the ’60s as sort of a joke on the Ed Sullivan show, he has persevered to this day. In fact, Elvis is more famous now that he’s passed on than he ever was while alive.
Airstreams have been around for a LONG time as well. Starting in the ’50s as a riff on WWII aircraft designs, Airstream has persevered to this day as the champagne of travel trailers. And every vintage Airstream that shows up at a campground or rally is sure to get looks.
Both have big fan clubs
Elvis has a LOT of fans and a huge fan club. I’m not sure of the exact number but it has to be in the millions. Just look at all the Elvis tribute acts and shows that they flock to. Sing “Love Me Tender” and hearts just melt everywhere.
Airstreams have a lot of fans as well. Just look at Alumapalooza, for example. There were hundreds of Airstreams and their owners of all sizes, shapes and ages that showed up the previous week at the Airstream factory. It’s a super fan club of sorts.
They each have a one-name destination
No self-respecting Elvis fan would turn down a visit to Graceland. I mean, even Graceland is a one-name destination. Just saying it conjures up images of the Jungle Room and the gated entrance.
Every Airstream owner I know wants to visit the Alumapalooza Rally and Airstream factory in Ohio. After all, that’s where their baby (or Bambi) was born. There’s an entire section of the Airstream plant that’s devoted to rebuilding and refurbishing vintage Airstreams, and it’s quite a site. Airstreams can live on and on and on, some finally being turned into high-end hotel rooms at unique locations.
Finally – They’re just plain COOL!
Okay, enough about Elvis and Airstreams for now, but perhaps I’ll have a story or two about it later. In the meantime, go out and find your own unique adventure. I dare you…
Thank you, thank you very much…. Mike
Yes, Airstreams and Elvis are cool! Thanks for pointing out the parallels Mike. That was a very fun read! Now that you wrote this article, you are on the hook to write about other trailers that are also cool. There are a few other brands that I find ti be also unique and really impressive. Many have rally’s and big loyal fan clubs too. Maybe none at the level of Airstream but very impressive nonetheless. For example, there are several models of fiberglass trailers that have very loyal followings. As to cool, there is even a higher end aluminum travel trailer than Airstream called the Bowlus. One look at it will blow you away. I think they claim to have been there before Airstream. And the Alto Safari Condo, which you know well is pretty cool too. I understand there is or was a 2-3 year waiting list for these. There are also some very loyal teardrop trailer fans. I have a friend that built his own! As an engineer, I have a deep appreciation for the creativity and technical prowess what goes into making a cool and long lasting travel trailer or RV. Sometimes I see one that I’ve never heard of before and something about it just knocks my socks off. It’s a beautiful thing when great engineering, functionality, and style all come together. The sheer number of manufacturers of travel trailer (and other RV types) is amazing. We are lucky to live in a country where such things happen. Australia also goes nuts for RVs or “Caravans” as they call them. I’d guess they are big in Europe too but they are very space constrained over there. I have a T@B teardrop, a design that I believe originally came from Europe. Given the creativity and engineering prowess in Europe, there must be some very cool ones there too. And what about other countries, do they have cool RVs too? So, Mike, now that you have whet our whistles, we want to hear about sone of the other cool RVs you’ve seen!