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The Airstream-Jeep Rabbit Hole

• CATEGORIES: Camping, Features, videos • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Some of you may have seen an image of a CJ-2A setup to pull an Airstream trailer that has gone around Facebook. Unfortunately, there was no history attached to that image. So, that’ got me hunting for more information. Below is my quick education on the Airstream history. I’m sure some of. you folks know more, so correct me if need be.

I was able to find a few more images of that CJ-2A and trailer, which has led me to believe that Airstream founder Wally Byam used that jeep, probably purchased in Europe, to pull his trailer around Europe during Wally’s first trip in 1948, which he used to scout various countries for future caravans. However, I have so far been unable to find anyone explicitly saying that Wally did that. But, the jeep is a CJ-2A, so the timeline fits. The top looks similar to other European tops of the late 1940s, and in Europe I suspect there weren’t many vehicle options at that time. Here are the pics I found, the first being the one circulating on Facebook:

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Wally Byam sitting in one of his early trailers. A Cj-2A with a European style top appears to be the pull-rig. I believe this would be 1948.

This photo, clearly in Europe, was posted on this site taken in Turkey, from the 1948 trip:

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And this photo posted on this site. I assume this is in Europe, but cannot confirm it:

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As the Airstream trailer business grew, Wally began encouraging traveling, leading some international caravans himself.

In 1951, he led a trip into Mexico and Central America, using what looks to be an early Jeep Wagon.

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I found this example of a wagon pulling a trailer, but can’t determine when or where this occurred.

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Eventually, Wally assembled the first around-the-world Airstream caravan that travelled over the course of 1963-1964 30,000 miles through thirty countries with 104 people in 40 Airstream trailers. Here’s a video about one family’s take on the event.

According to the video’s summary, Journalist Mac Smith was hired to document the trip and brought along his wife Jackie and their three children, Lorie, Judy, and Scott. Mac would go on to write an account of the Around the World Caravan in his 1966 book, Thank You, Marco Polo: The Story of the First Around-the-World Trailer Caravan [which appears to be out of print].”

So, as you can see, I kind of fell down a rabbit hole of Airstream history.

 
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1963 Article on Kent Frost

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

As I continue my journey to organize the jeep office, I stumped upon this May 1963 Four Wheeler article about Kent Frost. You can learn more about him here: http://www.ewillys.com/2020/11/11/kent-frost-a-man-of-canyonlands/ and here http://www.ewillys.com/tag/kent-frost/.

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Video: 1972 Darien Gap Adventure

• CATEGORIES: Features, videos • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Over the weekend I had time to bend the side bars and create the initial mounting brackets for the side bars. But, my metal saw blade for my evolution chop saw (which has been great) gave out due to an unanticipated dust bag mount project–to help deter flies– for the cows.

I had planned to do updates last night, but, as seems to be a regular occurrence, life got in the way, again. But, thanks to Bill, I found this interesting adventure through the Darien Gap from 1972.

 
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1963 CJ-3B/ M-606 Perkasie, PA $7950

• CATEGORIES: CJ-3B, M-606 (military CJ-3B) • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This one deserves a closer look, as it *might* be an M-606. Note the ventilated windshield.

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/d/blooming-glen-army-jeep-1963willys/7635557843.html

“Willys Jeep, Model; CJ3B, also known as M606 military 4×4
Runs very well, good original condition.
Has small crack in windshield and small rust in passenger side floor, otherwise very nice.”

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1958 Article From Sunset Magazine

• CATEGORIES: Features, Magazine • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: This post was originally published 12/26/2018:

This article about exploring southern Utah in a jeep was published in the October 1958 issue of Sunset Magazine. You’ll see a nod to Kent Frost’s guide company and a photo of the front of one of his CJ-5s.

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Jeeps, INC., Sierra Package Trip Brochure

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

The Sierra Pack’age’ Trip Tri-Fold brochure was probably printed in the early 1960s. It’s the first time I have run across a California or Sierra Nevada brochure for guided jeep tours.  The company is referenced both as “Jeeps, Inc.” and as “Sierra Tours by Jeeps, Inc.”.

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This 3rd page only has print on one side. It’s a flyer that was stuck into the brochure.

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1960s Colorado Mountain Safari Brochure

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Sometime in the 1950s Bob Meyer partnered with Lloyd Sehnert to form Mountain Safari, a guide company out of Walsenburg, Colorado, The pair took clients into the Sangre De Cristo’s in Southern Colorado.

According to Bob Meyer’s obituary, Bob “took his jeeps where no one had before, including the Walsenburg fair grounds where he had challenged local horsemen to a calf-roping competition wherein Bob had mounted a saddle to the hood of his jeep so he could freely swing his lariat and lasso the calf.”

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Twenty Year Old Girl Jeeps Through South America

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: This story was originally published August 29, 2016:

A story from the September 20, 1962, issue of the Toledo Blade (and a similar story on the 10th as well) shares the tale of Lou-Bette Herrick’s three month trip through South America. The Richmond Virginia native entered into the adventure after responding to an advertisement placed by Hilary Dunstervile for a companion to drive back to her native country of Venezuela. I did a little research on both women, but didn’t find any updated information on them. It doesn’t say what kind of jeep they used, but there is a reference in the article to camping out in the jeep, so it might have been a wagon.

1962-09-10-toledo-blade-herrick-south-america-adventure1 1962-09-10-toledo-blade-herrick-south-america-adventure2 Continue reading

 
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1946 Jeep Trip to South America

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: This article was originally published September 12, 2016:

This article appeared in the October 8, 1946, issue of the Southeastern Missourian. Mr. and Mrs. Irwin Kenyans, Mrs. Katherine McGregor Wallis and her daughter Miss Trinket, planned to travel all the way to Tierra Del Fuego in a CJ-2A. I could only find one article and one photo, partly shown below. You can see the full version of the image at Getty.

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Caption: Katherine MacGregor with Friends Before South American Trip To South America In A Jeep. Chicago, Illinois: Putting the finishing touches on their jeep before they leave for a year’s trip in South America are (left to right): Mrs. Katherine MacGregor Wallis, Mrs. Anne Knehans, Irwin Knehans, and Miss Iranket Wallis of Quito, Ecuador. Trip To South America In A Jeep. Chicago, Illinois: Putting the finishing touches on their jeep before they leave for a year’s trip in South America are (left to right): Mrs. Katherine MacGregor Wallis, Mrs. Anne Knehans, Irwin Knehans, and Miss Iranket Wallis of Quito, Ecuador.

1946-08-08-southeast-missourian-adventure-knehans

 
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1951 DeAnza Trail Jeep Cavalcade

• CATEGORIES: Event, Features, Magazine, Old Images • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Originally posted Feb 1, 2018:

1951-07-motortrend-jeep-gymkhana-calvacade-pg1-1The May 1951 issue of Motor Trend captured the 3rd Annual DeAnza Trail Jeep Cavalcade. The author, Ernest Reshovsky, titled the article “Jeep Gymkhana”, possibly attempting to reference timed automobile or equestrian contents designed to test driving skill, though to my knowledge the Cavalcade was not a timed event.

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