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:
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:
And this photo posted on this site. I assume this is in Europe, but cannot confirm it:
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.
I found this example of a wagon pulling a trailer, but can’t determine when or where this occurred.
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.
