In this issue

22 Pages·2010·1.08 MB·English

Volume 13, Issue 3
The Vintage Advantage
The newsletter of the Vintage Airstream Club
(An Intra-Club of the WBCCI)

In this issue:

VAC OFFICERS 1
VAC CHAIRS 1
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE BY ED EMERICK 1
MOVING ON BY BRYAN BURKHART 2
THE EDITOR’S DESK 2
TIPS AND HINTS 3
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 4
THE VAC PARADES INTO INTERNATIONAL 5
2006 INTERNATIONAL RALLY 7
CONCOURS BEST OF SHOW 8
1966-68 AIRSTREAMS BY FRED COLDWELL 10
YOUR REGION VAC REPRESENTATIVES 14
ANNOUNCEMENTS 17
THE BACK BUMPER 19
September 2006
Volume 13, Issue 3

More photos from Herb Richter. Starting
clockwise with photo below: (1) Wally
Byam attending a WBCC meeting
December 1956. (2) 1957 Kentucky
Derby Caravan. (3) & (4) 1958 Western
Canada Caravan.
On the cover
Is this possibly the origin of crop circles?

Photo donated by Herb Richter from an
inherited collection. Unknown rally, and
unknown location. Date is approximately 1958.
CONTRIBUTIONS
E-mail any plain text file, or include within the body of an
e-mail your letters, stories, articles. Attach photos to e-
mail but do not include them in the body of the text. Leave
text unformatted, but do provide an explanation of the
Departments
photos - who, what, when. Photos can be up to 800 KB in
This newsletter will be what you, the
size per image per e-mail message. Alternatively, you can
member, makes it. Nearly every category of
burn your drafts and photos to a CD-R, or even mail them
this newsletter needs regular contributors.
the old fashion way via USPS to:
The Back Bumper is open to anyone

wishing to submit a personal essay, and/or
Vintage Advantage Editor
cartoon. The Announcements section is the
3087 S. Mobile Way
Aurora, CO 80013 place to tell the VAC about your upcoming
[email protected] rallies. Feature articles should be about
subjects relating to vintage Airstreams,
places, people and history.
September 2006

VAC Officers VAC Chairs

Shown left to right Editor Vintage Advantage
in photo at bottom and VAC Librarian
Forrest McClure #2671
3087 S. Mobile Way
Aurora, CO 80013
President
[email protected]
Ed Emerick #4425

838 Eldorado St.
VA Subscription Manager
Appleton, WI 54911
Daisy Welch #6517
[email protected] President’s Message
3213 W. Main St. #117

1st Vice President Rapid City, SD 57702 by Ed Emerick
[email protected]
Shari Davis #1824 Hello All!

2520 Gray St.
VAC Webmaster I’m excited to start the 2006-2007
Edgewater, CO 80214
Toby Folwick #2029 year as your President, there is a lot
[email protected]
1060 8th Avenue
going on that will keep us all busy.

Baldwin, WI 54002
2nd Vice President The first thing I had to do was
[email protected]
Herb Spies #1861 recover from attending the

PO Box 844 International rally in Salem; I don’t
Membership Chair
Shalimar, FL 32579 Scott Scheuermann #13497 think I sat down the whole week!
[email protected] 1310 Plum Street There were many things to do at the

Tipton, IA 52772 rally site as well as the surrounding
3rd Vice President
[email protected] area, a lot of time was spent planning
Fred Delaney #7271
for the future of the Vintage
3634 Jennings
Quartermaster Chair
Airstream Club, I think that I will
San Diego, CA 92106
Kevin Garrett
[email protected] focus on that in this message.
10 Apple Creek Ct
Appleton, WI 54913 First I want to thank VAC Immediate
Treasurer [email protected] Past President Wayne Moore for all
Kathy Green #5350 his efforts and time he spent building
1796 Laurel Rd. Rally Advisor this club. Wayne has a vision for the
Oceanside, CA 92054 Bob Herman #8556 VAC and he has worked hard during
[email protected] 2092 Culbreath Rd. C-12 the past year to improve a number of
Brooksville, FL 34602 areas. Wayne was instrumental in
Recording Secretary [email protected]
working with Airstream on the new
Sidra Spies #1861
VAC logo, he and Linda have
PO Box 844 VAC Historian
Shalimar, FL 32579 Fred Coldwell supported the publication of the
[email protected] 2031 Krameria St. Vintage Advantage and he has
Denver, CO 80207 always supported club’s growth and
Immediate Past President [email protected] freedom from the norm. I would like
(not pictured) to think that his ideas will be carried
Wayne Moore #15116 Concours d’Elegance Chair into my term and I hope to continue
131 Castle Hill Rd. Herb Spies #1861 improving this club the way he did.
Windham, NH 03087 PO Box 844
We have a new Vintage Advantage
[email protected] Shalimar, FL 32579
Editor; Forrest McClure. He will be
[email protected]
assisted by Airstream Life’s Rich
Luhr and these two volunteers will
continue to publish a quality
newsletter that we came to expect
from Bryan Burkhart. I think that all
of us owe Bryan a great deal of
thanks for the time and effort he put
into the Vintage Advantage. I believe
he served the club for the past 7
years or so. Bryan’s publication
Continued on page 2
Page 1
September 2006

provided me hours of enjoyable control, club liability, the Blue Book, whole group of caravanners very
reading that helped me understand approval of activities, and attendance warm and I was quickly brought into
Airstream history, the intricacies of at meetings. The VAC Board on the the vintage Airstream family as I was
restoring that product and most of other hand expressed a desire to working on initial research for my
all, sharing the stories about the use comply with the limited Inter-club book, Airstream, The History of the
of a vintage Airstream, which is what rules outlined in the Blue Book, Land Yacht back in 1998. Traveling
this club is all about. Again, thank autonomy while not exposing the through the Sawtooth mountains in
you Bryan for all you have done to WBCCI to undue risk, having fun absolutely epic weather and a
help the Vintage Airstream Club. I and stressing to the Board that we are breathless landscape continues to be
think you will notice that the “New” on vacation and this is not a major a vivid and clear memory in my
Vintage Advantage will have a lot of part of our lifestyle (at least for most brain, one that I will never forget.
Bryan Burkhart in it today but with a of us, not yet!). For the VAC to I will continue to be involved and
little “edge” that Forrest and Rich continue to grow and our events to intend to contribute a story or two
will bring to the table. be enjoyable for our members we down the road. I would like to push
I think that most of us will agree that need to continue to look for ways to all who want to contribute to the
our parent club, the WBCCI is going support the VAC member. I don’t newsletter to do so, in the end the
through some changes most of which think focusing on rules and newsletter is best served when the
are dealing with the decline in regulations are going to do that, nor membership shares their stories
membership. The VAC is holding its do I think that mindset will increase within the newsletter and help us
own with active growth noted at the WBCCI membership in the future. I editors create a publication that is
Unit levels and steady numbers of am asking all VAC members to full of life and vitality.
Vintage activity nation wide. In other travel on a caravan, host a rally, meet
words the VAC members are active new people, enjoy the club and most See you down the road!
in the club and are going to impact of all HAVE FUN! Theses basic
the makeup of the WBCCI in the “rules” will help keep our club strong

very near future. What I think is and growing. We can’t forget that
interesting is most of us VACer’s Vintage Airstreaming is a state of
have a very different outlook on how mind, and I think the current
we fit into the WBCCI and its Airstream, Inc’s marketing line of
activities than that of a non-VAC “SEE MORE. DO MORE. LIVE
WBCCI member. We seem to not MORE.” truly expresses the Vintage
want to do things the “old school” Airstream Club’s outlook.
way; we look for the fun and not the Until next time, I’ll be working at my
pomp and circumstance that are a real job, raising my kids, paying
large part of the WBCCI. A typical bills, restoring my vintage
VAC sponsored event focuses on the Airstreams and in my spare time,
use of the Airstream product and seeing you down the road.
sharing information to help us keep
these old coaches on the road. We

want to take our limited time off With my wife, Patrice, at Bullards
Moving On
from our jobs and see the country, Beach State Park, Oregon wearing
talk of our adventures and expand by Bryan Burkhart our “off-duty” berets. They helped
our horizons learning new things. In keep us warm on cool days and

nights along the Oregon coast.
short this is not the only thing in our
It has come time for me to move on
lives but a part of our lives, a hobby
to other adventures and pass the The Editor’s Desk
that we fight for time from our “real
newsletter torch to Forrest. I want to
life” to enjoy.
thank you all for a dynamic 7 year Bryan Burkhart has done a fabulous
When the VAC Board had a chance
run designing and editing the VAC job elevating this publication from a
to meet with the WBCCI board at the
newsletter. I have enjoyed everyone's humble newsletter to magazine
International Rally this year in
input and certainly found great status. He has set the bar high
Salem, these differences became
support and freedom, from my initial indeed. It is not likely that I will be
even more apparent. I will not bore
handoff from Tom Howarth through able to duplicate his work, but I do
the VAC membership with the
all the presidents who followed. intend to borrow from it freely
details of that meeting(s) here but it
My first International rally and because, “Imitation is the sincerest
is very clear that the two groups are
caravan introduction was back in flattery.”
very different in how to approach the
Boise, Idaho and I really found the
future. The WBCCI Board stressed
Page 2
September 2006

So that you know a little about me,
I’m a 55 year old retired policeman. Tips and Hints

I’ve been married to my wife,
Patrice, for 35 years. We have three How does your spring bar hang?
grown children, and four
grandchildren. We’ve lived in the by Forrest McClure (#2671)
same house, our first and only, since
After unhitching, there is often the
1973.
question of where to store the
I dreamed of owning an Airstream
spring bars. All too often the bars
since I was sixteen years old and
end up lying on the ground under
only made good on that dream five
the trailer. Inevitably, the bars get
years ago. Since then, I’ve
muddy, dirty or scratched. All
refurbished a 1966 Globe Trotter and
inviting rust and the
am about a third of the way through
inconvenience of cleaning them.
doing the same thing with a 1966
Whether your spring bars are
Overlander. We’ve traveled in them
round or trunnion if they have a
from the Pacific to the Atlantic, and
chain attached to one end there
I’m currently the Denver Colorado
is an easy, convenient method to
Unit President and VAC Librarian.
secure them so that they are off
I have contributed a number of
the ground.
articles to this publication in the past,
as well as to Airstream Life. First, turn the “snap-up,” also
Certainly, I want to continue with the called the “chain lift bracket,”
same type of articles we’ve seen in down.
the past. It’s time now though, to get
a little more edgy, show some
humor, while also allowing the
members to voice their own opinions
– all in a way that has not been
available to us in other publications.
So, there will be a Letters to the
Editor page, cartoons, satire and
personal essays.
Much of this depends on your
participation of course. So, send in
your letters, stories, photos, etc. They
are needed to move us forward “and
leave only tire tracks behind...”
(Thanks for that one, Bryan)

Forrest McClure, Editor
Next, thread the spring bar with
the chain hanging below it
through the chain lift bracket.
Secure the chain to the bracket
using the safety pin through the
eye on the bracket. (See photo in
far right column.) Alternatively,
Do you have a Tip or Hint
the chain can be secured with a
that would benefit the
small padlock in place of the
members? Send it in!
safety pin. (See photo at left)
Page 3
September 2006

So let's move forward with the tell. In all the politics, I have lost
Letters to the Editor new Vintage Advantage. Let's sight of what people (myself
develop logo products to support included) really want, a good
Dear Editor:
the club's coffers. Let's make time, with good friends.
As a proud member of the affiliations that help the club
I'm in total agreement with the
Vintage Airstream Club, I was attract new members. Let's
move towards a little satire in the
thrilled to join an active group of increase the educational
newsletter. It should eventually
West Coast Airstreamers at a pre- opportunities for members, hold
contribute to much needed
rally "gathering" in Sisters, more rallies and parades, sing
discussions about the direction of
Oregon, in June. And as I write campfire songs loudly, drink cold
the club. Two Years ago, the VAC
this, we are getting ready to join beer in public, and even fly pirate
Board had a private meeting in
another bunch of great people at flags if we feel like it. These
Lansing with the IBT. At that time
the Rocky Mountain Vintage Rally things may not please those who
we were reprimanded for a
in Creede, Colorado. wear uniform jackets on the
perceived bid at trying to take
weekends, but they certainly are
Even though we aren't currently control of the club and in the
fun -- and fun is why we do this,
traveling in our '68 Caravel, and same breath they were
right?
we've sold the '77 Argosy and the expressing their surprise that the
'52 Cruiser, vintage is still where Rich Luhr (#9990) VAC had not already pulled out of
we started and where we plan to the club.
end up. Hanging out with the
Perspective This volatility in behavior and
other vintage Airstream owners
attitude has been directly related
always reminds me that our little
To All [VAC members], to whoever the current IBT
organization has a huge amount
President is. My comment at that
of untapped potential. There are The most recent confrontation
time was we all know change is
those outside our club who prefer with the IBT has initiated much
coming, but it will come in the
to have business meetings during needed discussions about how to
form of "evolution not
their Airstreaming weekends, but counter the attempts to control
revolution".
I've noticed that vintage the intraclub. Over the last
Airstreamers focus on having fun, month, I have had the I was very discouraged by the
sharing knowledge, and making opportunity to privately email IBT's actions at the recent
friends. That's terrific, and we many of you. Some have agreed VAC/IBT meeting, but in
should continue to encourage with my positions, some have retrospect, is not any different
that emphasis. not. At the urging of our new from their actions toward past
president Ed Emerick, who by the VAC Boards.
Recently the club has been
way, never accepted my
bombarded by the powers-that- I will rejoin the ranks of the
resignation, I have decided to
be to be more businesslike, more membership, promoting those
reconsider and rescind my
scrutinized, and (I think) less ideas that make being a VAC
resignation.
adventuresome. There are those member fun and interesting
who would prefer the club take The reasons are varied but I have without the pomp, circumstance
no risks, and achieve nothing come to the realization that I was and arrogance. Renewing my
new. I think we should stretch too close and personally invested convictions that this is the long-
our muscles a bit and do more. in the problem. Something Kathy term solution was difficult and I
The VAC is large enough and Green stated in an email last want thank all of you for your
blessed with sufficient week really hit the nail on the input. Let’s go and have some
volunteerism to achieve great head for me. The VAC Board is fun. See ya down the road,
things. It has money in the bank. the (Bullshit) Buffer between the
VAC Immediate Past President,
It has a dedicated membership. It intraclub and the International
has a huge bank of knowledge in Board of Trustees. Wayne Moore (#15116)
its members. It has enthusiasm
I have in the past, advocated the
and vibrancy and plenty of good The views and opinions expressed
ideas for the future. departure of the VAC from the in the Letters to the Editor column
WBCCI and that action may are those of the writer, not of the
eventually play out, only time will editor or VAC. The VA welcomes
letters up to 400 words. Letters
may be edited for length, grammar
and accuracy.
Page 4
September 2006

The VAC Parades into International

Scott and Lise Scheuermann (#13497) and family (too cute to leave out).
Page 5
September 2006

Queuing up for parking under sunny skies.
Above: Find shade and wear
sunglasses, because it„s just
too bright ! In the lead,
Herb & Sidra Spies bring in
the ultimate “door prize,” a
polished 1958 Pacer, to be
given away in a raffle on
October 15th at the Region 6
rally in Gray, TN.
Below: The Colorado
contingent rolls into place.
Page 6
September 2006

2006 International Rally

Rich Luhr stalking high-
Fred and Renee Ettline (#27910)
muckety-mucks from the
dance to a slow song.
floor of the auditorium.

The VAC bulletin board shows
where our members come from.

Oh, oh! Is this an unauthorized flag?

Ed Emerick walks his Strummin' Streamers, playing & singing Dead
Meanwhile, Airstream Chairman,
daughter home. Skunk in the Middle of the Road at dusk.
Larry Huttle, wows the crowd.

Page 7
September 2006

Concours Best of Show
First time at International, Fred and Penny Delaney (#7271) won the Bud Cooper Best of Show Award. Fred is the
new VAC 3rd VP and Penny is Past President of the El Camino Real CA Unit.
Concours d’Elegance
Chairman, Steve Laxton
(#3957), swears the
Delaneys in with Wally’s
oath to return the trophy in
2008.
Fred wrote, “The trailer is a
1956 Safari 22' built in
Jackson Center serial
#O643. It has the original
layout with twins in the rear
and a dinette opposite the
door with a galley and head
forward.”
“The interior is original but all the woodwork has been refinished with several
coats of varnish. The interior aluminum has been painted sea foam green
and we installed bamboo flooring. The refer is new, but the sink and stove are original, the stove being a Princess 3
burner with oven. We replaced the original, pink plastic, corner sink in the head with a stainless steel corner sink that
looks more appropriate with the stainless wall. Penny found the sink on E-bay in England. I think the shipping costs
were more than the cost of the sink.”
“All of the plumbing and electrical has been replaced. New water tank and water pump as well as new water heater
and Air Conditioner. Sure glad we had the AC in Salem as well as the 30 amp to run it! It also has a new Dexter
5200# axle and brakes as well as rims with 7.00 X 15" tires. The axle has a 4" drop so the ground clearance is low
but close to original.”
“I had both black and gray water tanks installed and the black is approximately 9 gallons and the gray about 20.
Good for at least 5 days or so if you don't shower too much.”
“I am told that a family of six was living in it when the person I bought it from bought it. We bought it about 2 years
ago and sold our 62 Bambi.”
“The polishing was done first by a truck polisher in Los Angeles and later by a polisher at Jim Randall's house in Vista
and then I went over it with my Cyclo and Nu Vite S to get rid of the swirls. You are never done polishing!”
Dinette in foreground, bedroom in rear.
Fred standing in the front kitchen with bath to his right.
Page 8