Not many caravan builders can claim their brand is so well respected that they are represented in the New York Museum of Modern Art. Airstream can.
Their curvaceous lines are as sexy as Marilyn Monroe, as smooth as Chris Isaac and as classic as a Chevy Stingray. An Airstream is a thing of beauty standing still and you could easily build a special room in your house just to luxuriate in its coolness.
There is no caravan like it and it has become a travelling icon of American ingenuity and an object of desire since the 1930s when it rolled off the production line and into the American dream.
Since those early days the embodying concept of an aerodynamic design and contemporary but practical interiors has endured the test of time. Early models have become collector’s items, have been converted to backyard studios and mobile coffee trailers. They have starred in movies and have travelled millions of miles across all continents and they are now here to conquer the Australian landscape.
Over the years we have seen private imports of the marque but they have mostly been older vans that have been treated to various levels of local restoration or have ended up in backyards for guest accommodation. But now Airstream Australia on the NSW South Coast have formed a partnership with the manufacturer to develop three models with specifications to suit local rules. The 624 International on test joins a larger 762, and the single axle lighter 579 Sport, in the introductory Australian lineup.
On meeting James Bush at the dealership in Batemans Bay on the South Coast of NSW he showed me an image of company founder, Wally Byam, towing an Airstream along a rocky creek somewhere in Africa on a journey that spanned the continent from Cape Town to Cairo in 1959. (Google Africa: Cape Town to Cairo). While James promoted the Airstream as a glamour caravan for glamping rather than camping, he insisted that they were up to the job of traversing the Australian countryside in style.
So rather than head to the closest beach for some picturesque shots with gleaming sand and ocean we conjured a day trip to take in some decent dirt roads in the forests west of Batemans Bay.
While many owners will never take their Airstream far off road and it isn’t a dedicated rough terrain van, it does have the credentials to be towed into places off the blacktop. The shiny, riveted aluminium body is a semi monocoque construction that is inherently strong and light and the rubber torsion suspension is constructed for a lifetime of travel.
After following the winding dirt track along the banks of the Clyde River we arrived at the welcoming Shallow Crossing Campground where we set up the van for a closer inspection.
One of the unusual features of the Australian specified Airstream is the entry door on both sides of the van. Rather than simply swap the entry of the right hand drive model to the other side, the vans incorporate a new left side door and retain the original as well. It took a while to get the orientation of the van sorted in my head, having to look for the drawbar to see which way the van should be facing, but after a while the advantages of air and occupant flow of the twin entrances became obvious. Even quirkier was the Airstream system of different “his and her” keys for either door rather than a master for both.
The doors have the same solid but light construction as the van and close with an impressive clunk reminiscent of a well-built automobile. Stepping inside from the kerb side I found a simple layout with a bedroom at the front, a central living area and a full width ensuite to the back. But the look of the interior is different from most caravans with panels of polished aluminium along the walls and ceiling. And while some of the other Airstreams back in the dealership had showy vibrant interiors, the test van featured a more muted Japanese theme. Asian Sand wall panels and rice paper opaque glass windows on the cupboards contrasted with ebony laminate on the bench and table and the oriental refrain continued with bamboo-look vinyl floor covering.
A panoramic window in the front of the van and another large one on the kerb side complement the two way door to allow bucket loads of light and air into the bedroom where an east-west queen bed maximizes space. I know a lot of couples are not fans of these across the van beds but this one has some space along the wall to assist bed making. Sliding curtains, window blockouts and a privacy screen make for snug, private sleeping quarters at night.
As might be expected for a van of this calibre the living area caters well for a comfortable life on the road. Along the kerb side the contemporary designer galley has preparation benches and a circular ceramic sink with a stainless steel mixer tap. Cooking is done on a two-burner Omega hob with a Baraldi rangehood and a Delonghi convection microwave. Further along is a 150L Dometic fridge/freezer while large pantries and overhead cupboards afford a good level of storage for provisions. On the driver side a wide café diner can convert to a short double bed for the kids or occasional guests.
At the back, the ensuite has a modern ambience and the expanse of reflective metal illuminates the space with light from a large window or LEDs. There’s a full sized moulded fibreglass shower and a Thetford loo attached to a 68L black water tank, along with 113 litre grey water and 147 litere fresh water tanks. Other standard features include ducted heating to the three sections of the van, overhead air conditioning to the living and bedroom areas, twin gel batteries and pre-wiring for solar. On the outside there is a kerbside awning that has an innovative, cantilevered frame capable of withstanding high winds. Provision is made for a second awning on the driver’s side and for periods of free camping this option would make sense for a larger outdoor living area.
Our journey took us on a round trip of 100km across the dusty corrugated tracks and the van effortlessly showed it was capable of handling the conditions with no dust ingress and with nothing shaking loose inside the van. James was right – its beauty is more than skin deep and the van should find plenty of admirers locally.
The team at Airstream Australia is so confident of the value of the van’s $115,000 price that they are offering a buy-back programme that returns $100,000 for well maintained vans within a year of purchase. That seems like a pretty good deal, but I doubt many owners will want to part with their Airstream once they have spent time with it.
Specifications
Manufacturer: Airstream Ohio, USA
Model: 624 International
Body length: 6.25m
LOA: 7.24m
Width: 2.45m
Tare weight: 2160kg
ATM: 2722kg
Price as tested: $115,000
Find Out More
Airstream Australia
30 Cranbrook Road,
Batemans Bay NSW 2536
Ph: 1300 769 330
Web: airstreamaustralia.com.au
Email: equiries@airstreamaustralia.com.au