In light of the far more developed transit methods of cars, trains, boats and planes, the Airstream trailer still retains its classic, old school style. Though the business has undoubtedly grown over the past 81 years of its existence, this is a company that resists change, but embraces improvement throughout their design, technology and material.

The Airstream is unique in many ways. There are only a handful of corporations that stay as loyal to the original design as Airstream. Though the interior design of the Airstream has been completely  revolutionized by the designer of the international model, Christopher Deam, the exterior has changed rarely and only on occasion. In fact, just to top it off, the actual framework of the Airstream has only been changed 5 times since 1935. The outstanding loyalty to the original is one of many things that make airstreams unique. The stunning interior is only complemented by the even stronger influence of the exterior, and in all ways, the Airstream really is a work of art.

“When everybody asks, what do you have that’s like an Airstream? There is nothing like an Airstream, because it’s entirely handmade,” said Cynthia Jahs, a sales worker at National RV Detroit in Belleville Michigan. “It’s a completely unique trailer, no two are identical,” said Jahs. And it’s true. Although most trailer manufacturers create their trailers with the use of machines, the 300 or so man hours put into creating a single Airstream makes every last one of them unique.

Every handmade Airstream is its own work of art. Not only does the fact that they are handmade make them one of a kind, it also makes them incredibly durable. Forget a couple years, these masterpieces will last decades, if not lifetimes. “The reality is, they can last a lifetime and two lifetimes, and three lifetimes,” said Pate Rawak, the senior regional sales director at Jackson Center, Ohio. As of right now there are Airstreams still on the road that have been around for fifty, even sixty years. They haven’t been fading away either. Many of the Airstreams sold within the past decade or so are still on the road today, alive and well.

Christopher Deam came into the picture about 10 years ago and since then he’s revolutionized the interior of the Airstream. According to Rawak, when Deam came in, he told the board of directors that although the exterior had high marks, the interior looked entirely grim and somewhat lifeless. With his coming, the industry took off along with his new line of Airstreams, the ‘International’ model. Although smaller than the sport, his new line of international trailers soon became more expensive due to the materials. A good way to describe it is ‘small but aggressive’. “You either love that interior or you hate it, and it’s brought us a whole new buyer from a realm that we have never been in market for.” Said Rawak.

Of course, though the input of the seller is important, so is that of the buyer. Kyle Bolstad is a web developer who takes advantage of being able to work from anywhere with internet connection to travel the world in his Airstream. “While researching RVs, I was looking for one that was well made, relatively light, and modern looking. Since I knew fuel would be a significant factor, I chose to look at travel trailers that are towed instead of traditional motorhomes. As far as travel trailers go, there is really only one choice: Airstream.” wrote Bolstad. One of many who chose Airstream, he made mention of the sleek design and comfortable compatibility. “It is like a modern Manhattan apartment on wheels.” He has a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, a bed, a shower and as he puts it ‘all the modern amenities’ such as a TV and DVR. With all honesty, there isn’t much more you need when traveling the world, the only other thing you might go looking for is durability and of course, as I said before, the Airstream certainly has that. “I have travelled over 100,000 miles in it and am extremely happy with the durability,” wrote Bolstad. While durability isn’t necessarily the first thing you look for, Airstream tries to stay a step ahead by doing that as well.

Maria Tuthill was also the owner of an Airstream at one point in time, and she reflects back on it with good memories and funny stories. Along with her two dogs and her husband, she traveled around several times in her Airstream, each time bringing home memories and experiences. “The workmanship inside the Airstream was beautifully finished and handmade. They used every inch of space, which is important,” recalled Tuthill, thinking back on one of her many trips. And since then, the interior design of the Airstream has only become more complex and spectacular.

The thing about Airstreams is, when you begin to understand them, you find that there isn’t much you would like to try and change. These trailers have been developed over decades and the actual design doesn’t have much more room to evolve. Though still at the mercy of the designer’s creativity, the actual build is unlikely to change anytime soon. However you look at it, Airstreams were built around fuel economy, comfort, durability and creativity, a design created to withstand the passing of time and the development of technology. These hardy machines really will last decades and even longer with the proper care and treatment, rather than winding up in the junkyard after several years of use. When Rawak was asked about the original design of the Airstream, he replied, “I couldn’t agree with you more. They’re absolutely timeless.”