Rivet sizes for airstream construction12/18/2023 ![]() ![]() A famous fiberglass Airstream was the 33-foot “Commodore” built for Cornelius “Neil” Vanderbilt, Jr. These campers were pretty innovative too, outside of just being made out of fiberglass. In this case, aluminum panels were affixed to the interior fiberglass walls. ![]() Of course, these were Airstreams, so aluminum had to go somewhere. The trailer’s walls would also be made out of fiberglass panels. Normally, those panels would be multiple pieces of aluminum. Airstream’s use of fiberglass called for end caps that were single, molded pieces. In 1952, Airstream built its first fiberglass campers. Hansen and Byam often talked about how Airstream might be able to use fiberglass and eventually, Byam hired Hansen at Airstream to make it a reality. Hansen was for the most part a painter and a sculptor, but his sideline was in commercial fiberglass. Byam’s neighbor, Marius Hansen, was a Danish engineer and an expert in fiberglass. As Airstream notes, it was Byam’s neighbor who would ultimately convince Byam to begin experimentation with fiberglass. It would take nearly 20 years for fiberglass to start gaining popularity as a camper construction material. Then, I found this, an Airstream Nest, perhaps the least Airstream to get the Airstream name. There’s also a super rare Vixen SE out there with its fixed roof and Buick 3800 engine. I’ve found some wild stuff along the way, such as a vintage fire engine converted into an extra-large convertible pickup. ![]() The Airstream Nest was the brand’s first and only modern fiberglass camper, and it disappeared from existence just a few years in.ĭuring the weekend, I flipped through the pages of Facebook Marketplace looking for yet another motorcycle and maybe, hopefully, something resembling what we want for the official Autopian camper. That’s what makes 2018 a weird year, because that’s when you were able to buy an Airstream not made of aluminum, but fiberglass. Airstream has maintained these images over nearly a century and cultivated a huge following. The brand is instead known for its beautiful riveted aluminum travel trailers and luxurious coaches. When the idea of a fiberglass camper comes to mind, the name Airstream probably isn’t your first thought. ![]()
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