If you noticed a bunch of shiny, silver recreational vehicles at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds last week, you were seeing the Region 11 rally of the WBCCI, or Wally Byam Caravan Club International. Wally Byam was the founder of the Airstream Club back in 1955.
Richard Girard, president of this region, which covers Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, was on hand to make sure all was going according to plan.
These rallies are mostly social events, Girard said. This one runs from Wednesday through Sunday. Were expecting about 30 trailers.
Girard lives in Phoenix, Ariz. and he and his wife travel a lot with their Airstream RV in tow.
There are 12 geographical regions within the U.S. and Canada and within each region are units. The regions and units all have rallies periodically, and anybody, with an Airstream, is welcome to attend.
Airstream owners might belong to a club such as the Vintage Airstream Club, the Classic Airstream Club, the Free Wheelers Club and many others.
The Airstream club is the largest single brand RV club in the world, said Girard.
Its not hard to see why.
Leroy and Jeannie Waldo have been members for over 25 years. They go to several rallies a year, join up with other Airstream owners and try to incorporate visits to family into their travels. They had just been to California to see friends, and, after coming to Cortez, were on their way to Monument Valley in Utah to see more friends.
Many of the Airstream owners had just come from the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.
The caravans they join are trips that are more organized, with the travelers going from point to point as a group. The caravans can be trips that follow the Lewis and Clark trail, the Great River Road along the Mississippi River, a Civil War trip, a South West adventure, or a Mardi Gras caravan. The trips might be two months long, said Jeannie Waldo. They afford the RVers an opportunity to see the area, plus travel with people they might know and with whom they definitely have something in common.
Airstream owners are a close-knit group and cultivate many friendships in their travels. Girard has only been a member for 7 years. I bet Ive made 500 friends in that time, he said.
What is the attraction to having an Airstream RV? I like the classic look of an Airstream, said Girard.
They are built to last, said Jeannie Waldo. Were on our fifth Airstream now, and theyve mostly been older ones 1950s, 1960s and 1980s models. The inside of the trailers are comfortable and very durable. Many of the really vintage models are still on the road, Girard said.
Most of the Airstreams you see on the road were made in Jackson Center, Ohio, a town of about 1,300 people in east central Ohio. The factory has been open since 1952, making Airstream travel trailers and motor homes. They can vary in length from 16 feet to 34 feet. Most of them are pulled behind a vehicle.
Airstream owners have the option to identify themselves. Each RV has a red number on it, depicting the number of their membership in WBCCI. They also have varying amounts of stars next to the numbers. The stars represent five years of membership in the WBCCI, said Girard.
There were all sizes of Airstream trailers at the fairgrounds last week and they had lots of activities planned potluck dinners, entertainment, business meetings and a Western-themed dinner.
Its a great way to see the country, said Girard. Its a home-away-from-home.