Recently we ran a piece on the Airstream redesign done by Chris Deam.  It turns out, one of Coming Unmoored’s readers, Rhonda Coleman, owns one of these lovely little trailers.  Rhonda has graciously been willing to write the following piece sharing her experiences in her shiny, little trailer…

“Airstream’s motto, ‘Make only improvements, not changes,’ was shaken by architect-designer Chris Deam” states the Design Within Reach online catalog about their special edition trailer. Deam was commissioned to create an Airstream for a new generation that “respects the history of the iconic aluminum shell while bringing a lighter, more spacious feeling to the interior.” Deam himself explains his creative process in a video posted by Steph (May 23, Airstream Redesigns by Christopher Deam).

Captivated by the kitschy beauty and turnkey convenience of the DWR Airstream, we made an appointment for purchase minutes after we saw it on the cover of the catalog in 2007.

We (me, the 6’3″ man, large yellow dog and mini-doxie) continue to love it, though it’s often crowded on a rainy northwest weekend. It has all the comforts of home.  Actually, Let me rephrase that… It’s far more upscale than my boring M-F condo.  My trailer comes with a flat-screen TV/DVD player, full stereo (with XM radio), heating/AC/roomy bathroom/kitchen galley and all the lovely DWR amenities (chairs, dishes, linens, retro clock, and laughably expensive coat rack).
What Deam set out to do as he explains in the video–establish a connection between the interior decor and silver exterior–is perfectly executed. It’s light and otherworldly within the aluminum walls, and the carefully-selected laminates and textiles are signature DWR. However, it’s odd; what he calls a “crisis” of the oldstyle Airstreams is actually less of a disconnect to the user. It feels weird to be inside a space-age pod, looking out the window at a rustic, natural environment like a state campground. Airstreaming in the DWR has a “beamed-here” feel to it.

This is my second caravan–the first was fifty years old and adorable but it developed a terminal leak in the ceiling and had to be sold to a wacky couple from Renton.

If you’d like more information, you can enjoy professional photos (and experience the sticker shock) on the DWR website.

Rhonda can be followed on Twitter.  In addition, she’s planning on starting her own blog soon and hopes to chronicle her “two-week trip across country to visit our nation’s most dorky attractions (Mount Rushmore, Wall Drug, the Oregon Vortex, etc..”