OVERLANDJOURNAL FALL 2019107Why do you think Wally took a special
interest in you? He thought the caravan
experience would be an excellent
educational opportunity for you, but
you were singled out to an extent.
It is possible that Wally wanted to provide me
with certain things that my parents couldn’t.
ere is no doubt that my adventures provided
by Wally were academic in nature, and look-
ing back, so much appears as training. I’m not
completely sure of the end objective. I also
don’t discount that without children himself,
he wanted to be a surrogate father.You’ve said many times that your mother,
Helen Byam Schwamborn, is the unsung
hero of Airstream. She sold the idea of
caravans, building future sales, and was
on the board of directors. How would you
describe her contribution to Airstream?
She is unsung in that she was working in a
man’s world. In 1953, Wally wrote a postcard
to my mother and told her that he hoped to
take care of her “itchy foot,” but it wasn’t un-
til 1955 that he hired her to lead the Eastern
Canada Caravan. He had an uncanny sense
for the values within his employees. Wally
respected one intangible asset my mother
had above all others—confidentiality.
Airstream had two divisions: Airstream
Trailers, Inc., the manufacturing entity;
and Airstream Sales, Inc. that managed the
Wally Byam Caravan Club, Inc. (WBCCI).
Wally made it clear that my mother would
be the pivot point for all caravans and in
charge of preparations. Her office also man-
aged and supported the club, and provided
sales and marketing tools. WBCCI’s first
headquarters was in our home.
My mother made frequent trips to
Washington D.C. to visit the State Depart-
ment, and to meet with ambassadors and
attachés in the various embassies whose
countries were on the itinerary. She was at
her best dealing with people. From her office
came two of the most successful and visible
caravans: Africa and Around-the-World.
e Caravan Club grew to 30,000 families,
an amazing enticement for dealers to sell
Airstreams.What commonality brought the caravan
groups together? They came from all
walks of life.
e background for the groups was varied—
doctors, retired teachers, small business
owners, former hotel owners, manufactur-ing, oil lessees and more. e most common
thread was to do something that no one else
had ever done. e more experienced mem-
bers had traveled on several caravans and
had an established camaraderie with each
other—they enjoyed the challenge and be-
ing with their friends.
e return caravanners’ admiration for
Wally’s leadership and his vision was also
important when times got tough, as they did
in Ethiopia. We were plagued by rain, mud,
and the remnants of roads with gullies run-
ning down the middle. Wally reassured ev-
eryone that things would turn out alright, it
would just take a little longer. And they did.Beginning at age 12 through your early
20s, you went on a total of five caravans
and visited 52 countries, including the
regions of Mexico/Central America, Eastern
Canada, and Africa (Capetown to Cairo).
Did you ever have a desire to keep traveling
in the way of the caravan?
e thirst for traveling is never satisfied or
quenched without more travel. When on
a road and confronted by a mountain you
must find what is on the other side. I dearly
wanted to go on the Around-the-World
Caravan, but I was drafted for two years. My
wife, Sue, and I later traveled to Italy, East-
ern Canada, Guatemala, the Soviet Union,
and Red China.
As part of a caravan though, you enjoy
certain hospitalities that individuals don’t
have. Likewise, in a larger group, the local
people come out to see you and you make
great friends. When you travel by plane,
train, or bus, and stay in a hotel and fre-
quently unpack your suitcase, you don’t see
the countryside, meet the people, or connect
with like-minded friends.How did the trailers perform on
these extended journeys?
e caravans were a fantastic way to evalu-
ate shortcomings of Airstream models and
to make corrections. Guatemalan roads gave
the 1948 European Airstream model a run
for its money, and won. e tubular chassis
cracked and the trailer became untowable.
e collapse of the frame led to the intro-
duction of a ladder-style, channel construct-
ed frame. When dust started pouring in
from the windows, where seals and sealant
had failed, and in through the door, Wally
identified appropriate corrections, and these
trials aided the quest for product perfection.Mother and son, Helen and Dale. Dale was 10
years old in this photo, taken in 1948. This shot
accompanied a story in Look Magazine cover-
ing the 1954 Mexico/Central America Caravan.
Taken during the 1964 New York World’s Fair
and the WBCCI International Rally, Dale is
joined by Sally Sue Traylor who was crowned
Teen Queen at the rally. Dale was stationed at
Fort Dix, New Jersey, at the time. Opposite:
Eugene, Oregon, 1962 Opening page: Dale,
in front of the scout truck in Nairobi, Kenya.Photo by Pat Terry