Airstreaming & The Life of Riley

California Desert - March 20, 2014

Without question Airstreams have an aura.  It’s true.  They elicit a strange, almost emotional response.  There is a spirit of community among Airstream owners as I learned on Day One when my first fellow Airstreamer returned my headlight blink in solidarity as we passed on the highway.  Airstream owners hold the Airstream’s founder, Wally Byam, who built the first Airstream when his wife refused to go camping unless she had a kitchen, in reverence.  A nationwide network of Wally Byam Caravan Clubs still bears his name even though he died in 1962.  Although Airstream commands only 1% of the RV market, the Airstream brand ranks with Harley Davidson, Levis and Coca-Cola as iconic American Brands.

Airstream has a cult status.  NASA used a customized Airstream to quarantine the Apollo  11 astronauts after they returned from man’s first trip to the moon. 

Nixon, The Men on The Moon and Airstream

Airstreams have been featured in films including Charlies Angels, Raising Arizona, Independence Day and many music videos such as 'Rehab' with Justin Timberlake and Rihanna.  In the early '80s, Francis Ford Coppola had a special Airstream trailer commissioned which was subsequently fitted as a mobile film editing suite. It was nicknamed the "Silverfish”.  Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie took an Airstream with them when they filmed their 'Simple Life' road trip show for MTV. 

All Right, all right, all right

In 2008 Matthew McConaughey worked and lived in a tricked-out 28-footer Airstream trailer, nicknamed the "canoe," which he kept land-leashed in a Malibu lot near prime surfing terrain.   Brad Pitt owns a vintage 345 Airstream that he likes to call 'the Love Sub'.   Brad lived in the Sub for a short while during 2005, after his split from Jennifer Anniston.  Other Airstream owners include: Pamela Anderson, Anthony Edwards, Ron Howard, Tom Hanks, John Ratzenberger, JJ Cale, Corbin Bernsen, Rutger Hauer, Sean Penn, David Duchovny, Tim Burton, Brian Johnson, Andy Garcia, Matthew Modine, Denzel Washington and Johnny Depp.

While the Airstream mystique is real people seem hard pressed to define just why that is so.  Some theorize that it has to do with their unique aerodynamic bullet shape.  Others claim Airstreams are symbols which appeal in a very basic way to American’s love of freedom.  Still others say they represent for owners a yearning for the nomadic way

Wally, Stella and a kitchen.

of life.  Maybe it’s the aluminum retro 50’s look.  Perhaps it just because it looks nothing else on the road.  Airstream owners claim it is because the Airstream is truly authentic, following Wally Byam’s legendary quote, “Make No changes.  Make only improvements.”   Certainly, the riveted aluminum design is classic.  Certainly it has a classic heritage.  The Airstream was based on designs created by Hawley Bowlus, the factory manager at Ryan Airlines who created Charles Lindberg’s Spirit of St. Louis. 

I have my own theory.  I contend that Airstreams have been cross channeling with The Life of Riley over the past sixty years merging their spirits.

The Life of Riley

To fully comprehend this complex hypothesis a little background is in order.  The Life of Riley was originally a radio show of the 1940’s.   In 1953 The Life of Riley became a series on television, which ran for six seasons, airing 217 episodes.  Chester A. Riley was actually the prototype for America’s blue-collar sitcom hero.  Riley was forever getting involved in get-rich-quick schemes or social situations only to be somehow saved from his demise by the end of the half hour.   Jackie Gleason atually was the first Chester A. Riley during the first season in 1953.  The Honeymooners was already a recurring sketch created by Gleason for the DuPont’s network Cavalcade of Stars variety show starting in 1951.  The Life of Riley was the first actual television sitcom premiering as a fully contained 1/2 hour program.  The real star of The Life of Riley was William Bendix who replaced Gleason.  Bendix developed the lovable but bumbling blue collar Chester A. Arthur. 

William Bendix as Riley - The first in a long line of bumbling yet lovable blue collar TV sitcom heroes.

Riley was a regular guy with a lunch pail job, a wife, two kids and dreams of greatness.  Ralph Kramden, Fred Flintstone, Ward Cleaver, Danny Thomas, Archie Bunker, Al Bundy and Doug Heffernan all owe homage to Chester A. Riley. 

The expression, "Living the life of Riley" became a widely popular expression in the 50’s.  It meant living the good life, relaxing without concerns about money or want.  It had no negative connotation but served as a compliment.  In today’s parlance it’s “Living Large.”  In the 50’s, if you looked like you had it made you were Living The Life of Riley. Bendix coined another phrase that quickly caught on with the public.  Whenever, things went bad he would groan, “What a revolting development this is!”

Riley worked in the fictional Cunningham Aircraft plant is California as a wing riveter with his best buddy, Jim Gillis.  Many scenes took place in the factory as Riley and Gillis, under a giant aluminum airplane wing, riveting away and plotting their latest scheme. 

Airstream and The Life of Riley share strong vibes– An emotional atmosphere filled with aluminum & rivets.  A shared anticipation of a great adventure each time out.   Both The Life of Riley and Airstream are about the search for the good life with the likelihood of revolting developments when trips or plans go array, and ultimately a shared philosophy emphasizing family and carefree living.  All these elements have been floating around the universe for the last six decades – The Life of Riley floating around the airwaves while the aluminum Airstreams have been floating around the planet.  It seems logical to me that a mystical mutual attraction has resulted where Airstreams have been channeling the spirit of Chester A. Riley and has somehow infused these traveling aluminum tubes with a spirit that makes each road trip an ongoing search for The Life of Riley.  Watch the video and see if you don't agree that the mystique lives on...