Airstreaming into Lucas County with covered wagons

Chuck and Doris Jean Cabalka, of Newton, bought their first (used) Airstream travel trailer in 1969 --- taking a step up from the tent they previously had used on family camping trips. Now, some 330,000 miles later, they're still on the road.

Chuck Cabalka

The trailer they pulled into Chariton late Thursday, a 31-foot model, is their third --- all purchased used for a couple of reasons: First, new Airstreams are very expensive, but (second) they never wear out if properly cared for --- so previously owned models serve a succession of owners well.

Add caption

The Cabalkas, members of the Iowa Airstream Club, an affiliate of the Wally Byam Caravan Club International, are serving as hosts this weekend for a gathering of more than a dozen Airstream families from a broad area of east central Iowa at the Lucas County Fairgrounds.

They visited Hy-Vee Distribution Friday morning, then spent the afternoon at the Lucas County Historical Society Museum. Today, they'll visit Piper's, then the John L. Lewis Museum of Mining and Labor at Lucas, before an evening social gathering. Finally, they's join Sunday morning for a brunch gathering before heading to their respective homes.

The Wally Byam Caravan Club International is named after Wally Byam who, in 1929, created his first mobile camping trailer using a Model T Ford chassis, according to the organization's web site. Successors were named "Airstream" because of their aerodynamic design. The club itself was founded during 1955 in Nova Scotia and now includes more than 10,000 members, including those affiliated with two Iowa units.

Airstreams are manufactured today in Jackson Center, Ohio, so new models always are available --- as are countless veteran models, still on the road because of the quality of the product and the care given to them by proud owners.

We had a lot of fun showing this group around the museum --- thanks especially to Kathleen, Kylie and Karoline, who served as tour guides.