'Big metal Twinkies' shine in Summit

BRECKENRIDGE — To most people, an Airstream is described as “those RV’s that look like big metal twinkies,” but to Fred Coldwell and Shari Davis, they’re more of a lifestyle.

The Vintage Airstream Club called the Tiger Run RV Resort home this weekend. Seventy Airstream owners gathered at the Breckenridge RV Park to show off their vintage trailers, 65 of which were built before 1983. The club is a sub-category of the nationally-known Wally Byam Caravan Club International, and has a rally each year in different parts of the country.

Coldwell, who is the archive historian of airstream club, brought his 1965 Airstream to Summit County, and says that polishing your airstream is the key to showing it at these rallies.

“Polishing is very important, one of the things you want to do is blind people when you’re going down the highway with your trailer,” Coldwell said. “To do a trailer it could take up to 150 hours to get it this shinny, so it’s a dedicated proposition.”

Davis, the president of the club, has been “Airstreaming” since 2002 when she bought her first vintage trailer. She has traveled as far north as Salem, Ore., and as far south as Perry, Ga., with her Airstream. Davis says she was attracted to Airstreams because she loves big, bright, shinny objects.

“We really enjoy the people we’ve met along the way, the travel and being able to sleep in our own bed every night,” Davis said.

Members of the club consider their Airstreams American icons.

“They’re constant and they haven’t changed much over the years,” Davis said. “We live in such a disposable society today and the Airstreams are still the same.”