The Airstream eStream
Us cool, calm, and calculating Northern Europeans know that our friends in America can sometimes get a little bit over-excited. We quietly blame the Italian influence while we secretly envy such positivity and exuberance. It’s difficult to get excited when everything around you turns dark and grey for six months of the year.
However, there are times when we Northern Europeans bear witness to the bold claims and excitement of our allies, tilt our heads to one side, smile sweetly, and reply with Aww, bless! It’s the same kind of reaction that you’d get from a someone in Chicago when a friend first arrives from Smalltown UK and excitingly declares Oh look, you have McDonald’s here as well!
The First of its Kind. Or possibly not.
There was a lot of excited fuss, to-do and hoo-ha recently when Airstream, owned by Thor Industries, unveiled its eStream Concept Towable Trailer at the Florida RV SuperShow. That’s right, SuperShow. Not just a show, but a SuperShow!
The eStream was billed as The First of its Kind.
Many folks were wowed. The eStream is a great concept. But some of us Northern Europeans, in particular our friends in Germany, tilted our heads to one side, smiled sweetly, and said Aww, bless!
The Airstream eStream boasts a brilliant floor plan and is equipped with electric motors to its axles, powered by Lithium Ion batteries.
See the local press be wowed as the trailer can be manoeuvred on site independently from the vehicle by remote control!
Er… sorry folks, we’ve been using motor movers in Europe for well over 20 years. They’re brilliant. Check out this video where I’m moving my European Airstream by motor mover back in 2017. It’s such a brilliant aid to touring, it’s only right that we share it with our American cousins.
You’re welcome.
Look at the fantastic floor plan of this amazing concept Airstream, offering everything you need in a 17ft single-axle model!
Er… sorry folks. In Europe this Airstream has been available since 2008. It’s called an Airstream 534. When Swift briefly flirted with the brand in 2018, they made curtains out of my old plaid shirts and called it a Missouri, but we’re over that now. It’s back to being called a 534, and we love it. Check out my walk-through video here. It’s such a good model, it’s only right that we share it with our friends in North America.
You’re welcome.
Look at the revolutionary way that the on-board motor can help propel the trailer and increase your EV range or improve your fuel economy!
Er…sorry folks. German company Dethleffs unveiled this concept in 2018 at Caravan Salon Düsseldorf in the form of the Dethleffs eHome. I covered it in this video here. I guess the technology has finally made its way across the pond since that launch well over three years ago.
You’re welcome.
A wonderful example of international collaboration
Tongue-in-cheek observations aside, and beating aside the frothy and effusive marketing mist, it’s actually clear to see that what is happening here is a wonderful example of international collaboration for the greater good of the worldwide RV community.
Dethleffs, creator of the eHome, is a brand of the popular Erwin Hymer Group. The Erwin Hymer Group is owned by - you guessed it - Thor Industries, the same people who own Airstream.
Thor did not get to be where it is today by making bad decisions. It’s my guess that while allowing its companies to produce leisure vehicles in their own unique and autonomous ways, research and design technologies are shared in a co-ordinated fashion.
Did Microsoft and Apple become dominant in their industry by hiring people from the USA only? Absolutely not. Take a mooch around any Microsoft Campus and you’ll meet the best brains from the US, Europe, India, Japan, and everywhere else in the world.
Thor seems to have taken a leaf out of their book, and if they continue to play their cards right will assure themselves a hugely successful future.
The US gave us the iconic Airstream. Germany gave us the ground-breaking technology. The eStream has married the two together and created something to be truly excited about.
Just don’t expect us Northern Europeans not to tilt our heads to one side and smile sweetly when we read the marketing blurb.
And the winner is…!
Many thanks to all of you who joined in the fun and tried to win yourselves free tickets to the Caravan, Camping, and Motorhome Show 2020. Unfortunately there were only 10 pairs of tickets to give away.
However, if you didn’t win, don’t worry. Use this link to gain a modest discount on show tickets. Remember that tickets will not be on sale at the venue, and sales will be capped to ensure that numbers are limited. So don’t delay!
Book your tickets now using this special link.
Congratulations go to the winners:
Mads
David Bell
Anne Shirley
Jonathan Clements
Anna
Petra Bischoff
Superhoops
James H
Katrina Closier
Nordkapplrl
Those winners will be getting an email in the next few days with details of their free tickets.
Me, I’ll see you at the show! Do come and say Hellooo!
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Thank you!
Hi Andrew! Thank you so, so much for the tickets and the lovely comments! I didn't faint but I was shaking for a little while! I really appreciate your words and the tickets of course! I'm made up and sorry again for being a pain at times! I do appreciate you're really busy and you can't just give up your valuable time to each and every one! I realise that so I will try my hardest not to be such a pain in the rear end in the future! Such good news about your brother! It must have been such a worry for all concerned! Looking forward now to the show, there's a lot I want to look at so I shall pace myself! If I am lucky enough to bump into you, don't worry, I'm harmless, really! I'll just say hello and thank you a million times probably!! No, just a few times! Take care, see you there!! xxx