Airstreams not only hold the hearts of many with memories of camping and childhood road trips, but the metallic gleam is a staple of the brand stopping many in their tracks to marvel at these unique recreational vehicles. We sat down with Bill Ward of Living Airstream, a luxury rental company of his fleet of vehicles ranging from vintage model rentals to newer models nightly, weekly and monthly. Renting for all types of occasions, from photo shoots to weddings, mobile offices to Burning Man accommodations, Living Airstream is picking up momentum as the cult-like following of Airstream becomes engaged.
Glamping.com: How did you first become involved with Airstreams?
Bill Ward: I first got started with Airstreams when I saw one up the street from where I lived in Denver (super shined up exterior… beautiful), thought “what the hell” I’ll buy one! I mentioned it to my father and a friend of mine and they wanted in on it, too, which sparked the idea that maybe other people might be interested in becoming a part of this as well.
G: What markets are you currently in with Living Airstream?
BW: We have our main branches in Denver and San Francisco and satellite offices in Los Angeles and Scottsdale.
G: Any favorites in the fleet?
BW: I really like the 1964 Bambi, because they truly represent the all-American road trip.
G: What makes Airstreams the right fit as opposed to other RVs?
BW: Airstreams are rolling pieces of art that have stood the test of time with a cult-like following. Anytime anyone sees that polished aluminum exterior pull up to a campsite, they immediately want to look inside and take photos. Plus, more than 60% are still in use (from what I’ve researched). We also have a new website, www.rentbowl.com where customers can rent RVs, campers, off-road ATVs and more as part of a sharing community, much like airbnb.com but with recreational vehicles.
G: How is Living Airstream a glamping experience?
BW: Living Airstream is a unique glamping experience in that it allows for a mobile airstream experience. Between our high-quality product and our customer service we are bringing retro back into glamping.
G: Where do you see the future of the company?
BW: For the future of the company, I see Living Airstream expanding to a commercial division as well. I want us to then take both divisions, business and leisure alike, throughout the United States and eventually Europe where Airstreams are enormous.
Whether purchasing a new Airstream to refurbish or moving inventory across the country, Ward does so with a smile. With the company growing and the demand increasing with it, glamping in style with Living Airstream is proving to be a popular option across the United States. Eventually utilizing rentbowl.com, Ward is looking to the future for an inventory-less model, making room for even more unique stays as the site becomes more popular. Rental information for Living Airstream can be found at LivingAirstream.com.
Always loved the Airstream look, never had one but they are so cool. Had a few friends and relatives had them.
We were hugely disappointed by our experience with Living Airstream. Bill seems like a nice guy, and I must say up front he did refund our money. But we will never get back our time, and the experience was a huge negative for a family vacation.
I reserved an Airstream from Living Airstream more than two months in advance to use as a guest room for a family reunion at our property. I thought this would ensure getting a really nice one.
Bill delivered an Airstream he said he had just bought. It was cute, but a bit run-down. Some curtains were missing or in tatters, screens were missing or in tatters, several windows did not work.
But, we are nice people so we just went with the flow. Nobody needed to stay in it the first night. Which is good, because it rained, and the skylight leaked. Bill came out and patched it the next morning.
Then I went to get it ready for our guests. I noticed it was grimy. I spent an hour cleaning it – the counters, tabletop and walls were dirty, the floor was dirty – I had to mop it twice. There was mouse poop.
It was starting to smell. I sprayed some air freshener and opened all the windows that I could.
Later I went out again and the smell was worse. It smelled too bad for anyone to stay in it. I emailed Bill about the smell and mentioned I had had to clean it. He protested that his maid had cleaned it. If so, he needs to hire a new maid.
The smell got so bad, we asked Bill to just come pick up the Airstream. It was unusable. We had not used the bathroom or anything. It smelled like something (the mice?) had died in it. He didn’t come get it that night so my husband hitched it up and moved it away from our house (luckily we have 4.5 acres).
Long story still rather long, Bill did admit that the smell was terrible and after several days we got a check in the mail. Meanwhile we had to be creative to figure out how to house all of our guests in our house. It all worked out, but, it was embarrassing for us, and generally a terrible experience. If you reserve something 2 months in advance, you have reason to expect you are going to get the best that the vendor has to offer.