Airstream

About Airstream

Airstream was founded in Los Angeles in 1931 by Wally Byam, whose riveted-aluminum 1936 Clipper set the template for the brand's iconic silver travel trailers. Headquartered since 1952 in Jackson Center, Ohio, where every travel trailer is still built, Airstream has been a subsidiary of Thor Industries since 1980 and also builds Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based touring coaches.

How they build

Semi-monocoque riveted aluminum construction descended from the 1936 Clipper — aerodynamic, lightweight bodies assembled largely by hand in Jackson Center, Ohio.

• Riveted aluminum trailers
• 1936 Clipper lineage
• Jackson Center craftsmanship
• Touring coaches
• Caravanning heritage

Milestones

1. 1931Founded by Wally Byam in Los Angeles
2. 1936Introduced the riveted-aluminum Clipper
3. 1952Opened the Jackson Center, Ohio plant, now company headquarters
4. 1980Acquired by newly formed Thor Industries
5. 2019Broke ground on $40M, 750,000-sq-ft Jackson Center plant expansion
6. 2021Opened the Airstream Heritage Center for the brand's 90th anniversary