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This Rare 1957 Airstream Wanderer May Be Tiny But It Makes Quite An Impact

This post was updated on April 18th, 2024

Larry Garrison and his family have collected vintage Airstream trailers, classics, and antiques for over 30 years. He buys, sells, and trades them for use in film and TV.

You can view his refinished vintage Airstreams at his website Airstream Vintage Trailers under the listings section.

Airstream described their short-lived Wanderer trailer as, “Ideal for rough, backcountry travel, off the beaten track, where others rarely venture.”

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Though the company designed the model for rough camping, this 1957 Wanderer has made it through 50 years of apparently easy-living.

Vintage Airstream

1957 Airstream Wanderer trailer

You can bet that an 18 foot Airstream stood out from the canned ham trailers of this era. Most modern Airstreams have a smooth roof, but this one has 13 panels that make up both the front and rear roof sections. Maybe an Airstream expert will chime in and let us know when Airstream dropped this style and went with the one-piece aluminum construction.

See also: Timeless Airstream Interior Restoration of a 1968 Safari 22′ Single-Axle

From the seller’s listing, the trailer was built in Santa Fe Springs, California with a very-low VIN #2067.

If you don’t know much about the Wanderer model, we don’t blame you. There doesn’t seem to be too much information out there on them. We were able to track down these sales brochures for the 1954 model. If you have any more general information on the Airstream Wanderer – and why they stopped making it – please let us know in the comments.

Marketing brochure for the 1954 Airstream Wanderer.

Airstream Wanderer sales brochure
Airstream

Floor plans for the 18 foot Airstream Wanderer model.

1954 Airstream Wanderer floor plans
Airstream

There’s no doubt this trailer is ready to go mechanically, though you could simply use it as a backyard play area, craft cabin, or artist’s studio. You might also consider leasing it to a film company for use in movies or television shows (sometimes for over $1,000 a day!)

Rare Airstream travel trailer

1957 Wanderer from the back

Vintage Airstream

Nameplate on Airstream Wanderer

The Wanderer was one of the first Airstream’s of this size to come with an optional toilet.

Bathroom. in 1957 WandererJPG

Toilet

Kitchen area

Close-up of the original Krefft refrigerator.

Old time refrigerator

Sink area

Looking toward the rear.

Looking toward the rear

Close up of the bedroom area.

Close up of the bedroom area

Some storage cabinets and Space Age window treatments.

Some storage cabinets

Looks like there’s a theme going on here.

Looking toward front of the trailer

Relax in the pull out bed up front.

Pull out bed

Large pull out bed in Airsream Wanderer

This is an original fluorescent light, though the owner has installed LED lighting as well.

Original fluorescent light in 1957 Airstream

Along with attention-grabbing red wheel wells.

Red wheel wells

Yep, she’s a beauty.

1957 Airstream Wanderer from the front

1950s car with vintage Airstream

Get more Airstream:

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