The 1961 Shasta Airflyte canned ham trailer is coming back! Well, in a limited edition run, that is. To mark its 75th anniversary, Shasta RV this September will launch production of 1,941 copies of the company’s iconic 1961 Shasta Airflyte travel trailer. On the outside, you likely won’t be able to distinguish the old from the new. On the inside: The reproduction anniversary Shasta will get a vintage look like the original, too, but with modern mechanicals and plumbing. Sticker price is expected to run $15,000 to $17,000. On Wednesday, I spoke with company President Mark Lucas about the introduction – and I’m excited.
First, props to RV Daily Report, which first reported this story. And, thanks to reader Shara, who tipped us to this news.
My interview with Mark Lucas, president of Shasta RV
I tracked Lucas down while he was waiting to get on an airplane in Knoxville, Tenn. To be sure, he sounded juiced about the project, too.
“Shasta is the oldest name in the industry,” he said. “We started in 1941, and are still in production today – even older than Airstream, for example.” Launched in 1941 – 1,941 reproductions to celebrate the 75th anniversary – get it?
Lucas told me that after he joined the company two years ago, he began to notice that competitors were increasingly putting retro-iconic cues on to their products – cues that were basically imitating some of the classic 1961 Shasta features – like the “canned ham” shape and Shasta wings.
Just how popular was that original ’61 Airflyte? Lucas explained that Shasta first introduced the “canned ham” shape in 1954, built in Shasta’s Los Angeles plant on another model trailer… the Airflyte was introduced in 1961… and by 1967, the look was over.
During that time span, though, Shasta was #1 in the world, with five production facilities in the U.S., including one in Goshen, Indiana, the historic epicenter of trailer manufacturing, he said. Today, the company still operates two production facilities, both in Middlebury, Indiana.
Looking at what was happening in the increasingly retro-inspired RV market, Lucas told me he thought, “Why aren’t we in this game?” And as he dug deeper, “Why don’t we just reissue the original?”
Lucas said that he is a “car guy.” The 1960 Cadillac in the glamour shot, above, belongs to his wife — that’s him, with the first reproduction Airflyte. He knew – from being a car guy – that the first step to creating a repro was to get his hands on an original.
Wanted: 1961 Shasta Airflyte for parts – all of them!
So, he went hunting for a 1961 Shasta Airflyte, and once he found it, brought it into one of the plants to take a look at. His partner in flying-under-the-corporate-radar skunks works crime was Mark Dunithan, Shasta RV’s head engineer.
Mark Dunithan — on the right, with Lucas — was a car guy, too, Lucas told me. “He drives a ’53 Chevy pickup that looks like it was found new in a barn. He was a great partner. He really jumped into this project.”
The two Marks – along with the help of craftspeople at the plant – got to work. Within two days, the vintage Shasta was stripped down to its frame. The idea was to disassemble it, learn from it, and use the pieces as a guide for new patterns and parts specifications. (Ultimately, the vintage model was also reassembled and restored.) The Shasta RV team also found old design materials in their archives that helped.
Other employees also were eager to be a part of the special project. “Line workers worked weekends and after hours… stopping… starting – to make sure that when we walked out there, that it felt like a ‘61. There was a lot of trial and error,” Lucas said. He recalled one employee’s above-and-beyond attention to detail, “’That wing – if we move it down three inches – it will look better,’ he told me. It strikes a chord – employees are really proud that we’ve reissued this, too,” he said. “This was totally heart and soul.”
Interestingly, Lucas said, getting his hands on a vintage ‘61 Shasta in good shape took more effort than he expected. “It was hard to find one in restorable condition – either they are too far gone or already restored.” I believe this. Those canned ham Shastas: Everyone wants ‘em. Like Lucas said, they are iconic – they have ‘the look’ — and that 16’ length is kind of not too big, not too small, just right.
Creating “a 90% replica”
The team has been very successful at meeting the goal, he said. He called the 2015 model a “90% replica,” so much so that “most of the new parts will fit into the old one.” The metal siding is even applied using circa-1961 methods (which are different than today’s) to ensure a water-tight seal given the design, he said.
The interior has a retro diner feel. Interior features include:
- Birch cabinet doors with chevron cabinet pulls; birch plywood elsewhere in the interior.
- Countertops with dogbone-pattern Formica trimmed in polished aluminum edging. (Original Airflyte countertops were sparkle laminate with cracks; Lucas told me he tried to find this, but of course, we know you can’t get it any more!)
- LED lighting reproduced to look like the original ’61 Shasta Airflyte gas lamp.
- Jalousie windows!
- Bench seating upholstered in two-tone, tuck-and-roll pleather with silver welt; red has a bit of an aged look.
- Black-and-white checkerboard vinyl floor.
- And you’ll notice – that reproduction birch Shasta magazine rack hanging on the wall!
- Mechanicals – like the stove, microwave, toilet, shower – are new, but chosen to harmonize with the retro interior.
- There’s even a speaker system – but it’s hidden from apparent view, Lucas said.
Exterior colors, painted to look just like the original:
- Seafoam Green
- Buttercup Yellow
- Matador Red – the color from GM in 1961, Lucas said.
You can get one starting in September
That red baby we’re seeing in these photos is Job #1. “We’re building a turquoise and yellow this week,” Lucas said. “The first week of September, we’ll have full production. Each of our two production facilities will be making between 40 and 45 a day, to start, ramping up to 60 a day.” Production will continue until all the orders – up to 1,941 – are filled.
Lucas told me that RV dealers who have been carrying one or more of Shasta’s four current product lines will get priority in submitting orders for the 2015 models. “Shasta has been around for a long time – people who have been with us – we want to reward those dealers.” (Note, Lucas explained to me that unlike auto dealerships, RV dealers can carry any model from any manufacturer.)
A lot of dealers are already submitting orders, he said – which is also helping the company to tweak colors. To order one — head to Shasta RV’s website and use the Dealer Locator.
Want to guess which color is in the lead? Which color would you choose?
Would the company consider extending the run – or making this a permanent addition to the product line? Lucas pretty much told me: No. “I think it takes away the specialness if we extend the run,” he said. Boo to the hoo. How about: Will we see some new, more retro-styled Shastas in the future? Like a good company executive, Lucas would not hint at future plans. Okay, I’ll take that as a ‘maybe’ — fingers crossed – bring on the retro!
How does Lucas feel about all this? We are having a great conversation. Lucas seems thrilled with how the 2015 model turned out and even gets – kinda gushy — which really impresses me. “It made me feel like I’m in mother’s kitchen, which is absolutely a place where I feel at home and loved.” Awwww. We understand.
He his wife have four children of their own now, and he says that he will be buying one of the 2015 Airflytes, for sure. “I’ll take it to the soccer games on Saturday – watch all four kids – hang out there all day — use it as base camp,” he said.
“I feel a huge responsibility to be at the helm of this brand name, which for a lot of people is tied to their childhood – to trips with their families to Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon…. I want to honor the brand — don’t tarnish those memories – and make those memories again. That’s what I want my kids to remember.”
Link love:
Update: Where to get information about specifications etc.:
If you have any questions about specifications or delivery or any other such technical issue, Mark contributed this information (excerpted here) down in a comment on 9/23. I am excerpting it here to make it easier for buyers and potential buyers to spot, if they want or need further information. Note: Such questions will not be answered in our comments section, you need to go to the resources Mark identifies:
Hello all-
Thanks everyone for the overwhelming interest in the re-issue of the Shasta Airflyte. There is a lot of information swirling around concerning this product, and many of us are becoming concerned about the flow of ACCURATE information.
CURRENTLY, THERE ARE ONLY TWO SOURCES FOR THE LATEST AND MOST ACCURATE INFORMATION:
1. YOUR LOCAL DEALER – http://WWW.SHASTARVING.COM HAS A DEALER LOCATOR WHERE YOU CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH THE CLOSEST SHASTA DEALER
2. THE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/1961ShastaAirflyteReissuedin2015/
WHICH WAS NOT STARTED BY AND IS NOT MAINTAINED BY SHASTA, BUT RECEIVES FREQUENT UPDATES AND HAS SEVERAL DEALER MEMBERS
Again, I’d like to thank Pam and her group for the great article and getting everyone as enthused as she is about this great period in American design….
Thanks again to Pam. And within the next hour, an update will be posted to the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/1961ShastaAirflyteReissuedin2015/) concerning dry weight, awnings, grab handles, spare tires, the start of production and remaining units.
Mark Lucas
President/General Manager
Shasta RV
All material in this story copyright Retro Renovation 2014.
Julie says
Love it. But then I do own a seafoam green Aladdin from 1967. The fixtures in mine are aqua enamel with a sort of whitewash to the paneling and my mom and I recently reupholstered with some Elvis fabric (granted not authentic but great feel for the space). Flooring has been replaced at few times and the last time it rather lost it’s retro feel… it’s such a small space and this has inspired me to find some really cool mid century flooring to bring it back to full glory.
Steve Belickis says
Also, I have seen some activity on this and other websites about a possible bunkhouse version. When a few of us from the Mount Comfort team went up to speak to Shasta’s president, Mark and their chief engineer, also named Mark, they showed us just a sketch of a possible second trailer, and I can assure everyone here that what we saw is not a bunkhouse. At this time, speculation is if Shasta can’t sell 1,941 of the Airflyte 16, then the chances for the other floor plan being produced is greater to make up for costs. If Shasta can sell all 1,941, then the chances for the second floor plan go down considerably. This is just what we were told and it’s a fluid situation that’s constantly evolving. It’s not everyday a manufacturer tries to bring back a unit over 50 years old, especially at the high attention to detail to the original that Mark is doing. I can tell you that we have over 30 pre-orders at Mount Comfort alone and it’s still the beginning of August. Hope this helps and happy camping!
V/R
Steve
Mark Lucas says
Steve-
Thanks for providing all the information, but I do want to clarify a few things… We ARE building the 19 foot floorplan in addition to the 16 foot floorplan. Regardless of volume or number of orders, both floor plans will be produced.
The 19 footer is the same as the 16 footer with the exception of the additional few feet being used to make the gaucho across the back into an “L” shaped sitting area. It will then convert to a larger sleeping area.
Having four kids of my own, I’m searching to find a way to make it a bunkhouse… But no promises as of yet. So you are correct in advising potential customers it is not currently a bunkhouse.
Thanks again
Mark Lucas
President/General Manager
Shasta RV
Steve Belickis says
Mark,
That is excellent news! Thank you for the clarification and it’s an excellent floor plan and we’re excited to see it!
V/R
Steve
Kelly says
What will be the price point on the 19 & can we preorder now???
Steve Belickis says
Kelly,
As far as I know, there has yet to be a prototype built of the 19. We might still be a couple of months out until we can see it in person. We have spoken with the factory and we can begin taking orders on it. I’ve got some more information I can give over the phone if you’re interested. 317-898-6676. Thank you.
Steve Belickis
Mount Comfort RV
Steve Belickis says
Hi everyone,
I work at Mount Comfort RV in Greenfield, IN. I had the privilege of being the guy filming Mark Lucas’ video above during our visit up there to the Shasta plant Thursday. We actually had people stopping on the side of the road to take pictures of the Airflyte, the whole experience was amazing. It is correct in that they are only making 1,941 of these. We are accepting orders at this time for a projected mid-October delivery time frame. If you are interested, please shoot me an email or call me at 317-898-6676. Have a great day and happy camping!
V/R
Steve Belickis
Mount Comfort RV
paul says
Love them
Phil Gummow says
I am the manager of a Shasta RV dealership in Sacramento, and to be honest, I am amazed at how many calls I have already gotten because of this article. Guess you could say, we are still “on the fence” as to how many of the new Airflytes we should order. I am told that in addition the the 16′ floor plan, the folks at Shasta are also working on a longer “bunkhouse” version. I would really appreciate it if anyone that might be interested in one of these would drop me a line and let me know, along with which of the two floor plans they are most interested in. Thanks a lot!
Phil Gummow
General Manager
RV Travel World of Sacramento
phil@rvtravelworld.com
Beth says
My dream come true!
I’ve been shopping for an Airflyte to set up in the backyard on a bed of white chipped gravel, a little picket fence, and adorned with flowers and pink flamingos… for…. sit down… a guest house!!
I’ve just placed a preliminary order with a local Shasta dealer. He didn’t know about it… he’s stoked too. He’s thinking about ordering one of each for the lot. He is even delivering it for me. Yippeeeeee!
pam kueber says
Wow! Congratulations!
Nancy says
I remember …. Sleeping on a canvas type bunk that was hung above the ‘couch’. There was a little window, but it was very snug.
I do wish the makers of recreational vehicles would take note of the simple retro beauty of the old trailers. New ones are over done with mirrors and fancy upholstery. Yikes!
Pam Byrd Berard says
Love this, Love this, LOVE THIS! I’ve been looking for that “just right” vintage canned ham for months! I found a 69 Shasta nearby, but due to damage beyond what I thought we could fix…I decided to wait until the gentleman (a multi-canned ham owner) decided to sell another of his vintage tin models. When I get my vintage canned ham, we’ll remodel ourselves, and that will be a savings. I’ll probalby just keep her in the back yard by the stream as a hobby house. I love the old birch wood, formica and laminate. The floors are terrific too! I’ll keep a close eye on the reissue…because who knows(?) I may decided to buy an authentic reproduction and start camping!
Thank you for this wonderful article and info!
Diane Vallere says
This story makes me so happy! I love the passion for the project that comes through in the interview, and the pride the entire team took in creating this beauty. Kudos to Shasta and Lucas for seeing the value in returning to their own archives.
Erin says
I just bought a ’61…and I’m dying to get my hands on those parts. Who do I have to see about that? Nothing on their website. Maybe via a dealer.