The travel trailer has come a long way since Wally Byam began making them out of masonite in his backyard in Los Angeles during the late 1920s. Inspired by his time spent working as a shepherd and living out of a “two-wheeled cart outfitted with a kerosene cook stove, a sleeping bag, and wash pail,” Wally – a man way ahead of his time – went from self-publishing a DIY magazine with articles on building a modern travel trailer to owning the Airstream Trailer Co.
Wally’s last trailer was his most extraordinary: a trailer sheathed in gold anodized aluminum “outfitted for high adventure in Africa and beyond.” We think he’d be proud to know that passionate nomads continue to push the limits of his iconic design. From Ralph Lauren’s stunningly appointed Adirondack-inspired version in Telluride, Colorado to El Cosmico, Liz Lambert’s modern collection of travel trailers in Marfa, Texas celebrating an “exodus from a world of urgency”, to the Magnolia Pearl, a luxe bohemian mobile shop complete with a freestanding salvaged galvanized bathtub, click through to check out our roundup of the most inspired travel trailer renovations out there today.
Mobile Studio by Andreas Stavropoulos — Berkeley, California
Image credit: Mark Compton via Dwell Magazine
The Imperial Mansion at El Cosmico — Marfa, Texas
Image credit: ReadyMade
“Little Sister” at Huettenpalast Hostel — Berlin, Germany
Image credit: Remodelista
Ralph Lauren’s Adirondack Airstream — Telluride, Colorado
Image credit: Cote De Texas
Matthew McConaughey’s Surf Shack — Malibu, California
Image credit: Architectural Digest
Magnolia Pearl — Austin, Texas
Image credit: Magnolia Pearl
Silver Trailer by Kristiana Spaulding — Lotus California
Image credit: Silver Trailer
Tradewind Travel Trailer by Hofman Architecture — Santa Barbara, Calfornia
Image credit: Hofman Architecture
Tradewind Guesthouse by Hofman Architecture — Central Coast, California
Image credit: Hofman Architecture
Sip Juice Cart by Von Tundra — Portland, Oregon
Image credit: this tiny house
