Re: [VAL] Re: Airstream Caravans

["Tom Patterson" <pattersontj@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ok, what I did eventually remember was that I had a copy of the rally 
brochure around somewhere.  Sure enough, I looked and found it.  I do also 
remember meeting both Polly and Doug for the first time at that rally.  I 
was there as a guest of Bill Scott.  It was my first experience at an 
Airstream rally, and there was a lot to learn.  A lot of folks to meet also. 
At that time, e-mail lists were still fairly new and Ewan McDonnell was 
running the Airstream one.  I had started archiving messages, and it was a 
real treat to meet so many folks who were only names to me up until then.

The program was: "Capetown to Cairo." (AKA "The Caravan from Hell") with Art 
and Toni Ruiz.

Also included in the brochure was a Fact Sheet about the Caravan.  I just 
now scanned this sheet, ran it through an OCR program, and here it is below.

-Tom
__________________________________________________

                                                   FACT SHEET
                                         Capetown to Cairo Caravan

The map of Africa has a map of united states overlain so as to show the size of United States
compared to Africa. Area of U.S. times 3.22 equals the area of Africa. The route
of the caravan is shown. This route was selected by Wally working with a group of
friends and volunteers.

Caravan start, June 30, 1959, in Capetown, Union of South Africa, finished 
in Cairo, Egypt, February 9, 1960.
There were about 104 people, and 41 outfits including 3 trucks. 29 reached Cairo. It
required 13 ships to transport the group overseas. Trailers varied in length from 16 to
30 feet, most were 24 feet. Some drivers had never towed a trailer before, others had
used a trailer only for weekend trips. (per Douglass)
       Most rigs were powered by brand new International Carryalls though there were
about five Chevrolets, and one Land Rover. All but the three trucks were four wheel
drive.
       There were 13 families with children, the youngest was an 8 year old boy.
       One lady drove the entire distance: she had her family with her.
       Wally's 22 ft. trailer was gold anodized and strikingly beautiful. A "capable
young mechanic" was Art Ruiz. (Douglass)
       Sun helmets (pith helmets) were out of style. Wally wore one for a few
photographs. Some natives had them.
       At Kisenyi, a few families split off, one headed home for personal reasons.
Later, others were lost for personal reasons such as children in school. One rig
was sold at Khartoum.
       Nairobi to Addis Ababa, thought to be a 5 day haul, required 34 days. Moyal to
Adola was only 342 miles and required 12 days, an average of 28.5 miles per day.

       The caravan (trip) had 99 overnight stops. One outfit clocked the mileage at
14,307 miles, and was in Africa 221 days.
       From the border of Ethiopia to Addis Ababa required 15 days.

An authoritative account of the caravan is:
"Capetown to Cairo" by Lillie B. Douglass.
The Caxton Printers, Ltd.
Caldwell, Iowa.

Also, extensive references are in:
"Trailer Travel Here and Abroad", by Wally Byam
David McKay Company, Inc.

Both books are out of print, but can be ordered in from many libraries.
____________________________________

> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Doug Rowbottom" <mossbackdoug@yahoo.com>
> To: <valist@tompatterson.com>
> Sent: Friday, September 16, 2005 7:36 AM
> Subject: [VAL] Re: Airstream Caravans
>
>
>>I was at Fredericksburg also. That was Toni Ruiz who spoke to us. Her and 
>>her husband (can't remember his name) were running an Airstream dealership 
>>in Mission Texas. Tom Patterson was also there, maybe he remembers more.
>> Doug
>>
>>
>>
>> Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2005 07:28:07 -0600
>> From: "JP Polly"
>> Subject: RE: [VAL] Airstream caravans
>>
>> In 1999 I went to a WBCCI rally in Fredericksburg, TX. There were two 
>> people at the rally as guests and featured speakers who were on a 
>> caravan. He had worked for Wally on the Cape Town to Cairo caravan and 
>> she was on the trip with her parents. They got married at the end of the 
>> trip. I think they live in Texas. Bud Cooper orgainized that rally so 
>> perhaps he would know where they are.
>> Polly in CO