A 1992 Airstream Model 34 Limited Excella travel trailer and its tow rig 2011 Ford F-450 Super Duty are headed to the Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction in August. It’s a nice duo, but even most diehard loyalists wouldn’t go out of their way to pay a sickening amount for a 30-year-old travel trailer and the first year of Ford’s 6.7-liter V-8 Power Stroke diesel dually. And what are they doing at an auction house like Bonhams? In this case, more important than the what is the who. The Airstream and Ford belong to Tom Hanks, the actor that even the flimsiest of movie buffs can recognize as the man behind one of the most famous movie lines ever: “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.”
Purchased in 1993, Tom Hanks used his 1992 Airstream Model 34 Limited travel trailer as a home-away-from-home during movie productions. We don’t really know what life’s like during a movie shoot, but we can imagine that the Airstream provided Hanks with a private, personal, familiar space to rest and hang out. Or maybe it was the relaxing place where Hanks hung out with colleagues.
The Airstream hasn’t traveled the natural world exactly, but it’s definitely familiar with the ways of movie stars. It has journeyed to Seattle for the filming of Sleepless in Seattle to Beaufort, South Carolina, for Forrest Gump. It’s been to Philadelphia for Philadelphia and New York City for Sully. It’s also spent a lot of time in Los Angeles. Little replica clapperboards on the exterior windows identify 18 locations that it has visited. This Airstream hasn’t seen traditional recreation, but when you’re Tom Hanks, you do what you want with an Airstream. And who knew he was an Airstream guy?
The inside of the Airstream was tailored to Hanks’ desires. A regular couch fits inside thanks to removable legs, and special teakwood chairs and a table add to the anti-travel travel trailer décor. All of the accessories, furniture, and a Honda generator are included in the sale. As a bonus, Hanks autographed one of the air conditioners.
