DWR Airstream with Toshiba HDTV upgrade screening Monty Python's Flying Circus

HDTV came to our Airstream. The DWR Bambi Airstream came with a 15″ Sony. It was heavy, had no built-in DVD player, looked dated, no HD, used an external power adapter, used more energy, and the picture wasn’t very good. So, I went out on a quest to find a more beautiful display. We don’t really watch TV much while camping, but it certainly is nice to watch some movies when it is cold and rainy outside. Having the built-in DVD is important since the Sony DVD/car stereo doesn’t upscale to a 720p display, so the video from the DVD player upfront would look quite bad.

Old power-brick cover box is now shorter to fit the wider TV and conceals the 12v to 110V inverter

Another benefit of HD is that I often don’t even have to elevate the Antenna to get a perfect HDTV broadcast picture within a metropolitan area.  I didn’t have to alter the VESA mounting system that held the old TV, but my brother Mark Thomas from Thomas Design/Build cut the power-brick cover plate, that used to house the AC adapter for the Sony TV, back by a third, since it was too long and in the way of the wider TV.

The reason I kept the AC adapter box was because I am using it to conceal a 12V to 110V inverter. This means we can finally use the TV when dry-camping.

Original Sony TV

The white Toshiba 19LV506 19″ HD TV looks much better with the DWR Airstream styling, uses less energy, and has a much better picture. I wish Airstream would have thought of this during production. Then they would have not have had to build a custom wooden box to conceal the AC adapter. I also wish Airstream would have run a HDMI and Cat5 ethernet cable from the stereo to the television, just to future-proof the trailer.

With our HDTV upgrade, we can watch Monty Python’s Flying Circus on rainy camping days!

DWR Airstream + Volvo XC90 V8 Sport in the Badlands, SD (photo: Martin Thomas)

I love Volvos, for many reasons, so I had to find one that could pull our new DWR Airstream. We went to our dealership and drove a used 2004  XC90 and it was uninspired. I talked to my wonderful sales person, Tristan Grobel at Borton Volvo in Minneapolis, MN and asked, “What about the new Sport Edition?” and he said, “I’ll let you drive it. You’re going to love it.”  He was right.  The moment I opened the door, Kate screamed, “This is it.” And, once I started the V8 and took the first corner, I was hooked.  What a great car.  What a fantastic ride.  Tight, quick and a nice V8 roar when you kick it.

We bought it and Borton Volvo installed my brake controller for pulling the “Streaming Daemon.” That was so much fun for them that we brought the mechanic two 24-packs of Budweiser (that is what the guy liked) when we picked up the Volvo XC90 Sport as a bonus for his effort.  They had to remove the seats and run new cables to the back. Fun!

Then we drove out to Eugene, Oregon to pick up one of the last remaining DWR Airstreams. Tom Hanks bought the other DWR model at our dealership.

Zipping over the Rockies with this V8 beast was more than fun.

Pulling the Airstream is even better.

It is so smooth, quiet and powerful. A combo one seldom sees. I even have a feeling we might be the only people in the US pulling an Airsteam with a Swedish car named WOTAN. It is a great combo. Great design and performance front and back.

DWR Airstream Bambi with Volvo XC 90 Sport in Wyoming