Come and listen to a story about a man named Wally, a humble travel pioneer with wanderlust in his heart.
Wally Merle Byam was born on the July 4, 1896, in Baker City, Oregon. He would find himself pretty much alone in the world at a young age, but moss would not grow under his feet. To make a long and captivating biography short, Byam loved camping and his wife, who did not love camping, or at least sleeping on the ground. So Byam set out to provide an acceptable boudoir on wheels. In the process, an entire culture was formed.
There is no shortage of books about Airstream trailers, but Patrick Foster's book "Airstream: America's World Traveler" may be the definitive tome about Byam and the history of his wanderings. Published by Motorbooks (an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group USA), the hefty hardback of 192 pages has 158 color photos and 114 black-and-white images.
Foster charts a long and detailed account of Byam's life story, which will be more than the non-Airstream disciple can get through. But the photos are a picnic of pleasure, ranging from color travel shots to manufacturing shots, and an archive of Byam's travels with his wife.
"Airstream," which costs about $45, will be delightful summer reading for the Airstream owner or armchair traveler.
Dodge to Sponsor Mecum
The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Dodge division is now the exclusive automotive sponsor of Mecum Auctions, which is considered the world's largest collector-car auction company. Dodge branding and vehicles will be seen at Mecum auctions, and some events will include thrill rides in Vipers, 707-horsepower Hellcats, Challenger SRTs and Charger SRTs. The Dodge footprint will also run on Mecum television and the Mecum website, and in Mecum print publications and Mecum's glossy auction catalogs. The sponsorship fired up this past weekend for Mecum Louisville in Kentucky. At Mecum's Kissimmee, Florida, auction in mid-January, a 1970 Dodge HEMI Challenger R/T convertible sold for $1,650,000. Go Mopar.
Yokohama Goes Off-Roading
Yokohama Tire Corporation has just opened a sweepstakes for the GEOLANDAR Moab Adventure. The winner and a guest will receive a guided two-day off-road tour in Moab, Utah. The off-road run will be in a Jeep fitted with Yokohama's all-new GEOLANDAR A/T G015. The G015 is Yokohama's latest all-terrain tire, built for toughness and the ability to handle all types of surfaces in any weather, including snow. The grand prize includes hotel accommodations, airfare and spending money.
One second-place winner will be drawn to receive a set of Yokohama tires of his or her choice, and 10 third-place winners will be drawn to win Yokohama gear.
The sweepstakes will run through Sept. 16 and is open to legal U.S. residents only, 18 years of age or older. Enter the contest by subscribing to Yokohama's email newsletter at YokohamaTire.com/GeolandarMoabAdventure.
Toyo Tires Adds 2 Open Country Tires
Toyo Tire USA is now delivering two new additions to its Open Country family of SUV, crossover and truck tires.
—The Open Country Q/T is a quiet-rolling and comfortable all-season touring tire designed for CUVs (crossovers) and SUVs.
—The Open Country C/T is a commercial-grade tire designed to fit 1/2 to 1-ton pickups. It is an ideal all-terrain tire for ranchers, farmers or contractors. It has more resistance to chips and other things for a lot of use on gravel or dirt roads.
Toyo Tires promotes its Open Country family as "Six Tires, Every Terrain." Options range from aggressive off-road to on-road comfort, including: Open Country M/T (maximum traction), Open Country R/T (rugged terrain), Open Country C/T (commercial traction), Open Country A/T II (all-terrain), Open Country H/T (all-season highway) and the Open Country Q/T (quiet).
One of the big selling points for the Open Country Q/T is the 65,000-mile treadwear mileage warranty. There also is the Toyo Tires 45-day/500-mile No Regrets trial offer.
Both Open Country tires are on the way to dealerships, and while pricing was unavailable at press time, expect the Open Country Q/T to start at around $150 per tire.
The Open Country Q/T is a premium all-season tire in 35 sizes for a range of family-class, five- to seven-seat crossovers and luxury SUVs. The tread recipe is intended to give a quiet, comfortable ride with long tread life and an attractive design. Toyo says its Silent Wall technology gives a quieter ride by reducing sipe resonance. (Sipes are the thin slits across the tread face that help give more traction grip.)
The tire's four wide circumferential tread grooves improve wet traction by evacuating water. And open lateral slits in the tread also improve water drainage for better wet performance. Multiwave sipes in the tread blocks help minimize irregular wear and improve braking. The design even helps traction in light snow.
The Open Country C/T has all-terrain commercial-grade durability, Toyo says. Plus it earns the three-peak mountain snowflake icon, which qualifies it for severe snow conditions.
Three-ply construction and all-weather traction make this tire ideal for year-round service. It is also a good option for recreational weekend use, such as for hauling or towing the toys.
The C/T tread compound has high levels of natural rubber to help resist cutting, chipping and stone drilling while remaining flexible in lower temperatures. Dual-angle shoulder blocks boost traction in snow and mud and on rutted roads. And the tread is also pinned to accept studs for traction on ice.
The Open Country C/T size lineup includes 16 OE replacement and flotation sizes ranging from 16 to 20 inches in wheel diameter and load ranges "D" and "E."
Mark Maynard is online at [email protected]. Find photo galleries and more news at Facebook.com/MaynardsGarage. To find out more about Mark Maynard and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
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