Angie Stewart can't remember a time when summer didn't include camping trips in her parents' Airstream trailer. Whenever there was a shutdown at Allegheny Ludlum's Brackenridge plant in Harrison, where her dad worked as a steel roller, they'd pack the 25-foot aluminum-clad trailer and head off to some family-friendly destination like Pymatuning State Park in Crawford County or Rehobeth Beach in Delaware.

"It was just so much fun," she says. "The couches pulled out into beds, and we always had our awning lights on. And we met so many great people."

Her maternal grandparents felt the same way. They, too, owned a succession of Airstream trailers in which they traversed the country from 1973-88. They loved it so much that they not only joined the club named after Airstream's late founder, Wally Byam Caravan Club International, but sold their house and lived in one full time for 15 years,

Now Mrs. Stewart and her husband, Jim, have become third-generation Airstreamers. In May, the Kittanning couple bought a 27-foot 1973 Airstream trailer for $2,000. Last week, after spending another $2,000 on repairs and upgrades, they took their maiden trip as a family to Kalyumet Campgrounds near Clarion. And guess what? Her 2-year-old daughter, Hannah, and baby son, Alex, loved it.

"I'm hoping that my kids form the same happy memories," says Mrs. Stewart.

Given soaring gas prices and the popularity of "staycations," you'd think hauling a 2,000-pound trailer that limits you to just 10 miles to the gallon would be a losing proposition. Airstreamers, though, are a notoriously dedicated bunch. Owners of traditional "box" campers might be happy to park their vehicles at a campsite for the entire summer, but Airstreamers can't wait to burn up the road, says Bob George, a salesman at Airstream of Western Pennsylvania in Greensburg.

"They want to get out and travel."

Consider the Wagners, who expect to log about 10,000 miles this year in their 36-foot Airstream motorhome. Already this year they've trailered as far west as California and far south as Texas; active Byam club members, the Slate Lick residents also joined a caravan north to Ottawa, Ontario, and last month traveled -- along with thousands of like-minded souls -- to the club's 51st international rally in Bozeman, Mont.

"It doesn't just sit in the driveway," says Julia Wagner, in something of an understatement.

She and her husband, Frank, are retired and have the time to wander. But even so, "It's never too much," she insists. "You get to sample local foods and culture and see local attractions, and meet some of the friendliest people on Earth."

"It keeps us young," agrees Beverly Clayton of Plum, a second-generation Airstreamer who takes at least one trip a month in the 29-foot Excella she and her husband, Don, bought new in 1990.

Today's Airstreams, which range from 34 feet to the 17-foot Safari Sport, are a bit more elaborate than the modest wood-and-masonite trailers first trotted out by Mr. Byam in 1932. The '09 Classic Limited, for instance, runs about $100,000 and is almost a mini-mansion, with Corian counters, hickory cabinets, oil-rubbed bronze fixtures and sun-loving skylights. However, the Airstream's iconic rounded silver exteriors have changed very little since their 1936 debut.

One reason Airstreams have endured, says Jack Fedorek, manager of the Greensburg dealership, is that they're built to last. Made from airplane-grade aluminum sheets riveted together into a wingless fuselage, the campers can last four or more decades if they're well maintained and periodically refurbished. How else to explain this statistic: Two of every three Airstream trailers ever built are still on the road.

Their aerodynamically shaped exteriors have low wind resistance, which not only makes them easier to drive than box trailers (they have a lower center of gravity) but cheaper, too, because they require less horsepower and 20 percent less fuel.

From Day 1, they've been known as the Cadillac of campers. As Mrs. Wagner puts it, "it's prestigious to own an Airstream."

And once you've tried one, chances are it will become a lifestyle.

Bernie and Dolores Solomon never cared too much for Airstream's silvery, cocoon-like exteriors, preferring instead their conventional Prowler Regal box trailer. Then in 1994, at a neighbor's urging, they spent $18,000 on a 29-foot 1989 Excello and presto! They were hooked. In the years since, the Irwin couple has trailered as far west as Montana and as far south as Key West. They've visited all but eight states.

Many of those trips, of course, have been to rallies, including last month's get-together in Bozeman. But not all of 'em. Save for an Alaskan cruise two years ago to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, every vacation the Solomons have taken in the past 13 years has been with their beloved Silver Bullet. Every single one.

"It's a lifestyle that you just get hooked on," he says.

OK, so Mr. Solomon just happens to be a two-time president of AL-MON-O PA, the local chapter of the 53-year-old Byam club, so maybe he's a little biased. But with more than 10,000 members in 135 local clubs, he's in good company, even if it's increasingly going gray.

One reason people enjoy Airstreaming so much is that everything they need -- from clothes and food to movies for the DVD player-- travels with you. They also like the sense of community the club fosters with its many service-oriented activities. Members collect pennies for the "Cents for Kids" program, crochet and knit winter hats and blankets for the homeless and needy, and hold white elephant auctions to raise funds for local charities. They also collect and donate aluminum pull tabs from soda cans for organizations like the Ronald McDonald House.

Even when you factor in the cost of gas, trailering is often cheaper than flying and staying in a hotel. Most campsites cost no more than $30 a night and many club members allow fellow Airstreamers to "courtesy park" on their property for free.

What they like best, though, is the sense of independence and adventure an Airstream provides. Simply put, you never know what you'll find or see around the next bend, says Mrs. Solomon. Wally Byam's philosophy, she explains, was don't stop. Go someplace you've heard about, find out what's around the next bend and the one after that.

Having traveled across 42 states, "that's a lot of bends," says Mrs. Solomon. "If it hadn't been for the trailer, we wouldn't have gone near as many places."

For more information on Airstream trailers or the Wally Byam Caravan Club International, visit www.airstream.com or www.wbcci.org. Airstream of Western Pa., 125 Theobold Ave., Greensburg, sells new and used trailers. Contact: 724-836-4444 or www.airstreamwpa.