In the film, Bricker explores Airstream‘s early days, with aircraft-loving Byam designing a teardrop-shaped trailer because his first wife didn’t share his love of camping. He called it the Torpedo Car Cruiser and published do-it-yourself guides to help others build their own.

With business booming, Byam opened a small factory in Culver City, Calif., in 1931. There, he designed and developed the landmark Airstream Clipper, a pioneering, riveted-aluminum semi-monocoque trailer with insulated walls, upscale interiors, its own water supply and customizable floor plans. It even offered air conditioning of sorts, using dry ice. Read the rest and see more photos here.