On October 23, 1995, three teams set out from San Diego, California to test-ride a group of travel trailer units designed by the artist Andrea Zittel. With the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art as their final destination, each trailer would arrive in Northern California on Halloween, a week and some 1,600 miles later. Uniform in their exterior and overall build, the design for the three trailers was based on the look of a dark green station wagon with wood paneling. Working with a recreational vehicle manufacturer, Zittel's intention from the start was that each interior would be customized by its drivers. Reflecting the needs and tastes of each team, the altered living spaces reflect the life, values, and whimsy of each team. In a brochure published by AZ Administrative Services - the artist's quasi-fictional company - the manufacturer promises, "our trailer design won't overshadow your options."
The first team, comprised of Zittel and fellow artist Charles White, transformed their unit into a swank lounge sporting salmon-colored upholstery, souvenir globes, and rounded wooden shelves. Taking a detour to the Biosphere in Arizona - a space-age ecological experiment in sustainable living - Zittel's miniaturized house on wheels became like a stylish, distant relative to the scientific project. Traveling on to Death Valley and Yosemite, Zittel and White's trailer became it's own experiment in living as it passed through some of the most desolate landscape in the Western hemisphere. The second trailer was driven by Todd and Kristen Kimmell, co-editors of a travel and recreational vehicle lover's magazine "Lost Highways Quarterly." Bringing their 2-month-old baby along for the trip, the Kimmell's outfitted their trailer with a diaper-changing table. Basing their modifications on the design of traditional 1930s and '40s mobile home layouts, the Kimmell's trailer included a ballerina-shaped table leg, a face carved into the kitchen cabinet, and vintage Liberace records on the walls. With trailer in toe, the family set a course through Palm Springs - a city known for its historical collection of trailer design. The third "A-Z 1995 Travel Trailer Unit" was driven by the artist's parents: Miriam and Gordon Zittel. Accustomed to tight quarters, Zittel's parents live year-round on a 31 and a half-foot sailboat. Decorating their trailer in a nautical style, the couple's weeklong home included a porthole bathroom mirror, potted plants, novels, and snapshots of the family on a sailing trip. Retracing their 1960 honeymoon drive on Highway 1, the Zittels explored an aspect of their youth in the midst of their retirement. Each team's trailer reflects a nostalgic interest in the past and an American ideal of self-sufficiency. Whether visiting a national park, taking a baby on its first road-trip, or dipping into a romantic moment from the past, each team used the travel trailer as an opportunity to explore companionship and exercise personal decisions.
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