The threat of severe weather throughout Friday afternoon dominated the local news for days. Our weekend at Loyd Park was dependent on one thing: a stop, en route, at Discount Tire in Grand Prairie, to evaluate a screw that had found its way into our tread. Would the storm strike at the precise hour Cloud 9 was getting its tire removed and repaired? Large hail, damaging winds, perhaps even a tornado were all predicted. Ultimately, all the worry and woe was for nothing. The screw was smaller than feared, and hadn’t penetrated beyond the tread. The storms and their tornadic activity moved north and east of us. We made our way to Loyd Park without incident, got set up, and soon found ourselves sipping Lemon Drops and preparing for Date Night.

Our site, adjacent to one of the “group loops,” overlooked a gathering of Shasta Reissues. In 2015, Shasta created a nearly exact replica of its iconic 1961 Airflyte travel trailer to commemorate the 75th anniversary of its founding in 1941. For the event, the company produced a limited number of Airflytes, 1,941, to be exact, in the three original colors: Matador Red, Seafoam Green, and Butternut Yellow. All were on display this weekend, in both 16- and 19-foot models.

For the reissue, Shasta was attentive to every detail, including the original Shasta logo magazine rack and the trailer’s iconic “wings.” The only difference: an all-in-one bathroom with a toilet an a shower replaced the original closet.

We admit, at the time we ordered Cloud 9 in October 2014, we were aware that Shasta was planning to reissue its Airflyte, and we considered it. But as we stepped inside to tour a couple of rigs this weekend, we realized how glad we were to have opted for the 25-foot Airstream instead. The Shasta is not only shorter by almost nine feet but narrower by three! Even the “deluxe” 19-foot model is much smaller by comparison.

So while we may be nostalgic about the 1961 Airflyte (and its 2015 reissue), we have no illusions: Cloud 9 is the right rig for us. And considering how much we’ve invested in it over time, it will no doubt remain our rig of choice for years to come. No regrets.

Well, we do have one regret. This weekend, we had to contend with a sick dog. Maya developed a bad case of diarrhea on Friday morning, and she contended with it throughout Saturday and into Sunday. Nothing reminds you of the limitations of tiny living like having to navigate your way around piles of poo.