US actor chooses caravan lifestyle

Hollywood heart-throb, Matthew McConaughey has confirmed his undying passion for caravans, continuing on a regular basis to live in a customised Airstream trailer for periods of up to three months while on location making movies.

Talking on the Kyle and Jacki O radio show last week, the star of Sahara, Fool’s Gold, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, said he owns three of the iconic, American-built Airstreams vans, and lived in one until recently while his $5 million Malibu mansion was being built.

"Two (caravans) are on the property and one of them goes on location with me," the 41 year-old US actor said.

His latest Aistream is a 2010 ‘Timeless’ model, which has been fully customised by New York’s GSM Vehicles to the star's tastes. McConaughey said he did the design and some of the work on the 34ft van's bespoke interior.

"(It came) right off the assembly line, nothing but the shell, and then I worked on the interior for three years," he said. "It’s fine, I call it the Smithsonian."

He’s especially proud of the dining and kitchen areas, which have been set up for entertaining family and friends.

"In this one I designed a 7ft by 4ft window that opens up over the galley to the outside, and on the outside I put a bar that raises up," he said. "At lunch sometimes you’d get four barstools outside, you’d get the game on the telly behind me, and the chef would serve out the window. It’s just a great place to hang out. It’s got outdoor speakers and everything on it."

The van has also accommodated his family, including partner Camila Alves and two-year-old son Levi and 14-month-old daughter Vida, on trips away of up to three months to Los Angeles, New Orleans, Texas and Brazil.

"(I say) let’s just grab the caravan and do it, and it turns out being a hell of a fun adventure that way," he said.

McConaughey is renowned for his nomadic lifestyle, reportedly living out of a caravan with little more than his surfboard for the best part of 20 years. In 2005 he spent six weeks driving 8612 miles (13,865km) around America in his Ford pickup, pulling an Airstream van, to promote Sahara.

The free-spirited star also owns a refurbished 1958 Airstream classic, and in 2008 was permanently living in his Airstream Ocean Breeze with a then pregnant Camilla Alves at a Malibu caravan park. The large four-berth trailer boasts a queen sized bedroom, large bathroom, well appointed kitchen and roomy dinette.

McConaughey isn't the only celebrity caught up in the caravanning lifestyle though, with Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Sean Penn, Pamela Anderson, and Colin Farrell also proud owners of stylish, polished aluminium Airstream vans.