One Man's Art Is Another's Trailer Trash

DOVER - Evoking the spirit of kitschy Americana like giant balls of string or alligator wrestling, seven aluminum-plated travel trailers once destined for the junkyard have gotten unexpected mileage as a roadside curiosity along eastbound Interstate 4.

Front ends partially buried in the dirt, rear bumpers scraping the sky, the old Airstream trailers lean at identical acute angles, catching glints of sunlight and the glances of highway travelers.

The man who arranged them into a row of giant silver dominoes frozen in free-fall said he is paying tribute to an American icon: the Cadillac Ranch, a display of 10 tail-finned cars placed nose-down in a prairie near Amarillo, Texas.

"It's art," said Frank Bates, the owner of Bates RV and the adjacent field near McIntosh Road where the teetering trailers were planted Friday.

But one person's art is another's junk - at least that is how Hillsborough County code enforcement inspectors defined the display when they found Bates in violation of land-use codes.

Bates will receive a certified letter this week informing him that he has improperly used agricultural land, code enforcement spokeswoman Kemley Green said. Bates will also be cited for accumulating items on his property - namely the old trailers - that code enforcement officers deem debris or junk, Green said.

Bates can explain his case at a code enforcement board hearing, she said. If Bates does not comply, he could have daily fees assessed on his property.

Although allegedly in violation of county codes, the trailers have passed the muster of the county Environmental Protection Commission's wetlands and solid waste divisions. The trailers, which were put into position by crane and backhoe operators, are on pasture, not wetlands, commission inspector Bob Owens said.

Environmental scientist Terry Payton said the trailers, which range from about 14 to more than 50 years old, are "just shells" and pose no threat because oil and gas cylinders have been removed.

Bates said he will do what he can to keep what he calls Airstream Ranch, even if it means hiring a lawyer and taking his case to court.

"It's a fun thing," he said of his display. "I think it's cool."

Nearby residents have different descriptions.

"It's pretty hideous," said Michael O'Connor, 40, who lives on Castlewood Road, a narrow street that meanders through a rural neighborhood south of the trailers. "You can only dress up a pig so much."

O'Connor said he has seen motorists pull over and stop on the side of the interstate to snap photographs. On occasion, he witnessed travelers on westbound I-4 stop their vehicles and scamper across the highway to take a closer look, O'Connor said.

Bates said he encourages motorists to exit on McIntosh Road at his RV dealership if they want to tour Airstream Ranch.

Brian Connell, another Castlewood Road homeowner, whose property directly faces Bates' display, said he thinks the oddly arranged trailers are the latest in a series of marketing ploys by Bates RV.

In the past, Bates wanted to paint "Save Moo-lah," one of the dealership's slogans, on the flanks of live cows and put them in the field now occupied by the trailers, Connell said.

Bates does not deny almost using cows as billboards. Another gimmick he used for years featured an RV dangling from a large crane near the entrance to the dealership, Bates said.

He said he does not need any more advertising and that Airstream Ranch is different, a homage to the bullet-shaped RVs that are regaining popularity as baby boomers grow older and yearn to tap into their pasts. One day, maybe it will join the ranks of well-known roadside attractions such as Cadillac Ranch and Dinosaur World, west of Plant City, Bates said.

Connell said the seven trailers he can view from his front door are not a roadside attraction but a neighborhood distraction. He said he fears that the trailers will fall over if the ground is softened by heavy rain and that vandals may be drawn to the area.

"It's a nuisance and it's going to attract crime," said Connell, 44. "I don't mean Mr. Bates no harm, but he's got his ideas, and I got mine."

Resident Larry Borneisen said he is not totally opposed to the trailers because Bates seems willing to work with homeowners to ensure that curious onlookers will not disrupt the neighborhood and overload Castlewood Road.

"If it doesn't infringe on our serenity and security, I don't see the big deal with it," Borneisen said.

Bates said he has offered to build a wall if residents insist Airstream Ranch is an eyesore. He plans to landscape around the trailers to give his property a more parklike setting.

"We can jazz these up," he said. "We'll make them look pretty. This is just the beginning."