‘Simple’ starlets ride in style

Other than the folks who work for Airstream, I might be the only person in America tuning into “Simple Life 2: Road Trip” just to get a closer look at that snazzy silver travel trailer being pulled by a hot-pink pickup truck.

For those of you who are not in the 18 to 49 year-old demographic watching Fox network on Wednesday nights, “Simple Life 2” is the sizzling summer “reality” show that has consistently won its time slot since it exploded onto the small screen four weeks ago.

“It’s definitely the summer star for Fox,” said Rick Andrycha, program director for KAYU-TV, the Fox affiliate in Spokane. According to Fox, ” ‘Simple Life 2 continues to rank as the No. 1 program of the new season.”

Of course “Simple Life 2” is a “reality” show, if one accepts as fact that Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, two gorgeous “celebutantes,”actually make their way across country, earning enough money from working odd jobs for food, fuel and campsite fees.

As the promotional material states: “The outrageous fish-out-of-bottled-water series focuses on Hilton and Richie, who are again stripped of their cell phones, cash and credit cards. Departing from Miami Beach and ending up in Beverly Hills the girls must navigate their way through this wild ride full of new jobs, host families and small towns across the country.”

It only takes one look to see that Paris and Nicole aren’t your typical RV work campers.

Paris, 22, is the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton hotel chain. With homes in Manhattan’s Waldorf-Astoria, Beverly Hills and the Hamptons, she is a favorite of the paparazzi and popular press.

Nicole, Paris’ best friend since both were toddlers, is 23 and the daughter of legendary pop icon Lionel Richie. She is also an aspiring actress, singer and dancer.

“Most people would be surprised that two young Hollywood women could get into an Airstream and really love it,” said Andrycha. “That’s part of the thing that goes with the show, they like their home and pulling it across America.”

Of course they weren’t exactly alone last spring on their six-week trek from Florida through Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

“We had about 50 people on the road,” said Patrick Murphy, vice president for production at Bunim-Murray Productions, in an e-mail. Bunim-Murray also produces The Real World, Road Rules and Starting Over.

For the other two stars of the show, the production crew selected a brand new 25-foot Airstream International CCD travel trailer and a customized GMC Sierra 2500 Crew Cab truck.

Airstream—American icon

When the word came down that Bunim-Murray was scouting around for an RV for a new reality series starring Hilton and Richie, Airstream didn’t hesitate to call first, said Tim Champ, director of marketing and brand development for Airstream.

“We said: ‘Look we’ll help you cut to the chase. These girls shop at the most expensive places in the world and they’re not going to be happy with anything other than an Airstream,’ ” recalled Champ from his office at the company headquarters in Ohio.

“An Airstream is really the only RV that would stand up to the punishment of these girls,” said Champ. “Over 60 percent of all Airstreams ever built are still rolling down the highways today.”

The production crew ended up picking the 25-foot International CCD model that retails for $47,243.

Interior amenities include space for suitcases, queen-size bed, pull-out sofa and full modern galley and bath. Overhead compartments are closed with backlit, translucent sliding doors. Flooring materials are easy to clean, which came in handy when both Hilton and Richie brought their dogs, Tinkerbell and Honey Child, along for the trip.

Gross vehicle weight, not taking into account shoes and makeup, is around 6,000 pounds.

‘Pinkie’—the truck

The silver Airstream was pulled by a customized metallic pink 3/4 -ton, two-wheel drive GMC Sierra with a Vortec6000 V8 engine.

“The Sierra, with a towing capacity of up to 12,000 pounds, had no problem pulling that Airstream trailer,” said Dale Cornwell, owner of Becker Buick-GMC in Spokane. “Airstreams are so aerodynamic, they are easy towing.”

If production chief Murphy could have made one change in the truck, he indicated he would have added four-wheel drive.

“We had a lot of rain on the trip, which created a lot of mud,” he said. “I would recommend a four wheel drive truck, as the girls got stuck multiple times.”

This 3/4 -ton beauty pencils in at about $40,000, give or take a grand. Tax, title, license, dealer fees and optional equipment are extra.

“The Airstream proved to be very road worthy and made it through the entire trip in one piece,” said Murphy. “Both Pinkie and the Airstream continue to travel around the country doing promotional events for the show.”

For more information

• Airstream’s Web site is www.airstream.com. The closest Airstream dealership is Hills Auto and RV, 1728 S. First St., Yakima, Wash. Call (509) 248-3131, or e-mail: hillsrv@qwest.net. The other listed Washington outlet is Great American RV Center, 5800 Pacific Highway E., Fife, Wash. Call toll-free (888) 926-2626 or visit www.greatamericanrv.com. In Idaho the only dealer is Bodily RV, 1880 W. Overland Road, Meridian (near Boise), call (208) 888-4241.

• To get a look at every kind of GMC truck go to www.gmc.com or visit Becker Buick-GMC, 636 E. Sprague Ave., 455-3550; or Becker Buick North, 6623 N. Division St., 467-8985, or www.beckerbuick.com.

• “The Simple Life 2: Road Trip” is aired on Wednesday at 9 p.m. on Fox stations. The series ends Aug. 4 with a special one-hour show. Information on KAYU-TV in Spokane can be found at www.kayutv.com.

• For background on Bunim-Murray Productions go to www.bunim-murray.com.