Man Building Cadillac Ranch out of RV’s

Frank Bates is an old-school salesman, a little extravagant, a little unorthodox. He's dedicated his life to his RVs. "It's a great thing!" Frank said, "We're selling something that's fun."

So it didn't surprise people much when he pursued his latest outlandish venture. That was, until it started going up. At the property adjacent to his lot off I-4, he proudly exclaims, "This is going to be the Airstream Ranch."

If the odd sight of eight Airstream RVs sticking straight up out of the ground is a little jarring, but recognizable, it should. It's fashioned after Cadillac Ranch off Route 66 in Texas.

"It was a piece of art that's always been recognized and is world famous," he said. He wants to create the same effect right off the I-4 corridor. Frank says Airstreams are the Cadillac's of RVs, so it was only fitting. An exhibit—art—he says—forever emblazoning a part of Americana.

"I think it's spectacular," said Bill Bowman. He's stopped by with his wife Sylvia to look at the strange sight. They drove all the way from St. Pete Beach to see it. They travel the country seeing America's oddities.
Neighbor Michelle O'Connor says, "We're not a tourist attraction like Cadillac Ranch. We don't want to be a tourist attraction. "We want to be a country road where we live peacefully," she said.

She told FOX 13 someone from the county should have had a say. "This is art. We don't need permits for art," Bates said, "And it's our property."

He has offered to put up a fence so they won't have to look at it. They're still milling that over. They county is expected to get back to the neighbors on their complaint in the next few weeks. In the meantime, Airstream Ranch will stand tall and proud.

Lucky for Frank, art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.