New Circus act: Vegas camp-out in an Airstream

— -- With rooms at Las Vegas' Circus Circus Hotel and Casino going for $25 a night earlier this week, forking over an extra 20 bucks to bunk in a trailer at the Circus Circus parking lot might feel like a gamble.

Then again, this isn't just any trailer: Under a new promotion with Kampgrounds of America, hipsters and nostalgia buffs can stay in a new, 27-foot Airstream — the aluminum-sheathed, aircraft-inspired travel trailer that's been a king of the American road since the 1930s and a favorite of such Hollywood stars as Matthew McConaughey.

Ten of Airstream's Flying Cloud models, which sleep up to four and retail for an average $53,000, are available at KOA's Circus Circus campground. Five more at KOA's location in Sugarloaf Key, Fla. (near Key West) rent for $170-$220 a night, and the program will be expanded to Bar Harbor, Maine, in May.

A few other places feature vintage Airstream accommodations, including the Shady Dell in Bisbee, Ariz., and the Belrepayre trailer park south of Toulouse, France.

But, notes Airstream president Bob Wheeler, the new models at KOA are "transitional" rather than retro, with contemporary interiors that feature flat-screen TVs and recessed halogen lights. (Also included in the rental price: Adirondack chairs and a pair of plastic pink flamingos, a longtime Airstream icon.)

Best of all, would-be Airstreamers who don't know a hitch from a holster can get a feel for camping without worrying that they'll wind up looking like Lucy and Desi in The Long, Long Trailer.

Information: koa.com