BETTING THE RANCH; Eccentric Florida RV salesman fights for fleet of half-buried Airstreams.(News)

Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH

Along Florida's Interstate 4, the clogged artery that connects Tampa to Orlando, sits Bates RV, a recreational-vehicle dealership owned by Frank Bates, who is regarded as a minor eccentric in the business. For example, his ads show him dressed in a black and white cow suit, dancing and holding up cards that suggest you can save some MOO-lah at his place.

His dealership is located in Seffner, previously known mostly as the hometown of legendary drag racer and UFO researcher "Big Daddy'' Don Garlits. Seffner is now known as the location of Airstream Ranch, Bates' latest project. If you haven't seen it, get there quick. Zoning issues and an angry neighbor might bring the ranch's destruction by April 14.

The idea came to Bates last year. He's a native of Texas, "and everybody in Texas knows about Cadillac Ranch,'' he says. Cadillac Ranch is, of course, 10 old Cadillacs buried nose-down in the ground alongside Interstate 40. Conceived by Stanley Marsh, an eccentric Texas millionaire, Cadillac Ranch is widely regarded as art, particularly since the sad, rusting, graffiti-covered cars are supposedly facing west at the same angle as the pyramids in Egypt.

"The Cadillac Ranch recognizes that the Cadillac is a leading premium car,'' Bates says. "And Airstream is the leading premium trailer. A lot of celebrities have them. Matthew McConaughey, the actor, has some. Sandra Bullock has one. Sean Penn has one. I just sold two to the lead singer of AC/DC.''

Bates, the country's top Airstream dealer, wanted to do something nice for Airstream's 75th birthday, so he conceived Airstream Ranch, which consists of seven and a half Airstream trailers, buried nose-first, alongside Interstate 4 near his dealership. He buried seven and a half trailers because that's 7.5, as in 75, ...