Hi Noetic...
This is what scared me away from purchasing a new Airstream:
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f142...ams-31743.html
I was flabbergasted at what I read and saw...and checking my local Airstream dealer revealed that EVERY Airstream on the lot had the corrosion in several places.
Whether or not Bates actually had the 75th we emailed about didn't really matter regarding corrosion...fact was, the salesman was aware of it and blamed it on not waxing the units. He sent me several pictures of different trailers' taillights, hinges, handles, and aluminum panel seams. Not a pretty sight...I think when you spend $50-60k, the thing should at LEAST look NEW before you actually buy it.
Regarding craftsmanship...this forum is literally full of threads regarding what people have found regarding their trailers. When I went to my local dealer this past Monday, it was the little things...rust deposits in the rear bumper storage area, rusty screws, holes punched with no rivets in them, dings in the body around the rivets, sealant around windows cracking, chrome rings around taillights and clearance lights rotted and pitted, rust on the hitch, gaps between the cabinets and the walls, the plywood-look veneer (why would you want to make fake wood look like plywood of all things?) on the edges of the counters coming off...just things like that I don't expect for half the cost of a house.
You'll find out a LOT on the thread link above. It was enough to make me change my mind and say, "No thanks." Especially when you get to the later entries where Airstream is refusing ANY warranty work if they blame oxidation...
Again, just be warned.