The end of Airstreaming as we know it?

[bjond]

I haven't seen any news on how the the new CAFE standards will play with RV industry. As first glance it seems to me that drastic changes will be required. There's no truck available that will tow an Airstream and get 35mpg and I doubt that there ever will be unless Airstream returns to building the Airstreams of the 40s. Maybe motorhomes will be exempt from the 35mpg ?

see:

House fuel deal is bad, but beats the alternative

[wkerfoot]

Originally Posted by jbond

I haven't seen any news on how the the new CAFE standards will play with RV industry. As first glance it seems to me that drastic changes will be required. There's no truck available that will tow an Airstream and get 35mpg and I doubt that there ever will be unless Airstream returns to building the Airstreams of the 40s. Maybe motorhomes will be exempt from the 35mpg ?

see:

House fuel deal is bad, but beats the alternative

Herb,

There is still lower CAFE requirements for trucks, unfortunately, in my opinion, this includes the mini vans and small suvs. There is no way that a minivan, PT Cruiser, Explorer, small crossover SUVs and the like should be grouped with trucks for CAFE, they are cars.

Bill

PS: please email or PM me a current email address, all the ones I have for you keep bouncing back.

[moosetags]

Hopefully, trucks that are currently not required by federal law to display any mpg figures on the new vehicle sticke will not be impacted by these standards. That currently includes 3/4 tons and up. The half ton trucks and SUVs make take a hit, though.

[Silverwanabe]

I hope CAFE does not reduce our towing size down to 16 or 18 feet.

There will always be an Airstream, it is like Plymouth Rock.

Solid and has always been here.

Airstream is an icon like Cadillac and Harley Davidson.

[henw]

There will always be trucks classified for work status that will be exempt, or, will have higher fuel standards. The real issue will be fuel cost. NBC Nightly News had a feature on Motor Homes. Sales are down 10%. Push is on within the industry for lighter units getting greater MPG. Not many want a 7 mpg vehicle.
Tom

[Wayne&Sam]

Originally Posted by henw

Push is on within the industry for lighter units getting greater MPG. Not many want a 7 mpg vehicle.
Tom

Witness the popularity of the View and Navion etc, built on the Sprinter chassis. Small, well built and relatively great mileage.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by wkerfoot

There is no way that a minivan, PT Cruiser, Explorer, small crossover SUVs and the like should be grouped with trucks for CAFE, they are cars.

I found this under the hood of a Chrysler minivan:
"This vehicle conforms to US EPA emissions standards for LIGHT TRUCKS for 2006 model year new motor vehicles."
Not bad for a made-over Dodge Aries...

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Not bad for a made-over Dodge Aries...

That quintessentially American Icon, the Chrysler K-Car, LIVES ON!!!!!!

Roger

[Denis4x4]

First off, There are probably 20 times as many people pulling horse trailers as there are pulling Airstreams and a lot of them live in the countryside right outside DC. As far as I can determine, there will be plenty of exemptions for light trucks used for commercial purposes.

One immediate change may be that the manufacturers will resort to building honest-to-God work trucks with rubber mats, bench seats and roll up windows! Aftermarket truck accessory manufacturers will be in hog heaven.

I'm more concerned about punitive fuel taxes at the federal and state level to change driving habits than I am about the ability to buy a tow vehicle in the near future.

[rickandsandi]

Originally Posted by Silverwanabe

I hope CAFE does not reduce our towing size down to 16 or 18 feet.

There will always be an Airstream, it is like Plymouth Rock.

Solid and has always been here.

Airstream is an icon like Cadillac and Harley Davidson.

FYI- The Rock is currently under repair! Also note that when you do you visit Plimouth Rock you are seeing only a part of the original rock because it was once moved to the center green of town, dragged around and actually broke! So, the Rock is not so solid and definatly has not always been there. A little New England history lesson.

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by rickandsandi

FYI- The Rock is currently under repair! Also note that when you do you visit Plimouth Rock you are seeing only a part of the original rock because it was once moved to the center green of town, dragged around and actually broke! So, the Rock is not so solid and definatly has not always been there. A little New England history lesson.

Let's not forget that Airstream was once a solely California built travel trailer, then moved to Ohio, oh yeah, the Beatrice Years and some quality issues from the first part of this century...so I guess Airstream has been moved, dragged around, broke (twice), not so solid...and some say we are waiting for it to be fixed again, too!

[Bob Thompson]

Count me as one of the supporters for higher gas mileage standards. For years the RV industry has been obsessed with bigger is better. This years' model is always bigger than last years model. Bigger and heavier trailers mean bigger and more capable tow vehicles. After years and years of sailboat class racing where the creed is "every ounce counts", I was unprepared to deal with the useless excesses in RV's. In sailboats, you took everything out that wasn't necessary. It helped the boat slide thru the water easier. It had the secondary effect of making the interior feel more spacious. Applying this same logic to RV's, making reductions in weight and size, coupled with improved aerodynamics can't be a bad thing. Properly done, the interiors will feel just as spacious, but you won't need a locomotive to get it down the highway.

I've taken this approach with my 25' Excella. Original weight was around 6000 lbs dry. I've made many many modifications to reduce weight and increase spaciousness. It now weighs around 5000 pounds dry, it's quite spacious feeling inside without feeling stripped down, and I don't need a locomotive to take it where I want to go. The industry could learn from this "retired Architects' " efforts because it really is "better".

[Lumatic]

The high price of fuel is not all bad. Obviously I enjoy hooking up my AS and going for a nice cruise. Think we have it bad? In Europe gas is twice what we pay. Supply and demand applies at least to most of us who aren't idenpendantly wealthy. I can't help but wonder though, everytime I see a milliion dollar motorhome if the owners are concerned about the price of gas and more importantly the amount of poop they are putting into the atmosphere. RVs are still a drop in the poop bucket compared to other sources of CO such as industry and general auto use. When I do take out my AS it is now with at least a twinge of guilt which I assuage with the rationalization I only have a 3 block commute to work and do try to save gas with daily driving and am now trying to make my home more energy efficient. Still big time RVing is an American luxury that is a outgrowth of our gas guzzling lifestyle which may be living on borrowed time. As for me as long as I can move I will be camping but maybe going back to simpler days with no so many creature comforts is around the corner. After all it's camping.

[rangebowdrie]

Foregoing posts are pretty much right on. I too have been involved in sailboats for most of my life, and have seen incredible changes in the industry to reduce weight, so as to increase performance.
High-tech construction does cost more, but if you break it down, most materials cost by the lb. The extra costs involved, usually are due to needing a more skilled work force to build the product.

[Minnie's Mate]

I for one would love to see a diesel hybrid widely available. This would be especially appreciated when backing into a camp site late at night or any other time when the "neighbors" don't want to hear the clatter of a diesel or smell the tell-tale odor of the diesel exhaust. This would be greener on two fronts. Parking the Airstream is the least efficient time the engine is used and if an electric motor could be used for this purpose the benefits would be the greatest. Diesel hybrids are available, just not to the consumer. Not only could they be put in the tow vehicle, they could be used in motor homes as well. Perhaps this is where the camping industry will go in the near future.

[ArtStream]

More of the threat comes from the closing down of affordable mom and pop "Travel Parks" due to skyrocketing land prices, eager developers and property taxes.

Parks are being bought up and consolidated into "Travel Resorts" , with late model restrictions and prices that are beyond the reach of most families looking for some affordable family fun.

Remember, that was what traveling in a camper was all about at one time, affordable family fun.

Land, including BLM land is slowly becoming harder to find (In some parts of the country).


State and national park prices are climbing, not to mention fuel prices, insurance, and yes, the increased fuel taxes that will need to be added by the federal, state and local government TO make up for the loss of revenue DUE TO better fuel economy.

When I was growing up, I lived by the East River, which WAS like water, but I diverge.

As a kid, the waterfront was accessible; you did not need to be rich or privileged to enjoy it. It was affordable family fun; ever see the old photos of Coney Island, families, lots of families.
Of course now you need to be privileged just to SEE the water, and in Key West, well there is a little alley between the condos and hotels where you can see the water, it's by the "furthest southern point marker," if you can find parking.

I've also witnessed the same squeezing out of the common folk in the boating industry. Heck, I had a home made boat, try getting slip space for that now!

It's as if some "fun to price" quotient kicks in, when it's realized that "there's gold in them there hills"

I'm sorry to say that IMHO, I see the same thing happening to the RV industry. Prices and regulations will squeeze out the regular guy, and the CAFÉ standards are the least of it.

Geez, what's that soapy substance on my shoe?

Michael

[Ahab]

Airstream has taken the lower weight approach with the new Safari Sports. Our 22' weighs slightly over 4000# wet. Can't complain about the gas mileage as on our last trip we got 14mpg as a low and 17 as the high.

[Davydd]

The Safari Sport is Airstream's hedge against the future. It is recognizing the need for lighter weight trailers. They also have the small Design Within Reach trailer. It might be reflecting the international reach into Europe, Japan, and Australia/New Zealand. Those trailers can be pulled by my Sprinter and of course Airstream has the Interstate Sprinter campervan. I believe the B motorhome class was the only class that actually had growth in sales last year which explains why Winnebago is now making one (the Sprinter ERA). Airstream should bring back the Westfalia still being sold in Europe as the James Cook.

[sigv]

Originally Posted by Davydd

The Safari Sport is Airstream's hedge against the future. It is recognizing the need for lighter weight trailers.

Vintage units are much lighter - my 24' Tradewind weighs in at 3700...need much less of a TV.

My 2 cents

[juel]

If I am not mistaken, the 35MPH requirement is for groups of vehicles. If you put the PT in with a truck, then average the MPH for both, you stand a much better chance of getting the higher mileage for the "group". Also I can't imagine the 35MPH requirement is for anything but the truck as it leaves the lot. I don't see the government following us around to see what we do with the truck and checking our mileage. I've personally never bought a truck that gets the mileage on the window sticker, and certainly not when I'm pulling the trailer. No where on the sticker does it give my MPG if I'm pulling X amount of weight. Perhaps we better wait until we see how this goes before we park our trailers or actually try to pull one with a bike.