Used trailers: More righteous than new?

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by w7ts

Beware all thee that have failed to heed mine warning. If ye shall continue on thine path of self-righteousness, the cloud of smug shall overcome thee and take from thee that which thy holdest most dear, the adoration of others.

I know this to be true, for I hath beheld it with mine own eyes. This hath been possible for I can gaze upon the city of Boulder from mine own back yard.

The Ghost of Airstreams Past.

Pay no attention to him. He doesn't know what he is talking about. Continue to do your small individual part to help save the world. At the same time continue to fail to work with one another to solve the more serious problems that come from the huge overseas polluting factories that produce the stuff that you consume by the tons. I am confident that your greed to possess material things, at the least possible cost, combined with your inability to work together collectively on anything useful will allow us to reach our goals.

The Ghost of Airstreams Present

[greenparkrv]

There are many options for a trailer camping rv nowadays. And like "mojo" said above backpacking and tenting is an option.

[Ag&Au]

What we have predicted has come to pass. Your Airstreams and all who use them are now Robots. Humans succumbed to their own greed and destroyed the environment that they and all other carbon based lifeforms required to exist. The planet is now the domain of machines and other mechanical based life forms. Aren’t the metal sculpted mountains and acid based oceans lovely to behold? Once again thank you for your cooperation.

The Ghost of Airstreams Future.

These posts were intended for amusement ony. Read at your own risk.
j

[robwok]

yeah, not a fan of Chinese products. I do prefer to buy quality and buy it one time, than cycle through multiple products. I think also if more of us bought used, there'd be less of a market. I bought a used airstream, and took the small amount of copper that came out from the busted supply lines to the recyler near the house. I just think we need to be conscious about it. Best thing any of us can do is support a local farm. Use the net to find the farmer's markets when you're camping this summer. Would you believe that we take food here, ship it to China to be processed, then they ship it back??? Crazy. China doesn't grow a lot of white oak. My local sawmill ships white oak pieces to china, they piece it all together, and ship it back here as cabinets. I can't really decide on that one what's the right thing to do, but there'd be less carbon wasted if we just composted that white oak, and grew more timbers for full size cabinets.

[robwok]

By the way, I use Triangle rent a car. They seem to have the open towing policy, and in fact go out of their way to put receivers on anything that is big enough to do some towing.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by greenparkrv

There are many options for a trailer camping rv nowadays. And like "mojo" said above backpacking and tenting is an option.

Sweet Streams.....
Interesting first post, a lot of folks here started just that way, YT included.

Bob

[Gene]

Originally Posted by w7ts

[FONT=Copperplate Gothic Light]What we have predicted has come to pass. Your Airstreams and all who use them are now Robots.

Darkspeed was the first.

Gene

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Sweet Streams.....
Interesting first post, a lot of folks here started just that way, YT included.

Bob

It's not necessarily an ordered thing. I still do wilderness camping....and my AS....sometimes a B&B....sometimes a 5 star!

I like traveling, period! If I still had knees (and some other parts) I'd do serious mountain climbing and camping (i'm talkin' oxygen needed mountain climbing.

On another note....why is righteous even in this conversation. Someone look it up.....does not compute with anything having to do with green or ASes or camping or anything else having to do with this conversation.

righ·teous

adj \ˈrī-chəs\




Definition of RIGHTEOUS

1
: acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin

2
a : morally right or justifiable <a righteous decision> b : arising from an outraged sense of justice or morality <righteous indignation>

3
slang : genuine, excellent

— righ·teous·ly adverb
— righ·teous·ness noun

1. <a righteous man can be trusted to act honorably regardless of the circumstances>
2. <righteous behavior is its own reward>

Sorry to rant...the casual use of this word has always bothered me. For me righteousness is something to be persued....never to be caught...IMHO.

[slowmover]

From the OP's question about correct course: The one we're on -- the human species -- well, it won't matter as lifestyle changes (the framework within which this question is posed) is irrelevant to making a difference. A California Confusion Conundrum. Slick marketing success to convince others that "green" matters as the changes needed are fundamental, not trivial. Bogus terms such as lifestyle were created to conflate these differences. If one is a consumer I suppose this level of navel-gazing appears relevant, but to consider it from the perspective of once having been citizens then far broader reaches are evident on examination.

So try a more practical approach: If this is only a toy, can it also (under different circumstances) be an asset to one's family or community? In that light then monies, time and energy spent may be worthwhile if it is understood that one may never be able to recover a dime from TT or TV.

"Green" is a detail, a bit of cake frosting, only a third-tier consideration at best. Focus on the steak, not the sizzle.

.

[TG Twinkie]

I agree with the made in China responses. But I am old enough to remember when they said. "Those cheap Japanese cars". Which are now some of the finest and most fuel efficient cars on the planet. Look at KIA and Hyundai today. Even the Japanese are subcontracting to China. Your computer is probably made there or at least parts of it.
I bought a box of Kellogg's cereal the other day. Made in Canada
There are very few things made here today. It doesn't make me happy that virtually everything we wear from our shoes on our feet to the hat on our head is made in some other country.
It bothers me to think that one day you may see a "Made in xxxx" on the side of an Airstream. Mexico and Canada are not that far.
Don't know for sure but I bet a lot of AS owners were blue collar workers. People with SKILLS that made a good living.

[Gene]

The Chinese don't automatically make junk. It depends on whether they can get away with it. Most Apple products are assembled in China and many of the components are. The quality is excellent, but Apple knows what it is doing and how to enforce QC from suppliers.

A company several miles from where we live outsourced sandals to a Chinese supplier several years ago. Before that, the sandals were made around here in a couple of small factories and the quality was very good and the brand had a very good national reputation. The sandals from China were bad, the company lost a lot of money and had to be sold to another company in Michigan. The remaining staff here lost their jobs too. The company owner did not know how to enforce quality thousands of miles away.

The US is either 1st or 2nd in world manufacturing ( US manufacturing crown slips - FT.com ). It feels like it isn't, because the US used to be a much bigger part of the world manufacturing sector.

Long ago Europeans looked down on US goods as poorly made. To some degree they were right. Companies all over the world will, if they can get away with it, make and sell bad products. The US financial sector produced enough bad products to drag the world into the worst recession since the 1930's.

Nevertheless, we try to avoid Chinese products because a lot of it is junk. Sometimes you can't find anything but Chinese products.

When the Chinese start making aluminum bullet trailers, Airstream has a big problem.

Gene

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

The Chinese don't automatically make junk. It depends on whether they can get away with it. Most Apple products are assembled in China and many of the components are. The quality is excellent, but Apple knows what it is doing and how to enforce QC from suppliers.

A company several miles from where we live outsourced sandals to a Chinese supplier several years ago. Before that, the sandals were made around here in a couple of small factories and the quality was very good and the brand had a very good national reputation. The sandals from China were bad, the company lost a lot of money and had to be sold to another company in Michigan. The remaining staff here lost their jobs too. The company owner did not know how to enforce quality thousands of miles away.

The US is either 1st or 2nd in world manufacturing ( US manufacturing crown slips - FT.com ). It feels like it isn't, because the US used to be a much bigger part of the world manufacturing sector.

Long ago Europeans looked down on US goods as poorly made. To some degree they were right. Companies all over the world will, if they can get away with it, make and sell bad products. The US financial sector produced enough bad products to drag the world into the worst recession since the 1930's.

Nevertheless, we try to avoid Chinese products because a lot of it is junk. Sometimes you can't find anything but Chinese products.

When the Chinese start making aluminum bullet trailers, Airstream has a big problem.

Gene

Part of the problem is their own bad PR. How can they expect to get respect when that have been making boats for centuries that they themselves call Junk.

It all carries over.

Ken

[aircooled4]

This thread is what bother me about the 'green' movement. Its about a 'righteousness' that one seems to need to feel...Kinda like the yellow 'livestrong' bracelets...one feels good about wearing one, but they dont dont anything!

[Ag&Au]

I may be wrong, but I believe tphan has caught more fish with this simple thread, than would be caught on a typical open ocean long line in a corresponding length of time.


Ken

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by aircooled4

This thread is what bother me about the 'green' movement. Its about a 'righteousness' that one seems to need to feel...Kinda like the yellow 'livestrong' bracelets...one feels good about wearing one, but they dont do anything!

Very much like the yellow ribbon magnet's you see stuck to the trunks of cars at the mall.
Quite a sacrifice that....

Bob

[r carl]

Originally Posted by aircooled4

This thread is what bother me about the 'green' movement. Its about a 'righteousness' that one seems to need to feel...Kinda like the yellow 'livestrong' bracelets...one feels good about wearing one, but they dont dont anything!

Are those the ones that buy a toyota prius and think they are saving the planet?

[Friday]

Travel is a luxury that really has only been accessible to most people in the last 50 years. It is quite amazing that as much of the world's population can afford it... but really, the vast majority of the world doesn't have the option to see much outside of their own area.

What I am leading into is the fact that Airstream has migrated from a brand that was marketed to a world full of cheap cars and cheap gas... to a brand that is largely now recognized as a premium product for rich people.

I know - I am not rich, and lots of Airstreams are not... but the facts are a 'cheap' new Airstream is north of $40K... So... you can justify our relatively extravagant choices in many ways... buy a used Airstream for less... fix up a vintage unit... but really, it's excessive... the whole RV industry is excessive. Not cheap, not efficient, and not durable.

If eco-sensitive is a priority... the biggest impact you can have is living local... not owning a vehicle, and living close enough to stores, employment, etc... that your use of fossil-fueled transportation is minimal. Anything more than that is wasteful (from that aspect).

So... towing a 4000-9000lb trailer around to explore the planet is a lot of fun. Unless you are using it 100's of days a year, it is also likely the most expensive. Lots of trips we've taken it would have been cheaper to drive a small car and stay in hotels...

BUT... I live in a small town where some people see my Airstream beside my house and think I am rich... When I talk to them, conversation often drifts into that area... "Sooo... how much IS an Airstream like that?"

I tell them that I got a great deal on a used one, and that my reason for getting an Airstream is because it is a reminder of all the hard work I've done to get it. It's excessive, but in a functional way. It is more than a trailer to me - it's part of the experience I have when I travel. It's meeting people that want to look at it... it's enjoying rolling into a campground and having people appreciate the artfulness of it. I could have bought some other trailer... but no other trailer gives me the same smile when I look at it - every time. (ya, it pisses me off when I have to fix something, but even that is part of the charm of it).

So... you'll never win any eco-arguement... and as North Americans, our impact on the world per-capita is immense... but people can understand passion, pride of ownership, sense of adventure... and if you tell them how an Airstream helps you enjoy life - they can understand that (but maybe not agree with).

If you aren't getting that from your RV experience... then just what are you doing?

[Friday]

Originally Posted by w7ts

Part of the problem is their own bad PR. How can they expect to get respect when that have been making boats for centuries that they themselves call Junk.

It all carries over.

Ken

Yet... we keep on buying it... So just who is the problem part of the equation here?

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by Friday

Yet... we keep on buying it... So just who is the problem part of the equation here?

I'm more than a little curious why you quoted my post which was a silly play on words, as a prelude to your apparent mini lecture. Is it a American/Canadian language problem?

Ken

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I bought my Airstream Safari brand new, but now it's used, am I greener now? Maybe we should burn SOB's at the camp ground instead of cutting down perfectly good trees. I think this country could be a lot greener if most of everything that you say you own, is really owned by you, instead of a finance company.