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Schu · 06-26-2016, 04:17 PM

I love my Airstream and appreciate the people who build them. There must be a reason other countries have signed on to sell them in Europe,China,Korea,Thailand and Australia. Any how........

Bev1940 · 06-26-2016, 04:20 PM

Airstream was purchased by Thor RV about 2001 and from what I've been told Airstream has suffered a downslide in quality since then. It seems the newer AS have endless quality problems. I would not trade my 1978 for a new one !!

Schu · 06-26-2016, 04:39 PM

Airstream was the first company of Thor in 1980.

franklyfrank · 06-26-2016, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcole

Before we decided to go Airstream we had an Oliver Elite 22' 8" double wall fiberglass trailer. My wife talked me into selling it for the larger bathroom of the 22 Sport Airstream & now I am thinking we should have kept it. Both trailers have the same great towing due to their same design but the Oliver is better built but heavier due to the fiberglass which is also bullet proof when compared to the outside skin of my Airstream Sport. I still like our Airstream but if Oliver starting making a trailer with the same floor plan as our 22" Sport Airstream or larger I would buy another Oliver before upgrading to another Airstream. Since the Sport is are first Airstream & possibly are last I can not comment on the quality of the other more expensive models but I did tour the Oliver plant before our Oliver purchase & saw first hand the making of the best built high quality travel trailers one can buy in America. Having said this my wife loves our Airstream but she just sees all the expensive looking aluminum with the modern gadgets that are inside. When I ponied up the funds to get rid of the China GY Marathons on our Airstream which by the way Michelin's are standard on all the Oliver trailers , all I heard was a tire is a tire why waste all that money just to have Michelins". I am just waiting now for our first Warranty repair needed on our Airstream so I can remind my wife the time when Oliver had sent one of their tech's over a thousand miles to our driveway in upstate NY just to fix a warranty issue. Who thinks Airstream would ever do that ?

You are echoing my sentiments exactly. They build a beautiful trailer and than don't follow through. And yes they are surly at the JC service center. There again you have to wait three weeks to get a slot so what do they care.
What is it with women and Airstreams ? My wife wouldn't hear or settle for anything else either.

PKI · 06-26-2016, 04:56 PM

Looked at the 14 inch aluminum wheels today. Found the Sendel stamp but did not find a "Made in China" stamp. Must be hidden under all that road grime from the first year of traveling. The steel spare is a Dexter and has "Made in USA" label. Pat

franklyfrank · 06-26-2016, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodsterinfl

That is what I have been concerned about as a consumer. Many on the forum may be high-paid professionals but when you look at the U.S. average salary and then look at Airstream prices, they are very expensive. When they asked us for our opinion on the new Land Yacht that is around $145K I said that it was too expensive for most campers.

Now, check this SOB out. There are companies building good products and throwing in all kinds of great features for the "scraping price of an AS" the only thing is, it isn't shiny and round. Check this one out for an MSRP of around $53K. Listen to the whole thing. The guy goes through tons of features.

https://youtu.be/ZiJekZSsjzY

I watched that video and that unit makes our 2013 International look rather primitive. I will be checking one of these out for sure. I trade my Airstream for this in a hearth beat. Got to go to work on my wife !

LY007 · 06-26-2016, 04:59 PM

About 30 years ago I toured the Harley Davidson plant in York. As we walked thru a supply area, I was surprised at how many components were made in Japan. Wheels, electronics, engine ancillaries, handlebar switch gear, etc. At the time, China was just getting ramped up to replace Japan as the choice of foreign sourcing.

I'm guessing the per centage of foreign made parts on an Airstream is relatively low. Guessing.

franklyfrank · 06-26-2016, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodsterinfl

That is what I have been concerned about as a consumer. Many on the forum may be high-paid professionals but when you look at the U.S. average salary and then look at Airstream prices, they are very expensive. When they asked us for our opinion on the new Land Yacht that is around $145K I said that it was too expensive for most campers.

Now, check this SOB out. There are companies building good products and throwing in all kinds of great features for the "scraping price of an AS" the only thing is, it isn't shiny and round. Check this one out for an MSRP of around $53K. Listen to the whole thing. The guy goes through tons of features.

https://youtu.be/ZiJekZSsjzY

Curiously my previous post disappeared. So I am posting this. I watched the video of the Blackstone trailer and got all excited. Showed it to the wife, who is the Airstream junkie in the family and she said lets find a dealer and check it out. I am more than half way there. This trailer makes our 2013 30' international rather primitive. It comes with all the upgrades standard items that Airstream buyers pay over ten grand to install after the purchase.

Wingeezer · 06-26-2016, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCWDCW

I Paid 25K Canadian for my '96 Classic. My friends in Michigan paid 25K USD for a 27 foot SOB with two slides. Beautiful layout and features. My trailer is now 20 years old. In 20 years time my trailer will still be on the road, while my friends' will be rotting in a field somewhere in Michigan.
BTW I had an Award before my first AS..fiberglass sandwich walls. They rotted out in 7 years....not so bullet proof in my opinion. Takes a bang; yes...can't handle a small leak without serious damage.

And where else would Airstream buy cast aluminum wheels. Everyone has either gone to China or Mexico or, God forbid, Brazil.
JCW

JCW

We also had 27ft Award (1993 I think) before we bought the AS.

Loved it! Great layout, attractive looking, very light weight, but after a few years, was becoming a real money pit due to water damage repairs.

I had no place to work on it myself at home, so took it the the factory that was still open (barely!) at the time. Not cheap and didn't entirely solve the problems!

When we decided to sell it (A fellow from Oklahoma City came up to buy it and took it home) I think we looked at every other trailer on the market and the only one we considered a good replacement that appealed to us was was the AS!

Not perfect, but on balance, it has turned out to have been a good choice for us!

Brian.

KJRitchie · 06-26-2016, 06:36 PM

If Thor hadn't purchased Airstream, Airstream would've gone under. Gotta take the good with the bad.

Kelvin

xrvr · 06-26-2016, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bev1940

Airstream was purchased by Thor RV about 2001 and from what I've been told Airstream has suffered a downslide in quality since then. It seems the newer AS have endless quality problems. I would not trade my 1978 for a new one !!

Totally incorrect. Check your facts before posting.

xrvr · 06-26-2016, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

If Thor hadn't purchased Airstream, Airstream would've gone under. Gotta take the good with the bad.

Kelvin

Also incorrect. Airstream was Thor and vice verse, if I am correct. There was no Thorbefore Airstream. Thor was formed when the new owners bought AS. I think.

PKI · 06-26-2016, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avionstream

Also incorrect. Airstream was Thor and vice verse, if I am correct. There was no Thorbefore Airstream. Thor was formed when the new owners bought AS. I think.

AS - the story we heard on the Factory tour was that AS financed the purchase of AS by the fellow that then formed Thor. It was my understanding that Thor was not a viable company until this event. Pat

66Overlander · 06-26-2016, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avionstream

Also incorrect. Airstream was Thor and vice verse, if I am correct. There was no Thorbefore Airstream. Thor was formed when the new owners bought AS. I think.

Yes, Thor purchased Airstream from Beatrice Foods in August 1980. Beatrice had "owned" it since Beatrice and Airstream "merged" in December 1967. It probably is true that Thor was officially formed as a new corporation at the time of the Airstream purchase, but it soon went on to purchase other RV brands as well. Thor returned Airstream to profitability within 12 months of purchasing it. I have been told much of the turn around was due to a better focus on waste reduction at Airstream.

xrvr · 06-26-2016, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PKI

AS - the story we heard on the Factory tour was that AS financed the purchase of AS by the fellow that then formed Thor. It was my understanding that Thor was not a viable company until this event. Pat

Yup! 1980.

guskmg · 06-26-2016, 07:33 PM

Schu is right about Thor's acquisition of Airstream. Not to complain too much, but when Beatrice owned Airstream in the 1960-70s, I refused a deal. Why, because on the final walk through I could see day light down to the ground through the corner of a wheel well in the closet. For two more trailers I purchased two SOB aluminum trailers. Now my 10 year old Airstream Classic is still my pride and joy. Some problems, yes. Lots of pleasure, you bet. After all they are designed by humans, built by humans, and serviced by humans. All American, but sometimes do to unavailability, Airstream is forced to use parts from other than the US. Sure they are expensive, but so are all the rest of our commodities. When "lewster" did my electrical solar upgrade I chose AM Solar components because of the reputed good quality. Like Airstream, quality is not necessarily low bid. As our astronauts said after their first lunar trip: "How would you like to go to the moon on low bid?" My daughter-in-law after looking over my '06 Classic, when it was new, said their Keystone Laredo (also a Thor product) looked like it was made of cardboard, but it was the best SOB they could find. I would imagine that when the factory gets completely redone, the whole show will improve dramatically. These are growing pains and difficult to avoid when production demand is increasing so dramatically during the change over. The future of Airstream stock value is bound to increase as production and new employees come up to speed. Actually, if you look at the recent history the market has treated THOR stock holders well. I especially like the Service Center and their desire to do what you expect. Hang around and pay attention so they have a chance to see what it is you really want them to do for you. I have rarely had a problem with Airstream factory service and much prefer them to my local dealerships' capabilities. I keep a running list of things I can no longer do and then stop by the factory every year or two. It truly is the Mother Ship. BTW Schu, we miss you.
guskmg

service Center. If you discuss what you want them to do for you and hang around for questions about your desires from the techs

wvstreamer · 06-26-2016, 07:38 PM

We like our AS. If we didn't, we would sell it and get something else. Have had several makes and models over 45 years. We have a special affection for our AS. I think many of us do...for better or worse. As they say..Love it or List it.
Dave

B00merang · 06-26-2016, 07:41 PM

After reading this comment chain, I'm glad my 2010 20FC is still in great shape (alas with Sendels and Michelins and a brand new AC since the old one was non-repairable). What bothered me was that no one at AS's design team called out the genius who designated the small rear window...OVER THE SINK AND FAUCET...as the emergency exit. Not only can't you get to the window, but you get disemboweled in the process of trying to get out. It is beyond me how no one at AS stopped this idiotic design, and tells me a lot of their corporate indifference in some matters (I know they subsequently changed the emergency exit). jon

FCStreamer · 06-26-2016, 07:45 PM

We love our AS. Despite a couple little quirks, this thing is awesome.

SteveSueMac · 06-26-2016, 07:52 PM

Can I join the highly veered topic?

I love - LOVE - my Airstream. Problems? Some. Fun and stress relief? Unlimited.

The thing that bothers me most is that their quality is inconsistent.

Odds are, we (a very small subset of all AS owners) get a skewed look at complaints and a much higher percentage of owners must be more satisfied and just not complaining about things here.

Still, the consistency could improve dramatically. In the 40s, a reputation for handmade craftsmanship meant something. Since the advent of robotics, more scientific manufacturing, slim tolerances, Deming and Continuous Improvement - it's time to recognize that consistent quality is achievable - but not with we troublesome humans and our out-of-whack variability. It just is what it is.

As for Wally and "let's not make changes, just improvements" - I always hated that statement. And look - improvements would be a good place to start 😀 but consider this statement made by George Balanchine when handing over the NY Ballet to his successor - he said, "be relevant, not reverent."

That advice could serve AS well...

And at the same time, have I mentioned I LOVE my Airstream? 😀