Airstreams Aluminum Wheels Made In China

[dkottum]

Our Airstream was beautifully assembled, no defects at purchase, no failures of original equipment in five years, 1000 nights camping, no corrosion anywhere. Nothing tows better or more easily in all weather. It is a joy, we love to travel, see the country, and live in it as our winter home in the Southwest.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. My buddy took his new Tiffin back to the factory with a list of 164 defects. He still loves it, maintains it very well, and never bitches about it.

[rmkrum]

Seriously, just fix it right, go camping and don't sweat the small stuff**. 😀😀

**Its ALL small stuff.


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[AirBen]

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

This, exactly.....my wife and stopped by an RV place, checking out toy haulers, we found a really nice on for 60k, my wife asked how long will it last. He said, if you do proper maintenence every year, it could last 15 years....we just bought a 1993 airstream for much less, and it's already survived for 20 years.....probably will outlast me, as well. Good enough incentive for me.

[kscherzi]

I bet your phone is made in China.

[AirBen]

Originally Posted by Mach5

I bet the only thing preventing Thor from producing Airstreams somewhere in Asia (doesn't have to be China) is the shipping cost. It is a shame really; they would likely be less expensive and higher quality products. You only have to look as far as your smart phone to realize that.

I, inadvertently, bought some knock off Nike shoes, the quality sucked, and they were made in China....weird....huh..I bought a "real" pair, and the difference was astounding. I don't order shoes online, anymore. PS..I know Nike shoes are made in China, too.

[AirBen]

Originally Posted by kscherzi

I bet your phone is made in China.

Probably, and I've had so many issues with it, too.

[jcanavera]

A lot of folks don't know is that the founders of Thor actually cut their teeth in the RV business by first owning the Hi-Lo trailer company. Here is a clip from the RV Business trade publication.

"The company is credited with introducing Wade F.B. Thompson, the late co-founder of Thor Industries, into the RV world, according to RV Business. Thompson learned about Hi-Lo while working as a marketing professional in New York and eventually bought the company in 1977 from Jim Snyder, son of the original owner.

Thompson and his business partner, Peter Orthwein, sold Hi-Lo in July 2003, RV Business reported."

It's not unusual to occasionally see a Hi-Lo up at Jackson Center getting a wheel alignment. Hi-Lo's used the same torsion axle as the Airstreams. Hi-Lo's were pricy trailers but were well built. They had a steel frame and used a bonded aluminum foam wall construction. The roof was also aluminum bonded. I owned mine for 14 years with never a leak. It was the quietest trailer I ever owned due to its wall and roof construction.

Interesting that the company was never advertised under the Thor umbrella as best as I can see and was apparently operated as a stand alone company, thus not being officially a part of the Thor story and history. Interesting that the seeds of the Airstream purchase were actually sown by the purchase and ownership of Hi-Lo.

Jack

[jcanavera]

I owned a Thor built Electra travel trailer back around 1998. It was an aluminum framed light weight 30' trailer. I dumped it after 3 years due to the fact that it continued to develop leaks from the day I bought it till the day I sold it. While it had some neat features like ducted air and heat, due to its aluminum framing it apparently flexed so much that screws and fasteners tended to work their way out making water pathways. I got a call from the new owner on his first trip in the rain informing me that the TV antenna had developed a leak over the bed his first night out in the rain. It had never leaked there when I owned it.

While you can get some pretty nice trailers out there for a lot less $$, I can tell you that very few of them will be in as good a shape when they turn 13 like my current Classic.

Jack

[Starlight Mike]

Originally Posted by mefly2

Post in the classified ...

I have read with interest the several replys and there is some merit to everything that is being said on both sides. First of all, there is no doubt in my mind there is room for improvement in quality control. I now own my fourth AS. I have had a 1963 and two 1971s. I now own a 2005 25' Safari.
I have had numerous problems on the 2005 that I did not have on the earlier ones. For the very high prices for new AS, they should have a level of quality that sets them apart from other trailers. From the comments from people with new news [2014, 15, 16] there are too many problems.
You will only be successful for a short period of time on the myth that you are the best. I hope the manufacturers are reading this forum or the people that are having all these problems make sure the factory hears about them.
The dealers have a large obligation to correct this problem and keep their customers happy. We are paying a premium these trailers and we should all expect for this price we are getting a premium product.
Let's all do our part to help Airstream improve!

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by AirBen

I, inadvertently, bought some knock off Nike shoes, the quality sucked, and they were made in China....weird....huh..I bought a "real" pair, and the difference was astounding. I don't order shoes online, anymore. PS..I know Nike shoes are made in China, too.

AirBen
Please don't tell us the quality of "Made in China" products can be both Good and Bad.

How are we gonna tell the bad "China Bombs" from the good ones?

(stepping off my sarcasm platform)

[J. Morgan]

Irrgardless of their quality, in cumulate and in general, most all products not made in America are bad for America, especially in the long run.


Superat stultitia.

[streaminwild]

Originally Posted by jcole

Going from a Custom Oliver trailer to the Airstream 22 sport maybe was a mistake for me but I am still madly in love with my wife so upgrading & trading her in is not a option right now. Maybe in five more years when we will have been married for fifty years that will change

45yrs and still madly in love...don't change a thing jcole.

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by J. Morgan

Irrgardless of their quality, in cumulate and in general, most all products not made in America are bad for America, especially in the long run.


Superat stultitia.

Isolationist policies are working out just so well for British Pound aren't they.
After all if we only bought all products from American sources, then there would be no way for the "others" to buy from us as they would not have access to our currency.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by rodsterinfl

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

Slide-outs are cool because they add tons of room when deployed, but imps and demons dwell there. For example, with this model it looks like you might not be able to get into the fridge or the pantry while the big slider is in. That would be worth investigating before signing on the dotted line. Separately, on my brother's nice new travel trailer with a slide-out, he accidentally left a door open while sliding in and that snapped the door right off its hinges. Until he could get that fixed, he carried the busted door in the shower and hung a curtain over that doorway. Kind of a bummer.

Otherwise, that's a nice looking trailer with some very cool features.

Wait, I just noticed it comes standard with (Dum-da-dum!) 15" GYM tires*. Eeeek! Won't someone, please, think of the children?

Also, it seems to be missing a lot of the windows we love in Rocinante.

*Yes, I know, with their outdoor package you can upgrade to 16" Goodyear tires. Wait, that last part means, "Eeeek!" all over again.

BTW, regarding the cost of an Airstream, I love to tell ooglers that if they really want an Airstream, there's one out there with their name on it. After all, Airstream's been making these babies for 80+ years. All they have to do is pick their spot on the sliding scale between putting sweat equity into an older one vs. cash outlay & maybe warranty work on a newer one.

Anyhow, best wishes to all. No matter what RV you have, when we see you camping nearby we'll gladly ask for a tour and be unfailingly complimentary of the features that are cool. Anything else would just be rude.

Doncha just love topic drift?

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by Tireman9

Isolationist policies are working out just so well for British Pound aren't they.
After all if we only bought all products from American sources, then there would be no way for the "others" to buy from us as they would not have access to our currency.

What I am saying is that prosperity springs from production.

No production, no prosperity. An economy built around "the best consumers in the world" is not a permanent prosperity.

This is happening right now.


Superat stultitia.

[xrvr]

The pound is recovering already. Don't fall for the one world government, economy BS. Competition between countries is healthy.

[Rocinante]

Wait, are you telling me these guys were wrong?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDDsqJMFGrY

[AWCHIEF]

If products not made in America are all bad for America can you imagine our society with no electronic devices or automobiles. Even if assembled here most of the parts and pieces come from overseas. We live in an international economy and nothing is going to change that. So buck up and catch up.

[J. Morgan]

America used to have an electronics industry.


Superat stultitia.

[Tireman9]

So when we slap tariffs on imports which will be countered with tariffs on items shipped to other countries from the US, what do you think will happen to the jobs that are currently producing the 40% of auto parts that are made in the US for delivery to an assembly plant in Mexico?

I have to wonder how many of those that oppose trade with other countries have stopped shopping at Walmart or Harbor Freight or other low cost stores.

In 1990 US Exports were $535 Billion in 2014 they had risen to $2,345 Billion. Do you really want to go back?

Feb 2016 report
"U.S. auto exports hit a record for the third year in a row in 2014 as strong demand for U.S. made cars and sport-utility vehicles, especially in the Middle East and Asia, offset concerns about a strengthening dollar. The trend also was fueled by foreign-owned U.S. auto plants built in the U.S. Midwest and South that are now exporting more vehicles to other markets. Car makers including Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. that opened factories here to be closer to U.S. customers are now exporting too.
Last year, about 2.1 million new cars and trucks were built in the U.S. and shipped to other countries, the first time auto exports topped 2 million. The total is an 8% increase over 2013 and a 73% rise from 2004,"


So ya lets just shut down all this bad international trade. Are there problems? Yes but slamming the door is not a realistic solution to a complex problem.

More jobs have been created in renewable energy in last few years than lost in coal. Maybe if Congress offered more than lip service to creating good paying jobs than simply voting no on every proposal or even refusing to hold votes we might be better off.