New, to me, is this reference area on the Airstream site. I really believe that they fail to realize the importance of paying attention to support of their Vintage Airstream would be customer base. Its getting better, but not there yet. Airstream, Inc :: Travel Trailer Specifications
Ten years overdue if not available previously. Few, if any, of these manufacturers of things that go seem to appreciate the incredible value of historical data, be it pictures, specifications, service manuals and the rest.
It is said that when Chrysler moved its headquarters back in the 1990's that they threw away dumpster load after dumpster load of printed records and information invaluable to the restorer and enthusiast.
Contrast that with the provenance provided by the COLT firearms people (perhaps others) who, with but a serial number, can give a great deal of information to the owner . . . even of a rifle manufactured over 100 years ago. And charge nicely for it.
There are a number of reasons beyond just "enthusiasm" to be able to provide details to current owners. Our society is changing and old models of what and how to provide shelter/homes may take on a "mobile" aspect for a segment of the population that is larger than is current. (Just look at the number of "strategic foreclosure walkaways [those who can, but refuse, to continue paying upside down mortgages; 750,000 by at least one estimate]; there will be others who want more and less at the same time.
An A/S trailer may fit that bill. Not everyone is so dumb as to buy yet another (and another) fall-apart SOB for long-term living.
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2004.0 DODGE 2500 Cummins 305/555; 6-manual, 7,400-lbs; 19 mpg city; 22-25 hwy; 13-15 towing. All miles at 1,700-1,900 rpm.
Sold: 1983 Silver Streak3411 Supreme; 6,860# (8,000 GVWR)
Classified section, vintage kin http://www.airstreamclassifieds.com/...p?product=6935
What a find! And it was available to us all the time! Why keep this info a secret. Imagine all the 'man' power spent answering calls to this information over the years.
Neil.
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Neil and Lynn Holman FreshAir #12407
I'll bet a significant percentage of new Airstream sales are to Airstream owners. For this reason, a high trade in value is a boon to new trailer sales. So anything they can do to keep up the value of old Airstreams, is going to help the sales of new Airstreams.
Cadillac figured this out years ago. In the fifties it was possible to own a Cadillac for the same money as a cheaper car, because the resale value was so high you could trade in every year or 2 for very little money. Cadillac engineered this through their advertising and sales technique.
It was one of the factors that led to Cadillac outselling all its competitors combined.
Maybe Airstream figured this out.
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Living in the trailer park of sense, looking out the window at a tornado of stupidity.
Melody - no kidding!! I don't bother with the front door and instead search Airstream thru their sitemap. It wasn't immediately obvious where your link might be but I navigated through their site based on Airstream, Inc :: Service Home. I found it after some trial and error. But they are trying! Read on...
Melody, you really aren't kidding about them listening! I'm proud of our Jackson Center allies!! Imagine we have Sue Dooley to thank. Though I sure wish they would call us by our actual name - AirForums.
Maybe they have given us permission to use their's.
If that were the case, you'd be reading the Airstreamforums, not the Airforums.
After all that grief, it's like poking someone in the eye with a stick.
I finally found the specs page after some hunting around and it's great they have finally done it. Some things are missing and I hope someone is working to fill the empty spaces. Getting all the info is tedious work and the first 90% takes less time than finding the last 10%.
The thing I was looking for last week was info about my wheels and discovered that during the 2008 model year they changed the source of the wheels and that meant the lugnuts torqueing changed as well from 110-120 lbs. to 100-110. They still didn't have the wheel specs and I had to call Airstream to get that. But it's good start and I am encouraged by it.
Next I would like to see them keep the owner's manuals updated. Ours has some information in it that is a few years behind, or info that is incomplete. They are putting some of the manuals online and that's good, but if it's the original manual, they need some addenda correcting mistakes.
I never have looked at the blog page and it's encouraging they are posting threads from the Forum that criticize the company. Until you hear about the problems, and listen and understand them, you cannot change.
If I meet Sue Dooley when we're in JC in 9 days, I'll have to ask her if she's getting a new trailer, going camping, and learning the frustrations we have with QC and design problems. Sue, are you watching?
I never have looked at the blog page and it's encouraging they are posting threads from the Forum that criticize the company. Until you hear about the problems, and listen and understand them, you cannot change.
Uhhh.... Criticize? My sense through this thread is that it's fairly congratulatory in an AirForums kinda way. Similar to how brothers talk to each other. Things mellow out after you're all dealing with teenagers...
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