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rebelstand · 12-02-2011, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noreen

Being an old retired trucker I would not travel without the CB. Always on 19. The newer ones also have the emergency weather bands automatic. Sal.

travel with kids... CB might be a little too colorful

Mike Leary · 12-02-2011, 02:32 PM

From a recent experience, people think broken down Airstreams are worth 85k these days.

ROBERT CROSS · 12-03-2011, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Leary

From a recent experience, people think broken down Airstreams are worth 85k these days.

Ifnotmor....

Bob

Gene · 12-03-2011, 09:56 AM

Broken down ones have that special patina antique lovers like so much. That's why I leave mine outside, hoping to get the patina faster and make some real money on it. Maybe I can speed it up with the pressure washer on high.

Gene

Waipio Rim · 12-03-2011, 10:17 AM

On our recent trip we stopped for the night at a State park campground just north of Beaumont, TX. Of the nine units in the park, four were Airstreams. I thought that I had missed a memo about a gathering, but nor so.

Ag&Au · 12-03-2011, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Broken down ones have that special patina antique lovers like so much. That's why I leave mine outside, hoping to get the patina faster and make some real money on it. Maybe I can speed it up with the pressure washer on high.

Gene

Only if you put a borax, salt and diatomaceous earth solution in the pressure washer.

Ken

Mike Leary · 12-03-2011, 10:36 AM

For 85k,having the interior completly ripped to pieces is a big selling point, also. Be sure to back it over something, as that gives "Mr. Fixit" something to do on those long winter nights.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 12-03-2011, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Broken down ones have that special patina antique lovers like so much. That's why I leave mine outside, hoping to get the patina faster and make some real money on it. Maybe I can speed it up with the pressure washer on high.

Gene

Hi, well if you guys stopped waxing your trailers...........never mind, it hasn't worked for me!

BusDriver · 12-03-2011, 10:55 PM

I started Streamin with my parents back in 1962. At that time us kids were always excited to watch for the next AS and quickly look up their number. Every where we went there were AS. Now you are lucky to see a couple in a day of driving and many people don't know about the blinking of your head lights. Of course there are many RV brands out there now.

urban71 · 12-04-2011, 11:58 AM

They are all sitting in storage in Richmond, Ca. Every time I pick ours up for an outing they are all there. Dirty and sad. Too bad. How often do you travel in a year? We do at least 12 trips.

Suzzeee · 12-04-2011, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by urban71

They are all sitting in storage in Richmond, Ca. Every time I pick ours up for an outing they are all there. Dirty and sad. Too bad. How often do you travel in a year? We do at least 12 trips.

Ah - so sad for sure! We're the only AS in our storage place... the guy who's been doing modifications/upgrades on our AS loves us because he says that we're one of the only trailers that he works on that gets used a lot!!

perryg114 · 12-06-2011, 07:36 AM

For the same money as an Airstream you can get one of these mega 5th wheels that are 20ft tall and 40 feet long and have 5 pop outs. You can have more square footage in your trailer than at home. Unfortunately, camping is going toward mega monster condos. Most folks don't spend more than a week camping so why do you need to bring something the size of a house with you?

I think some buy them for the mine is bigger game and they also have to justify their diesel fire snorting rubber burning turbo-diesel trucks with the mega chip in it so you can beat sports cars at the drag strip and melt down a $5000+ engine.

Perry

ROBERT CROSS · 12-06-2011, 07:51 AM

Perry,

Said well...

Whatever flotes 'yer bote.

"this is us"...

Bob

Gene · 12-06-2011, 04:48 PM

Since those giant RV's need to stay in giant campgrounds, more spaces elsewhere for us.

Gene

redwoodguy · 12-07-2011, 09:44 AM

A/S sits somewhat in a class by itself in the RV world. That has pluses, but also some serious minuses. One of the serious minuses is that you are alone in promoting your vision, your aesthetic, your philosophy.

The hordes who are making mega-sized, multi-slide trailers and 5th wheels have a huge bullhorn to promote their interpretation of RVing. How many brands are there...50? More? If you had a magazine, you could feature a different brand every month and never duplicate. How many times can a magazine review a Flying Cloud 25?

Like it or not, advertising and promotion directs the consumer tastes. 100 pages shouting bigger is better, have to compete with maybe 1 page shouting "less is more." (as an example).

The Airstream sensibility is simply totally different than the rest of the industry. Look at the average 10 year old A/S, then look at the average 10 year old TT. It would actually be BETTER for A/S if there were some serious, legitimate competitors. Like for instance Ferarri and Lamborghini. They reinforce and confirm each other. A/S standing alone doesn't have enough "voice" you could say, to really get the consumers to understand the aesthetic.

You could almost say it is too unique. Funny how that can sometimes work against you. Imagine if there were one or two other companies making these kind of trailers like there was in the 1950s. I think they would all do better in terms of market share.

worldinchaos · 12-07-2011, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redwoodguy

A/S sits somewhat in a class by itself in the RV world. That has pluses, but also some serious minuses. One of the serious minuses is that you are alone in promoting your vision, your aesthetic, your philosophy.

The hordes who are making mega-sized, multi-slide trailers and 5th wheels have a huge bullhorn to promote their interpretation of RVing. How many brands are there...50? More? If you had a magazine, you could feature a different brand every month and never duplicate. How many times can a magazine review a Flying Cloud 25?

Like it or not, advertising and promotion directs the consumer tastes. 100 pages shouting bigger is better, have to compete with maybe 1 page shouting "less is more." (as an example).

The Airstream sensibility is simply totally different than the rest of the industry. Look at the average 10 year old A/S, then look at the average 10 year old TT. It would actually be BETTER for A/S if there were some serious, legitimate competitors. Like for instance Ferarri and Lamborghini. They reinforce and confirm each other. A/S standing alone doesn't have enough "voice" you could say, to really get the consumers to understand the aesthetic.

You could almost say it is too unique. Funny how that can sometimes work against you. Imagine if there were one or two other companies making these kind of trailers like there was in the 1950s. I think they would all do better in terms of market share.

But do we really care that we are unique?

Why should we? As long as enough are purchased to keep the Airstream books in the black and the brand name alive, that is all that is needed. The people who currently drive and tow Airstreams are such a good honest and intelligent group of people (on average, I know I'm bringing that mean down...) and I personally would be disappointed to meet a bunch of Airstreamers who bought their rigs because they are the new cool thing and because some advertising promotions in magazines told them to.

You really have to believe in the concept and aesthetics to justify the Airstreams over other trailers, and it's not just the big 5th wheel trailer diesel combo that Perry so well described-- it's the small popup trailers and casitas too. If I didn't think Airstreams were the coolest concept in a campground, I would be towing an offroad utility trailer for camping since that fits my needs better.

I drive an FJ cruiser and my girlfriend drives a Mini and whenever we see another person on the road driving one of those vehicles and cutting people off, speeding excessively, or otherwise acting like a complete %$&@, we exclaim our anger and frustration (seriously) because it is just so disappointing. I have absolutely no desire for the Airstream brand to spread to every random person who just wants a big toy hauler or the biggest rv on the block that he or she can use for 4 days per year.

But that's just one man's opinion. A man who prefers to be relatively alone I promoting his vision, aesthetic, and philosophy.

Krupp200 · 12-07-2011, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverCottage

We usually see about 8-10 during a 10 day trip. I agree, not a lot, but when you see them and they flash their headlights to say Hi it reminds you what a friendly bunch we are.

Being a truck driver by trade, when you flash your lights at a fellow Airstreamer they sometimes don't know what mean.. I have a small "I love my Airstream" bumper sticker on the rear of my truck, but wish I could find a larger one..

crazeevw · 12-07-2011, 08:11 PM

Even with the problems in my '89 Airstream moho, I'm still planning a camping trip over the Christmas weekend. Sure, I can't afford 8 new tires at the moment, but the campground I did my 'shakedown' in is only 11 miles away. Full of old farts, but as well, a great couple of friends I used to work with, who are now full-timers for the past 7 years. When the wallet allows new tires, sure, I'll be taking the old beast out for more long-distance trips. It's amazing to me the number of Airstreams you see stored, but never used!
Just saw an older Argosy today at a storage lot. No license tag, and all 4 tires are flat. I sure wish I had a way of restoring it!
Thanks, Derek

crazeevw · 12-07-2011, 08:12 PM

This is the one I mention above. Sad, even the galvanized front is rusting it's sat for so long. Sure there has to be a story about it. Will check next time I get up to storage lot.
Thanks, Derek

redwoodguy · 12-11-2011, 06:10 PM

Our first pull home in the new FC and for 220 miles we didn't see another AS. Jeepers, I was hoping for my first "secret handshake" at 50MPH! The closest we came was a couple who rolled down the pass window and gave us a big thumbs up as they rolled by. I think they must have an AS at home!

I can tell you this, even little kids turn their heads when we roll that baby up somewhere. Everyone loves Airstreams!