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Denis4x4 · 06-26-2008, 09:44 AM

The problems we've had with an '06 Safari FB SS were very minor and easily fixed at home. I've had any number of RV's and other than the AS, the only decent units were a 1992 23' Itasca MH (still have it) and a Featherlight car hauler with living quarters. Quite frankly, the Featherlight quality was as good or better than the AS. Of course, it was priced accordingly.

Journalist · 06-26-2008, 06:35 PM

Buying an Airstream is like buying a Porsche 911. You don't buy a Porsche because it's more reliable than a Chevrolet.(My Porsche breaks down a lot more often than my Chevy truck, and I drive it a lot less.) You buy something like that for the way it performs. It makes a lot more sense to buy a $20K economy car than a gas guzzling $90K sports car that will only carry two people and won't go over a parking lot speed bump, but people still buy new Porsches every day. There's nothing else like them on the road. They have a classic shape and an antiquated drivetrain layout, but that's what makes them what they are. Nothing else on the road accomplishes getting you from point A to point B in quite the same manner as a 911.
An Airstream is similar in every comparison. They have a classic shape that hasn't changed much throughout the company's history. Some of the quirky features of the trailers are a bit antiquated, but that's part of the uniqueness of them. Most importantly, they tow like nothing else on the road. A cheaper white fiberglass box will provide a roof over your head, a place to prepare a meal, a basic bathroom, and a bed to sleep in. However, that white box won't do all those things with the same amount of style or performance while towing as an Airstream. Yes, they have their problems, but nothing manufactured by human hands is completely without flaws 100% of the time.

Aria · 06-26-2008, 07:12 PM

Most people have the same concerns, questions, thoughts. I know we did. We thought SOB? New/Used Airstream? Vintage Airstream? Following one year of searching and getting many answers from the wonderful Forum community; decisions made.We decided on Vintage.

We purchased a Vintage Airstream 1967 Globetrotter 20 ft. The seller was 100 miles from us and represented the trailer honestly.

We check all, made minor adjustments and started our travels. We are happy with our purchase and the good times we are experiencing. Take your time...there is the trailer for you waiting.

Cracker · 06-26-2008, 08:30 PM

Many great comments along the line of what REDNAX said. My Airstream is bone dry and I've never had what I would consider to be major problem with it. I think that what represents a major problem for many is simply perceived by others as a challenge. That's why you'll find so much discussion on the forums about how to fix something - rather than "Where can we find the closest repair service?"

**moosetags** · 06-26-2008, 08:56 PM

We have a 2005 25FB named Lucy that we bought new two years ago. We have spent 260+ nights in her, and have pulled her 31,000+ miles all over the place. We have had a couple of minor problems and a couple of minor leaks. The leaks were probably due to pulling her extensively off-road in Wyoming last year.

We couldn't be happier with Lucy. She is our vacation home, motel room, time share condo, traveling bathroom, getaway place, refuge from the storm, safe place, and our love shack.

Don't get hung up on the small stuff.

Brian

hampstead38 · 07-01-2008, 08:54 AM

I generally agree with the old saying, the sins we regret most are those we do not commit.

So, what happens if you buy an Airstream and it doesn't work out? You recover much of your money on the resale and you live the rest of your days knowing you gave it a try. If you don't... you spend the rest of your days wondering how it might have been.

xonvldz · 10-24-2008, 09:11 PM

i have read these airstream forums with great interest.the people on these forums are a wealth of information.this is my first post on this forum,and most of what i know about trailering has been learned through reading and research.i like to roam around when i get time off from work.this airstream that i have now is the second one that i have owned.i have owned other trailers ,popups etc. and i can say that nothing that i have ever owned tows like the setup that i currently have.campers always comment to me about this airstream and always ask why i chose to purchase this brand.what sold me was the factory tour that i took in jackson center and the craftsmen that i spoke to at the plant about the quality construction of these trailers.i never experienced any leaks on either unit that i have owned.the current unit that i own will be making its third trip to fla,for thanksgiving.i think if you want to travel,airstream is one of the best units available for a comfortable towing experience.i also beleive that compared to other brand trailers that i have owned,airstreams hold up better to the abuse of over the road towing.by the way the water test done at the plant in jackson center oh test every airstream to hurricane force rain before the components are installed inside.

Ganaraska · 12-06-2008, 02:13 PM

It might help to put things in perspective. It is true, you read about a lot of problems on this board. But it is an Airstream help board and naturally if there is an Airstream with a problem anywhere in the world it is likely to be aired here. Add the fact that many thousands have been made and that Airstreams 40 years old are still in regular service. So it could be that you see what seems to be a large number of problems even though 9 out of 10 Airstream owners have few or no problems.

There are other factors too. Most typical trailers are moved to one location and stay there, to be used as a vacation home. Or are used only a few weeks out of the year.

Airstreams are made for travel and are very expensive. They appeal to the hard core traveller, full timer or retiree. So the typical Airstream is used far more, and far harder than the average trailer.

In spite of this Airstreams outlast other brands by 20 years or more. So they can't be all bad.

Another factor is the aircraft type construction. This is good for light weight, streamlining, immunity to crosswind sway etc. But it brings along disadvantages too. Principally that the trailer will not take a lot of pounding. If you use too heavy a tow vehicle and too heavy sway bars you can cause problems of loose rivets and even crack the frames.

The cure for this is to listen to the experts and set up your tow vehicle and hitch as the factory recommends. And then, check your tire pressures regularly and do the regular maintainance and inspections just as you would if you were the pilot of an aircraft.

The beauty of this board is that you can take advantage of 1000's of years of combined experience by owners, dealers, travelers, service men and mechanics.

You can start right off with the right trailer, the right tow vehicle, the right hitch, and other equipment. You can learn all the tricks and start right off as savvy as someone with years of experience.

In this way you can avoid a host of problems and get the maximum of enjoyment out of your travel experience.

So don't let all the "war stories" scare you. Look on them as the chance to enjoy all the adventures, thrills, and chills at no cost and to go right to the top of the learning curve.

Wingeezer · 12-06-2008, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by me4us

My wife and I have looking to purchase a 25 Safari SE either new or up to a few years old and in very good condition. I have spent a great deal of time on this site reviewing hundreds of postings complaining of poor quality, problems with construction and quality control issues. After all this information, I have begun to doubt the purchase itself. I thought that Airstream was top of the line and a great product. It is hard to understand the simple issues they seem to have failed to address.

How can a company with such a history allow this to happen and once it's aware allow it to continue? What if anything is Airstream doing to address these issues and customer complaints?

Should I go forward and if so, how do I insure that I don't get to spend our travel time in one repair problem after another?

The dealers seem to be a good group, but you can only do so much to fix the issues caused by poor quality production. Are these really issues or just a few perfectionists? Keep in mind that getting things fixed isn't the only issue. The lost time and cost to travel to a dealer are major time and cost factors.

Any suggestions? New or used? Airstream or something else? If something else what?

We really want to travel and have finally retired and are ready to go. I just don't look forward to an endless stream of problems to take the enjoyment out of our trips. We are planning to spend 100-150 nights on the road a year and having our new "home away from home" function properly is VERY important to us as if should be to all buyers.

This is a major part of our plans and we are trying to make the right selection. I don't want to sound over the top, but after reading hundreds of complaints concerns exist.

Any suggestions or help will be appreciated.

I spent a certain amount of time on this forum before buying our AS (our first).

As (bad) luck would have it, It seemed like it was only after I bought the trailer that I came across the more negative threads and started wondering if I'd made a huge mistake!

Its still too early for me to tell as we have only slept in it three nights so far when we went to bring it home from Ohio. Our first real trip will be to Arizona (My favourite State!) this winter.

What I can say is that when we sold our last trailer, we spent a LOT of time researching and looling at new SOB trailers and found nothing to our liking.
The AS was the only one that just felt right. (Our last trailer was an Award.)

At this point, I'm thinking (hoping?) that I spent too much time reading the negative threads and that, putting things in perspective we will have made the right decision for us.

I'm not naive enough to think we won't have some problems, but after just three nights in the AS, it sure seems nice and I'm really looking forward to getting out on the road!

BillTex · 12-06-2008, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ganaraska

Airstreams are made for travel and are very expensive. They appeal to the hard core traveller, full timer or retiree. So the typical Airstream is used far more, and far harder than the average trailer.

In spite of this Airstreams outlast other brands by 20 years or more. So they can't be all bad.

Another factor is the aircraft type construction. This is good for light weight, streamlining, immunity to crosswind sway etc. But it brings along disadvantages too. Principally that the trailer will not take a lot of pounding. If you use too heavy a tow vehicle and too heavy sway bars you can cause problems of loose rivets and even crack the frames.

The cure for this is to listen to the experts and set up your tow vehicle and hitch as the factory recommends. And then, check your tire pressures regularly and do the regular maintainance and inspections just as you would if you were the pilot of an aircraft.

???
Our AS is 20 years old and has travelled tens of thousands of miles...behind (2) 3/4 ton TV's. There are no loose rivets, loose cabinets, etc. We plan to have this camper for many more years. I have heard this theory of "too much" TV...preposterous. This theory assumes your camper has no functional suspension, possible, but not likely. You might want to look at an old thread I started about out towing experience:
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238...ice-28886.html

There is no substitute for a properly sized TV for enhanced safety, comfort, and lots of miles behind the wheel.

I do not know the condition of your AS, but I do know they are built and travel unlike anyhting else on the road. We ride it hard and put it away wet, and the AS is always ready to go again.
Get a good TV, hook up anf go!

Bill

Ganaraska · 12-06-2008, 07:38 PM

I was going by this thread and others.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...ars-45839.html

According to the Airstream factory and long time experienced dealers it is possible to have "too much" tow vehicle and "too much" hitch to the point of damaging the trailer. The above thread is an example.

smhx4 · 12-06-2008, 09:45 PM

We researched Airstreams and when we felt comfortable with our knowledge we shopped like crazy til we found our unit. We bought a slightly used 07 safari 25 SE and paid half the msrp. We knew we would have repairs, everything does, but we felt the price was a good balance for us and we are happy. It even has a year left on the warranty. Hunt for a good deal and it will be easier to put money into repairs and maintenance. I just paid 200$ for two new batteries. There will always be something no matter what you buy. Winter is also a great time to find a deal. Good luck.

BillTex · 12-08-2008, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ganaraska

I was going by this thread and others.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...ars-45839.html

According to the Airstream factory and long time experienced dealers it is possible to have "too much" tow vehicle and "too much" hitch to the point of damaging the trailer. The above thread is an example.

Yes, there are known frame issues with those models/years...

As with any second hand purchase, do your research FIRST.
To the OP...there is no doubt AS's can last many decades and provide memories for generations...

Bill