What happened to all the vintage trailer people?

[Bubba L]

My interests are in vintage renovations. Unfortunately, I have to wade through a lot of threads finding those that interest me. I'm sure all posts interest someone, but not me. In renovating our 55, I have read many posts by those of you on this thread and I appreciate your knowledge and experience. if all threads were of renovating vintage Airstreams, I wouldn't get anything done on the 55 due to reading all the posts. I do appreciate all the knowledge and experience of those who do take the time to publicize their renovation. And I appreciate those who answer my questions via a PM. I'm a newbie compared to you guys. Thanks to those who share their experiences. Time to go polish. Bubba

[TheGreatleys]

We started our off-site blog mostly to allow family to keep up with what we are doing. It sort of evolved into reno updates and trying to document information that I wasn't able to find elsewhere, so it would be available to others. I kept intending to start an Airforums reno thread, but it was hard enough to keep up with everything else. Now I mostly post updates on Instagram, since that's easiest.

I might do a thread of photos when I'm 100% finished, though I'm not looking forward to critiques of my hitch choice, TV, design decisions, etc that I see elsewhere. It's my home, so I'm not sure I want to put in much effort to invite comments from some opinionated people who think it's their job to tell me I'm wrong.

I want to give back to this community, so I watch for threads where I might be helpful. But keeping up with a reno thread is a project in itself. Maybe next trailer, if I accidentally buy another one some day.

[Squairstream]

Been here for years, but not very active with postings.

[alantbird]

Lurking and commenting when necessary. My life changed regarding air streams when my partner suffered a food borne Brain injury (6 years ago) and I had to move to a more accommodating motorhome.
Eventually I will get up the energy to snag a 350 le motorhome and put a proper motor in It.

[dwhitake]

I'm not an old timer but I get a lot of useful information from archives.

Honestly, hopefully no one gets offended here, but for forum site is clunky and needs a GUI face lift. It's still in Windows 95 aesthetics. The information on here is priceless, that's why I keep coming back.

Pinterest is taking over because its easy to post pics and it flows well.

[Mred.ns]

Hi, first time posting, but have been an avid admirer for years, reading your great posts. I am in the process of restoring a 1069 Airstream, Globetrotter Land Yacht, 21ft. I had a 1969 18ft I restored many years ago and sadly sold and have looked for years for another one, found this one a 90 yr old guy was using as a garden shed for years. I am doing a body on frame restoration, have pulled all the cupboards out and have varathaned them, putting hardwood on the floors, but undecided to to paint or put new vinyl on the walls.

[Royce]

Still here, most days. Just that a lot of the recent topics are of little interest to me. I will work with PayPal when necessary so that is not a deal killer. I suspect a lot of us have been out in the world enjoying the coach and discussions may pick up with winter.

[tbashin]

AirForums needs to categorize newer Airstreams to filter better. Just a suggestion.

[m.hony]

Many vintage trailer owners/restorers are either not on Airforums or not active on Airforums.
I run into them at campgrounds here and there.

[centennialman]

Still here too.....have been since 2006. I sold my vintage and bought new last year but still interested and read every vintage post that I can. Also answer posts for folks who have the vintage model that I had.

[McArthur]

I still read it everyday just because it lands in my incoming email. After owning my '82 Excella, and replacing practically everything in it, for about three years now I've learned about all there is to know about it. I do appreciate the occasional tips I see from the other restorers and just skip over the bitchin' about the new trailers.

I still don't know how a couple, or especially a couple with kids, can live full time in one of these tuna cans. I'm cramped and there's only one of me. I just bought an 8'x30' high end cargo trailer that I am converting to a palace on wheels to live in. Let me tell you, straight walls add a tremendous amount of cubic feet and turn a tuna can home into at least a coffee can home. I'm doing this because I'm getting kind of long in the tooth and after three heart attacks, I need to be living in my daughter's back yard rather than by myself off in the boondocks somewhere.

I do intend to keep my Excella, at least for a while, to make occasional trips in. It's great for that. The 20mpg I get towing the Airstream sure beats the 12.5mpg I get towing the big box. But, I won't be doing that very much.

I concur on Paypal. I sold a CB Base Station on eBay last month and the dirty rats decided to keep my money for three weeks. It took a couple of hours and about a ten point rise in my blood pressure to make them understand that "I WANT MY MONEY NOW". It showed up in my Paypal account this morning. Don't hesitate to yell at them if they mess with you.

Doug Mc

[tewfiks]

I can personally say that I still use the forum to help with the projects and challenges of our 78 31'. What has turned me off to contributing and sharing is all of the snide comments that see all too common on this site.

[1973Argosy]

Originally Posted by tewfiks

I can personally say that I still use the forum to help with the projects and challenges of our 78 31'. What has turned me off to contributing and sharing is all of the snide comments that see all too common on this site.

For sure there are a few here that don't know how to keep their mouths shut. The old saying "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" comes to mind at least three times a week when reading through responses.

[BScott]

I have a 72 Safari and like others have said, I see more problems with the newer trailers... Not sure I would like a newer one with all the problems I see plus the cost.

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by Chatthayer

Half ton to 27 feet, 3/4 ton over that, all with weight distributing hitch and sway equipment. Simple... right?

Doesn't get any simpler than that. And it is spot on.

[m.hony]

Hmm...
I tow a 30' with a 1/2 ton...
The 30 tongue weight may actually be less than the 27 tongue weight...

[Rick T]

When I first got my “vintage” Airstream it needed lots of little fixes and a few big ones. I relied heavily on the forums and the people who knew more than I did. Thanks to those posts and threads I learned what to do and more importantly, what not to do. Way back then I’m guessing at least 75% of the posts were people sharing their “how to” tips and techniques so I learned a lot and saved a lot of money. Skip ahead to today and it seems like at least 75% of the posts are socializing, arguing, rinsing and repeating and less than 25% of the posts are about fixing things. That’s alright with me because I’ve already done the work I needed to do. That’s also why I only read about 10% of the posts now. I’ve noticed the change over the years and wonder if folks take their Airstreams to someone else to work on rather than doing the repairs themselves. Oh and while I like to socialize I have other outlets for that.

[Ray Eklund]

This lack of interest has more to do with the... age and experiences of those interested in 'vintage', anything. Airstreams included.

We find our interests towards what we could not afford when young and today can afford, spending time to restore. The younger crowd do not have this interest, nor skills needed to even attempt to restore a trailer, none the less repair the hot water tank in their home.

This is not an ALL, but the majority of people have no interest in camping, trailers or what cannot down loaded onto their phones or computers.

I find that the majority of interests I had in my long gone youth has very little interest today. I collected a long list of things that were popular to me from the age of 10 to 45, that today has NO interest.

Why? Because there is less interest among those who are younger. Automobiles are a great example, but this also extends into vintage trailers, jukeboxes, slot machines, coin collecting, rock & mineral collecting, books... and so on and on.

A 'vintage automobile' can be a 1985 model today.

Since I have always been in business buying and selling various large and small items, today some things you cannot give away that had a high value twenty years ago. Trailers are no exception. Most younger people today cannot change a flat tire and restoring or repairing a trailer exceeds their experiences.

I take to the City Landfill more books each week than some small libraries have on their shelves. Hundreds of technical geological science books that can be downloaded to a computer for FREE, today. , School and university libraries have rooms of computers to do research, and fewer current books on the shelf that are out of date once printed.

Digital, Print on Demand, DVD and in house computers take up less space than books and are much cheaper to update and cater to those who grew up with these 'advances' in technology.

I recall as a seven year old dreaming of owning a pedal car of my own. Today there are piles of them with no one interested here in Boulder City, Nevada. Cap pistols... out with BB guns. The list is long. Our Culture is changing and some of us have noticed.

[JCWDCW]

Originally Posted by Chatthayer

Half ton to 27 feet, 3/4 ton over that, all with weight distributing hitch and sway equipment. Simple... right?

and then there are members in our club who just purchased a 30' and towing with a Honda Pilot....That should get something going


Oh! I forgot this thread is about vintage absentees

JCW

[m.hony]

Some of them may have finished the restoration and started using the trailer...