New less expensive Airstream

[PKI]

AS's capacity is constrained by labor. They compete with Honda and other companies for their workers. A less complex product would allow more sales with fewer FTE adds.

It will be very interesting to see what they design. Pat

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by TexasVine

In an effort to bring down the average age of buyers for the elegant but expensive travel trailers and vans, Wheeler said, the company will shortly unveil a new product that’s smaller, sportier, easier to operate and cheaper.

With that statement being made, i'm think the new offering will not eat into the existing customer base (50-60 years of age). Looks like the same philosophy some of the higher end car manufacturers have. Such companies like Porsche offered a less expensive model that did not appeal to their base market but a more youthful market that could not afford the higher end product.This move probably comes from the parent company (Thor).

I find two distinctions among many that stand out with the Airstream line, Shiny and rounded. Wonder if they will keep either one of those characteristics in the new offering. I would think so in order to have the AS appeal.

Or like Cadillac did....and watch Buick right now. Baby boomers are pretty much done. It's all about melliniums now...as it should be.

[TheCabin]

If this new trailer forces AS to learn about the current day electronics used by the target customer, it could eventually help the rest of the AS line.

[Ray Eklund]

Originally Posted by PKI

AS's capacity is constrained by labor. They compete with Honda and other companies for their workers. A less complex product would allow more sales with fewer FTE adds.

It will be very interesting to see what they design. Pat

******

Great insight and I think you are on track.

These would be built in Mexico to keep the labor costs down. The Thor union members would not resist a SOB Airstream that was not labor intensive. (I have to guess that Thor and Airstream are unionized.)

There are some wood and metal custom smaller trailers around right now, but more of a novelty. I have been impressed with the number of Casitas seen on my travels between Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada this Summer and Fall.

I am very impressed that they are sold from the factory in Texas and word of mouth is selling them. That is the best kind of recommendation any trailer company would want... I do not go to RV and Trailer shows, but that might be their other venue. Maybe print advertising, but that is something else I do not spend any time browsing.

I am interested in clearances, wheel size and amenities within. No doubt the Airstream will be a "clone" of a hot seller in the market today. Not the other way around, although the shape of a Casita sure looks... similar to an Airstream.

No doubt things will heat up in the light weight trailer business in 2016. Sometimes the market department of a corporation ignores a small company that seems to be taking off with a steep increase in satisfied customers. It sure would get my attention as a consumer that could get by easily with a lower priced, high quality trailer for my kind of camping. I do not need a Rolls Royce to round up livestock, when a pickup will do better.

No. I do not have any connection with Casita. Their history would be interesting of how they started. Sometimes a good idea comes around and gets a reputation from word of mouth. I do not need leatherette cushions, two televisions, a microwave, a radio with color shows, etc... Airstream is built well and retains its value over time, even because of those features I do not need.

Next time I need a trailer when I am 100... it could be a Casita 20 footer...?

[moparjohn]

I hope it somehow works out. I just keep realizing how out of touch I am with the new Millenials, they don't like maintance? what is so hard about caring for something? They won't own a V8 anything? I won't have anything else!, and finally technology and innovation fustrate me to no end, keep it simple I don't need electronic gadgets. BUT if an inexpensive grassroots Airstream arrives, I'd check it out. Meanwhile I will wait and see.

[PKI]

Union? Thought that question was asked on the tour and believe the answer was no.

[Piggy Bank]

And then there's this.

I also think that maybe, just maybe, the 30-50s would actually prefer a low headroom unit if that tradeoff meant that the trailer would fit in their garage at home.

Lots of these people live life with HOAs and city parking and would find a unit that didn't need offsite storage a big advantage.

[PKI]

Garage storage would be a big win, but less head room is a real problem. You do not buy a quality trailer to walk around with your head bowed unless it has wings and a couple of jet engines attached to the back. That problem needs to be addressed with a better design. AC in a wall, axles that reduce ground to chassis clearance for storage, or maybe a structure that does not require the thickness of a ladder frame chassis. But I'm not convinced that younger folks are quite so sold on ownership that they want to store a trailer. Pat

[gr.austin]

I have a 28" classic limited. Its cost was triple of a 28' TT. Airstream had all the money to make it a nice, easy to maintain and problem free trailer. They couldn't do it with all that money. In my 2009 I have a rotten floor, ceder closet with water stains, many broken plastic parts, drapes that need a mechanic to remove for cleaning, rusted undercarriage parts, rusted fasteners, rusted latches and locks, shields that do not fit properly, rusted drawers, broken cabinet door hinges, broken radio antenna. We use to say where's the beef? I say where's the quality? I now have a aluminum shell after 6 years that needs to be totally rebuilt. How can a company make a lower cost trailer that is any good if they can't make a high end trailer that is any good. Looks like Thor is going to turn airsteam into another cheap white box like their other companies. So Long Airstream was nice knowing you.

The good news. If I renovate my 2009 I'll bet I'll be able to get my money back in a few year. Its low quality will become 10X better than anything new.

[Piggy Bank]

Also would add that if they could bring back the vw type of camper van that would have a lot of appeal, I think

[TheCabin]

AS does face big issues if they want to attract a younger group. Moparjohn is right about their views on care and fixing things. I don't know where I found this, but someone recently wrote in an article about RV quality that essentially the 1940s generation “accepted poor RV quality for a generation and quietly went to work fixing the problems themselves, or simply accepting the situation and living with it. Not so with Baby Boomers, and that certainly won’t be the case with the even more tech-savvy Generation X.“.
It will be interesting to see if a company so firmly focused on their past like AS can adjust before the next economic downturn.

[mandolindave]

Generally speaking….They still have jobs. Mostly weekend trips. Can't go to far. Mostly fair weather camping. Maybe a week vacation or road trip. Not full timers, not two month cross country trips.

I just looked at the Casitas. That exterior rear kitchen is kinda cool. Fits in with my camping style. Most of my friends cook outside too. Nice to be able socialize while grilling. Wouldn't be so good for cross country trips

Wheeler said that most AS owners were 60 ish and 50 ish

The 20s crowd doesn't have money yet. The 30s are having kids and buying houses. The 40s crowd is saving for college. Cost is a big issue.

[bolerama]

Maybe Airstream still has the moulds for the Wally Bee. Now that would be something!

From Wally Byam's Portrait - Airstream

Marius Hansen was more than just an Airstream employee. He was Wally’s friend and neighbor, as well as Airstream’s Fiberglass Department supervisor. In 1952, the company toyed with the idea of manufacturing fiberglass Airstreams. They developed a prototype, but the project was shelved soon thereafter.

For Airstream owners with vintage Airstreams, various fiberglass items like interior end caps, shower stalls, and rear bathrooms came from his shop. In the early 1960’s, also produced the “Wally Bee,” a small Airstream made with top and bottom fiberglass shells. Marius traveled with the “Wally Bee” as far as Managua, Nicaragua on a trial trip. Unfortunately, only one unit was produced before Airstream gave up on the project.

Sign me up! I'm a fibreglass "egg" enthusiast. I'd order a Wally Bee so fast. When we get hail here on the prairies, I know my boler is getting a good scrubbing, but I get a lump in my throat wondering if my Airstream will survive the beating.

We really considered getting a Bigfoot. They are probably one of the best built trailers; however, they are so ugly on the inside. If Airstream could build a Wally Bee like a Bigfoot, but with Airstream style, that would be a killer trailer!
Lisa

[mandolindave]

This thread kinda HAD to bring up the Basecamp.

I dogged the Basecamp . They are really cool looking, and were a very cool idea. But were too much money for most of the people who would use them.
Had Airstream made a $7K sport utility trailer, and a $20K camper out of the Basecamp….who knows. Both would have been really cool, and both more useful.

I think I said the Basecamp wasn't a great utility trailer, wasn't a great travel trailer…..and if you put pontoons on it, it wouldn't make a great boat…but if they made one with pontoons…I would want one. It was a way better utility trailer than it was a travel trailer. And the retro design was very very cool.
OVERPRICED!!!!!!!

NOW they are going to be competing with Casita at almost twice the price tag

[BoldAdventure]

I'm 32 and this thread is hilariously entertaining.

[AWCHIEF]

In my opinion over priced but has possibilities.

NEST Caravans

[field & stream]

I love this discussion! I think a great part of the question of what it will be is whether they plan to build a "travel trailer" or a "camper". Perhaps some definition is needed.

Several have brought up the Basecamp (which I own now, and love) and the VW bus (of which I owned three, and loved). It is true of both that they have no refrigerator, no heat, no hot water, no toilet (much less a shower) and no holding tanks. Hardly what could be considered a "Travel Trailer" or an "RV". These are campers, and both are great at being campers.

So, is Airstream planning a less expensive and sportier travel trailer, or planning a camper? Or, is it some sort of a hybrid?

The more it is like a camper, the easier it will be to hit the price target.

[idroba]

Originally Posted by bolerama

Maybe Airstream still has the moulds for the Wally Bee. Now that would be something!

From Wally Byam's Portrait - Airstream

Marius Hansen was more than just an Airstream employee. He was Wally’s friend and neighbor, as well as Airstream’s Fiberglass Department supervisor. In 1952, the company toyed with the idea of manufacturing fiberglass Airstreams. They developed a prototype, but the project was shelved soon thereafter.

For Airstream owners with vintage Airstreams, various fiberglass items like interior end caps, shower stalls, and rear bathrooms came from his shop. In the early 1960’s, also produced the “Wally Bee,” a small Airstream made with top and bottom fiberglass shells. Marius traveled with the “Wally Bee” as far as Managua, Nicaragua on a trial trip. Unfortunately, only one unit was produced before Airstream gave up on the project.

I believe that two fiberglass Airstreams were made in the mid 50's. I know one at least still survives and is owned by Luke, in Fort Collins CO. He has done a restoration on it, but the interior had to be based on some speculation, as only some wall marks from the original remained, It was empty when Luke got it. When I last saw it, it was still a shell, but Luke told me it is now done and he has taken it to some vintage rallies.

It is a very little known Airstream.

[jgutteter]

I worry that thier foray into a 'value' line won't go so well... However, I am looking to upgrade my 16' Scamp here are the reasons why:

1. Too small (no shower except a wet bath)
2. Sleeping on my kitchen table can be a drag over time
3. Fit and finish is nice, but I have worked to a point to where I want a bit of luxury... No other TT matches AS materials and design.
4. All current makes/models of TT look as through they were designed in the 80's, except AS

If AS builds a 'value' line, making it smaller is where the competition is, (Casita, Scamp bigfoot) and they are all on the tiny side.... There is nobody building a 23-27' fiberglass, that where the market niche is to be filled by AS.

That said, the AS brand is iconic aluminum, not some other material. This is a classic stock price move, not building a better TT.

[Airtandem]

I read reciently that Alcoa was getting big competition from foreign markets. Could the quality and availability have something to do with it? Also Ford is now using Alcoa aluminum.
Just thinking.
Mike