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Old 11-23-2015, 09:16 PM   #1
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New less expensive Airstream

An article on Bob Wheeler mentioning a new, less expensive Airstream coming out next year. I don't think this has been posted on Airforums.

L.A. Auto Show 2015: Airstream is 'crushing it' in sales, CEO says - LA Times
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Old 11-23-2015, 09:24 PM   #2
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Airstream can't keep up with demand as it is............ this is a good thing??
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Old 11-23-2015, 09:26 PM   #3
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Interesting. Thanks for sharing.
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Old 11-23-2015, 10:09 PM   #4
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I wonder if it will be a re-introduction of the Argosy line?
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Old 11-23-2015, 10:18 PM   #5
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I wonder if it will be a 13' aluminum Casita.

But the sportier AS Basecamp model didn't seem to linger.
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Old 11-23-2015, 10:26 PM   #6
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I'm thinking a big Casita like Airstream.
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Old 11-24-2015, 05:49 AM   #7
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I've had the " pleasure " ( NOT ) of working on SOBs

I've come to the conclusion that a BIG part of the design of RVs has to do with ease and cost of manufacturing. Engineers also have to work with the cost and availability of materials, and current manufacturing technologies.

Could Airstream make a cheaper trailer? Probably.

Could Airstream make a cheaper better trailer? Maybe.

Could Airstream make a trailer that is easier to maintain? Yes

Could Airstream make a trailer that is better, cheaper, lighter, easier to maintain, and last 50 years. ??? Probably not.

It will be interesting to see this forum step all over each other to get a look at this new cheaper Airstream. And the ensuing threads? What fun.
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Old 11-24-2015, 05:53 AM   #8
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I think so too Drathaar. Based on the already designed and engineered European model Airstreams.
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Old 11-24-2015, 06:05 AM   #9
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Wheeler said not aluminum

Quote:
Originally Posted by Len n Jeanne View Post
I wonder if it will be a 13' aluminum Casita.

But the sportier AS Basecamp model didn't seem to linger.
The base camp was a camper/utility trailer. It wasn't great at either. It seems that the younger crowd that Airstream was targeting, couldn't afford it. Most of the older crowd, didn't need or want it.

Wheeler said that it would look like an Airstream, smaller, priced around $33K.

I'm thinking more like $22K to be competitive. ( But then consider The Oliver )

I'm guessing fiberglass. A Casita that looks like an Airstream?? It sure sounds interesting.
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Old 11-24-2015, 06:12 AM   #10
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Airstream loves to use old model names. I guess Argosy is next up for a comeback.

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Old 11-24-2015, 06:18 AM   #11
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It will be fun to see what they come up with.


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Old 11-24-2015, 06:20 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mandolindave View Post
The base camp was a camper/utility trailer. It wasn't great at either. It seems that the younger crowd that Airstream was targeting, couldn't afford it. Most of the older crowd, didn't need or want it.

Wheeler said that it would look like an Airstream, smaller, priced around $33K.

I'm thinking more like $22K to be competitive. ( But then consider The Oliver )

I'm guessing fiberglass. A Casita that looks like an Airstream?? It sure sounds interesting.
That wouldn't be such a bad thing, IMHO. I've owned a Casita 17 for several years also, and on the average I've had a lot less trouble with it than I have with my Airstreams. Of course, it's almost the epitome of simple.
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Old 11-24-2015, 06:48 AM   #13
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To me most interesting statement,

"The new trailer won’t come in the traditional aluminum shell, Wheeler said, but will be unmistakably an Airstream when it arrives in the middle of 2016."
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Old 11-24-2015, 06:53 AM   #14
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Being an owner of 2 Argosy's I would love to see the Argosy come back. As long as it is not square.
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Old 11-24-2015, 06:58 AM   #15
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[QUOTE=mandolindave;1714863]The base camp was a camper/utility trailer. It wasn't great at either. It seems that the younger crowd that Airstream was targeting, couldn't afford it. Most of the older crowd, didn't need or want it.


As a Basecamp owner, I totally agree with the above description of the Basecamp as a camper/utility trailer -- with no heat, hot water, bathroom, or waste tanks it is not what anyone would call a travel trailer. (For what it is worth, we absolutely love ours as a camper!)

What killed it was economics. With options the price was barely less than a much better equipped 16' Bambi, and it was announced right at the start of the Great Recession.

If they can get the features/price balance right (which will not be easy, especially using aluminum) they might have a winner that will attract the younger market they seek.
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Old 11-24-2015, 06:59 AM   #16
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Agreed

Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveH View Post
That wouldn't be such a bad thing, IMHO. I've owned a Casita 17 for several years also, and on the average I've had a lot less trouble with it than I have with my Airstreams. Of course, it's almost the epitome of simple.
I was actually looking for a Scamp, but my daughter ( about 9 years old at the time ) spotted my Argosy in a used car lot. After repairs and restoration, I could have bought two brand new Scamps.

I would still have a Scamp (if it had the shower option ) For LOOOOONG road trips and over nighters.

I think an Airstream teardrop would be cool. But for me, just van camping would be a better cheaper option. The Basecamp might have turned the Suits against that idea.

I have a tricked out Argosy. The idea of reintroducing a stripped down, economy Argosy leaves me cold. A painted REAL Airstream would be awesome…..FOR ME
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Old 11-24-2015, 07:08 AM   #17
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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.
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Old 11-24-2015, 07:53 AM   #18
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Over the years, I've had a number of classic and collector cars dating back to 1929. During that time, I've spent a fortune restoring and/or maintaining them. I chuckle every time I read a post about how an AS that's fifty or sixty years old is still around and that why the AS is an icon and far better than an SOB. I still have a couple of Model A's and like an old AS, they were restored for serious money, much like an old AS. In the eighties, a company introduced a a Model A like car with Ford's blessing. It used Pinto running gear and a fiberglass body. How many Shay's do you see out on the road today?

My point is simply that Thor will dilute the AS market with a lesser trailer depending on the AS reputation as a sales driver. BTW, how many of you remember the Cadillac Cimmaron based on the Chevy Nova or the Lincoln Versailles based on a Granada?

I rest my case.
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Old 11-24-2015, 08:19 AM   #19
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I'm wondering if adhesives have come along to the point that an aluminum skin can be built without the labor intensive rivets. Allowing a simpler to build, less expensive airstream to still be shiny and curvatious.

Lots of new cars now combine a mix of materials to be used to advantage with new adhesives bonding them together.

Why not trailers?

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Old 11-24-2015, 08:24 AM   #20
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Or, how about a fiberglass body painted silver?
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