Why Did You Buy an Airstream instead of...?

[Flht2k]

The interiors,quality and resale value

[rocco52]

I bought an AS because I thought they looked fantastic. My neighborhood is filled with big white boxes. Twice a day I would drive by a nice little 20' AS on my way to and from work. I smiled everytime I saw it. One day I told my wife we should go look at Airstreams. Surprisingly she agreed! This was after being told that I had used my last Toy Coupon. She liked the way they looked and also the interiors and floor plans. We did'nt even look at anything else. One year and 6500 miles later we are still happy with it. My only regret is not being able to get on the roof to check things out. I am a maintenance freak but round roofs are not on my approved list anymore.

[n2916s]

Aluminitis. If you have it, no explanation is necessary. If you don't, no explanation is possible.

[nickclifford]

Good question..., why DID I buy a 25 yr old trailer ?!! It's a simply gorgeous timeless design. The older ones are even cooler but a lot of money. I love my '72 for its period interior and vista windows. 1980's trailers? hate the dated kitchen cabinet look. Hope to buy a newer one in the future though. I would never buy a plastic box trailer with those tacky poor taste interiors. God awful!!

[Thiss]

We had a 2005 28 ft SOB that we bought new and used as honeymooners finishing college. After finally settling into our newly built home in a "neo traditional neighborhood" we used it for camping. It was great for towing to family property on the coast and leaving it all summer. However, it was an SOB to tow for any weekend trips.

After replacing most of the floor due to rot, from a water leak that the factory missed the sealant on, and a few miserable trips towing it, I decided I wanted the Airstream that I had really wanted from the start.

Funny I sold a 2005 SOB with a tipping and most of the premium options for just slightly more than I bought a 1971 for and I have no regrets doing so.

PS I dropped in on the dealer we bought the SOB from to ask about an Airatream on the lot. I was informed that it was the owner's rig. The don't sell Airstream, but they camp in one.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Our first PWD made us do it.....he said he needed an "HQ" for his Water Trials.

Bob

[Wingeezer]

We previously had a UK-designed 27ft "Award" brand travel trailer and really loved it.

We had it for about 12 years, but it was just becoming a money pit - mostly due to water damage even though we tried hard to look after it.

The Award (no longer made) was almost in the same class as an Airstream. Premium cost, rather unusual appearance, low profile, and streamlined and very attractive interior.

Also it was very light weight - our 27 footer had a light weight of about 3500#

When we finally accepted the reality that it was time to replace it, we considered every option from getting out of RV'ing, to Class A motorhome, to another trailer.

After spending months looking at almost every make and model or trailer, we settled on the AS as being the closest we could find to our "Award" and have been very happy wth it - still miss the "Award" though!

Brian.

[nrgtrakr]

We were planning on full timing, but didn't care much for the price of new plain white boxes and most used ones were junk in 5 years. We looked a couple of used Airstreams and they seemed to hold up better. We found a '75 Overlander that needed some work, but would still be less than a new plain white box after I made the repairs. It followed us home one day.

Sadly during the course of making the repairs, things changed; full timing became less of an option and we realized it was a little small for living in full time, AND perhaps too big for our camping needs (plus the co-pilot isn't crazy about driving with a trailer that big out back). So we put it up for sale. If it sells, great; if not, maybe we'll use it from time to time.

[Rocinante]

As a couple of others have noted, we really disliked the interior designs for all the SOB RV's we looked at - both motor homes and trailers. Like my grandma, on a bad day, came up with them. Seriously, what's up with the awful interiors?

Anyhow, we immediately loved the CCD approach to the International series - even the Sterling with the violet floor...until we realized that was a rug and it would be a real chore to keep it clear of the pine & fir needles that always want to weave themselves into that sort of rug.

The FC was OK, but we weren't fans of the odd yellowish-greenish tint of everything and the obviously-not-wood-while-trying-much-too-hard-to-look-like-real-wood interior. For some reason, the laminates in the International series did not have that effect on us, even though they are also pretending to a wood-like finish.

Eddie Bauer was nice too, and we absolutely adored the huge rear hatch, but we hated the fabric they were using on the seats that year and just could not get past it. Too bad there wasn't a Pendleton model that year.

Classics were beautiful, but we felt more closed in by all the wood, and our wallets immediately started complaining about potential injury due to the higher price. We didn't even consider the Land Yacht model - just crazy expensive for us.

So, for some customers, interior design will matter. We loved the clean, dare we say, modern, interior designs of the International line, and in particular we liked the simple easy-to-clean floor in the Signature. We disliked the Serenity's weave-style finish on the floor because we didn't want to have to clean all the crevices in that pattern.

To be clear, we're *not* dissing other Airstream interiors, all of which have their own beauty and charm. This was just what worked for us. If you have an Airstream, any Airstream, you're already flying high above pretty much any SOB. Just explaining our choices for Rocinante.

For the OP, if this stuff helps you as a "sales engineer" at your new job, that's great. Most salespeople are "pushing aluminum" so if you know something about the product you're selling, our theory is that it will help you be more successful than your peers wrt quota and customer sat. We sure hope so!

[Twinke58]

I got an airstream because of the look, ease of use, and they don't look like they are eating the tv.


Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forum

[Protagonist]

Since my Airstream is an Interstate my answers may be different from the trailer owners…

1 - Superior interior fit and finish. There are many Sprinter-based Class Bs, and they all look about the same on the outside and have the same drivetrain, so the only real difference must be the interior. Airstream was clearly better than all of the competition available at the time in my area.

1a - The Interstate was the only Class B that I test-drove that didn't sound like it was rattling apart when it hit a pothole or a bump. One more example of fit and finish. (Yes, I made a point of not avoiding the potholes during my test drives!)

2 - Because I knew my retirement budget would never allow buying another, so the one-and-only RV had to be one that would last as long as I do, so I'd better buy a good one.

3 - Because I was able to get a good deal on it. When I started negotiating, I wrote down the MSRP of a Winnebago ERA Class B as a reminder, and vowed that if I couldn't get the price of the Interstate down below the MSRP of the ERA, then I'd walk away and settle for a lesser product. Fortunately my negotiation was successful, and I bought the Interstate for about a grand less than the MSRP of the Winnebago ERA.

4 - Because the whole dealership, from the owner to the sales staff, actually knew what they were talking about. One of the SOB dealers (who will remain nameless) had a sales staff that didn't even know where the spare tire was stored or how to open the hood of the van! I did my research beforehand, and Airstream was the only dealership where the staff knew more about the product than I did. That boded well for our future relationship.

[Len n Jeanne]

Ellen, kind of for the same reasons you mention. But in our case, we were a couple of old tent campers who just got tired of sleeping with rocks in our backs and having to pack up a wet tent. But because of our low-footprint, off-grid camping style, we really did not want a big white box or moho type of rig.

There weren't so many cute fibreglass trailers going down the road in 2006, and the ones we looked at didn't have an interior bathroom, which was crucial. When we saw our first Bambi at an Interstate rest area in southern Idaho, it was love at first sight. Fortunately we lived close enough to Can-Am in London, Ontario to pay them a visit, and they had a lightly used 16' Bambi on the lot. We also looked at other small trailers while we were there, but they looked cheap and badly planned.

Since our first purchase, we're peeked inside all kinds of small trailers, simply by chatting up their owners in campgrounds: Scamps, Casitas, A-chalets, small teardrops, &c. The small ones have the advantage of being super-light, but the disadvantage of being really claustrophobic on the inside. This is a big consideration if you travel with a dog, if it rains and you're inside a lot, if you camp when it gets dark outside early, &c.

If anyone is shopping for a small trailer, we would definitely recommend a Bambi.

[jcanavera]

I bought mine with the intention that I probably wouldn't be able to afford one once I retired (which ended up true), and the fact that this might be the last travel trailer I would buy in my lifetime. Currently we are now into our 12th season with no regrets. I cut my Airstream teeth with a Safari that I bought new in 2001. With a purchase price just over 30K for that 27' model, I figured that if I didn't like it I could recoup my cost fairly quickly. After 3 years I pretty much knew what I wanted and we traded up to the Classic Slide.

Jack

[jrschro]

Because my wife said, "We're buying an AirStream"!!!!

[sallye]

We bought the AS because we found a floor plan (20") that we really liked and that would fit in our driveway and could be towed by a SUV rather than a truck. (Our 1920s garage won't fit a decent truck.)

We considered a Safari Alto but, after seeing one, HATED the floor plan and besides, it was very small and pretty expensive for all that you don't get with it. (Those pics on their web site are taken by a camera lens that makes them look way bigger than they look in person.)

We considered the Eggcamper for it's aerodynamic shape, but it has a wet bath and you had to add most of the appliances yourself.

We considered other smallish campers, but DH is 6'2" and many, Oliver for example, were too short inside for him to actually walk around in or the beds were two short.

So the AS fit the bill and besides, the other kinds are mostly UGLY.

[kdickinson]

Mine has been owned since new in 1969 by my family. My wife and I are the current caretakers and active users of this wonderful trailer. If and when the time comes to replace it (big if but it could happen) we are committed that it will be another Airstream. They just make sense all the way around and inside and out. And like another poster on another thread said "Airstreams make people smile". They are just there doing their job so you don't have to worry about where you will eat, rest, and sleep which means you can spend a lot more time out enjoying where you are. And when it comes time to move to the next place to see they are ready to go and explore and see new things right along with you, everything works, everything stores, everything is ready to roll. The design DNA mapped into these trailers in terms of how to make people comfortable and to make things work on the road is amazing. I can hear the people now saying "well my refrigerator doesn't work" or "I can't get my A/C to work right" - yeah they are mechanical things like anything built to be pulled or driven and things do break down but the core of these trailers is solid and good maintenance and professional repair goes a long way. Airstream on!

[phann]

We bought our Airstream instead of SOB because:
1. It looks classy. As I write this, a lady outside is taking a photo of my classy Classic. No one takes photos of SOBs.
2. It handles better on the road with side winds
3. The AS legacy and brand longevity appeal to my sense of nostalgia/history. Its the same reason I bought Harleys instead of less expensive motorcycles
4. They last longer if you take care of them. I've come to accept that all RVs have some initial warrantee issues, but once they are resolved, I can expect my AS to hold up well if I do proper maintenance.
5. They have modern interiors. Every new SOB I have ever looked at feels like Grandma's house inside.

[phann]

PS....
Have you noticed that most road signage announcing upcoming turnoffs for RV campgrounds, and many logos employed by RV services and RV campgrounds (i.e., in advertisements, literature, website's, etc.) are side profiles of what closely resembles an Airstream. In many ways, Airstream represents the culture of all RV camping. Just sayin' ....

[gypsydad]

We have owned 3 AS's, but prior I had a 25' RV motor home, a pop up, and in between AS 1 & 2, we had a Casita. Wife was always enamored with the AS look; I was always concerned about the initial cost! After we got a good deal on our first 2006 25', we used for 2 years and were hooked. Our life changed a bit and we purchased a cabin in MT and thought we could get by with smaller unit so we sold the AS and purchased a 2007, 17' Casita. It was nice for about 10 minutes, and then it got a bit small during our first multiday trip...we sold the Casita and went back to 25' AS within a year. I have tried to get wife to look at a 5th wheel or other 25' SOB as we could certainly find great deals for a lot less money up front, but she would have no part of it. So here we are; enjoying life in our 2014 25' FC Twin...and likely will get a new 25' Twin with ducted air a year or so...

So, what have we learned....AS's don't have slides anymore; no mechanical issues to worry about there! There are some QA issues in a new one, but nothing unfixable. They hold their value pretty well. They track very well on the road. Fairly straight forward for maintenance and repairs. You get a lot of attention when on the road or camping. All in all for us, a good investment from our point of view.

[Monza]

To pick up chicks.