2016 Airstream Pendleton Special Edition

[DanB]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

FYI - in an email exchange I had today with Justin Humphreys (VP Sales at Airstream) he confirms that the offset laminate is in fact the intent of the design. It is not a manufacturing mistake.

Not to be a smartass, but do you really think he would have said anything else?

I mean, could you really see him saying "Yea, we screwed up and didn't consider the graining..."

For years rear-end separation was dismissed as a kinetic compound curve design feature!

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by DanB

Not to be a smartass, but do you really think he would have said anything else?

...snip...

😜. Touché!

Dammit that's funny!! 😃

What would really be funny is if trailer #62 of 100 has the laminate lined up perfectly straight - horizontally - and THAT was the manufacturing defect! 😜

[switz]

In the computer world - undocumented features are called bugs.

I would bet the same chap would say the same thing about the reported 1" gaps in the doors, saying this is a new ventilation feature. Or leaving the Airstream name off of the back of my 23D trailer allows one to be anonymous in brand choice.

[dkottum]

Odd cabinet assembly and looks it, just poor attention to detail somewhere, design or production.

Not the end of the world, if it was my Pendleton I would buy a new sheet of this laminate and have the cabinet front and pantry pieces recut and installed in alignment. Not unlike other upgrades we routinely do to our Airstreams to improve its appearance or performance.

[RVDreamer]

Originally Posted by switz

In the computer world - undocumented features are called bugs.

I would bet the same chap would say the same thing about the reported 1" gaps in the doors, saying this is a new ventilation feature. Or leaving the Airstream name off of the back of my 23D trailer allows one to be anonymous in brand choice.

switz

It is too bad that your 23D was so poorly assembled. I guess it happens to everyone that you pick up a lemon every now and then.
I bought a 2015 27FB Serenity about the same time you bought your 23D and my trailer has been flawless.
We have put 50K miles on the trailer and so far no problems with anything.
We did make improvements to the original with 16" Wheels and Michelin LTX tires, Travler automatic Sat antenna, new quiet water pump, improved toilet seat, and other odds and ends. But so far not one problem with the remaining original equipment, fit or finish.

[RVDreamer]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Odd cabinet assembly and looks it, just poor attention to detail somewhere, design or production.

Not the end of the world, if it was my Pendleton I would buy a new sheet of this laminate and have the cabinet front and pantry pieces recut and installed in alignment. Not unlike other upgrades we routinely do to our Airstreams to improve its appearance or performance.

Everyone has a different aesthetic. To me if you tried to line up the pattern it would look phony. It is meant to replicate rough hewn individually built log furniture. So every grain pattern is unique and does not line up because there is no uniformity.
If you intentionally tried to line up the pattern, it would look fraudulent, like lined up laminate.

But everyone has a different taste and to be honest it doesn't make or break the appeal of the Pendleton.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by switz

In the computer world - undocumented features are called bugs.

Actually, in the computer world, bugs are called undocumented features!

<ducking the topic police>

[KJRitchie]

We are all "involuntary beta testers".

[NWGetaways]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

Actually, in the computer world, bugs are called undocumented features!

<ducking the topic police>

It's not a bug, it's a...

[DPRoberts]

This is the first video of a production model that I have found:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FboavWrXNhc

It appears that some of the cabinetry grain lines up, and some does not. For example, the kitchen storage drawer below the microwave lines up with the microwave drawer, but the door above that does not. Why would you have two panels line up, but not the third? It's hard to tell from the angle of the video, but it looks like the doors below the sink and the armoire doors line up with each other, but not the panels around them.

I think I'd have to see it in person (and this particular dealer isn't too far from me, I might go take a look), but I think lining up some of the grain would be more annoying than leaving it all random.

[DanB]

This Airstream was filmed at the RIVA show. I suspect it was inspected very well.

The Pendleton I photographed was at Haydocy. It was being made ready for final inspection and sale while I was there.

It very well could still be in the showroom, but I would call first.

[Rocinante]

Just called the "Seattle" Airstream Adventures NW shop to see whether they had a Pendleton on the lot that we could see. The answer was both yes and no. They are getting a set number of Pendletons. There's one on the lot.

However, the list of people who have offered to buy their Pendletons is roughly 5x their allocation number. So they aren't really interested in letting people walk through and oogle a trailer that already has a huge waiting list of eager buyers.

Yup, 5x more people on their "I want to buy a Pendleton" list than they will be getting from the factory, according to this particular dealer.

So, good luck on the hopes of a discount price. I hope you find one at a price you want to pay! We'll hang back to help ensure others have an opportunity to buy.

[Zybane]

I've had no issues getting a discount price on the Pendleton with multiple dealers. Leaning towards a Classis though as you get a bit more bang for the buck with one of those.

[DanB]

You can't just tease us like that! What kind of discount were you offered?

[DHart]

Originally Posted by Piggy Bank

Good point avionstream. If they REALLY made a national park unit, it would have a built in crazy-good solar system and huge holding tanks. Because NP campgrounds have no hookups.

Haha... Good one!

I think this is kind of a cool trailer, if you like it and it meets your needs, that is. But way overpriced for what it offers. The features/floor plan would not meet our needs, as we like recliners in our RV. It will meet some people's needs, though, I'm sure. And if they don't mind paying the scratch for it, so be it.

For ourselves, we'd much prefer to just buy a couple of nice Pendleton blankets and put them in our 30' Serenity.

[Zybane]

Originally Posted by DanB

You can't just tease us like that! What kind of discount were you offered?

Not going to state individual dealers, but you can get five digits off one if you search hard enough.

Even with that taken into account, you can get a new 27FB for less than $80K. This will cost you around $30K more in the Pendleton:

Two Air conditioners
Electric stabilizers
Rear Hatch
Interior trim in wood laminate with brown seating
The laser etched front windows and trailer door screen
Corian counter in kitchen (not dinette, bathroom or night stands)
A box of Pendleton accessories

I just found for pretty much the same price a new 30 Classic was a better value. Although I do think the Classic will depreciate a bit faster.

[dkottum]

Zybane I think you're missing a few pricey standard items in your list, but more importantly to some is the Pendleton and smaller needed tow vehicle is a better physical fit in many National Park campsites than the Classic and necessary tow vehicle.

There is more to value than what size and equipment you get for the money, you have to think about how you're going to use it and where you want to go.

[Zybane]

True, but I don't think three feet is going to make or break 95+ % of camp sites.

Besides tow vehicle, which items am I missing?

The hitch weight of the Pendleton is actually greater than the Classic, with the hitch weight usually being a more restrictive component of a tow vehicle (payload) than total trailer weight.

[DHart]

The huge Pendleton logo in the front window would get really old to look at (try to look through), really quickly. For us, anyway.

And as Switz mentions, the electric driven devices are major potential problem areas down the road.

I think someone would really need to be lusting after this trailer hard to justify buying it.

To us, it's just too gimmicky and certainly overpriced. But, for some people, it may just be 'the ticket'.

I like the idea of having a few Pendleton blankets, towels, and pillows around our trailer, which would give a nice touch for not much money. We're thinking of doing that with our Serenity, which doesn't really have any design theme to it as yet.

[Andrew T]

That I can think of this is the list of what comes with a Pendleton that is not on an International. It does not seem like much but many of these up grades are quite expensive.

I hope this helps.

Andrew T
Rear hatch with screen
Classic Aluminum Entrance Step
Lighted grab handle
Electric stabilizers
Special awning color.
16" Michelin tires
Limited Edition / numbered badging
Speciality laminated wall map
100th anniversary Pendleton logo on screen door guards
Aluminum lp tanks with inside monitoring ability
Group 27 batteries
100th Anniversary wrap on front window guards
Door bell
Polk Audio System
Pendleton Art embroidered in sofa ultra leather
Power stabilizer jacks
Airstream logo on bumper cover
Classic stove -stainless steel
Classic sink
Classic faucet
Pendleton Art etched in sliding overhead locker doors.
1 year Pass for 2 into national parks
Corian galley top
Fitted sheets
Fitted down-lite mattress pad
2 a/c with 50 amp service standard
Airstream donating 1000 dollars for every Pendleton sold- totaling $100,000

Pendleton items --
enamel dinner set
coffee mugs
Bath towels
Hand towels
Wash clothes
National park candle
Wool blanket
National park bear
Pet bed
Eco-wise pillow shams
Log cabin pillow
Buffalo pillow
Blanket robe
Thomas Kay lambswool throw