Nest by Airstream

[Smittyfan]

Originally Posted by FCStreamer

Let me know when they make a 30 footer...

That’s a toyhauler[emoji847]

[Philip Jones]

Looks like you forego a lot of counter space and storage when selecting the FB model. I wonder why they offer this in such a small trailer? Maybe the converted bed is uncomfortable?

[gypsydad]

We liked our Casita, but it was tight each trip with our dog. The wet bath in the Casita I think is a "little" larger, but still tight. The Nest looks pretty nice overall, but not sure why a "power awning" that does not cover the doorway, and still requires manual extension of the suspension rods? Also, the AC/DC fridge, would mean no propane, so boon docking might be difficult without a generator; the Casita is a 3 way. Casita is around $20K. As with any of the fiberglass units, outside storage for hauling extra "stuff" can be a challenge if you don't have a pickup bed. We used our Tahoe and it was fine except no generator, but we did not boondock much. I think the Nest looks pretty nice and should find a following for some folks who want a "very nice" lightweight "occasional" travel trailer. When I visited AS dealer Monday, there was a guy who had just bought an International Class B who was thinking the Nest would make a great "extra" bedroom for towing when he needed more sleeping room...price did not seem to phase him, and the sales guy said they were not discounting it yet. At $46K, still think I would look at the Sport 22 first....but that's just me...

[Jalayton]

Have been looking forward to Nest to make my first travel trailer purchase. Am going to see Nest next week but noticed the GVWR is 4,000 lbs as opposed to the 16' sport which is 3,500. I have a new Jeep Cherokee with tow package with GVWR of 4,500lbs so this is getting iffy for me. May need to stick with Sport. Any thoughts?

[Gh0624]

We looked at a Nest 16 FB (Fixed Forward Bed) today at a local Airstream dealer. We don't own an Airstream yet and have been waiting t see the Nest. First impressions are much roomier feeling than the 16 ft Bambi. Felt like lots of sunlight coming in with skylight and wrapped windows. They already sold the dinette model on the first day (supposedly). Wet bath was taller and roomier. And a lot of storage. No step inside on the FB model. What I didn't like was the price - $47K!! And the refrigerator was tiny. I think it is is 3.2 but it is tall and super narrow - felt like 10" wide. Wish they had made the closet smaller and put a normal width small frig in. I am not familiar with Casitas or Olivers but the interior of the Nest felt higher-end like other AS.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by TouringDan

Any body know details on the fridge? I notice that it is only electric 12/120 powered. Does it have a compressor?

It is 7’1” wide. Is that the same as the Casitas?

Dan

The fridge has a compressor.

[kendrick.l.j]

GhO, really should go take a peek at the Oliver or Casita. IMO. The Nest is cute. But That it, just CUTE. $50k for cute, naw. I know I will get my hands slapped but the NEST isn’t an Airstream, at least not to me. Airstreams have rivets and are made out of aluminum. It is small, but not any smaller than the Basecamp. Couldn’t use either, not even for an occasional weekend, just no place to put anything, towels for shower? tp? Coffee? More than one pair of jeans/shoes/a couple of t shirts? Tools? I would get very claustrophobic very quickly. The one thing I really like about the Nest is no television. That is a good thing. if everything has to go in the TV and you just the the Nest for sleeping, that’s a dang expensive bedroom.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by Jalayton

Have been looking forward to Nest to make my first travel trailer purchase. Am going to see Nest next week but noticed the GVWR is 4,000 lbs as opposed to the 16' sport which is 3,500. I have a new Jeep Cherokee with tow package with GVWR of 4,500lbs so this is getting iffy for me. May need to stick with Sport. Any thoughts?

Personally, I would lean to the 16' as it is wider and "feels" bigger. If they have both on site, I would visit both to be sure. My 2 cents!

[switz]

Some folks find the wet bath burdensome after actually using the trailer for a longer trip. However, a smaller tow vehicle is possible. I would think a SUV/station wagon would be a good match to store the "stuff" overflow is inside.

[KK4YZ]

Originally Posted by Jalayton

Have been looking forward to Nest to make my first travel trailer purchase. Am going to see Nest next week but noticed the GVWR is 4,000 lbs as opposed to the 16' sport which is 3,500. I have a new Jeep Cherokee with tow package with GVWR of 4,500lbs so this is getting iffy for me. May need to stick with Sport. Any thoughts?

Remember “GVWR” is the maximum allowed gross weight, loaded up, not the dry weight. I would think from a tow vehicle perspective you’re probably ok towing either one. Which one to get? I think it comes down to what rings your bell.
Good luck

[mattskav]

I’m really struggling to understand why they made the decision to go all in on this from a business strategy standpoint. I was really hoping they would use the opportunity to get to a price point that filtered people into the brand.

Instead it seems to be a huge miss!
Its too heavy, the tongue weight is too high, it has the same rough footprint as the 16 / basecamp and at 47 grand it doesn’t open up the market for them at all. They really needed to hit a price point like 36-38 for this to work. It seems highly unlikely that a consumer is going to go into an airstream dealer and want to pay equivalent or more for something that’s not wrapped in iconic aluminum.

They would have been much better served focusing on fixing their capacity issues on the larger trailers and updating a version of the basecamp to compete with the nest. If they were worried about competing with it they should have done what all good companies do, buy the brand and put an axe in it [emoji3].

Don’t get me wrong it’s a cool trailer, I just don’t understand *at all* what it’s going to do for the company...

[OTRA15]

No need to struggle. Airstream and Thor the parent company do all kinds of crazy things, most of them with decreasing quality control and customer satisfaction. [IMO]

The new Basecamp’s rollout is a good illustration. Fleet-wide axle recall due to poor design and field testing IMO. They still can’t get the fridge to work right in all weather conditions, after a variety of failed “fixes.”

The list goes on . . .

In the blue search box above enter “quality control” or “Basecamp fridge” and check it out.

The new Nest will have a hard time lasting long in the AS lineup IMO, for the reasons you state, among others.

[SeaLevel]

Originally Posted by mattskav

They really needed to hit a price point like 36-38 for this to work. It seems highly unlikely that a consumer is going to go into an airstream dealer and want to pay equivalent or more for something that’s not wrapped in iconic aluminum.

I guess we'll see. At a 20% discount they are right in the price range you mentioned. It seems to me that this design would be less prone to leaks than the ones "wrapped in iconic aluminum". The Nest would be too small for us, but I can certainly see how it could appeal to others.

[Gh0624]

I forgot to mention the interior walls/ceiling are covered in upholstery weight fabric, offwhite with heavy texture.

[switz]

Wonder what glue was used for the fabric on the walls and ceiling and if they tested it in the Southwest summer heat of 115 to 120 degrees during the day and over 100 degrees at night? That will be a typical QC question going forward - did they actually test the (fill in the blank) in the real world?

The aluminum side splash beside the stove in our 2014 Classic was affixed with double stick tape. The first summer in the heat, it disappeared down the wall beside the stove and closet only to be removed when we replaced the stove.....

The Basecamp was obviously never really tested in the real "hot" world with refrigerator issues, the axle recall, the leaking rear door seal depending on water flow and the list goes on....

[Johnnyooo]

I would go with the Bambi Sport 16'... It's a better deal...I'm biased of course ...The weight is a big factor...You would be close to your limits by the time you load all of your gear, and the other things you need .. You Would be at the weight limit with no cushion...

[Rocinante]

The nest looks nifty outside and in, but it’s tiny. Definitely compare the units in person: Nest, 16’ Bambi, and Basecamp.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

None of these models are good enough to be a slam dunk for *everybody*. Each of us has our own needs. Some are more needy than others . Wait until you can find a range of models on a dealers lot. Look at everything from your "target" up at least another 4 feet. That's true if the target is 16' or if it's 28'.

Spend some time in all of them. That's going to be impossible at a show. It's going to be impossible on a weekend. The first couple of weeks the Nest is on the lot .. not so much. You need to calibrate what you are looking for. That takes time. In some cases it takes a lot of time.

Once you have worked out your target size, stop and take a deep breath. Do you want new or used? On a Nest, there's only one choice right now. On the other stuff, used is a very real option. Do you want this dealer or that dealer? Not quite as big an issue, but still worth considering. Is "off the lot, all the same" ok? Do you have specific preferences on finish and options ( = you need to order it your way).

Lots of zigs and zags. Plan on taking a while to work it all out. A while might be a couple weeks, it could be a few decades .... ( in our case it was several decades ).

Bob

[Tsunami-v2]

Video
https://youtu.be/r6HsixDtsqU

[OTRA15]

Thanks. Other videos are on the right edge of that page.