Changing domain names on April 11th

[Andy R]

In our ongoing efforts to provide our members with the best Airstream Knowledge Sharing Forums in the world, we will be changing our URL from AirstreamForums.com to AIRForums.com effective April 11, 2007.

You will still be able to access our site via our current domain name but you will be rerouted to the new domain name. Please update your bookmarks accordingly.

We thank our members for their continuing support.

Regards,

Andy R

[TomW]

Why?

Tom

[Killo1]

Originally Posted by TomW

Why?

Tom

Yeah, what he said.

[TomW]

Originally Posted by Andy R

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you all. We are going to go ahead and change domain names. That being said, we need to be extra careful that we don't even come close to violating Airstream, Inc's trademarks with our new tagline/logo.

It is my understanding that it is the use of the word Airstream in conjunction with a trailer, motorhome or other other camping stuff that will cause a violation. Maybe one of our sleuth members can dig up the filing with the Trademark office and post a link here for review.

If I am correct, then it would be best for us to avoid the use of the word Airstream in our tagline. We can still use an Airstream in our logo but only if we do not have the word Airstream in our tagline (or domain name).

I think we can use the word Airstream in our tagline but would have to be very precise in the way we design our logo. I think it's wisest to remove the word Airstream from the tagline all together just to make sure we err on the side of caution.

(Isn't it ironic that in the last year they were trying to add the Airstream name to the WBCCI and at the same time pushed us away from using it in our name!?!)

From my understanding as it is now, we can have in our logo:
- Our domain name (AIRForums.com), tagline (without the word Airstream) and an image of an Airstream in the logo.
- Our domain name (AIRForums.com), tagline with the word Airstream in the tagline, and nothing related to camping, trailers, outdoors, motorhomes in our logo.

If it were up to me, i would choose a tagline without the word Airstream and an image that includes some shiny silver with rivets (side of an airplane of course)

It sux, too, because I know I had the winning entry in the contest.

Tom

[Andy R]

There are various reasons why we will change names but I would rather not go into all the details. Our relationship with Airstream, Inc will remain the same and we will continue to operate under our licensing agreement with them. The old domain will simple redirect traffic to our new domain name.

[Silvertwinkie]

Interesting. Neat new domain, but very, very interesting.....

[airstreamers]

sounds like more political correctness that dogs us everywhere these days. oh well, i do like the new name. it's not like it had to be named "silver trailer talks" or something else weird! thanks for the heads-up.

[emdubyadee]

What about the RSS feed?

[Andy R]

I am not sure what will happen with the RSS feed. We will likely move it to Feedburner on the new name. Thanks for bringing up that point, we need to figure out how to deal with that...

[KIMILI]

Take the word out, it won't change our community

That's what happends when a smaller company gets bought by a larger one and starts pumping profits...now they want to control everything...

what about dishing the WBCCI and starting your own AirClub?
You could be the new Wally...you already have many, many followers

[moosetags]

As long as the content remains, I don't care what the name is. I am a little concerned that people who are looking for Airstream info will not be able to stumble into us without the word "Airstream" in our URL.

[Andy R]

Originally Posted by moosetags

I am a little concerned that people who are looking for Airstream info will not be able to stumble into us without the word "Airstream" in our URL.

We will likely have a slowdown but within a month we will be in the Top 5 for the search "Airstream" on Google.

There are site stats at the bottom of every page (click on the box that looks like this . We can watch the unique visitors and judge how far down we dip and how long it takes to get our ranking back. But don't worry, our old name will remain functional and so all the traffic will be routed to us anyway.

I have been researching the right way to do this and we will be following all the whitehat search engine rules (as always). I think (and hope) it will be a smooth transition.

[safari57]

A frustrating thing to have to do Andy, but if it keeps the forum clean and above board then so be it. It will be interesting to see what happens for the short term but I suspect, as you have noted, that those really interested will find the forum pretty quickly.

Thanks for all the effort.
Barry

[dscluchfc]

Lawyers and politicians, the only two indigenous criminal classes in the world....and all these change is because of lawyers.

[Safari Tim]

Now everyone finally knows why airstreamforums.com was left off the AIR stickers!

[Foiled Again]

Tomorrow morning I'm calling Jackson Center. I planned to have work done on the Airstream during Summer Solstice, so I'll get that scheduled, then I'll speak to their marketing dept and tell them that without this forum I'd never have bought TWO, count 'em, TWO Airstreams in the past two years.

I'll also write a polite letter that starts "Want me to buy a third Airstream? Want me to recommend Airstreams to camping buddies?" I'll be nice but polite about my various concerns with the brand including the chilling effect on my pocket book of:

• forcing SOB moho's into WBCCI
• making this forum change it's name
• galvanized frame/cheap chipboard floors
• no shocks on new Airstream axles
• shouldn't a truly premium brand like Airstream be willing and ABLE to offer owners a 5 year factory warranty?
• wouldn't a 5 year factory warranty (or even 3 or 4 year) be a huge incentive for people who are reluctant to pony up the bucks for a new one?
• marketing via website... dudes you aren't pushing customers to dealers with that two year old webiste that's only recently started to have pictures of the 25' FB models. And why not show us all of the options for upholstery color and fabrics on the website? Fergodsake if you can't update it, pay Colonial Airstream to do it.

Heresy or Reality?

You know, I wouldn't necessarily dislike the idea of rebranding a higher grade of SOB moho, but I'd expect it to have an Airstream look and feel, and to be highly durable. The prototype in the "Wunderlust" book is cool looking. Couldn't Thor find one of their other companies to build and pop THAT body on a truck frame?

Let's be realistic. In many ways the Argosy steel end segment is actually better than the Airstream segments.... harder to dent, easier and much cheaper to repair, missing four seams that are four potential leak points... Technology HAS changed in the last 75 years and maybe just maybe Airstream SHOULD (heresy I know) get a riveting robot... I found 3 rivets on the exterior of mine that had clearly been drilled just a bit off, then vulkemed around. Do a rivet by rivet inspection of ANY Airstream and you'll find a couple too... If the rivet holes were drilled by machine, there'd be a chance that you could put a salvaged front or rear onto a damaged Airstream without having two sets of misaligned rivet holes as would happen now.

This will be my second paragraph of the letter to Airstream. Like it?

I'm majority stockholder in my company, Answer Center, and we are one of the highest priced telephone answering services in this part of the USA. 40% of our new customers for the past three years have come from referrals not paid advertising... and our sales figures are going UP in an industry that has been increasingly challenged by voice mail and cell phones for the past 25 years. How can that be? Because we've not only listened to our customers but actually tried to anticipate their needs and put money IN their pockets over the short and long term. Our under the radar motto is "We give GOOD phone" - while the official ones are "It all begins with a phone call" and "Image isn't everything, but it is the FIRST thing". Both simply point out that most businesses meet 90% to 100% of their new customers via a caller initiated phone call. At Answer Center we live and die by repeat business and customer referral... how is it different for Thor? I own a Lexus... 30 years ago I would have bought a Cadillac. Cadillac kept building high priced crap cars that spent half their lives up on the rack being fixed. Finally even their most loyal customers just couldn't take it any more. God help Thor when Toyota decides to go into the RV business. If Thor isn't worried about that possibility, please remember Jackson Center is about 25 miles from a factory where Toyota makes GENERATORS. Do you think Generac or Allison feel their market share slipping?

Paula Ford

[azflycaster]

Originally Posted by Hamb7

I am confused, what will the new domain name be?
Heather

See post #1

In our ongoing efforts to provide our members with the best Airstream Knowledge Sharing Forums in the world, we will be changing our URL from AirstreamForums.com to AIRForums.com effective April 11, 2007.

[alvinator]

I could be wrong but doesn't Airstream own this forum?

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by alvinator

I could be wrong but doesn't Airstream own this forum?

No...just the domain name. Airstream Corp had it's own forum for a bit and it failed.

Aaron

[Buttercup]

I think it is a good move and can't see why for any reason this would impact google rankings for very long. I did a domain name change and after about 2 months it was fully picked up. It's the content, not the name. And the best AS content is right here!