No bells and whistles.

[J. Morgan]

What if Airstream were to make a trailer with just the basics, a good charger, a good inverter, manual transfer switches, analog thermostats, simple but attractive appointments and appliances no power anything and priced it accordingly?

What if they made a trailer where its owners didn’t have to worry about keeping all of the bells and whistles working and could just camp?

[A W Warn]

That's what I suggested earlier.
A simple trailer built to accept modular upgrades.

ps:
I used to think I would buy a new Classic, even went to JC to look at a few that were on the line. I like the way they look, but with all of the gadgetry and connectivity, I'm turned off. I'm going to keep fixing what I have.

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by A W Warn

That's what I suggested earlier.
A simple trailer built to accept modular upgrades.

It would be a hit.

[SteveSueMac]

I bought a 2012 27FB Flying Cloud. I had no clue what I was doing. Steep learning curve. Now that I know more about it and read about Alde heating systems and other advancements - I feel like my trailer is VERY simple. I love it. I suppose it could be even simpler - but yeah - a stripped down, minimalist trailer at a stripped down price would be a welcome addition to the lineup!

[AlinCal]

I'm waiting for the rotary dial telephone to come back first.

[J. Morgan]

Yeah, I get what you’re saying, but really, how much automation does a person really need in a thirty foot long space?

[moosetags]

That would be nice. A bunch of these new "improvements" end up being things to go wrong. The more complex they make these things, the greater the chance of issues. We have had a 2005 Safari 25FB and a 2015 Flying Cloud 25FB. Both have been great trailers. Between the two, we are approaching 2,000 nights of Airstream Camping.

I think that if Airstream made a base model without all the hard to maintain bells and whistles, it would sell to those that want a really good travel trailer to actually go out camping in.

Brian

[J. Morgan]

Example;

Here’s my transfer switch that switches the trailer between land line and whole trailer inverter power.

Why would I need or even want an automated setup when I can simply flip two switches?

The chances of one of those switches going south and leaving me without power are pretty slim.

[ShinyPete]

I agree with you folks as well. Simple is good. I made (still tweaking) our 7x16 cargo trailer into a simple camper/toyhauler for going to antique tractor shows and rough camping at the family farm. Slapped some styrofoam panels behind the plywood, a few 12v and 110v outlets, a fold-down bed, and it beats a tent.........

We do feel that our '14 Flying Cloud is very simple compared to what we came from (diesel pusher-so much to break), and even compared to several towable rigs camping buddies have bought the past few years...............

A fifth wheel with 4 slides, 6 point power leveling jacks, 2 power awnings, residential fridge requiring a heavy inverter & 4 batts to run over the road, a fireplace inside.........seriously? We love our Pete's manual awning, regular rv fridge and furnace, and crank jacks. He's had a few glitches over the years, most of which I could/can fix as a hobbyist. I can't imagine all the new tech not having challenges.

Airstream on...............

[OTRA15]

A great suggestion, but Thor will never do this IMO.

The best alternative is to find a good used Airstream.

"Keep It Simple, Stu"

Peter

[slowmover]

The only genuine “improvements” in more than 30-years (maybe 50+) are:

1). Ducted A/C
2). ALDE furnace.

Adding weight and/or complexity has been the usual path.

The “best” improvements would be aluminum cabinetry & honeycomb flooring. Make the trailer not only lighter, but structurally stronger.

The mystifying absence of anti-lock disc brakes and trailer-mounted electronic antisway is the real irritation.

.

[brick1]

Airstream cannot keep up with current demand. Why would they offer a lower price product?
brick

[Lily&Me]

This is all why some of us prefer older rigs, which are all manual, all the time.

“Just something else to break”, Doug would say.

Airstream has been trying to incorporate 21st century technology, which has appealed to many people...this is the age for gadgets and gizmos, don’tcha know...followed by frustration in ownership.

Who really needs an electronically operated step, awning, bed, sewer system, etc., or the intense aggravation when it doesn’t work.

If handicapped, these could be special ordered.

Seems like time to go back to some basics.

Maggie

[ROBERT CROSS]

I like the idea...no chance, but I like it. 👍
After all, my 'smart' phone is still in the 3rd semester of 1st grade.🥴😂🥴

Bob
🇺🇸

[Lumatic]

In the 70s theoretically there were 3 trim lines with increasing bells and whistles: standard, Land Yacht and International. Given that I never saw a "standard" trailer, never saw a Tradewind that has not a Land Yacht and never saw a Sovereign that was not an International.

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by brick1

Airstream cannot keep up with current demand. Why would they offer a lower price product?
brick

A lower price with less “stuff” and less complexity could mean more profit per unit.

The simpler ones it seems would move down the line more quickly.

[kittmaster]

I see both sides of this equation. Both are valid standpoints.

IMO, the world is moving to gadget based everything, you either get on the train or you close down shop.....it really is that simple (from my lens).

There is also the other aspect that if your are technically and mechanically disadvantaged, then having lots of things that needs to eventually be "fixed" can be a daunting endeavor as well as costly.

As an electrical engineer for decades now, I'm squarely in the camp of "give me the gadgets".....only because I know I can deal with them when the time comes.

Everyone's needs are different and YMMV. Looking at the time it takes just to get in the queue to get one built, and the fact that there are hardly any used units (at least around these parts) says that bare bones trailers are mostly likely a long way off unless there is another recession or things just fall off a cliff.

This again, is only my opinion.

Chris

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

In the 70s theoretically there were 3 trim lines with increasing bells and whistles: standard, Land Yacht and International. Given that I never saw a "standard" trailer, never saw a Tradewind that has not a Land Yacht and never saw a Sovereign that was not an International.

Mine was placarded a Sovereign Land Yacht International.

By today’s standards it was beyond simple.

[J. Morgan]

Sales people like to sell features, sales people like bells and whistles, it would take some effort to have salespeople sell simplicity as a feature, but I think there is a sizable segment of the population that would like “simple is a feature”.

[smithcreek]

What would you remove from a Sport or Flying Cloud to get to the level of simplicity you are talking about?