In Praise of Airstream

[Acheron2010]

As a hopeful future owner, I peruse the forum at least daily, soaking up all the information, wisdom and experience available. Not gonna lie, the stories of flooded interiors, broken doors, dead batteries, and bad dealers leaves a guy discouraged. There has to be the other side of the story.
If you are a happy camper in your Airstream, could you just give a shout and let us know there is a bright, fun future in an Airstream?

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by Acheron2010

As a hopeful future owner, I peruse the forum at least daily, soaking up all the information, wisdom and experience available. Not gonna lie, the stories of flooded interiors, broken doors, dead batteries, and bad dealers leaves a guy discouraged. There has to be the other side of the story.
If you are a happy camper in your Airstream, could you just give a shout and let us know there is a bright, fun future in an Airstream?

I have owned six Airstream trailers, in the past 25+ years. Every one of them had a problem at one time or another. Things break and wear out, problems need to be resolved. That's the nature of any machine.

I have enjoyed the trailers themselves (even the repairs), the on the road experiences, the things and places I have experienced, the people I've met, the things I have learned, etc. All of it!
Would I do it again. Yes!

[wulfraat]

I am a super happy camper. Wouldn’t own any other brand of travel trailer... over 300 nights in our 25’ with amazing memories shared by our family. Now we own a 30’ and are looking forward to the next 10 years of exploring...

[GMFL]

We love our 23D. Close to 20000 miles towing and 200 nights other than general maintaining it has been flawless. Replaced water pump. Had a flat/ blowout with a GYM. Changed out batteries to twin 6 volts due to a bad cell in a 3 year old interstate grp24. Had a LED taillight quit, Airstream sent me 4 new ones.
No problems for us.

REMEMBER A forum is a place where must people come to complain and does not represent the majority. It is a great resource to find solutions if you have a problem, but one should not expect to have ALL the problems posted.

[EZTOO]

I think what discourages people with Airstreams is that because of what they are paying for them(new in most cases) they expect high quality. Unfortunately, it seems that other than the shape/history of the Airstream trailer, they aren't much different quality-wise than many other(much cheaper) TTs out there. We have owned many new/used TTs/RVs since the 80s and bought a used AS as our first, didn't pay a whole lot($13.5k) got a decent late 80s model, add $7k in improvements, not repairs, and have been happily camping in it from day one!! We can fix most anything on our TT with basic tools and standard RV parts without going to the dealer. Ours is of classic style and nowhere near the "glamping" style of today, but works for us!!! Good luck and safe travels!!

[pt.reyesfan]

We had two "high end" Big White Box(BWB) travel trailers before we purchased our Airstream. Our Airstream Classic is a step above the BWB trailers in terms of design construction, durabiity, comfort and required maintenance. We love it. We have had 2 issues since purchase and 15,000 miles of travel:

1. Leak at hot water tank. Cause was loose fitting. Fixed it myself. Easy 30 second fix. No major damage.
2. 1 power stabilizer pair stopped working. Casue was loose wire connection. Fixed it myself in 10 minutes. No damage.

The airstream tows much better than the BWBs. Ergonomics in the Airstream are superior. Resale value is superior.

The Airstream is a complex "device." Read the owner's manual well. Inspect the trailer and tires often. Have the roof inspected every year by a qualified dealer. Don't purchase a used Airstream trailer until you have an experienced Airstreamer inspect it. Get a tow vehicle that has more than adequate payload capacity and good braking capacity.

From my perspective, the majority of posts on this forum are from folks who are having issues, and this majority of posts do not represent the majority of Airstream owners.

[EZTOO]

I certainly agree with other posters and get what works for you. Even as experienced RV'rs my DW and I learned much Airstream specific info from this helped us greatly in our search. Good luck!!

[moosetags]

Originally Posted by Acheron2010

As a hopeful future owner, I peruse the forum at least daily, soaking up all the information, wisdom and experience available. Not gonna lie, the stories of flooded interiors, broken doors, dead batteries, and bad dealers leaves a guy discouraged. There has to be the other side of the story.
If you are a happy camper in your Airstream, could you just give a shout and let us know there is a bright, fun future in an Airstream?

We are very happy Airstream campers. We have been avid Airstreamers for twelve years. We have over 1,800 nights of Airstrean camping experience, and have towed our Airstreams over 170,000 in all of the lower forty-eight states and most of the Canadian Provinces. We have enjoyed ourselves immensely traveling all over this great country seeing and experiencing things that very few get to see.

We have had three different Airstreams over the years. Have they had issues? Yes. Were they insurmountable? No. Each time we replaced our Airstream, we considered all of our options. Each time, we went with another Airstream.

Brian

[DaveP]

We love our Airstream (warts and all)!! Would not have any other brand!

[Tn Traveler]

I love my Airstream. If you want to have real problems get a trailer that is built in hours----not days. Most use staples to secure wood joints. That's a recipe for obsolescence. The fit and finish of an Airstream is head and shoulders above most. There is a reason there are so many older AS models still functioning. How many older SOB trailers do you see around?

[Countryboy59]

Just went to a big RV show today, and walked through all the box trailers and boy am I glad I bought an Airstream. I’ll take a few loose screws over fiberboard walls and cheap construction any day.

[skyguyscott]

My first and so far only trailer has been a '69 Caravelle I purchased over 12 years ago. I knew if I was going to get a TT, it was going to be an Airstream 'cuz of their durability. I have put many miles on it and have had pretty good luck with it, replacing and repairing things, upgrading here and there as things wear out.

I would wager, given the price of new, one could purchase a used Airstream, that had good bones and a good shell, put in several thousands of dollars of upgrades, etc, and end up with an as-good or better-than-new Airstream AND STILL be money ahead, as long as you were even a little bit handy and did some of the work yourself.

This is mainly because, Airstream is now owned by a company that also owns many other TT brands, and today, Airstream is appointed in a plethora of industry-standard plastic outlets and covers and other cheap-as-we-can-make-it accessories slapped to the outside and inside, whereas in years past, many items were custom designed and fabricated specifically for Airstream (like the external flush-aluminum electrical outlets in the '70s trailer, for example, or the erstwhile step that when retracted, curved flush along the bottom) These "good design" details are not found in even the most expensive new models. And since even the new ones have problems, finding and refurbishing your own means you will end up better knowing your own trailer inside and out, having it custom fitted for your needs, tailored to your tastes and working to your satisfaction -- all at a potentially lower total cost.

[switz]

As a relative new comer to any camping, we started with a new 2013 25FB International Serenity purchased sight unseen from overseas. No problems with the trailer, just the local servicing dealer. It was traded for a 2014 31' Classic which we have great times in. It arrived with considerable issues from the rough shod towing from the factory to Phoenix. Once those issues were repaired by a third party shop along with lots of customization, we have it where we want it. We acquired a 2015 23D International Serenity as a weekender that we can tow with our 2007 Mercedes ML320 CDI and there is much less effort for the shorter trips. We had significant build quality issues with the 23D that were fixed by the same shop as they did all the upgrades to the unit.

The independent shop is A&P Vintage Trailer works in Paradise, TX (northwest of the Dallas Ft Worth airport) and they are also an Airstream authorized warranty repair facility.

Once the initial kinks were worked out, just routine service has been the activity. The contortions to get to some of the stuff helps keep me somewhat limber.

We belong to an Airstream only RV park in the mountains (Ponderosa Shadows in Lakeside, AZ) and there are 40 year old units there with spend the winter there with just winterizing. We have square streams, fifth wheel Airstreams and even a couple of "bus" Airstreams from the past.

[ShinyPete]

I posted this some time ago:

A reminder of why we love Airstreams

I know, I know...........it's a man-made thing, it doesn't have a soul (or does it? ), it can leak, it needs maintenance and care, it isn't perfect, it will show it's age, it ought to come with no defects, etc., etc., etc............

However, in spending portions of the last two days cleaning and Walbernizing our Pete, our 2014 hand-crafted work of art, I am in love with Airstream all over again. I mean, come on, have you looked at the work these things took to build lately? Just the rivet lines around the window frames make me tired to think of the labor involved............And oh, that bank vault door..........

Whether they're 50 years old, 50 months old, or 50 hours old, man these things are so awesome! We're all SO blessed to be stewards of these creations for our enjoyment and that of the future owners...........

OK, I'll stop and go Walbernize the street side now........

I know it's a little sappy, I was tired from cleaning/polishing. But seriously, we still love our "Shiny Pete". I recently did the Maxim Skylight upgrade, and I am working on adding removable acrylic panels to the screen door for a more open air feeling most of the time. I totally enjoy working on upgrades, improvements, and yes, even repairs on Pete. And oh yes, we camp like 50+ nights a year.

I look at it as a hobby, and plan every upgrade/change/repair to our coach as a long term improvement. We bought one new one, and we really plan on it being our only one..... We recently bought a newer boat, a model I have been looking at for several years that fits our use in fresh and saltwater in our Central Florida area. Same deal........each upgrade/change/repair is a long term improvement.

I reckon some folks that come on AirForums and only complain about quality forget that these things are things.........Things are built by humans. Things break. Things wear out. Things can be improved.

Do it! Buy it if you can afford it! Get out there now! See you on the road.........

And I hope this helps.

[DoubleR]

I love our Airstream even more when talking to other TT owners about their recent improvements to their TT and I comment that the Airstream came standard with that.

[Fly at Night]

I belong to an organization that restores vintage aircraft. Was well aware of the sturdiness of the monocoque design. Some of our aircraft are over 80 years old.

Purchasing an Airstream was the natural follow through.

No regrets!

[skyguyscott]

Is that a goony bird?

[rmkrum]

My nickel is on C-141...most C-47s had a fabric covered horizontal Stabilizer IIRC.

[moosetags]

If I am not mistaken, a C-141 was a Starlifter, an early 1960's jet transport by Lockheed. The aircraft in the photo does appear to by a tail dragging C-47 Skytrain or DC-3, the civilian designation.

Brian

[FCStreamer]

I bought my 2014 Flying Cloud used 2 years ago. It has been a joy to use and own.

Don’t let the negative comments discourage you. Internet forums attract people with problems by design. This is where we come for help and answers.

Imagine walking into a hospital, and asking “anyone sick in here?” Of course they are, it’s a hospital. The percentage of sick people in a hospital is higher than other places for obvious reasons.

The percentage of people with Airstream problems in an Internet forum is similarly higher. People that have zero problems and are out enjoying their trailers don’t typically come and post “hey, everything is great!” That would be odd.

So yes, trouble free and quality Airstreams do exist, the negative experiences of some here notwithstanding.