Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 12-12-2006, 05:44 PM   #1
Rivet Master
 
TIMEMACHINE's Avatar
 
2006 25' Safari FB SE
Huntington Beach , California
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,293
Images: 2
Airstream 2007 Production Statistics

I have seen threads regarding how many Airstreams have been produced from the beginning and speculation on how many are still rolling. I have also seen threads that talk about Airstream's corporate strategy. My question is: Does anybody know how many Airstreams are being produced this year (2007 model year) and what are the ratios of models and sizes?

John
TIMEMACHINE is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2006, 06:43 PM   #2
_
 
. , .
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 8,812
Quote:
Originally Posted by TIMEMACHINE
I have seen threads regarding how many Airstreams have been produced from the beginning and speculation on how many are still rolling. I have also seen threads that talk about Airstream's corporate strategy. My question is: Does anybody know how many Airstreams are being produced this year (2007 model year) and what are the ratios of models and sizes?John
hi john

short answer yes someone knows...

will we get that info...not likely...

if you own thor stock the annual report carries some of the airstream info, but it's buried deep and still doesn't answer your exact question.

i've posted this before but here it is again.

up 2 2002 a/s was producing 5-600 trailers yearly...
and 4 2006 this is expected to be 2100 units...

they have no desire to split out the models and give us data for every length, floor plan decor and so on...

many years past this info would have been hard to generate...

now it's 'proprietary'....sort of.

and i mean that in the terms original 'holy' meaning...

thor is a 3 billion dollar a year company....

a/s does 100 million of that....just a sliver of silver, if you will...

but the silver bullets are the halo brand for the company....

so the golden advertising is valuable way beyond the number of units produced...

and they keep us guessing

cheers
2air'

a visit to the factory and taking the tour gives a glimpse of production and ratios of what is on the line on a given day....
1-34, 2-5 classics, 4-8 bambis, 4-10 internationals, 20-30 safaris 'bvd' models...

don't forget, 75 limited edition 19s last year and the 50 quicksilvers 16s actually became 100 quicksilvers...
__________________
all of the true things that i am about to tell you are shameless lies. l.b.j.

we are here on earth to fart around. don't let anybody tell you any different. k.v.
2airishuman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2006, 07:41 PM   #3
Rivet Master
 
2006 30' Classic
Farmington , New Mexico
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 826
Images: 14
We were at the factory late sept and did the tour. they told how many they we building but for the life of me i can't remember. i do remember the number 200 as being the back orders they had. The tour leader also said they we ramping up for more production as they have some automated machines ordered to do cabinetry panel cuts and were looking to hire a significant number more people. ---pieman
Someone posted here that they had one ordered with the production date of may. That seems to indicate that the 200 back log is pretty close. Last year this time it took us 12 weeks to get a 30' classic.----pieman
Mike Lewis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2006, 08:25 PM   #4
Rivet Master
 
CanoeStream's Avatar

 
2006 25' Safari FB SE
St. Cloud , Minnesota
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 13,280
Images: 19
Blog Entries: 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2airishuman
a visit to the factory and taking the tour gives a glimpse of production and ratios of what is on the line on a given day....
1-34, 2-5 classics, 4-8 bambis, 4-10 internationals, 20-30 safaris 'bvd' models...
Never tho't of it that way -- I own a BVD! Brings up some interesting differences however ... . Cool, 2air'. Cool.
__________________
Bob

5 meter Langford Nahanni

CanoeStream is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2006, 10:58 PM   #5
1 Rivet Member
 
bojeepers's Avatar
 
Currently Looking...
Bryant , Arkansas
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 5
Send a message via AIM to bojeepers Send a message via Yahoo to bojeepers
We have been looking at the Safari 25 SE with a front br at our dealer in Arkansas.I asked the sales person if he knew what the weeky production was.He told m e that A/S told them it was 12 to 14 units a week...seems low to me.. Bobby
bojeepers is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2006, 11:09 PM   #6
Moderator
 
jcanavera's Avatar

 
2004 30' Classic Slideout
Fenton , Missouri
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 10,403
Images: 143
Send a message via AIM to jcanavera Send a message via Skype™ to jcanavera
When we visited the summer on 2001 the production was about 25 units a week. Normally when you take the tour at JC you will be given a weekly production figure.

Jack
__________________
Jack Canavera
STL Mo.
AIR #56 S/OS#15
'04 Classic 30' S.O.,'03 GMC Savana 2500
jcanavera is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2006, 11:32 PM   #7
Aluminut
 
Silvertwinkie's Avatar
 
2004 25' Safari
. , Illinois
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,477
Keep in mind when doing the yearly totals to back out a few weeks for when production ceases during the holidays and for various national holidays.

I too seem to reacall between 19 and 25 units per week.

I would be totally floored if they did 2100 a year. At that level, backing out two weeks out of the year for the holidays combined, that is about 42 units a week on average. Which if they did this, I'd be shocked if they could keep the QC up to snuff at those high numbers IMHO.
Silvertwinkie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2006, 01:36 AM   #8
_
 
. , .
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 8,812
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie
I would be totally floored if they did 2100 a year.
so why would i offer such specifics without cause?

2100 this year is a direct quote from dicky riegel...

rvbusinessnews volume 57, number 2, may 2006. page 54...as i vaguely recall

i'm not one to just make up numbers on such a specific issue.

cheers
2air'
__________________
all of the true things that i am about to tell you are shameless lies. l.b.j.

we are here on earth to fart around. don't let anybody tell you any different. k.v.
2airishuman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2006, 04:01 AM   #9
Rivet Master
 
wheel interested's Avatar
 
2007 23' International CCD
Lapeer , Michigan
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 7,080
Blog Entries: 2
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2airishuman
rvbusinessnews volume 57, number 2, may 2006. page 54...as i vaguely recall

2air'
That's some vague recollection of yours! No question of your credibility, but there is a real question of what levels of standard can be maintained.

From the standpoint of past quality control reports, vamping up production again with the possible addition of more new workers, is stunning to new owners. I'm thinking less time could be devoted to each unit. Forget the saw dust, metal shavings, abandoned screws and leaky showers, they may just be pulling out Airstreams for transport with left over tools and a pokey worker on board.

What are "BVD" Safaris? I just can't figure that out.
__________________
Caroljb



photography
wheel interested is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2006, 04:51 AM   #10
Always Airstreaming!
 
rickandsandi's Avatar
 
2005 22' Safari
1960 24' Tradewind
Anytown , Connecticut
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,115
Send a message via AIM to rickandsandi
Quote:
Originally Posted by bojeepers
We have been looking at the Safari 25 SE with a front br at our dealer in Arkansas.I asked the sales person if he knew what the weeky production was.He told m e that A/S told them it was 12 to 14 units a week...seems low to me.. Bobby
Currently there are 30 +/- completed AS coming off the line every Monday, There are about 10 Base Camps and they are gearing up for the shells for UK.
__________________
J. Rick Cipot
Sandi Gould
NEU New England Unit
Airstream Life Magazine
Proud Member of WBCCI
WBCCI #3411
AIR #17099
2009 Silverado 2500HD
2004 22' Safari
1960 24' Tradewind
rickandsandi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2006, 07:02 AM   #11
Aluminut
 
Silvertwinkie's Avatar
 
2004 25' Safari
. , Illinois
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,477
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2airishuman
so why would i offer such specifics without cause?

2100 this year is a direct quote from dicky riegel...

i'm not one to just make up numbers on such a specific issue.

cheers
2air'
Joe,

No one is questioning your post of the 2100 number, my question was more to point out that if they do or have hit that number we're clearly up to over 40 units a week and it's no wonder that QC issue, even the smaller ones, like no Airstream names on the front or back caps, will be more commonplace.

Again, no one that I can see, including me is suggesting you made anything up. If you re-read the post, it's more of a shock and awe at how floored and amazed I was to hear that they were or could hit that number.
Silvertwinkie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2006, 10:12 AM   #12
_
 
. , .
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 8,812
Quote:
Originally Posted by wheel in
there is a real question of what levels of standard can be maintained. From the standpoint of past quality control reports, vamping up production again with the possible addition of more new workers, is stunning to new owners. I'm thinking less time could be devoted to each unit. Forget the saw dust, metal shavings, abandoned screws and leaky showers, they may just be pulling out Airstreams for transport with left over tools and a pokey worker on board.
hi wheel'n...

i agree with those concerns. production errors are a moving target.
what we see in a unit at any given point may/maynot have been addressed already...it's a down stream thing...

my read of production data is, the increase was gradual and most of the pain was in 2003 and 04.
eliminating moho models increased focus on the main product. space issues inside the building improved too.
visiting now the line looks much less hurry'd than in 04/05.

the other big issues was introduction of new models....
until 4 years ago they were building vanilla and chocolate.
all of the new models, materials and interior styling changes from 2002-05 stressed the workers who were on autopilot.
some left and new folks were hired. now they seem to like the variety of units better, or at least seem to have adapted to the rapid regular variations...
i think this was an issue for ccds and other designs during 02-05

they also had significant overtime issues which were symptomatic of a bigger problem and affected errors.
they have managed to reduce overtime significantly and still meet production goals..
month2month volume is more level than in years past, and so on.

so like inflation or interest or my waistline the growth has been steady and now looks dramatic.
my point in this and the other 'production' thread is a/s feels they are on top of these issues now...

so the ramping up was gradual and new hires are not a high percentage on the line...

and at this production level, they really don't look busy or stressed on the line.

your 2007? model looks much better finished than my 05...
except the door is at the wrong end, how'd that happen?

cheers
2air'

i'll explain the bvd thing off line, it is after all undies...
__________________
all of the true things that i am about to tell you are shameless lies. l.b.j.

we are here on earth to fart around. don't let anybody tell you any different. k.v.
2airishuman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2006, 11:04 AM   #13
Craftsman
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I think that QC (at least for 2007) is much improved regardless of the increased production numbers. I am very much aware of quality of fit and finish as this is what I'm involved in every day in my work. My 2007 25' Classic is top quality. There are a few ( very few) and very minor issues that I corrected that you might expect on any hand built product, but the overall end result is pretty darn good. With the increased production Airstream managed to include some special order changes on my Classic including one just a week before the build date. I don't know about the other models but if my unit is any indication of improved QC then Airstream is listening and getting it right.
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2006, 11:13 AM   #14
Rivet Master
 
safari57's Avatar
 
1951 21' Flying Cloud
1960 24' Tradewind
West Coast , BC
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 3,790
Images: 10
Send a message via MSN to safari57
Just as a note I worked in the RV manufacturing business for several years (SOB's ) and when volumes went up QC was impacted, but not by much.

The people on the line still took a lot of pride in their work and were quick to report issues, and the QC folks were also very good at ramping up themselves. There is often a bit more emphasis put on the dealers pre-delivery prep and it's often at that level where trends are picked up that are missed at the factory. If they are quick to report it then the problem gets resolved at manufacturer - no one intentionally builds a bad product, but in our case it seemed like only a few dealers were really as aggressive as one would hope with their pre-delivery prep and that was an issue. Many (not all thankfully) of the dealers did a very cursory job of what should be a critical component of their part in the sale/delivery of a unit. From what I've seen on the forum it would appear IMHO that other than annoying minor issues, the mother ship is doing a good job of staying on top of the QC, as are the dealers.
Barry
safari57 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2006, 01:13 PM   #15
Rivet Master
 
ROBERTSUNRUS's Avatar

 
2005 25' Safari
Salem , Oregon
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 8,369
Images: 18
Blog Entries: 55
Hi, I just want to know if you are insulting my 'BVD' Safari 25-B? Is it because my Safari is a 25-B model without the "LS, FB, SP, CCD, 75th, LTD, Bill Blass, Cartier, ESP, XR-7, SS, 4X4, Disc Brake, Ha Ha, under $100,000.00, plain jane that we purposely ordered this way because this is exactly what we wanted?

Please "Splain Lucy"

Bob
ROBERTSUNRUS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2006, 01:44 PM   #16
_
 
. , .
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 8,812
THIS JUST IN!

newswire/ap/upi/cnn/wb/e!/c-span/courttv/qvc/nickatnite....

thor/airstream announces new models for 2008.

-a/s originally planned to release an eddie bauer model
to follow the popular eddie albert edition,
which replaced the lawrence welk line
made famous on the lawrence of arabia caravan.

-instead they are moving forward with the fruit of the loom edition
which is a consumer friendly interpretation of the special edition bvd model...
focus groups reported that while the bvd models were stylish and cool,
the fruit of the loom models "just fit better" and could be used for longer trips....


not to lose the eddie albert customer base
a more down home,
green acres camper special is in the works for for the 2009...

while cabelas and pro bass shop are competing for the fishermans special edition,
which will be furnished by zebco and feature cabinet hardware
fashioned after the most popular fishing lures of the 20th century
and will also include a worm/live bate cooler in the galley...

cheers
2air'
__________________
all of the true things that i am about to tell you are shameless lies. l.b.j.

we are here on earth to fart around. don't let anybody tell you any different. k.v.
2airishuman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2006, 02:03 PM   #17
Aluminut
 
Silvertwinkie's Avatar
 
2004 25' Safari
. , Illinois
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,477
Quote:
Originally Posted by safari57
Just as a note I worked in the RV manufacturing business for several years (SOB's ) and when volumes went up QC was impacted, but not by much.
Barry
So having been in the industry, what is the bonus structure or salary structure like? Reason I ask is there a while back there was a discussion of how bonuses were seen if certain production numbers were met. If this is in fact true, then it would seem to have an opposite reaction in most cases to getting quality off the line if it became a shear numbers type game.

I'd be really interested in hearing your thoughts on how this along with warranty work might impact a production bonus, if such a mythical beast exists.
Silvertwinkie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2007, 10:58 AM   #18
Rivet Master
 
TIMEMACHINE's Avatar
 
2006 25' Safari FB SE
Huntington Beach , California
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,293
Images: 2
Lots of 25FBs

Quote:
Originally Posted by TIMEMACHINE
I have seen threads regarding how many Airstreams have been produced from the beginning and speculation on how many are still rolling. I have also seen threads that talk about Airstream's corporate strategy. My question is: Does anybody know how many Airstreams are being produced this year (2007 model year) and what are the ratios of models and sizes?

John
Well, the questions were asked some time ago and after reviewing the posts it seems that there was no clear answer for the 2007 model year statistics. I think 2air suggested 2100 total units for 2006? But what about this year, 2007? Since there is no longer MOHO production and the market is growing I would suspect the number is higher.

Also it seems that I have seen an abundant number of new 25FBs at the local rallys. The last one in SoCal (WBCCI) had 5 Safari 25FBs out of 17 Airstreams of which at least 3 were MOHOs, That makes it 5 out of 14 trailers were 25FBs. Is it just a California thing or is this an indication of the production ratio?

Anybody got a clue?

Time
TIMEMACHINE is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-28-2007, 12:01 AM   #19
3 Rivet Member
 
Sean Michael's Avatar
 
2003 25' Classic
Birmingham , Alabama
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 121
I'm really surprised that production numbers are so low.

I guess my frame of reference was the auto business. From these numbers, it appears that Airstreams are about as exclusive as Ferraris!

I'd love to know how many Classics were built in 2003 (year of my unit).
Sean Michael is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-28-2007, 05:14 AM   #20
3 Rivet Member
 
lynn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 239
According to the people in the know-Current production is 31 trailers per week. 3 Interstate Vans and 3 Base Camps. Production has been reduced recently. Approximatley 2100 trailers were built has last year.
The Safari line makes up largest percentage of sales.
lynn is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Cost to restore a gutted Airstream Draco General Interior Topics 28 02-18-2013 11:17 PM
Airstream vs. Avion? 68 Suburban Vintage Kin 29 11-21-2008 07:35 AM
future airstream motorhome betteleal Airstream Motorhome Forums 11 02-12-2005 01:39 PM
Airstream Related List Servers Andy R Link Archive 0 02-22-2002 02:05 PM
AirstreamTrailers.com - Airstream Link Library Andy R Link Archive 0 02-22-2002 01:31 PM


Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Airstream, Inc. or any of its affiliates. Airstream is a registered trademark of Airstream Inc. All rights reserved. Airstream trademark used under license to Social Knowledge LLC.



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:38 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.