Best years-years to avoid

[Jvanderva]

Originally Posted by field & stream

Sounds like our camping style is pretty similar. I agree with the comment that the propane fridges are OK in the traditional Airstreams and apparently not workable in the Basecamps due to major design flaws (which also introduced leaks).

Second, the electric only fridges in the Airstreams draw a lot more power than the portable unit you referenced; expect them to draw about 40Ah per day on average, and maybe more with hot days and warm nights. This means at least 200w of solar and maybe lithium batteries. Even then you will need favorable solar conditions or a generator to last more than a very few days.

Best wishes, and let us know what you decide.

I may very well forego use of the built in fridge and perhaps convert to storage, I have found the ARB fridge to perform so well, my power balance in the truck with dual batteries and the eco flow has supported me for weeks on the road with no issues.

[Piggy Bank]

We find that a good Yeti cooler is 100% reliable. And as ice is sold anyplace you buy gas, this makes a very dependable way to keep your food at safe temperatures in every kind of weather. We started with the Yeti concept when our first airstream was a 22 foot with the smaller dorm size fridge. We continue to use them for any off-grid camping (national parks without hookups) because they make energy management simpler and it eliminates any worry about unseasonably warm weather and the AS fridge. We have a Yeti 45 and a 105. We will use the 45 with dry ice for frozen meats, and the 105 with blocks of water ice for refrigerated foods. We can camp off grid about 10 days with 4 people and not have to go to a grocery store.

[field & stream]

As an old-fashioned camper I love the Simplify thinking about doing without the fridge! Along those lines, we decommissioned our water system and now rely on Lug-a-Jug. No more endless trips around the winterizing and sanitizing circle, and no concerns about potential freeze damage.

[rideair]

Each era of Airstreams has their own set of problems. Finding the era of problems you can deal with is the key.

There are some that will say the trailers made from the mid 90's through early 2000's had the best overall build quality. As an owner of a 50's, 60's, 70's and 90's era trailer, I would have to agree with that line of thought, to a degree.

The bright side, most folks normally go through a few until they find that perfect trailer for life.

Enjoy,

[Wazbro]

For the 22' it would be good to avoid 2002- maybe 2005 due to frame failures.
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f36...nal-48105.html
Unless you find one with a well documented fix.

[10Smiles]

Originally Posted by rideair

The bright side, most folks normally go through a few until they find that perfect trailer for life.

Enjoy,

I guess we got lucky. Our first Airstream turned out to be our perfect trailer for life. We wanted a 30 foot Classic and looked for quite a while before we found one to buy. We bought used as we could not afford a new one. That was 2011, and we got a 30 foot 2005 Classic Limited. That is when a Limited was an upgrade package, it included 40 pound aluminum propane bottles, hickory cabinets, under body flag pole storage bin, lexan grab handle, and maroon awnings. We really like that it is a little bit different than most. We have been upgrading it and making it our own for over 11 years now. The only thing we do not like about it is that there is some filiform corrosion.

[DeltaRon]

From experience, avoid ALL from 2018 to current. Quality control ceased to exist with 2018 forward. I decided to try one last time and just took delivery of a 2023 Flying Cloud 28. First camping trip will be to the factory next April 3, 2023 to have all front exterior and interior panels replaced because of poor workmanship and dents created from attempting to repair window guards.

[Rockkrawlin]

I would invest in a wood moisture meter for a used purchase and general maintenance/inspection overall. I purchased one before I bought a used trailer and checked the entire floor. You want one that can detect shallow lengths so you don’t pick up the frame. I would recommend investing in a quality unit ( FYI mine was around $500, but money well spent).

[RFP]

In our small world, 2014 seems to be the sweet spot. Our 2014 23D has been perfect!

[skyguyscott]

So, I didn't mention this because from your post, it sounds like you are looking mostly at the BaseCamp, a model that, although it's approaching 15 years old (depending on how you count the first two years and the years it was in re-development) is still relatively new by AS standards.

But if you are interested in going vintage, here are vast generalizations about the iconic travel trailer by decade.

1950s. (yes, the AS trailers technically go back to the 1930s, but if you find a trailer pre-1950, you have a rare unit and would be in a whole different situation; you're looking for a working camper, not an antique show piece) These are still on the road and highly prized, especially for the quality of Aluminum used in their shells. I'll not go into the looks and aesthetics, there are plenty of articles about that. But these units are largely responsible for establishing whatever reputation and mystic AS still runs on today. These units are now so old, that whatever you get is whatever previous owners (POs) have done to them, and so you can only make the most broad generalizations; but you are going to find anything between a labor of love or a rusting heap in a field somewhere.

1960s. A slow evolution of the line; again, it largely depends on POs, but in general these were good units. Trailers of this vintage do tend to suffer from window leaks; a problem AS tried to solve starting in 1969 with curved window corners.

1970s. This decade is sometimes blamed for the start of the decline in AS quality, but not without reason. Some bemoan the switch to more plastic, less wood, the "vista view" windows that would crack and whose inner panes would burst, and most especially, the structural failures in the longer units when AS drilled "lightening holes" in the frame to help increase mileage during the first oil crisis, resulting in "rear end separation" on many units. However, again, many POs took it upon themselves to restore and fix these units and many are still in use today.

1980s. This is the decade AS was bought by THOR industries to save the brand. At one point in the decade, someone had the idea to save money by making the floor out of OSB, a material even less suited to the task than plywood. Then you put thick carpet on top, in a camper, and you can imagine the results. But again, some POs have restored and fixed these units, and many are still in use.

1990s. The market wanted slide outs. Thor asked AS engineers to put a slide out on the iconic silver bullets. Engineers rightly point out how slide out would weaken the structural integrity of the monocoque shell. Said engineers were fired, and others figured out how to make it happen. The resulting trailer had a crazy-heavy frame to handle the load, and they added an awning to stretch across the top when the slide out extended, and washed their hands of the ensuing leaks as soon as the warranty ran out. But not every 90s trailer had a slide out, and some SO owners still love them.

2000s on -- and we are in the present era. Some things have finally been fixed like the composite subfloor in 2020, but you'll read persistent disappointments on this forum about QC and QC/price paid in general, but AS is still trying for the most part.

Bottom line, whatever trailer you get, whatever brand, it's not going to be perfect, and if you jump in, you will occasionally find yourself sucked into the vortex of fixing something or fixing up something, spending waaaaayyyy more time and money than you ever imagined, and on occasion, having some great times out in wild, meeting people, and making great memories.

[RMNummi]

Like everything else in life, read the fine print. Basecamp went full composite in 2023. Like everyone else, I thought “2022, whew I’m good I’m so glad I got the……careful read of PO’s Murphy label: tongue and groove wood.

[Ndcctrucks]

It seems that the early 2000 International CCD 22’ and possibly similar models had soft steel frames resulting in frame bowing / bending and frame outrigger sagging. My 2004 had these problems and it was prevalent enough for Airstream to issue a repair order and create a kit for dealers to install.

[rodsterinfl]

The worst year for floor rot was 2005 into early 2006. Apparently the person with the job of applying sealant at the back bumper to floor joint stopped doing that job and wasn't replaced for over a year. This caused immediate severe leaking in that area instead of taking years to develop like most other model years

I would add to the above by stating why the floor rot may have been more prevalent. Although there is some debate on this, the primary leaks were found in the wrap around windows of that time. When I did some digging that was the information I found. There were some Airstreams that had sealant missing from the rear bumper area; however, the major rot issues were further inside between the walls and most times found in rear or front where wrap around windows leaked- into the aft wall inward to floor center a foot or so or forward same distance under the dinettes and even toward the door area. I was told that Airstream added the wrap around windows rearward after 1999 model year, so 2000+ as standard. Before that, they were options and most models before that were not full double wraps like today. I Do not have wrapping windows. I got this information from dealers and old Airstream peeps conversing about my '06 and the windows and floor talk. This was noted through to about 2010 or so- I was told. Also, the marker lights with the single screw on the lens and the gasket (old style) leaked like a sieve into the walls at the two mounting screw holes. That is not just 2005 either. Also, in later years they added fibrous washers in the rivets to help with any leakage- told by Airstream Rep at Rally Presentation on new models in Sarasota back about 9 years ago. Those can age and leave gaps. Point is here, there is no one model year that is perfect.

I own a 2006 Airstream built May 2005 and I was so paranoid over this issue that I tore my linoleum out and all carpet. People also said that Safaris had OSB flooring and not plywood, etc. Not true for me. When I got done, I left the storage areas bare wood noting the black perimeter sealant all around and the plywood flooring. It was clean and dry. I re-covered the floor in LVT plank and the storage areas in unattached silver diamond plate panels.

Also, I had the lower rail area sealed by Vinnie of Vinnie's Airstream. He said that was a major area for water retention on all years. I have no issues with my floor, other than it creaks in some spots. Actually I am more comfortable with older from what I read about recent model years.

My summary advice is to go trailer to trailer rather than model year. We can only attest to what we have experience or learned about from others. I dug on my issue.