Why did YOU choose Airstream over the others?

[gmw photos]

Those who think a "boring white box" trailer cannot be useable for 20 plus years, are simply not living in the real world. There are many thousands, probably tens of thousands of white box trailer still being used that age. So that argument simply does not hold up.
As to whether my trailer will last twenty years, or be worth giving to my kids is a non issue to me. By then I will be dead of old age, and if my kids want a camper they can go buy one themself. All my kids and their spouses are well employed, they don't need me to leave them a camper trailer.
After much deliberation and shopping, I chose a white box trailer over an Airstream. I thought I wanted an A/S, but it turned out I didn't. I hang out here because there are a lot of folks with lots of cool ideas about camping and traveling that go beyond brand and type of trailer. There's also some really nice folks here that are just fun to converse with.

EDIT. PS, regarding the idea of "leaving a trailer to the kids".....WTH....after what I spent getting these kids through college, they should have bought the trailer for ME !

[flyncloud]

See ya!

[Gene]

Airstreams have an excellent basic design, but the corporate honchos who bought the company decades ago focus on cheap materials and workmanship can be poor. They save as much as they can pretending to sell a premium product and make big profits. But the style is iconic, they do tow easily and my wife wanted one.

Arctic Fox has a very good reputation and is a very practical alternative. I've never been in one, but they do have some nice floor plans.

No matter what you buy, you have a lot of maintenance. A well kept non-Airstream can last many years. Any RV can leak and rot the wood (even Airstream has wood); the idea is to fix the leaks. Many people have bought Airstreams with rotted floors just like others buy other brands with rotted walls inside.

Also check out dealers, especially if you can't fix things yourself. A bad dealer who sells good trailers is not something you want.

Our first 2 years with the Airstream were a bad experience because there were so many problems. Since then it has settled down. Most RV's look ugly to me, but being in an aluminum house is cool.

Gene

[Hogfan]

While we appreciated the added space offered by others with slides, we ultimately loved the simplicity, quality, and style of the Airstreams. The first time we ever walked in one we actually both looked at how "small" it was and the associated price tag and booked it out of there saying HELL NO, these people are insane. After 12+ months of heavily considering and visiting everything from pop ups to AS to other travel trailers and everything in between, we kept returning to the AS. I did like the quality and style of the Oliver, but we ultimately wanted something a little larger than Oliver offered. We personally love the interiors of the Airstream, they feel a bit less cheesy than some of the others, but that's just personal preference. So, here we are!

[moosetags]

We were also very impressed with the Oliver. Airstream could learn a few lessons from them. In the end though, we just had to have something larger than the Oliver had to offer.

Brian

[Zybane]

Thanks guys for the good input!

Originally Posted by slowmover

Bigfoot and Oliver only contemporary competitors in those sizes.

An AF is good relative to other boxes. But as they are terrible -- in every way that matters (road performance and longevity) -- it isnt much to say.

A ten year old A/S isn't old. An AF at ten years is on its last legs.

Value is not dollars spent. Nor is new the best deal. Design and production quality matter most.

I'd take a twenty year old Airstream any day over a brand new box. And I don't even like Airstream that much. Instead I have one of its better built competitors from decades ago.

And a pickup isn't or shouldn't be the default tow vehicle. A far better match can be made in that area.

Much depends on how you use it. Use it hard and trade every six years with no genuine concern over road performance, and any box will serve.

My folks bought their trailer and kept it 27-years. No repairs of note.

If one wants longest life, greatest reliability and lowest operating cost as a result, then this TT type is the one to have. Or the ones in the opening sentence may also work out over the decades.

The boxes don't

I looked up Bigfoot and Oliver. Bigfoot has 6'4" interior height and I'm 6'4", so that rules that out. Oliver looks good quality but too small for my needs. If they made a 27-30' version I may have been all over it. Although it certainly isn't an "attractive" trailer.


So I stopped by an Airstream dealer to look them over and compare to the "box" trailers.

Some thoughts on what I saw first with the new 25' FB International.

1. Would be a bit too small for me. I'm thinking 27-30 would be perfect.
2. I was surprised at whatever leather-like seat coverings are used. Quite comfortable!
3. What parts of the frame are aluminum and which steel? I noticed some rust in some crevices. Right up at the hitch receiver and some under the frame tube by the rear bumper. I really don't like the use of non-stainless or aluminum that see's outdoor use. Even the lock tumbler on the main door had a hint of rust on it from I take it is the internal lock mechanism.
4. I liked the "solid surface" counter tops in the kitchen. Not so much the laminate tops of the dining table and bathroom. Do any models have solid counter tops everywhere?
5. Did some "hand" temperature tests during the sunny day on the exterior skin versus interior. Granted the A/C unit was on so it may not be the best time to test that. While of course the exterior in direct sunlight almost got "burn" skin hot, the interior panels where the sun was shinning down seemed just "warm".
6. The windows (especially all 4 curved corner) seems to not be that great thermally. They let in a ton of heat. I take it AS does not make any "thermal" type windows that are double pane or some other measure?
7. I love the look of the 4 corner window layout and the interior aluminum that reflects the light. Makes it feel much more spacious when you can see down the entire trailers with big windows on either end. Plus those windows high up in the corner add a great affect.
8. The shower was a bit short/small, but doable. I liked the clothes hanger draw string feature.
9. The counters and storage seemed decent. The laminate on it didn't seem super cheap and the doors/drawers felt fairly sturdy. As did the drawer rails.
10. The A/C was the ducted type up above and was relatively quiet. It kept the unit at a comfortable temperature.
11. Pulled out the removable kitchen sink faucet and it didn't want to go back in. Not sure if it's suppose to just fall back in or has to be "stuffed" back in.
12. The range hood was laughable quality. It had the name "Bambino" or something on it. There was a little plastic 2-switch control on the front. I moved the switch to turn on the vent light and the switch fell into the innards of the hood. Like the cheapest Chinese switch control I've ever seen. Looked like it cost about three cents to make. I don't know what AS was thinking when they decided to put that piece of junk into one of their units!
13. The unit had a couple of smoke/combo detectors on the ceiling. They were like the really cheap white plastic ones you find at Walmart for $10. Kinda contrasted against the beautiful aluminum ceiling. Easy fix though.
14. The LED dim-able ceiling and reading lights seemed like a nice feature.
15. Looking under the trailer, it seemed most of the LPG lines were exposed and hanging down. Is that typical? I just wouldn't want those to get damaged boon-docking etc in more off-road conditions.
16. The guy at the factory securing stuff underneath didn't care about his job. There was some rubber grommets around some tubing going into the floor that only had a single dab of glue on one edge so it was just hanging down loose. Then where the LPG pipes would go into the floor they were reinforced with plastic grommets. Half the plastic grommet screws where secured at an angle and half the screw sticking out. Pretty shoddy.
17. The LPG tanks had the aluminum or stainless surround around them. How is that designed to work? Do you lift up the surround and take it off then un-secure the LPG tanks from the bracket and then lift them out?
18. Some of the under carriage door access had plastic snaps/handles that kinda felt cheap. Surely there are aftermarket metal ones for these?


Then I went into so light to medium quality "box" type 5th wheels to compare.

1. I noticed the new box trailers "smelled" more like glue and lamination. I'd imagine since they use a lot more "fabricated" stuff in the interior they will off-gas considerably more.
2. The interiors still look like "grand-ma's house". A lot of dark laminate cabinetry, non-stylish "RV" furniture, grandma window blinds/drape type things and what is up with that wall-paper type material used on box RV walls? Not attractive at all.
3. While the interior space of those units of course is much more spacious due to longer length, taller ceilings and multiple slides, it "feels" darker. They do have windows of course, but the window to interior wall ratio on the AS seems much greater. Plus those dark woods, tan wall paper and carpet seems to suck up a lit of the light.
4. The box RV's seem gargantuan outside compare to AS's. Especially the fifth wheels. Granted you do get a lot more storage with those huge box's, but it is nice that an AS isn't as visually abusive to the environment and will fit in small areas.


Also checked out some small diesel Class A's.

1. Storage underneath and living up top makes for more stairs to climb and shorter ceilings. Wasn't a fan.
2. Drivers cab area definitely kinda feels like wasted "living" space when not driving.
3. Not really interested in the maintenance costs of specialized RV service departs that would be required to work on those embedded diesels and chassis.


So besides the Airstream the only other thing I think I would consider is a high end 5th wheel like a DRV Elite Suite or New Horizons. Something with higher end interiors that are built to last and don't feel so cheap. But of course those are also quite pricey, $150-200K range.

I know it kinda feels silly to be comparing large 5th wheels with Airstream's but I think I may be leaning towards the AS.

Some thoughts on which AS to go with:

1. If I want solid surface counter tops on all counters, look's like I would need to get the 30Classic. Definitely not a bad choice as it's gorgeous. Although a bit pricey in the $115-120K out the door.
2. Figure out what I could do with those not so efficient AS windows. I could put 3M Crystalline auto tint film on them which blocks out a lot of sun energy. Of course that would be good in the summer but bad in the winter. I could try and get as many awnings as possible to keep the sun out. Surely there has to be something out there that keeps full strength sun from entering the windows, especially the curved corner windows.
3. Figure out a way to do laundry. I am not one that would like to go to a laundromat all the time. Maybe some sort of portable unit that I could fit in the pickup bed or something that doesn't use a lot of water.
4. Not sure if the stock AS appliances would work for full time as they seem kinda cheap. Replacements pricey if high quality I'd imagine.
5. Anyone purchase the factory electronic awning? Seems pretty pricey for something that can be opened/closed in 5 minute or less. Anyone love theirs?
6. Factory solar option seems like a joke for the cost. Must be a huge profit item.
7. Although I'm not sure if I'm a fan of the rear bedroom in the 30 Classic. Having a larger refrigerator and reclining lounge seats plus solid counter tops and two AC units is very appealing.
8. If I went with the 30Classic I'm pretty sure I'd need to go with a F250 size or larger pickup. Added benefit of storing more toys like an ATV/Motorcycle and bicycles.
9. Some interesting info from the dealer. Supposedly the Eddie Bauer's are selling quite poorly and the 30Classic is selling like hot cakes. Six month wait on the latter.
10. Is it hard to add a couple more batteries to these modern AS?
11. Are the power inverters hard to get to in AS's? I may want to upgrade from a 1000w.


Your comments/thoughts are always welcome!

[SeeMore]

If you want to half your new Airstream trailer budget, Airstream did build about 85 slide-out trailers in the the 2001-2008 period. The bulk of them were either 30 or 34 footers. Since I own one (28' Safari model), I have noted the For Sale listings which seem to appear every few months. Lately, the asking price is regularly in the 40s and they sell pretty quick.

Airstream really over-engineered their slide compared to the competition and mine has not had an issue since its Oct 2002 build date. The premium for the slide over the standard model and lower cost competition from SOBs contributed to this feature being dropped from the line. The slide adds about 14 square feet to the living area so it has its advantages for those who spend time in the trailer versus out, or have a need for more floor space due to large dogs (me).

There are many on this forum who believe Airstream slides are a bad thing, but the owners seem to love them. I know mine won't be for sale any time soon.

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by ZBoater

The only reason I've found why I should pay twice as much for an AS vs the competition is longevity. If you plan on buying an new trailer ever few years, any trailer will do. But if you plan to keep it for a couple of decades, an AS seems like a better choice.

IMHO.

The very reason I spent a lot of money buying a 30+ year old Airstream 310 turbo diesel, and almost just as much again to restore it. If its lasted 30+ years, it will last 30+ more.

It's the only Class A motorhome to turn heads with an unrestored exterior.

Cheers
Tony

[chaseav]

I chose mine because I wanted "the best." I've had some small problems and even a window leak but the dealer is fantastic. It's hard to justify spending literally twice what you do for a SOB but if you've got a big honkin truck and want the extra space slides afford, going that way may make a lot of sense. We're long terming in ours right now and having that extra space SURE would be nice. I plan to baby this girl and own her forever... I'm not sure forever is really forever but I KNOW it's not in a SOB. So if I had to buy another SOB after the first one kicked it, I'd have spent just as much and never got what I reeeeeeeally wanted. You only live once so have no regrets!

[Al and Missy]

Zybane -
Quote
The range hood was laughable quality. It had the name "Bambino" or something on it. There was a little plastic 2-switch control on the front. I moved the switch to turn on the vent light and the switch fell into the innards of the hood. Like the cheapest Chinese switch control I've ever seen. Looked like it cost about three cents to make. I don't know what AS was thinking when they decided to put that piece of junk into one of their units!
Unquote

I think you mean the Baraldi range vent hood. I recently put one in my trailer, and love it. Compared to the Ventline that was standard in my trailer, the Baraldi is head and shoulders better. Much more powerful fan, bigger filter area, two halogen lights, stainless steel v. painted housing, rounded corners. Yes, the switches are plastic, but it seems most are these days. Baraldi actually seems to be a fairly high-end appliance carried by specialty kitchen shops. Maybe the one in the trailer you looked at was a bad one.

Al

[Zybane]

Al, the switch literally broke after moving it once... I've never seen a switch so poorly made as on the vent hood. Maybe they installed a counterfeit one.

[Len n Jeanne]

Sorry if we offend anyone, but personally, we find the monster 5th wheels and big trailers with slide-outs to be kind of gross. Their owners don't seem to want to go camping any more: they want a portable summer cottage. Some of the interiors are cheap-looking, with flimsy doors and windows. Camping in the midst of these behemoths is more congested than a big city apartment block. Sometimes all you can see from your campsite is the solid wall of your neighbour's jolly jumbo.

Then there is such a thing as good taste, good design, and good quality.

[Al and Missy]

Zybane, re: Baraldi:
Really strange. Mine has been in for 6 months and no problems. Now that said, i don't think mine is exactly the same as the one AS uses, i got it from a surplus rv parts place. I think it came from the Monaco Coach folks, but i have seen several in AS trailers and they look just like mine. According to AS the dimensions are slightly different but they are both the "Swing" model from Baraldi.

Im not saying there aren't problems with AS trailers but I'd rather have them than some of the problems I resd about on the owner boards for the other trailers i was looking at. I was looking in the $30k range for new ultralight boxes in the 25-29 foot range, so you can figure out which ones. Most of them had owners reporting delaminated skins and other such problems. I paid less for my AS than i would have for one of them, but as others have said it was at least partially an emotional decision.

I bought a used 2001 Safari last year from the second owner who had only had it 9 months. He said the original owner stored it inside when he wasn't using it, and judging from the condition of the skin, i believe him. I think everything on it except the microwave is original and it all works great. The only significant problem i have had is leaks around the fantastic vent fans due to dried up caulk and skin flex. I fixed that myself by removing them, reinforcing the area, and remounting with caulk instead of the vendor-recommended foam gasket which ultimately compresses and leaks.

Bottom line, for what i paid i think i got the best possible trailer.

Al

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by gmw photos

Those who think a "boring white box" trailer cannot be useable for 20 plus years, are simply not living in the real world. There are many thousands, probably tens of thousands of white box trailer still being used that age. So that argument simply does not hold up.

As to whether my trailer will last twenty years, or be worth giving to my kids is a non issue to me
.

After much deliberation and shopping, I chose a white box trailer lol:

There's very good reason campgrounds have an age rule. Nothing older than 1999 where I am at present. Appearance being good does not change that. Rot is internal. My older trailer is welcome as management has decades of experience with trailers, thus owners, as problems. An age cutoff forestalls this for the generics.

Across the road from me is a 2007 generic. The cap and walls are already failed. It is not the only example among the 90 or so units here. RVs fail remarkably fast.

It may be that in the desert are the examples of which you speak. Best they stay there. A moisture meter will belie the statement of generic impermeability for the rest of the country.

My son has no interest in mine, but I certainly have an interest in not being forced into another trailer. Barring a tree falling on the unit, I won't have to unless I so elect. Not a choice one has with generic trailers.

Not emphasized in the above threads is how badly the generic trailers tow. They are terrible. They might be good for about 60-70k miles. One of ours, 200k or better, easily.

There is no excuse for the suspensions and aero qualities of the generic trailers as production line changes could fast remedy much of this problem at low cost. Instead, they are out the door as fast as possible. Nothing is allowed to get in the way of profit, even safety.

Those who might claim there isn't much difference between types in towing or extra fuel costs either haven't the experience or are remarkably obtuse.

One won't find anyone seeing 14-16 mpg towing a 35' generic. Over the longest time this adds up. Same for increased wear on all components of the TV. It's not just fuel savings. One can match a quite fuel efficient TV to one of these and see a 30-40% fuel burn penalty, but for a generic it will be 40% and out past 50% in the worse examples.

As to all the details of the interior (too much emphasis), whether a sailboat or a land yacht, there will be questionable choices by company owners. I agree with Genes statements. Things could be better. But the design -- the shell, the frame and suspension -- are to the point. The rest really is just detail, IMO.

My experience thus far is that at least the interior can be repaired, and that upgrades where an owner wants them can be made. Whether this is optional near the time of production, or a quarter century out means, for the most part, that a ten year old A/S is not "old" given maintenance of no particular difficulty.

One isn't trapped, as he is with a generic, in buying new when the trailer is an A/S. The lesser strain on a TV also means that unit lasts longer. My folks had their TT just past a quarter century. Two TVs that were also daily drivers. Hard to get cheaper than this, an important consideration to me: value received for dollars spent.

The generic trailers are simply more expensive over the longer period.

[Gringo]

We liked it because it's shiny. And snow slides off the roof.

[Piggy Bank]

As someone who is saving up to get my AS, I often get asked why I would want to delay buying vs getting something now in a SOB.

(We bought our TV about a year ago).

I want something that I can use to camp. Not interested in a second home on wheels (And if that is what you want, then my post probably doesn't apply to your situation.)

A decent pop up is $5-10K. Now I don't know about you, but that's real money to me.

And I don't really want a pop up (it's what I camped in as a kid). I don't want the task of setup and teardown in the rain or at nightfall or dawn. I want to camp in national parks in the west where it will rain every day. And I want a bit more interior standing room.

So once you eliminate the pop ups, then you are looking at towables under 25 feet. (due to campgrounds having more/better spots for smaller units).

We looked at SOB Microlites and these are a good size for our needs. But are very very dark inside Have hardly any windows for cross-ventilation (would need to run AC), and have lots of particleboard that off-gasses which bothers my allergies. These units are somewhat claustrophobic and we didn't much care for the aesthetic (which of course could be altered). But at 20-25K, that is very much real money.

We have decided that a bambi AS (at twice the cost) will give us bright open feeling inside, tow easier, be something we can anticipate using until we are too old to drive and camp, and would be towable with a smaller TV in the future if that happened.

Driving across Kansas is always very windy, and it's usually a cross-wind. That makes the AS a better choice for our location as well.

And I really like the interior as is, would only need to do standard maintenance (which any unit will require).

And in 25 years we will probably have something that will be worth selling or passing down. For sure the SOB would be in the recycle yard.

So from our long-term viewpoint the AS is about the same total cost of ownership as getting 2 SOBs over our camping lifespan. We get a unit that is easier to manage, and that is what we want in the first place.

If I could not manage to afford an AS, in all honesty I would probably get the popup instead of an SOB trailer.

[Denis4x4]

I purchased a Featherlite fifth wheel aluminum car hauler with living quarters in 1999. The quality of that trailer was excellent. Sold it to a motorcycle dealer who used it for 10 years as a motocross team transport that competed nationally. It's still on the road and the term, "rode hard and put away wet" is accurate. It's still be used and is still in very good shape. While it may not be the first choice of posters here, it is proof that there are other brands of trailers that are still on the road and haven't been relegated to the scrap yard.

[Zybane]

Originally Posted by slowmover

There's very good reason campgrounds have an age rule. Nothing older than 1999 where I am at present. Appearance being good does not change that. Rot is internal. My older trailer is welcome as management has decades of experience with trailers, thus owners, as problems. An age cutoff forestalls this for the generics.

Oh ya I forgot about those campgrounds that have the ten year rule. Are Airstreams generally given the pass to enter if they are older than 10 years? If you aren't allowed to enter, since most Airstreams look similar could you just tell them it's within 10 years? LOL. Is there a date on the trailer?

[John&Vicki]

Originally Posted by Zybane

Oh ya I forgot about those campgrounds that have the ten year rule. Are Airstreams generally given the pass to enter if they are older than 10 years? If you aren't allowed to enter, since most Airstreams look similar could you just tell them it's within 10 years? LOL. Is there a date on the trailer?

I've only encountered this twice and in both instances the restriction was waived for my 25 year old Excella. I was prepared to tell them it was a 2005 Commemorative Edition.

Not often a factor as I don't like to hang out in snotty places.

Cheers,
John

[Drathaar]

One of the reasons we bought an Airstream was to do with our first truck camper, a Fleetwood Caribou. We have renamed that camper to the Cariboo-boo. Shoddy materials, shoddy workmanship. It developed serious problems within a few years of purchase. The plastic nose cap deteriorated, split and leaked horribly.

Another reason we bought an Airstream because of the sense of community, as evidenced by the participation here in the Air Forums.

An Airstream isn't perfect, it will require maintenance, but if cared for they will last for several generations.