Best and Worst of Your Airstream

[AtomicNo13]

Worst part is the lack of a basement for model trains......

[Bruce B]

Best...Time spent traveling, exploring and just enjoying life in our Bambi.
Worst....Waiting until we get a chance to head out Airstreaming again (just 3 weeks now). Anything else I simply fix!
Bruce

[Fly at Night]

Originally Posted by BAB

The best: pulling out of the driveway and seeing SilverLeaf snugly behind me.
The worst: backing into the 70 foot driveway and parking my 8 1/2 foot wide trailer between the 11 foot wide shed!

Very nice "Bridges of Madison County" style shed, though. Love it!

[drew05]

Best: Leaving on a trip

Worst: Tank sensor system

[SteveSueMac]

Best: it lowers my blood pressure and (regardless of distance) takes me worlds away.

Worst: I'm not with it 24x7. Oh, and that crappy micropulse monitoring system. :-)

[silverzep]

I have to agree with many of the other posters, the best is traveling with the airstream. The worst is at home, not traveling in the airstream.

[Denis4x4]

The best part of my Safari 25 FB is the fact that I can tow it with a Grand Cherokee instead of a 3/4 ton truck.

The worst is the perceived value based on the price.

[HeadWest]

The best are all the windows and natural light along with the Airstream community. Just love how light and bright it is inside, especially with aluminum skin and great views.

The worst are the ongoing quality issues. I wish Airstream would just up the price to cover better build quality. Stripped fasteners, water leaks, lack of QC before leaving the factory should be addressed.

[Tltulsa]

My, isn't she spoiled! Lucky girl.

[switz]

I wonder if the quality in our former 2013 International Serenity that was built over seven days (started 6/19/2012 and was completed 6/28/12) would be different than in the current target production rate of five days? There is about a 10% increase in the workforce over that year. I think the production rate was around 26 units per week then and 51 units per week now. No one is just staring holes in space, there is definite purpose to all movement.

An amazing part of the tour is watching a 30+ foot long table perhaps 6 feet wide where the sides and roof panels are laid flat. The programmable router head goes out and cuts out the windows, vents and other holes and doors (leaving perhaps a two inch uncut space on the each of the four sides of a window so the entire panel would not oil can or bend during the riveting process) and even pre drill the rivet holes. Each panel is completed in probably less than ten minutes and much less time on a short Bambi skin.

While our unit is still on the line (there is light at the end of the construction tunnel now), I have had the opportunity to briefly chat with a few of the really great folks working there and one lady stated, "I want to do my best just like I wanted my house to be built with the same best effort."

I think that frame, skin and cabinetry are nearly bullet proof today even with the quicker building technology (keep the powder dry, whoops, wrong metaphor, keep the leaks from happening with due diligence inspections on ALL the seams and use a moisture tester on the floor) but we shall see (if I am still here) if they hold together as well in twenty years os the early models have held up. But all the plumbing PEX crimp connectors and fittings might pose some challenges in the future.

Having owned airplanes, I see the same amount of diligence and oversight on the maintenance of the Airstream as was needed on the airframe of my aircraft. The big difference of no motor and no third dimension of down to worry about, still leaves the wear and tear of flexing going down the road to be inspected.

These Airstreams are definitely not a maintenance free item.

[Fly at Night]

Was sure nice to weather last night's rainzilla and windstorm w/o a leak!

(I examined every seam with a bright led flashlight and used the moisture indicator this a.m.).

[Jim Flower]

Originally Posted by Denis4x4

The best part of my Safari 25 FB is the fact that I can tow it with a Grand Cherokee ....

The best part of my International Signature 30 is the fact that I can tow it with a Grand Cherokee. Jim

[richinny]

Originally Posted by HeadWest

The best are all the windows and natural light along with the Airstream community. Just love how light and bright it is inside, especially with aluminum skin and great views.

The worst are the ongoing quality issues. I wish Airstream would just up the price to cover better build quality. Stripped fasteners, water leaks, lack of QC before leaving the factory should be addressed.

i have to agree with the issues but the price is already upped. i'm really getting tired of fixing things.

[Fly at Night]

Originally Posted by richinny

i have to agree with the issues but the price is already upped. i'm really getting tired of fixing things.

I am beginning to wonder if I am blundering along w/o seeing what needs to be fixed.

Like......I hitch up when I want to go somewhere. I get there okay. Everything seems to work okay. Then I head home and everything seems to be okay when I get there.

Oh well.

I guess I'll just keep blundering along.

[AlaskaSafari]

Best? That's easy. Seeing those rounded riveted corners in my tow mirrors as we click down the road to... wherever The worst? Hmmm

[Jim Flower]

Originally Posted by Fly at Night

I am beginning to wonder if I am blundering along w/o seeing what needs to be fixed.

Like......I hitch up when I want to go somewhere. I get there okay. Everything seems to work okay. Then I head home and everything seems to be okay when I get there.

Oh well.

I guess I'll just keep blundering along.

Blundering along is the best form of adventure one can have with an Airstream. No stress, maybe some excitement, maybe not. Perfect. Jim

[Ntex]

I love this. Blundering along sounds just wonderful. Maybe the trailer should be called the Blunder Bus.

[Fly at Night]

Originally Posted by Jim Flower

Blundering along is the best form of adventure one can have with an Airstream. No stress, maybe some excitement, maybe not. Perfect. Jim

It was hard won; cleverness at the wrong moment got me into a lot of trouble.

Blunder juxtaposed with oblivion -- yes, that certainly destresses things.

[Fly at Night]

Originally Posted by Ntex

I love this. Blundering along sounds just wonderful. Maybe the trailer should be called the Blunder Bus.

Love it!

[Jim Flower]

Originally Posted by Fly at Night

It was hard won; cleverness at the wrong moment got me into a lot of trouble.
.

Perhaps Airstream Sales in New Jersey will be going up? Jim