Forum Discussion
23 Replies
- If you want quality, you pay extra for it.
If you want radical design, you pay extra for it.
If you want unique, you pay extra for it.
These are all niche markets, which is why most people stick with the current crop of TTs. - There is something I have noticed while on the road for the last year.
The Airstream seems to be THE trailer of choice for the Dual-income-no-kids younger buyers. Most of them I meet have very good jobs and are in their late twenties or early thirties and want something stylish, cool and classic. Price is not their first concern.
And think about this: There is an aura about Airstream. It just seems more environmentally friendly in some way, It's the Anti-Class A/Fifth wheel behomoth. This I think also appeals to them. - Reminds me of the late 1950s Lotus Elite, which use a fiberglass monocoque structure (with some steel reinforcement for a roll cage) to which the chassis parts were bolted. The primary market was the low displacement classes in GT road racing, but they did need to sell some to road customers as well. Things tended to break away from the plastic structure, or the structure itself would fracture, as real world use on badly maintained roads introduced stresses well beyond the those discovered by static testing.
The original Elite was replaced by the Elan, which put a box-girder backbone under the fiberglass body. That one held together better.
At the asking price, I don't think I'd want to be one of the road testers of a radical engineering experiment. I have enough towing capacity that I can handle an egg-trailer sitting atop a steel frame, which can still weigh under 2000 pounds at this size. Buying one of these is going to be like buying one of the first Tesla models, it needs to be backed up by a great warranty program. I'm surprised that Airstream would stick their necks out to produce something this extraordinary, but it will probably require Airstream branding to find a market at the asking price. - All the chat over on the Airstream forum about it seems to indicate it's going to be $35K - $40K.
EDIT: $35K, and you get a couple of folding chairs like you buy at walmart for $14.88 ?? Ouch. - Cascade News item
Here is a writeup that was done in Bend, Oregon about the company BEFORE it was bought out by Airstream. In the next to last paragraph, it states that it will be "significantly" lower than Airstream's similar offering, which is $45K. I don't know what significantly lower is, but I'm better in excess of $30K.
Now that has Airstream, the price will probably meet their competing products.
Another article
In the above article, it says the base price is $29,995. profdant139 wrote:
Well, I for one am interested in this. I need more info, to see whether it can be raised for extra clearance, and how big the tanks are, and so forth. But if it has a rugged chassis and a leakproof egg design, I am intrigued. Headroom is also an issue.
Does anyone have a link to the floorplan?
Having said all of that, if it is more than $25,000, it is probably a deal-breaker -- I could buy two of my current trailers for that amount!
Airstream ~~~~~~~ going to be a deal breaker!, most definitely will be >$25K.
Their little "BASECAMP" trailers - still sell used around $20K, I don't remember the retail, for this non-full trailer but it was up there.
Basecamp for sale
Markiemark- Finally a TT (of any size) that actually has some design elements that make sense and don't look like they came from the Elvis Presley Jungle- Room-School of interior design.
I applaud the European look and design of this nifty little trailer. And I see many many trailers of this size out here on the road. They are very popular.
I hope the rest of the RV industry will wake up soon and drag themselves out of the '70's and '80's interior and EXTERIOR design time- warp they have been in for 40 years.
Airstream is a classic by any measurement and they know a good thing when they see it. - Well, I for one am interested in this. I need more info, to see whether it can be raised for extra clearance, and how big the tanks are, and so forth. But if it has a rugged chassis and a leakproof egg design, I am intrigued. Headroom is also an issue.
Does anyone have a link to the floorplan?
Having said all of that, if it is more than $25,000, it is probably a deal-breaker -- I could buy two of my current trailers for that amount! - It looks like a gussied-up Scamp.
