Airstream or Lance?

Too bad you people do not have Pop Tops Caravans like we have here, slightly bigger inside than the Lance and Airstream and nowhere as drab and gloomy.
Checked out Airstreams at the Sydney Caravan Show, different lengths, but felt cramped and claustrophobic. Did not like the old DC3 bare aluminium look either
Windsor Rapid
Jayco Journey

When I was in my 20's, I lived for 3 years in a Winnebago Minnie Winnie. My one remaining memory is the very small fresh and grey water. I was in no way self-contained.

In my spare time I fly fish, bird hunt, and sea kayak. I hire guides and their equipment to do all three. I will get dirty and do need to shower. Clothes, food, and my bulldog will constitute most of the weight.

My Coast Guard duties take me from the lighthouses in Puget Sound to the gun ranges at the Mexican border. I very rarely go to the mountains. Our scientific lab equipment is digital and weighs virtually nothing. I will camp most of the time at military RV bases with full hook-ups.

A fully optioned out 1985 weighs about 4,200lbs. 30 gallons of fluids at 8lbs. per gallon is 240lbs for a total of 4,440lbs. With food, clothes, fly rods, 43lb. 2,000 watt Honda generator, I am pushing it. I wonder how much the a weight distributing hitch and sway control will add? I don't mind driving 50-55mph, but a must be able to brake under control

In that price range you may want to look at the Oliver FG trailer. If I was spending that much it is the way I'd go. All the bells and whistles but none of the Glitz you see in so many trailers now.(do I really need etched glass on the doors of my outside kitchen?).

The Airstream will pull easier (less drag), last longer, and hold its value longer.

That being said, I will agree with others that you may not be happy towing either with the 4Runner. You'll be maxed for sure. It might be ok for occasional shorter trips on flat lands but long, extended, or mountain trips would not be fun.

The 4.0l is a great engine but the gearing isn't ideal for towing. My old '04 T4R struggled to maintain highway speeds towing my 19' hybrid (3800lbs). Mind you it had slightly less power than the new ones and only a 4 speed tranny. Mated with the newer 5 speed may fair better but I'll bet you'd have to keep it locked in 4th to keep the engine from bogging down. After 1 season I traded for a V8 T4R which was awesome but unfortunately no longer an option.

If you plan/need to use a WD hitch (and you probably should with either tt) you'll need to upgrade to a frame mounted hitch. The factory receiver is only mounted to the x-member and is not rated for use with a WD hitch.

I'll agree with Avoidcrowds....both trailers are going to be too heavy when loaded to pull comfortably with a 4 Runner. Consider a smaller & lighter trailer, or look at a hybrid which can feel more spacious once beds are opened.

And, I've always been interested in the Trailmanor units, but they just don't seem to be easy to see in our part of the country.

The Airstream 22' Sport has a dry weight of 3,634lbs., net carrying capacity of 866lbs., and a gross vehicle weight of 4,500lbs. The Lance 23' 1985 has dry weight of 3,600lbs., net carrying capacity of 2,040lbs., and a gross vehicle weight of 5,700lbs. Why the great disparity?

Well, due to your 4Runner, I would say "neither", also. Sister's family has a 4Runner, and a Hybrid TT. Don't know the make, but it is about 20'. They could not tow up a maintained gravel road while towing, and I had to pull them up. Yes, it was steep, but the trailer was too heavy.

As said, a dry wt of 3800 lbs will be near 5,000 when loaded. Your max tow is 5,000, which means you will be struggling up hills, and lots of weight pushing you down the hills.

Maybe, consider a TrailManor 2417, which is equivalent to a 24' TT. It tows like a popup, but it has no canvas. Dry wt is under 2,300 lbs, and loaded is 3,500 lbs. I have one, and we love it. Depending on your height, though, as the ceiling is 6'4". We are under 5'8", so no problem for us.

My point is, there are lighter trailers out there, that won't hit your max tow limit, which will make you happier on the road. And, folded for travel, there is less wind resistance, which will also make towing easier with the 4Runner.

Good luck with all the options to consider! For the length of your trips, I wouldn't come close to max tow limit. You will regret it.

I've seen some really nice old Airstreams (70s/80s) around but haven't seen any newer ones (90s/2000s). Some have said they aren't the same and the new Thor Airstreams are much cheaper made and are not of the same quality. As long as all those rivets and seams are sealed, not much to go wrong except for the floor.

I don't ever see any old laminated builds at any campgrounds.

On the flip side, I always see a lot of stick and tin old Jaycos at the campgrounds. They are made today even better. Stick and tin construction is pretty basic, the same as many mobile homes with trussed ceiling, walls with studs and crossmembers and real floors. Aluminum siding is pretty much the same with better sealants, but roof coatings are now TPO, EDPM, or a mix of the two opposed to metal roofs back in the day.

Airstreams certainly have a nice upscale look and feel to them. The lower and narrower Airstream will tow more easily, too. (Although I'd hate having to slide around that table for every meal; the Lance dinette seems more sensible to me.) But like others have pointed out, your ready-to-travel weight is likely to be 4500-4800 lb with quite possibly 550-650 lb hitch weight.

Definitely look at the Escape, sold from its factory in Chilliwack BC. The 21' Escape is just a bit over 3000 lb dry. Its molded fiberglass construction will be unaffected by sea salt, and the lack of seams means there are less places to eventually leak. Escape has a good reputation for quality and their trailers hold phenomenal resale value.

How many do you want to buy? If one then go Airstream, if a few then buy one of the throwaways.