Airstream Question
I notice there aren't many topics out there about Airstreams compared to other travel trailers. I assume becuae they are priced pretty high. Looking (thinking about it) to buy a 10-15 year old Air...
Forum Discussion
Francesca Knowles wrote:aftermath wrote:
There is a certain amount of mystique in owning an Airstream. Status perhaps but I think it is more than just that.
But what, exactly?
Not tryin' to be a smart aleck- you yourself only described the defects you perceive in the trailer....what sets it apart besides the obvious things you name above?
I have a very limited set of experiences with only having owned one SOB. The Starcraft hybrid was purchased new and we never abused it. The cabinets were very flimsy and the plumbing fixtures were downright cheap. The drawers under the dinette seats actually fell off the tracks, the slideout was troublesome, the switch burned out and the tongue jack blew a couple of fuses for no reason that I could figure out. The water pump made so much noise I thought the trailer was going to shake itself to death. Cheap materials, cheap construction and very poor quality control in the entire process.
I have had the airstream for 4 years now with nary a problem. The quality of the cabinetry is excellent, the fixtures are home grade and everything works and nothing has shaken loose. I do believe that the quality is the best thing. Of course there other brands out there that have figured this out as well so quality is not unique to Airstream. Towing is amazing. My Airstream is 5 feet longer and 2000 lbs. heavier but it is easier to two than my little white box. I get the same gas mileage using the same truck. It sits lower to the ground and is not affected to any large extent by winds either head or side. It is a very well made product.
There is also a mystique that I mentioned earlier. When you pull into a campground people usually notice. Many will come up and talk to you, some looking for a chance to blast your choice since they are expensive and they do not offer as much space as the typical box. You get much the same reaction on the forum. I like mine. I works well for us. I plan to keep it for at least another 10 years and will be interested in seeing what other 20 year old trailers will look like at that time.
