AIRSTREAM TT

I camp in the boonies, so an Airstream would get scratched up -- it is not for me. But in my opinion, if a person has the money to get a dream trailer (like a dream car or a dream house), why not?? Life is short. Indulge! Yes, an Airstream is overpriced for what you get. So is a Rolls Royce.

This is not about status symbols. It is about the consumer's desire for free choice and for owning the best. Go for it, OP!!

:) Hi, I guess it's what you want and what you can afford when it comes to trailers. In September of 2004 we bought a brand new 2005 Airstream Safari 25-B. My wife and I worked hard all of our lives and bought this trailer for cash about two years before we retired. It's just the two of us and one little dog, so if works great for us. If we were young, still working, and had a half a dozen kids, I guess all we could afford, that would work for the family, would be a white box trailer. Everyone's situation is slightly different, so to each his own. Since we don't have any payments, it makes it easier to afford to buy the gas needed for our trips. We have been in 13 Western States and 3 Western Provinces. Our biggest trip so far was our Alaska trip. (50 days and over 10,000 miles) We plan to use it up, so resale has not been a concern. Right now we could possibly sell it for about what we paid for it eight years ago. Maybe one of my relatives will end up having it given to them.

We sold our 2007 Rockwood and bought a 2002 25 ft Airstream two years ago. The Airstream is built much better than the Rockwood and I could easily sell it today for several thousand more than I paid for it.

Our Airstream is designed for a traveling couple more than a camping family of four. We will probably never sell it. Properly maintained, it should last another 30 years before it needs a major overhaul.

I could not afford to buy a new Airstream, but a good used one is very affordable.

I guess we fit the mold previously described. We also own a 1979 30 foot sailboat.

You mean to say that our Airstream has only four more years left in it? Better not! We expect to continue using it for more than just 50 years!
:)
Lynn

daveyboy12 wrote:
Airstreams are overrated. Sure they are built nice and pull nice, but with the way technology is, who wants to buy an RV that is going to last 50 years.

Airstreams are overrated. Sure they are built nice and pull nice, but with the way technology is, who wants to buy an RV that is going to last 50 years.

Here's some Airstream history for you. Note that the first Airstream rolled out of the production line in 1932.



http://www.airstream.com/company/history/
http://www.airstreamandco.com/our-history.html

:)
Lynn

Some things about the Airstream some of the younger people may not know. The Airstream as we know it was built after WWII. During WWII there were no cars built and not many other things. Most factorys went to tank and aircraft production. After the war there were tons of dies, machines, tools and aluminum in the scrap yards as aircraft production went to little. Also thousands of people trained to build aircraft out of work. Some of this stuff was bought up by Airstream and some of the out of work people started to build the Airstream we know. Odds are the shape was from a bomber or transport plane dies and just redone to work for the trailer. There were lots of very skilled peope to build them. They were strong and did not twist and come apart like the wood frame trailers of the day. So they became the travelers trailer over just camp trailers. And were used and shipped all over the world for travelers going places with or with out roads. That was the start of the WBCCI. It was a one brand club and I think really had its hay day from the 50s - 80s, kind of a long run for a 1 brand club. They had their own Airstream only RV Parks and lots of factory backed tours. However by the 90s most of the people that enjoyed them were aging. The younger people were not buying them as they lacked the room of the box trailers. While the Airstream is still built today its shape changed in around the 90-s to be wider and have a bit more room. They do not compete with the box type rigs for room. But they are still the one rig people all over the world know..

I have an Airstream and am very happy with it. This thread is starting to take on the brand hating you often see in the tow vehicle forum.

The Airstream is a very well made trailer but so are many others. It is different in so many ways and not all of these provide advantages. I have a 25 footer and it has plenty of storage inside the trailer but very little, almost none actually, on the exterior. It is comfortable for us but not lavish as many other box trailers are. I personally am not interested in having a fire place, a kitchen island or a huge television in my trailer.

All trailers need care and yes, an Airstream will leak if not maintained. I will submit that while this happens, it doesn't happen as much as the regular box trailer out there. I am a member of the Airstream forum and yes, there is much talk about water damaged trailers but when you look, these are trailers still in use after 40 or 50 years. How many 70's vintage AFs are still running around?

Airstreams are no better than most others when it comes to most of what is inside. The plumbing is home quality but the appliances are the same as other brands. But, when it comes to towing, the Airstream can't be beat. I used to pull a 21ft hybrid and now I have a 25 foot Airstream. I get the same mileage and it tows much better. The design of this thing is amazing and if you are actually someone who pulls your trailer a great deal, the Airstream will be an advantage.

I went in to buy a personal computer once and saw three similarly competent units. Unit A was a cheap PC, unit B was a much better PC and unit C was an Apple that was much more expensive than either of the other two. I asked the salesman why such a huge difference and he said, "If you buy A we will see you back in about a year with some kind of trouble. If you buy B we will see you back within two years. If you buy C, we won't see you again." There is a certain amount of value built into the top of the line trailers out there. While it is not always true, you usually do get what you pay for.

By the way, I am also an AF fan. They make a great unit. Oh, and as far as cost goes, I purchased my 2006 in 2009 and saved about 40% off of new price. Today, I can sell it for what I paid. I think in another 10 I should also be able to get a very fair price.

68Monaco440HP.
You are right about the airstream being at the bottom of the line when looking for a high end trailer of the day. But They were light. The Cabinets in my 72 25 foot Safari were all Aluminum with a stick on cover that stayed on as long as we owned it. The cabinet doors were Tambour roll up with a paper backing. They lasted a few years and had to be redone. We redid ours with canvas material backing that lasted the rest of the time we owned it. We loaded ours on to rail cars, boats by using slings ect. And yes we poped rivets often but most were easy to get to. But you need to remember these were built for travelers like us, that drug them down endless miles of dirt roads and out thru farm fields and were often pulled thru mud by other trucks. We traveled in groups so always had help and on the bigger trips we had a factory support vehicle alone with extra parts. It was a different time and they were just simple, light weight trailers built after WWII by people that had built aircraft during WWII. For sure not top line luxury.

We gave up our Airstream as prices went up and those we traveled with aged as we did. And I had drug it so long I was just tird of it. Our camping remained and we are still travelers. We have worn out many tents, love popups, as you can take those two things most any were. We now have a small motorhome that we use often in the back country on one lane roads ect. The problem of getting larger rigs into small places kept us in small rigs. Also when you drive all day and park your rig at the end of a dirt road for several days while you go tent on a lake or stream having an older rig is far wiser than a high dollar rig. So we still work at not standing out..

AS far as which rig is the best. If you go into the back country, until some one makes a 1100 sq ft rig that folds up and fits into your back pack or glove compartment some of us will have to stick to our small rigs. My wife and I have had a couple big rigs but they just do not work for us..

The way we see those people we meet camping is if they are there no matter if they are in a tent or driving a big rig they are there for the same reasons we are. To enjoy..

As you said next to the rigs with oak cabinets and plush furnishing they were not much. More like a Model T Ford. But we did use the heck out of them..

AIRSTREAM was the bottom of the heap for all-aluminum, aerodynamic travel trailers. The Chevy. The others -- AVION, SILVER STREAK and STREAMLINE -- couldn't cut costs as did A/S (volume) and fell by the wayside (like Packard). On the other hand, they sometimes didn't build in a week what A/S did in a day. Higher quality, though, if one is willing to buy a 20+ year old TT.

This TT type is pretty much a permanent acquisition. My folks had their SILVER STREAK for 27-years. It's still in use at 38-years. This TT type has the lowest long-term operating costs, not just the highest highway mpg (I get 15+ mpg pulling a 35').

My latest SS is 23-years old. Needs new appliances and some cosmetic updates, for the most part as some improvements planned will be replacing functioning components, or are entirely new. What I have into it then still can't be matched by new TT's costing 3X as much (except A/S).

Lack of storage is a non-starter. My grandparents travelled the US, Canada, and Mexico in the 1960's with their STREAMLINE pulled by a Dodge Monaco. It would be difficult to imagine what it was they were missing in taking along (though the non-A/S TT's have more storage available).

Yes, buying a new A/S is expensive relative to average income. Buying one at about 10-years is probably the best trade-off of price & value (what work might be needed).

The online community is huge. Every problem is known and has at least three fixes. Rich to poor, all are represented. There are not only clubs, but seminars on the fine points of working on them. Craftsmanship, for those interested.

If a TT that has an indefinite lifespan and the best road performance is important then there is not a comparable choice. The more miles traveled, the better the fit. One does not need a truck, either. Lower HP demand has real advantages, and superior design (low center of gravity, fully independent suspension and good basic aero shape) makes an easy-to-tow TT.

If parking a TT at the local lake is the thing, then any white plastic box will do (for 8-10 years with best care). The "depreciation" on the square white box is permanent . . where now are all the TT's I see in the background of my parents or grandparents travel pictures?

So let's put this idea -- permanence plus low cost -- in a different frame.

1] There are folks who once posted here who no longer own an RV since fuel went from just under $1/gl to as much as $4/gl. Those voices aren't heard here.

2] There are those who wish to travel as much as possible on the lowest fuel cost which rules out pickup trucks (and their inherent instability + terrible road performance solo or otherwise). There are a few voices here.

3] With the above in mind, a permanent, low-cost TT of the right design & construction can be pulled by a variety of TV's; and

4] Provide shelter anywhere, anytime for an indefinite period. Hurricane or similar. Moving to a new locale cross-country. Use imagination of where ownership of such trumps cash/credit available to overcome adversity. Illness, job loss, etc, only make other problems that much worse.

A Harley is a kiddie toy. Same for an airplane. A sailboat or an Airstream type TT are in a class of their own when seen through this lense as they provide long-term living accommodations at a very low cost when properly understood.

In other words, look at the money spent for the value received. The emphasis should be on "value" when things are tough, not just when all is rosy.

Thus, if RV'ng becomes a no-go at $5/gl just remember that there will be those who kept right on going. Their costs were-- and are -- lower in an all-around sense.

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