Lets get back to the thread. The OP wanted alternatives. I just mentioned the issues with the airstream frames. It is nothing new. It is a fact. The whole idea of these forums is to share experience so that folks can make informed decisions. Getting "called out" to provide proof for mentioning the "well known" facts is not what these forums are for. I provided a link with many examples on the AirForum website. People should be able to enjoy what they own. Not telling the truth and letting the uninformed folks spend thousands of dollars without realizing what may happen in the future isn't very helpful. I suggest folks go to the AirForums and look at the issues "before" they make a purchase. Doing the research after a person makes the purchase isn't very helpful. In this thread, a person wants to tow an Airstream with what is probably a heavy duty van. I think most of us will agree that a heavy duty van will have a comparable suspension to a 3/4 ton pickup. Check AirForums and see the results.
Let me give a little more info for those who are interested and want to make an informed purchase. Wally built what they like to call Semi Monocoque trailers. They use the shell as part of the structure. In the old days, when Airstream went all over the world, the trailers were light and agile. They were being pulled by vehicles with much less horsepower than today. Airstream, over time, made them larger with many more options which made them much heavier. The frames are not strong enough, without the shell, to support the weight of the trailer. The frame has the floor conected to it and the shell is connected to the wood floor. When water intrusion occurs, the floor rots, the shell seperates from the floor which is seperated from the frame, therefore leaving the frame weak. Some of the frame failures have nothing to do with "seperation", but just weak frames. When an Airstream expert tells you that you can't pull an Airstream with a heavy tow vehicle like a 3/4 ton truck, without doing damage to the trailer, then you may wonder what the problem is. Do your really think an Airstream salesman is going to tell a customer that their heavy duty pickup, or van, won't work with an Airstream? Probably not. That info won't be shared until there is a problem, years later.
If folks don't want to take the time to review documented issues, many with pictures, on the AirForums website, that is fine. But don't blame the messenger who is trying to help the OP make an informed decision.
This isn't an Airstream vs. the other silver trailers of which none are made anymore. This is an issue of problems with the design of using a weak frame and relying on everything being perfect, including the shell staying attached to the floor, for them to last. The other manufacturers of the larger silver trailers are all gone or quit making the silver trailers because of cost. I can't recall any of these "other" manufacturers relying on the semi monocoque design for their frames on the large trailers. Seeing any one of these other trailers, of which all of them are old by now, having frame issues is unheard of. If someone knows of a failure, please share it with us.
