RE: [A/S] Digest Number 1771 Buy new, used, or vintage?

["Jim O'Keefe" <jokeefe@xxxxxxxx>]

Mick,

Great question.  I'm pleased to offer my thoughts (my background being 
design and marketing, not technical nor mechanical).  I have to make some 
additional assumptions, first.

1.	You've trailered before, and know from experience that it's exactly 
what you want, and 

2.	25-28 feet is exactly the right size for you and yours, and

3.	The CCD version or a highly customized and/or polished Vintage 
Airstream is not what you seek.

With the above in place, and given that you prefer to buy quality new and 
take care of it for the long term, I think you will come out ahead buying 
newer.  Airstreams in the smaller sizes seem to hold their values.  I'm 
speculating, but my guess for the largest sizes not holding value as well 
is a combination of:

1.	Larger requires a bigger, more costly tow vehicle.

2.	Buyers who want/can afford large also want/can afford new.

3.	When a large one does come on the market, it may be a distress sale 
(death in the family, etc.) rather than a discretionary sale (if I can sell 
for my price I'll get a newer/bigger model).

4.	Larger models tend to have more, shall we say, "mature" interior 
finishes (oak or hickory, Corian, multi-layered window treatments) which 
appeal less to younger (resale) buyers.

5.	Slide-outs: most want them now, and a large trailer without them is 
challenged in the resale marketplace.

All these issues are less important in a small- or mid-size.  Consequently, 
a 32', when 5 years old, won't be much more valuable than a 25'.  (Not to 
mention those Vintage models, like old Bambis, selling restored for more 
than when new).

I don't think the build quality on an Airstream is that great.  It's a 
virtually hand-made product, and it's hard to use modern systems-based 
manufacturing unless you're making thousands of something, pretty much the 
same, over and over.  In ours, for example, you can still see the pencil 
marks, where some guy actually measured and marked the walls, installing 
walls and cabinetry.  The sofa is an Airstream sofa, not a mass-produced 
for the RV industry sofa.  Same with may exterior items.  This leaves lots 
of room for human error or omission.  Or each trailer is custom, depends on 
your viewpoint.  You are not buying Airstream for build quality, but for 
quality of the design.  It's that whole American Icon thing.

As to dependability, The appliances are the same available to other 
high-end RV makers, and are warranted by their respective manufacturers.  
It's going to be about the quality of your dealer and his service if you 
buy new, or straight luck if you choose resale--they tend to work until one 
day, without warning, they don't.

Were the older ones better built?  Maybe--I don't think so.  Maybe '50s 
vintage, when everything was better built.  Even so, it would be 50 years 
old now, and in need of restoration.  The '70s are much sought after, but 
more for quality of design than quality of build.  Some really love the 
Boeing-inspired interiors (or maybe it's the orange shag and green counters) 
of that period--and the gray and black water tanks.

Buy it new, take good care of it, have it along time.  As you say about 
your truck, you'll soon know its bugs and how to take work them out.

Sorry for writing a novella, hope it is helpful to you and of interest to 
others.

Jim, JR, and Jezebel (the standard poodle)
Palm Springs

'85 Limited 32'
'03 Avalanche 2500