[A/S] Re: Old vs New

[Chris Koehn <timberguides@xxxxxxxxx>]

Allan-

I'll chime in with our personal experience with a new to us '79 
International:

First off, even though I've been camping all of my life, this is my 
first experience with a trailer. So I have no basis for comparison. We 
looked specifically for an Airstream due to the perception of quality 
that has stuck with them over the years. While I am relatively certain 
there are more '79 Airstreams on the road than any other make, which is 
a testament to their durability, I don't believe "quality was job one" 
at Airstream in those days. A few examples of lax design & construction 
include:
* an aluminum flashing that runs on top of the trunk on the back 
bumper, underneath the skin, and on top of a plywood sub floor, with NO 
sealant what soever. Just lazy, poor workmanship in my estimation.
* Cabinetry is built from 1/4" luan plywood with vinyl wood grain 
applied, held together with rivets and spit and a bunch of aluminum 
extrusions. This is especially troublesome in the kitchen, where a very 
heavy range is carried by the countertop, which is carried by 1/4" luan 
held together by the aforementioned aluminum, spit and rivets.
* The shower pan (we have a full center bath model), which is heat 
formed plastic, is inside the walls. So the joint between the walls and 
the shower pan relies entirely on caulk to keep water from getting 
underneath the shower pan. I ended up pulling the shower pan out, 
lining it with fiberglass (as it was so thin I could punch a hole 
through it with my pinkie finger..), and lining the walls with plastic 
shower liner that overlaps the shower pan. I have this thing about 
water and gravity you see.
* the closet doors are particle board faced with laminate. They are 
HEAVY, and severely strain the wimpy hinges they ride on.
* the little water filler door is poorly sealed, and offers no real 
resistance to rain water running down the trailer- it flows around the 
weather strip and in to the fresh water tank with little resistance. I 
have yet to figure out a solution to this one.

All of that said, I  still think the basic structure of the trailer is 
well thought out and well built. We have no trouble with plumbing or 
heating systems (knock on wood, if you can find any...); the monocoque 
structure is well designed and executed. The trailer pulls extremely 
well and the interior design is well thought out. I've spent a 
tremendous amount of time updating and re-building this spring, in 
preparation for full timing with our young boys this year. Even with 
all of the work I've had to put in to it- which is much more than I 
bargained for- I think a used A/S of this vintage is a good value if 
you are looking for utility and not necessarily the height of style, 
which some of the older trailers seem to offer.

cheers,
Chris K
#8638