While I firmly believe that Airstream is the best mass-produced travel trailer available, they are not without their issues. A lot of people seem to think that for the price (usually over $100k), there should be no issues, but obviously that’s not realistic. From what I understand, Airstream does do a pretty good job of fixing that which wasn’t done correctly in the first place (and you can stay at the “mothership” while they fix it!). Do “small things” fail too often? Probably. Are there some really bad ideas/designs implemented on a fairly regular basis. Maybe. But “batting 500” is considered stellar (if not impossible) in terms of baseball stats, and Airstream is probably doing better than that, so it all depends on perspective.
Many Airstream problems are a result of poor design, but those problems are almost always “luxury” problems (cabinets, appliances, layout, latches, etc.), not major mechanicals or the design of the body and frame.
Most Airstreams also aren’t built for “owner maintenance.” As such, when something goes wrong, it can be incredibly difficult to fix. Sometimes people end up “breaking things more” while attempting to fix something that they shouldn’t have been messing with in the first place.
The issue is similar to the Apple vs. PC mentality. Apple products are made to only function with Apple components; by keeping things close, Apple creates an environment where they have more control over the outcome. Apple products are meant to be “worked on” only by licensed Apple specialists. PC’s are made more for the “do-it-yourself” crowd, and there are a plethora of components that can be used to make things work in myriad ways. Apple is generally thought of as a product for people who just “want things to work.” If those items stop working as they should, Apple customers send them back, trade them in, or have an “expert” fix them. Airstream definitely operates by the Apple code, and the price of the initial product as well as the maintenance reflects that ideal.
Another issue is often that people try to use their Airstream outside of it’s window of expected use (sub-zero camping, questionable road conditions, etc). In other words, they are pushing the boundaries of what Airstream has intended for the trailer. Many people believe that if you spend over $100,000 for a trailer, it should work all of the time, in any condition. But what those people fail to consider is that it’s more like owning a Ferrari. If you don’t baby it, things will go wrong, and it will be expensive to fix them… if you can even find someone with the expertise to do the work properly.
All of these thoughts are going into my idea of what an ideal Airstream renovation should entail. I think the build should certainly be “done right” in the first place (no cabinets “anchored to air” or missing fasteners), but it should also be user-friendly, so that when something goes wrong (because thing will go wrong when you’re bouncing down the road for years), they can be easily fixed by anyone with a decent idea of “how things work.” Components should also be readily available, so that it doesn’t take weeks (or even months!) of waiting for parts or service windows.
Any time something is mass-produced, you make sacrifices in quality control (the more hands there are, the more opportunity there is for mistakes). The “Apple mentality” is one way of trying to minimize those issues. I prefer the “one-at-a-time” approach (which is certainly a luxury), and that’s how I plan to renovate and reinvent travel trailers. I don’t plan on getting rich. I just plan on building great vehicles.
Here are some threads I’ve collected that reflect people’s varied opinions on Airstream build quality and service, as well as some of the specific things that seem to consistently go wrong…
“Attention to detail” issues…
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f44/advice-2020-classic-attention-to-detail-issues-209849.html
Designed to sell, not to use…
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f240/designed-to-sell-not-to-use-207769.html
Frustrated with Airstream quality…
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f540/frustrated-with-airstream-quality-194992.html
Forty things we would change on our Airstream…
https://www.naturephotoguides.com/travel/40-things-we-would-change-on-our-airstream
Had it with my Basecamp…
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f404/had-it-with-my-basecamp-183574.html
Bath mirror cabinet fell off…
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f542/bath-mirror-cabinet-fell-off-of-2018-flying-cloud-23cb-186245.html
Bath vanity failure…
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f44/bath-vanity-failure-198410.html
Remounting medicine cabinet to prevent falling…
https://www.airforums.com/forums/blogs/gmfl/remounting-23d-medicine-cabinet-to-prevent-falling-2973
Leaking, rust, A/C issues, drawers off tracks, cabinet alignment…
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f295/airstream-quality-and-reliability-208302.html
Component choices…
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f445/shurflo-revolution-2-3-or-3-0-gpm-187499.html