Jayco vs Airstream: Help Me Gain Perspective for our Year-Long Trip

[Crabman]

Originally Posted by bansai

If I was in the market right now, I'd probably be ordering this one. Different color.

https://youtu.be/Vbz-YDdTfaA

Looks nice, and I suspect they are still an independent company. (at least for now)

[schrederman]

Originally Posted by bansai

If I was in the market right now, I'd probably be ordering this one. Different color.

https://youtu.be/Vbz-YDdTfaA

I like it.. except for the painted cabinets and the red outside. But to each his own. I really wanted a Winnebago Ultra Lite but could never find one and the dealer sold several very quickly... and then couldn't get any more. I guess Winnebago was stopping production so they could bring out these and their slightly more premium Instinct product... which I don't see on their website anymore...(?) Anyway... no sense crying about it because I really like what I have and I sure as heck ain't trading again for several years. Time to stop fooling around and get out in the woods. I need a fly-fishing fix.

[bansai]

Originally Posted by schrederman

Anyway... no sense crying about it because I really like what I have and I sure as heck ain't trading again for several years. Time to stop fooling around and get out in the woods. I need a fly-fishing fix.

Amen brother. I love my Jayco, winter not so much... my fly rod is collecting dust in the garage too. Cabin fever is setting in. My wife and I are renting a cabin next month to celebrate her Dad's 70th bday with some friends. There's ice fishing at the lake there, but it's not my thing... window shopping for campers and compiling a mega-list of things I'm doing to mine asap will have to keep me going for the next few months.

The color on that Winnie isn't for me either, but they have 7 or 8 others. I do like their 'gel coat'. My next camper will be a 5th wheel so I'll never own one in any event, but they do look pretty good. I'd buy one of those before I'd buy an Airstream any day though. (unitl I hit the powerball and I can have 3)

During one of my more boring conference calls today I put myself on mute and watched an hour long video of the class a diesel pushers that winnebago has out now, 400+K msrp. Almost started drooling until I realized my mortgage is due and I like it here just fine. (trying to convince myself anyway)

[glsimms]

Lance was one of the companies I looked at before we bought our SOB trailer. The floor plans looked cramped to me and I can't imagine a family of 5 would be comfortable in one, JMO....

[schrederman]

As to the Lance thing... I think they're on par with any other manufacturer and better than most. I wanted one but I couldn't ever find one big enough for my needs. I had no grandchildren 6 years ago and now I have 6... and intend to spoil them with camping trips. If I was looking for something to spend a year in with 3 kids, and Lance had a floor plan I thought would work, that's where my money would go...

Lucky me... I don't have to worry about that, and where I am I can camp all year. Going soon for a 2-week fly fishing trip to Beaver's Bend SP in Oklahoma... not to rub it in too bad... sorry...

Edit: I've seen that SOB thing several times and always wondered what it meant... thanks.

[glsimms]

Originally Posted by schrederman

Edit: I've seen that SOB thing several times and always wondered what it meant... thanks.

No problem, I thought the same thing. And good luck fishing and maybe post some pics if you can!

[andrewat]

We have a 2017 27BHS and have only been able to use it for a few weekends since we bought it. We also have a family of 5 with the oldest kid being 9 and the youngest 6. We've had to spend a whole day inside because of rain and it really wasn't bad.

I considered Airstream when we purchased, but just couldn't justify the cost. There is no comparison in quality of build between Airstream and pretty much any other TT. There just isn't. Jayco (and I love ours) isn't in the same universe as far as build. But it was a cost trade off for us.

If I was going to live in a TT for a year and travel with it often, I might reconsider the space vs build quality argument. It's definitely a trade off.

One thing that drew me to the Airstream outside of build was that its profile is so much better for towing. With a more traditional TT, you're basically pulling a giant parachute down the road. It sits up high and the profile catches air no matter what you do. An Airstream sits low and is rounded off so that it's MUCH more aerodynamic in tow.

All that said, the slide is definitely a plus. The reason Airstream doesn't do it is because slides will ultimately fail at some point...it's a moving part. Airstream wants their TT's to still be on the road 3 decades from now.....or 4 or 5! Jayco's are built to be used for a few years and (in essence) discarded. They aren't built to last 40 or 50 years. That's just the reality. But I'm not interested in owning this TT for decades. I want it for a few years and then I'll sell it and buy a new one.

The big questions I would ask myself in your situation are 1) How long am I buying this thing for? If it's just a year, then Jayco has a 2 year warranty...you're good. 2) How important is internal space? Jayco wins...it just does. 3) How important is build quality to me? Again, this is related to how long you plan on owning it. 4) Am I going to pull this thing thousands of miles? If so, then Airstream will probably be easier to tow overall.

[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by andrewat

All that said, the slide is definitely a plus. The reason Airstream doesn't do it is because slides will ultimately fail at some point...it's a moving part. Airstream wants their TT's to still be on the road 3 decades from now.....or 4 or 5! Jayco's are built to be used for a few years and (in essence) discarded. They aren't built to last 40 or 50 years. That's just the reality. But I'm not interested in owning this TT for decades. I want it for a few years and then I'll sell it and buy a new one.

To say a slide is a moving part and that is why AS doesn't install them is to say that that they lack the engineering capacity to stay current with new tech. In my opinion AS has locked into the same basic design over the decades in order to continue the cult following they have built. Similar if you will to the old VW bug. When they got bigger and tried to keep their cult, the Bug lost its cult following except those who buy and restore the old ones. The new ones just aren't Bugs.

Are AS built better? Just your opinion. Are AS easier to tow? Just your opinion. Are AS worth the premium? Just your opinion. Will an AS better fit a family like the OP's for an extended trip? Not on your life!!

[andrewat]

Originally Posted by Bassdogs

To say a slide is a moving part and that is why AS doesn't install them is to say that that they lack the engineering capacity to stay current with new tech.

Are AS built better? Just your opinion. Are AS easier to tow? Just your opinion. Are AS worth the premium? Just your opinion. Will an AS better fit a family like the OP's for an extended trip? Not on your life!!

Boy, somebody forgot to take their happy pill this morning. Wasn't really looking to start an argument about it. But if you're game...

It's not rocket science. Moving parts break more often than non-moving parts. AS has built it's reputation on being durable and lasting for decades. It's not a state secret that's one of the primary reasons they don't do slides. Given the quality of their engineering, it's not likely that they don't do slides just because they can't keep up with the tech that everybody else seems to have mastered in your mind.

I'm not going to bother arguing on the build quality. Any rational human being who does 5 minutes of research knows whether AS is a better quality build than Jayco. It's not even worth discussion. I own a Jayco and I love it. But it's not a super high quality build. It's better than most and it works for what I need/want. But I don't expect a single piece of it to last more than 8-10 years. Something like 60-70% of Airstreams that have EVER been built are still on the road. I doubt that 10% of Jayco's that were built even 30 years ago are actually still in service. But I could be wrong.

I said AS would probably be an easier tow simply due to aerodynamics. It's not a complicated thought. Probably it will be easier. Will it be a deal breaker between the two? That's up to personal comfort in towing. My statement was simply that AS will probably pull better overall. It's not a personal insult to you or your camper (or MINE for that matter). It's just physics and aerodynamics. Rounded objects that sit with a lower center or gravity will be more stable in tow than squared off objects that sit higher in the air. You really gonna dispute that?

The OP ASKED for my opinion on which would be better for his family. I'm not trying to run his life....I'm trying to answer the question he asked which is why I said "if I were in your situation". I didn't make a claim that AS was worth the cost. In fact, I actually said that is wasn't worth the cost for me.

[TaftCoach]

Originally Posted by Bassdogs

To say a slide is a moving part and that is why AS doesn't install them is to say that that they lack the engineering capacity to stay current with new tech. In my opinion AS has locked into the same basic design over the decades in order to continue the cult following they have built. Similar if you will to the old VW bug. When they got bigger and tried to keep their cult, the Bug lost its cult following except those who buy and restore the old ones. The new ones just aren't Bugs.

Are AS built better? Just your opinion. Are AS easier to tow? Just your opinion. Are AS worth the premium? Just your opinion. Will an AS better fit a family like the OP's for an extended trip? Not on your life!!

Hmm. I believe a little research or walking into one will show that AS is a better built product. It's like comparing Buick to Mercedes.

[schrederman]

I believe AS did slides for a while but stopped because there were too many problems... Building and sealing a flat-sided slide room is one thing, but their compound curves made things a bit dicey...

[Jagiven]

Here is a link to the AS Forum on the subject

Airstream vs Jayco: Help Me Gain Perspective for our Year-Long Trip - Airstream Forums

[clubhouse]

^^^very interesting read. I'm quite surprised there was so much support of a SOB TT from the AS forum. Also interesting how they seemed to focus on the same few primary elements, mainly space required for that families adventure.

[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by andrewat

Boy, somebody forgot to take their happy pill this morning. Wasn't really looking to start an argument about it. But if you're game...

It's not rocket science. Moving parts break more often than non-moving parts. AS has built it's reputation on being durable and lasting for decades. It's not a state secret that's one of the primary reasons they don't do slides. Given the quality of their engineering, it's not likely that they don't do slides just because they can't keep up with the tech that everybody else seems to have mastered in your mind.

The OP ASKED for my opinion on which would be better for his family. I'm not trying to run his life....I'm trying to answer the question he asked which is why I said "if I were in your situation". I didn't make a claim that AS was worth the cost. In fact, I actually said that is wasn't worth the cost for me.

No happy pill needed. I do stand by my original post. They could do a slide and could incorporate a lot of new technology for that matter but they don't because they are building for the AS purest and those who buy into the nostalgia of the AS. If they softened up the interior and added many of the enhancements of other manufacturers they would lose their identity and the major audience they cater to. Most AS units will last for a long time because the people who choose to own one typically invest the time and money over the years to maintain them for a future generation.

The OP ask which would better serve his family and long term trip. Like others, I think the answer is clear and straight forward unless they also have a VW bug in their garage and use it to take long weekend drives to Grannys.

[glsimms]

Originally Posted by clubhouse

^^^very interesting read. I'm quite surprised there was so much support of a SOB TT from the AS forum. Also interesting how they seemed to focus on the same few primary elements, mainly space required for that families adventure.

I agree as well, very complimentary of Jayco. Looks like there may be a new member of the Jayco family?

[bansai]

Originally Posted by clubhouse

^^^very interesting read. I'm quite surprised there was so much support of a SOB TT from the AS forum. Also interesting how they seemed to focus on the same few primary elements, mainly space required for that families adventure.

x3

I was expecting a pretty large snob factor over there, pleasantly surprised. Must just be the camper community overall is just pretty awesome overall.

[norty1]

At least no one here suggested you put the kids up for adoption.

We Are Family!!!!!

[A2Z_Adventures]

Originally Posted by TaftCoach

Hmm. I believe a little research or walking into one will show that AS is a better built product. It's like comparing Buick to Mercedes.

Notice the repair garage is just as big behind the Mercedes shop as it is the Buick. The Airstream is a different product, but may not necessarily be a better one to some.

[JFlightRisk]

Originally Posted by schrederman

I believe AS did slides for a while but stopped because there were too many problems... Building and sealing a flat-sided slide room is one thing, but their compound curves made things a bit dicey...

We saw an AS with a slide last season. I thought I was seeing things! I don't remember the model, but it was a triple axle version. As they were getting ready to pull out of the CG, we talked for a while, and (besides this thing looking brand new) they have full-timed for five years in it. We were told it was one of 52 units Airstream made with a slide.

[norty1]

I understand they did have them for a few years on several models.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q...74&FORM=IQFRBA