Thx for the video. I share the passion for the pottery barn edition. However, the difference is I actually bought one and lived in it full time for a few months now. Apparently, the one that you experienced has been abused pretty badly. Airstream (or RV) in general needs to be taken care of not abused. RVs can not experience the same amount of abuse, despite people think they are homes on wheels. Anyway, there is one design issue in the PB edition, which is the trash can drawer, the screw they use is way too short, and the door will fall apart within a month of regular use. The fix is very easy, replace the four screws with longer #8 wood screws. As for the wooden sink over, it dose warp if you leave water on it to dry (always dry it vertically and apply oil monthly) To avoid warp, simply flip it over when you noticed it started to warp. Any way, PB edition definitely needs more care, but in return, you will get this extremely homy and comforting feeling that no other airstream or RV can offer. Finally, I'm sorry that the dealbreaker is the bathroom. There is really no way they can fix it unless you look into probably 33ft classic.
Agree 100% we’ve been living in ours for about a month and we take a lot of care in the small things. After being to several dealerships and looking at different floor models and how people will slam doors and drawers and yank on the blinds it’s no wonder things get destroyed. People think because something is expensive you can and should abuse it. But the better question is why would you.
I have the 33 ft Classic. The bathroom is very nice. I would not expect that the renters would take care of the Airstream like the owners would. I have had two people ask to rent our Airstream. My response is absolutely not. I would rather rent a house out than my Classic Airstream.🤓
True! Nowadays people just don't care about others property. Their motto is "It ain't mine, why should I curr". You made the right decision by not renting your RV to people.
You have to Understand this pottery barn air stream is being rented out like a commercial building this is why it’s hardware is breaking do to the high traffic of people living & running thru this trailer is why the depreciation is speeding up so fast
😳$150,000 people. If I had 150k I'd pay off my 1200sq foot home and quit my job. Sometimes you have to let go of the fads and just build a bus.😂 Thank you for the review.
I'm following a RU-vid couple who homestead in Panama & they just dropped $150k to have an Airstream PB trailer in Vermont for when their coffee import business brings them to check in on their new roastery/café in Stowe. Money seems to be no problem for them. That is some serious cash!
Thank you for this nicely made honest video! I was little bit upset didn't get the PB editon when i traded in my 20 ft for a 25 ft airstream. This video make me feel i made a right decision lol
Thanks for the video. I found it informative. My late husband and I bought a 1970 28 ft. Airstream many years ago. We were so impressed with the exterior, the many wonderful windows and the double bed in back. Unfortunately after buying it , I was also surprised of the poor quality of many of the accessories; like knobs, tambour doors and trim. But the worst issue was the toilet placement/ bathroom design. I remember having the leave the door open and twist my legs around like a pretzel when trying to use it. As you explained, it was really unpleasant to have go through this several times per day. I put up with it, but was happy when my husband had gotten his kicks out of it and decided to sell it. I see they haven't bothered to much of anything to improve the bathroom design in 50 years. Not impressed.
Well, did you buy one? We bought a 2023 PB. We've had it for a year now and absolutely love it. We use it a lot (but we treat it like we own it - not a rental!) and have had none of the issues that you saw in your rental, except for the sticking windows. We had a 2021 International 25 that was a covid lemon and we threatened the lemon law but they gave us what we paid for it on a trade-in for the Pottery Barn and we couldn't be happier. We've had a few Airstreams over the years and they all have the sticking window issue, but it's easily remedied by treating the rubber seals with a silicone spray recommended by Airstream. The cutting board issue in the PB is real if you don't keep it dry and well oiled. Ours still looks brand new with no warping. I agree the light switch placement and orientation weren't well thought out, but we've gotten used to it. Airstreams are horribly over-priced for what you get, but you're not going to lose money, especially a special edition like the PB. We've either broke even or actually made money (once) when we have sold ours. Based on our experience, I would not buy any Airstream built between MY's 2020 and 2022... they are mostly lemons from production issues at the factory during the pandemic. If you've got the cash, and want to get it back if you change your mind, go for the Pottery Barn!
Very interesting feedback and well done. Lot to consider after seeing your video assessment of the pottery barn edition. Thank you for doing this, your honest feedback is very much appreciated. Now for 2023 the price for this is $165k. Jumped $15k in one year due to inflation. Or also known as “Putin’s price hike”. lol
@@israelcontreras5332 I absolutely understand Keynsian economics, do you? Price hikes have little to do with Putin and more to do with the Fed overprinting the currency. The US dollar is not sound money, and it's backed by nothing. US hegemony is in it's final stages...
Really helpful and honest. They most definitely need to sort the issues and quality craftsmanship ...would love to know how you get on and what you end up buying. Thanks very informative 👍
I own a 2021 25’ FB Globetrotter…life-long dream and have bee incredibly disappointed in the overall quality of manufacturing and products used for the RV. Considering the cost… I love it for the iconic nature and look plus the ease of many features but the overall quality sucks! Thank you for your review!
People don’t use their brains, when you buy an airstream it’s like buying a house in the first years, a few things might come loose or fail. I’ve owned mine for 3 years and after the 1st year of small fixed we have had zero issues.
Great Video! Thanks for posting this. I was looking at one in Chandler AZ i have a 19’ flying cloud now but I’m looking to go little bigger. Thanks again
Great video Christian! Love the detail and honest feedback. We’ve been curious about Airstreams and found your video very helpful. Anna speaks so highly of you and hopefully we’ll be able to meet up some day.
Great video. I'm looking at ordering the Classic 33 soon, but might switch to this model? I am thinking the wear and tear is abusive people staying in it, they didn't pay for it, so they don't take any care with things, same with any hotel room, total wear and tear. The warped cutting board... maybe people, again, just carelessly dripping water on it from the faucet? No wood could stand that very long. The paint coming off handles, again, imagine how many people are grabbing it with rings on , keys in their hand, ect... Just my thoughts.
Let me preface by saying that Airstream (manufacturer) states categorically in their manuals that the trailer is NOT intended for full time living. So...what you saw on your visit is what occurs when the trailer is used for continuous residential use. Things break down and start wearing thin. Most of the issues you identified would not be big deals if one was only using the unit for camping a few times a month . The materials used in RV's in general have to be lightweight and not typical residential quality (such as the kitchen faucet). I have watched several RU-vid videos of people living in Airstreams (notably the Pottery Barn model was a common one) and all the comments are very similar to the points you have raised. I am an Airstream 22Ft Sport owner , but use my Airstream for camping only and despite mine being a 2013 model, nothing has broken down in my trailer. It gets annual preventative maintenance to the wheel bearings and checks on all gas and electricity lines , but otherwise that is it. For $150 000 , I am shocked by the poor quality fixtures in the pottery barn edition. I hope Airstream rectifies these flaws in newer models.
Thanks for your review, it was very well done. I guess I view a rental Airstream as I view anything rental. It is used and abused. I will point out your using the drawer as an ottoman. If you did that in my trailer, I would not be happy. That being said, it hasn’t been taken to the road either which is another workout. We just purchased a 2023 Pottery Barn after owning a 2017 FC. My concern is it may lack the same quality as our 2017 which has been a high-quality, problem-free product. Time will tell. You have legitimate concerns with the bathroom. We are not large people so the bathroom works well for us. I would suggest you consider looking at a larger Airstream and deck it out how you want to. IMHO, Airstream is the best travel trailer on the road and most will be on the road for years to come. Happy trails.
My wife and I fell in love with the PB edition in November last year. We were discouraged by the trim in other, cheaper Airstreams that we would have rather bought. We had a plan to put down our non-refundable $5000 deposit as soon after the first of the year as possible. In the meantime, we looked online for the 28RB floor plan. We found a gently used one, and went to go look at it and found it to be in neat perfect condition. We bought it to replace our own Teardrop camper (a NuCamp T@G) and saved $90,000 compared with the Pottery Barn 28RB. Other than the interior decorations, ours is the same. It’s an insane difference in cost, and after watching this video, I am super happy we didn’t spend the extra money.
I know the NuCamp T@G very well. I considered one before going with the Little Guy Silver Shadow teardrop trailer 6 years ago. At the time, they were produced by the same company. I hate the "ultra leather" in the Airstream trailers, but I imagine you could easily put some of that $90,000 toward some new cushion coverings if you feel the same! Congrats on your find.
Thanks for sharing we wanted to also buy this model after talking to several friends that did buy new are extremely disappointed in the poor quality of the airstream builds today in fact several told us to run from all of their " junk" that they make today. And service oh boy. When buying always look at the service dep. "Bad" stay before you go buy one. Well done honest review and its what we're heard as well ❤ thanks for sharing
All trailers need attention - you are pulling a unit that is experiencing a 5.5 earth quake going down the road. All of this effects cabinets/doors and screws come 😊loose. If I set a blanket on top of my dvd player at home it would be hot - so why shocked it is hot in a trailer? They are not a home on wheels - they are travel trailers and they are subject to potholes and dips and all manner of road conditions.
Thank you for the thorough video. I too was very much leaning in that direction however as a tall guy (maybe not as "big" I feel we'd share the same "concerns". Please let me know if you do pull the trigger on an RV at some point as I'd love to see where you end up!
Funny you should mention the problems with the external door. I bought a brand new 2006 "Airstream 22CCD", which would often trap me either inside or outside. I literally needed a thin, flat-head screwdriver 🪛 to pry the door open! Once, I almost decided to go out via the rear "emergency exit" window! For the promised quality and high price tag, that was totally unacceptable!!! 😡
“Walk around”?? “Turn on lights individually” paint rubbed off. This guy 😂 It is a trailer dude. A rental trailer at that. 🙄 you won’t last 5 min if you are complaining about all the issues you pointed out. Don’t buy a camper.
For $150,000 his gripes are totally legitimate. It's the type of crap you find from Lance not Airstream traditionally. They are simply not worth the money anymore.
Since I saw the Pottery Barn edition, I've been dreaming about owning one. Now, I'm maybe going to go back and check out the Rockwoods I've been considering as well. Hmm...
Excellent review. We have had our eyes on several brands, my wife loves the design of the interior.. but in her words, “lipstick on a pig”, when she inspected several. That said, the designers deserve praise but that won’t preserve the brand with these types of quality issues at premium prices.
Thanks for the information. That settles it for me, I would not buy this model. The Classic 33' seems to have upgraded hardware and overall perhaps better quality everything. I'll probably go with that when the time comes. None of the Airstreams can be viewed as an investment. You just have to really, really want one and like the idea of having everything self contained. I appreciate your review very much.
Why is Airstream charging $150,000 for plastic faucets and cheap handles? Every time a company changes hands the new owners have to find cost reductions to pay off the debt. Many great American brands have been totally trashed over the years by Wall St. vultures. Add Airstream to the list.
Have you ever rented something to people? Think rental house. They abuse everything cuz they don't care. They don't own it and will be gone soon, what do they care? They don't. Talk to anyone who rents anything. Cars, homes, equipment, etc. People destroy rental anything...including Pottery barn Airstreams. If you are looking at quality issues in something that's rented nightly...uh, you're looking at the wrong thing and the wrong place. Look at one that someone has owned for 5 years. I flat out guarantee you it will be in better shape than a 6 month rental. Having said that, those warped cutting boards are bad. Did they put them in a dishwasher somewhere?
The 28RB Pottery Barn is more in line with Classic 30 and 33 pricing, where they don’t have to share anything with another company and can put more quality into the trailer. Or maybe one can have a 30 Globetrotter with slightly bigger toilet. The 33 Classic bathroom is certainly more spacious. But at some point the person is so tall and fat there’s nothing that could help, when working with very small area to start with. Value proposition is relative. In many places you can’t buy anything to live in for 50 to 200K, that those trailers cost. And if you were to change this or that on an apartment or house, say goodbye to 30K like it’s nothing.
You make some good comments and they are well presented but you might want to add some 'b' roll shots of other areas of the layout. Why didn't you show any of the interior even when you speak about them? Odd. Also some of the descriptions of lifting your leg up and reaching etc. is in my opinion TMI. Good video but just giving some feedback.
We had a 2108 Tommy Bahama and after 2 years sold as the quality was not there. I think Airstream lost its concept of quality and innovation for what you pay.
Appalling quality issues. Leisure Vans all the way. And they disabled the TV’s… because of what THEY want. WTF? I’d never buy an Airstream in a million years.
