Saw this on Reddit...very sad for the owner. He found that his water heater is leaking:
https://www.reddit.com/r/GoRVing/comments/4lx09x/water_heater_sprung_a_leak_help/
That person with the problem does not appear to have owned a Camplite.
Improper winterization leading to hot water heater failure is a common RV problem. It can happen to a Camplite owner just as it can with the owner of any other rv brand. Is your point that if the reddit person had a Camplite at least they'd only have to replace the HWH --- and not also have a floor destroyed by the associated water leak?
I'm saying they don't have a Camplite and they made a common mistake. Now they have to fix a water heater and maybe even the floors...
Yes, six gallons of water sitting on a wood-framed & chip board floor all winter can cause significant problems! I used to visit the Airstream forums when I first dreamed of buying a rv. I was surprised to see how extensive & expensive their problems were when they suffered leaks - relatively common and perhaps even inevitable if you own the trailer long enough. While a big-buck Airstream is constructed with lots of aluminum from the floor up, they still make the floors with plywood on painted steel frames - really not much better than the cheapest of the cheap. They use plywood while the cheapest manufacturers use chip board (ie OSB).
The Airstreams were fascinating to me...some have a really incredible interiors. But once I learned about the floors as well, I became convinced I didn't want to have to deal with anything like that.
I was active on Airforums, since an Airstream was on our short list of travel trailers to consider.
I was frankly surprised at the level of dissatisfaction with recent-vintage Airstreams. Filiform corrosion on the exterior while still on the dealer's lot, for instance.
But the main thing that discouraged us was the photos of rotting floors on Airstreams of relatively recent vintage - including 2007 and newer. Around the toilet or shower or exterior leaks. The photos were quite disgusting*.
That's what led us to Google for other aluminum trailers, ending up with our 21BHS, and very pleased with the choice.
I had imagined with Thor owning both, Airstreams might end up with aluminum frames and floors, and if that were the case we might even consider upgrading. Since we don't see that happening, we're quite happy to see our first travel trailer as our last!
*Not from the forum, but from a Google image search:
(https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7540/27305047202_9dea5e37fb_z.jpg)
I know what you mean Fast Eddie, I think we are just lucky to buy our trailers when we did, basically all aluminum. I bet in a few years or maybe months, the wood floors will appear on LL CL models. I think the modern day strategy is to sell more cheap units (volume) than selling higher end quality products. We too think we have purchased our first and last trailer!
[quote timestamp="1464815006" source="/post/21845/thread" author="@fasteddieb"]
But the main thing that discouraged us was the photos of rotting floors on Airstreams of relatively recent vintage - including 2007 and newer. Around the toilet or shower or exterior leaks. The photos were quite disgusting*.
That's what led us to Google for other aluminum trailers, ending up with our 21BHS, and very pleased with the choice.
I had imagined with Thor owning both, Airstreams might end up with aluminum frames and floors, and if that were the case we might even consider upgrading. Since we don't see that happening, we're quite happy to see our first travel trailer as our last!
[/quote][font size="3"]Very interesting, Eddie. Those pix say a lot. I too had thought AS might inherit aluminum floors from LL, but not anymore. Instead I also expect the news that CLs are being "upgraded" to warm wood floors :( . I will keep my [strike]tin[/strike] aluminum can! [/font]