An iconic exterior feature of the Airstream trailer is the aluminium covers adorned with rivets that highlight the trailer’s unique style. Bob Wheeler, the CEO of Airstream, is willing to experiment with models without some of those trademark features if they allow the company to attract younger buyers who will maintain the brand for a longer period of time. There is a high probability that the industry will continue to grow for decades to come.
I don’t believe this is just a variant of our classic Airstream travel trailers, Wheeler told me, and it’s going to be relevant for years to come. Airstream has continued to address this issue despite the RV boom of the last decade. Airstream has recently released several new trailers aimed at younger consumers that are smaller and more affordable than their predecessors. Though they may look smaller than original Airstreams, they are still Airstreams. Airstream’s basic proposal will be subject to more extreme modifications as part of the experiment.
We make a product that is lightweight and cheap, but it fails to meet the needs of many millennials who drive Subarus and crossover SUVs that aren’t powerful enough to haul an Airstream. There’s no point in hoping that tweaking the formula here will continue for the next generation. To go deeper, we’re examining letting go of some of the things in the past that might have acted as restrictions.
Airstream’s silhouette, aluminium cladding, and what look like handmade rivets are instantly recognizable. We will have exactly what we have if you keep all three, Wheeler said. One or two of those areas must be flexible enough to change direction.
