This week Airstream unveiled its newest travel trailer, departing from its iconic line of aluminum fifth wheels with a new fiberglass design. The latest version comes nearly 70 years after founder Wally Byam first dabbled with this alternative material. Dubbed the ‘Nest’, this 3,400-pound trailer sports a familiar design but lacks that shiny exterior that we’ve come to know and love from Airstream.
Made in Jackson Center, Ohio, the Airstream has long been a symbol of freedom on the open road. It’s aluminum shell has been an icon of sorts for the American dream, and certainly synonymous with this brand, so this week’s move to go with a fiberglass base is a curious one. First and foremost, it won’t get that same ‘wow’ look from passersby on the road, that’s for sure. But the trade-off may prove to be a valuable one for Airstream.
As you might guess, fiberglass is generally more affordable that aluminum. The $46,000 price tag puts the Nest right at the low-end of Airstream’s offerings in terms of MSRP. Only the smaller Basecamp and Sport cost less. Millenials continue to show a strong interest in travel trailers, making Airstream’s move into the low-cost space more understandable.
Nest packs a long list of amenities into its compact floorplan. A kitchen, full bath, places to charge your phone, and technology to keep you happy. It’s all so you can have the perfect travel experience, wherever your adventures take you.
The Nest offers two different floor plans starting at around $46,000, with various customizations available from there. One, the 16U, sports extra counter space and a dinette set that converts into a bed. Opting for the 16B floorplan delivers a fixed queen-sized bed from Tuft & Neddle with a stowable dinette bench.
Its total footprint comes in at around 17-feet by 7-feet, which isn’t large by any means. There’s a built-in refrigerator, microwave, sink and stovetop also found in the kitchen. You won’t however find a shower in the bathroom, so use of public amenities will be a must on any future Nest trips.
One thing that Airstream has proven to do very well with recent releases is the inclusion of large windows and skylights all around the space. While Nest is rather small in size, we assume the inclusion of natural light will help make it feel larger in practice. You can check out the full list of specs on this landing page over at Airstream.
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