Airstreams can be an investment.

We are frequently contacted by folks asking, “Hey I saw this 1970s Airstream on Marketplace just down the road for only $6,000 are you interested?” To which our answer is always, “No!”

Wally Byam’s vision for Airstream was “a wingless airplane” a sleek and round fuselage. He wouldn’t recognize the boxy “squarestream” shape of Airstreams from 1969 thru to today, because it was never his vision. After Byam’s passing, the new leadership were finally able make the changes they thought would make them more competitive in the market, making them bigger, wider, and more square… one of the first things they ditched was the “pesky” door-within-a-door; a charming and iconic feature loved by Byam—but one that required an experienced and talented craftsman to make—dropping this feature made production easier, faster, and cheaper. Many other changes were made, designed to cut costs. Design changes which Byam had consistently rejected.

At Patina Airstream we truly believe that Airstreams 1964 (they dropped the door-within-a-door in ‘65) and older are better than anything that has come since. This isn’t just because we think they look way more rad (which they do) but because they literally were made better.

Firstly, any Airstream manufactured during founder Wally Byam’s lifetime and involvement with the company will immediately hold collectible value. Naturally, Wally’s passion as founder of Airstream is reflected in the genuine quality of the trailers his company manufactured. After his passing, big changes came along.

So of course within that parameter, the earlier the Airstream the more rare it is, and immediately more collectible. Anything from the 40s or 50s will always have significant value attached to it.

However we personally believe the Airstreams from 1960-1964 are the best suited for restomods, and anything after that should be avoided altogether—from an investment standpoint. There are multiple reasons for this.

Better aluminum, better riveting, better frames, better window system.

In the latter half of the 60s Airstream was purchased by Beatrice Foods (I know, what’s a food company doing owning a premier RV brand?!). This brought about many changes. Mainly, the new ownership believed “bigger is better” and thus began the ill-fated attempts that continue today to make Airstreams compete with mainstream RVs in terms of spaciousness and storage, etc. We consider this a huge error and departure from the aesthetic centering of Wally’s vision. But importantly, the way in which this was achieved meant an inferior product. In order to make a larger RV while keeping weight down, many sacrifices were made, such as moving away from real wood interiors, and making many weight reducing changes to the frame, from solid cross members and outriggers to hollow, etc.

Up until the late 60s Airstream shells were constructed with 2024 T3 Alclad aluminum. This aluminum is much tougher and less prone to dimpling & damage from hail, etc. than the many alloys the company began experimenting with in the 70s. This aluminum also takes a polish better than anything that has come since, for those interested in polished Airstreams.

In 1966 Airstream began experimenting with clear coat over the aluminum. This clear coat fails and becomes faded, peeling and flaking. It’s a tough material to strip off, and most would agree very ugly. By the 80s the aluminum was even more soft, prone to denting even in light hailstorms. In 1999 Airstream started using the Alcoa aluminum panels with a plastic-cote by Akzo. There are many anecdotes of this plastic-cote aging poorly… Degrading, peeling, and subject to filiform corrosion especially at any fastener or joint.

The new trailer designs adopted during the Beatrice years (1967-’79) also meant water collected at the rear of the trailer, leading to a myriad of issues mainly consisting of rear subfloor and frame rot, tail end droop, sag, and separation, and cracked frames.

When Thor acquired Airstream in 1981 they doubled down on the philosophy of competing with mainstream white box RVs in terms of reducing weight, adding more room and storage, and bringing the end cost down… This is when they moved from plywood subfloors to OSB floors, etc. which of course was terrible.

So why do we believe 1960-1964 is the ideal era for restomodding?

The strong frame and shell of the early years, combined with the best window system. The latter is a huge reason. The windows. You’ll notice window designs that seem very primitive and home made through the 50s. The sizes and locations are all over the place, and they’re generally small windows with cross members, and other visual impairments. In the 60’-64’ models however, you get nice large windows, at a comfortable height, made of flat panes with a simple lifting and sealing system. Tempered replacements can be ordered through any glass shop, and replacing them is a breeze. Replacing the seals and lifting hardware is also a breeze for even the most casual of owners with readily available gaskets and parts. It’s pretty much fool proof.

In contrast to what happened in 1966-1968 when Airstream experimented with a curved frameless glass. While beautiful, the chemically strengthened glass generally hasn’t lasted and replacements cannot be procured through Airstream or glass shops. Occasionally, suppliers like Vintage Trailer Supply are able to have replacements manufactured by third party manufacturers but they are expensive, and many years tend to go by between attempts at stocking them. Not only that, but only the 1968 models featured curved frames that helped to shield the gaskets behind the clear glass… which of course were extremely prone to drying out or gluing themselves to the glass, being fully exposed to the sun, all the time.

The workaround is to use polycarbonate windows, but these have many drawbacks aside from just not being glass.

That being said, early vintage Airstreams through the 50s are just plain rad and will always command a premium… But if you want the best balance between vintage and modern creature comforts, 1960-1964 is where you should focus your search.

So here’s our take:

1940s-1950s: Most rad and rare

1960-1964: Best combo of collectible and modifiable

Late 60s: Less than ideal

1970s: Poorly made, little to no collectible value, does not have the same vintage appearance / charm

1980s+: It goes without saying that 80s and later Airstreams are not vintage and are also probably the worst looking

We hope our brief overview of the different eras of Airstream is helpful to anyone newly pursuing an interest in vintage Airstreams.

Much of this information has been learned over the years from research, conversations with enthusiasts & online forums, personal experience, and much is based on personal preference. So take it with a grain of salt!