Instantly recognizable by their silver bullet shape and the long rows of perfectly spaced rivets marching down their sides, Airstream travel trailers have developed a worldwide cult-like fan base of dedicated RV owners determined to “Live Riveted”!

In the 82 years since founder Wally Byam riveted together the first Airstream travel trailer in 1931, the basic exterior design of this American classic hasn’t changed much. And the brand’s fans prefer it that way. All those rivets haven’t been structurally necessary since the 1980s, but when the company tried to decrease the number of rivets that line the body seams of its aluminum trailers, fans raised such a hew and cry that Airstream quickly returned to the original the rivet count.

A restored 1959 Airstream Traveler (Bambi)

A restored 1959 Airstream Traveler (Bambi)

Those rivets take time and manpower to install. It takes two workers working in tandem, one inside the vehicle and one outside to install each rivet without breaching the body’s integrity. To ensure a perfect seal, every Airstream is placed in a special booth and subjected to water pressure at 100 pounds per square inch for 40 minutes before it leaves the factory floor.

From the furniture to the kitchen sink, nearly everything that goes into an Airstream RV is made at the company’s Jackson Center, Ohio factory which produces 50 trailers a week. RV buyers pay a premium to own an Airstream, but resale value is high; although most owners seem to be attached to their Airstreams. Nearly 70% of all Airstreams every built are still on the road today!

If you want to live riveted, check out 370 ads for new or used Airstream travel trailers on RVT.com.

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