Are Airatrems worth the price?

[Rocinante]

When I buy an RV,

• I can buy new and let the dealer work on it for months throughout the life of the warranty in an effort to get it into the condition it should have been when it left the factory.
• I can buy a used unit, knowing it's also going to have issues and that I can spend the money I saved to fix those issues any way I want, to customize it, to add things I want in my unit, and still have money left over at the end in comparison to buying new.

These days, I prefer the latter, though I have to admit that present day market realities may have changed things up a bit. For example, wait times for a new Class B are often 12-18 months, and resale prices on used Class B units have shot way way up. So these days, we're just hanging onto the Class B we have and are making it work for us.

[Jon in AZ]

I re-read the original post and caught the OP’s inclination toward “luxury RV resorts.” Many have age restrictions on the RV, some as low as 10 years. That would be a reason to buy new or near-new. The latter would still be my preference if the savings reflected the lack of warranty. Like Rocinante, I'd rather pocket the savings and use it for repairs by a trusted local RV shop.

The tri-star logo and Airstream name might be assets in an RV resort, though I personally find better value in Pleasure-Way products. They offer similar layouts on the Transit Ecoboost platform in addition to the Sprinter diesel. Do your homework on the pros and cons of each.

Maybe include both on your short list?

[Cpsseals]

Pleasure-Way does have a good quality product that may not have the brand recognition that Airstream enjoys. We've got a 2017 Plateau TS on the Sprinter 3500 chassis and while I've upgraded some items like the taps, it wasn't because of failure but personal preference.
Regarding new vs used to address shortcomings, a used vehicle could have had the issues bandaged by unqualified owners or non factory authorized shops.
Pleasure-way has a 5 year warranty on their work (components have their own warranties) and that offers a bit more confidence than some of the other high end builders.
Leisure Travel Vans https://leisurevans.com/ also offer a high quality build but are more on the B+/C class side of things and while they offer upgrades to the builds (Lithium batteries) Pleasure-Way has them as standard. https://pleasureway.com/

Just one mans opinion but its a big investment so due diligence is advised.

[famh@optonline.net]

I have owned a Winnebago Rialta, a Roadtrek Adventurous and currently drive a Roadtrek Agile. From my personal observation and experience, Airstream does the best interior build. The cabinetry and latch system is far better than Roadtreks or Winnies. They seem to have fewer rattles. A key consideration is the chassis and engine. Diesel engine Sprinters run and drive beautifully. The Mercedes vehicle infrastructure is very good. They are sized just right. We can park in NYC without much difficulty and they are eminently driveable. The are also too pricey. Try to find one lightly used.

[Calsun]

You might check out Pleasure Way. We have a Plateau TS. Love it. Handles well, good fuel mileage and the interior finishes are very high quality. They also have superior customer service when you need an answer. It is A Mercedes Sprinter chassis. Very comfortable to drive. I believe they are similar quality to Airstream, as far as I can tell. It is a diesel. Averaging right at 19 mpg. Overall. We live in the mountains, so with steep terrain driving, we get a little less while driving there.

We bought new in December 2020. Could not find a used one. They are expensive but now with 7,000 miles on in in 7 months we have had no issues. We boondock a lot, but have driven on freeways at 75 mph. No rattles. Also on forest service roads too, again no rattles.

[Rocinante]

Something else to keep in mind if "luxury RV resorts" are important to you: Many of those places do not allow Class B campers of any kind, no matter how new, nice, or fancy.