[VAC] Re: Beatrice Foods?

[Aecal@xxxxxxx]

 I am also curious about what exactly was done wrong by Beatrice. I have seen 
various non specific remarks and concerns. It does seem to me that the 70s 
was a dark period for manufactured things in general but I was told that 
quality control for Airstream was never better than at that time. This was 
the experience of an RV dealer whose father was selling Airstreams at the 
time. He was involved in preparing recent Airstreams for sale and said they 
are being sent out with all kinds of problems some of them being so bad that 
he had to send them back to the factory. 
 Service manuals began to be made during the Beatrice years and I believe 
they were later discontinued.
They began to include gray water tanks.
 I don't know whether it has anything to do with Beatrice but I like the 
change in appearance starting with the '69 trailers. The rounded corner 
windows fit the rounded shape of the trailer. I imagine the design change was 
planned before the Beatrice takeover.
 I'm no lover of fake wood and plastic furniture but I think the interior 
design part of it needs to be chalked up to fashion of the times and 
materials chosen for lightness and of course keeping the cost down on an 
already pricey item.
 Certain arrangements of the mechanicals probably leave something to be 
desired but I would think that would be an ongoing thing with refinements 
being made regularly as time goes on. Did the designers working during the 
Beatrice years fail in this regard? 
 I am interested in what anyone with experience of working on Airstreams 
through the years has to say about this.
Best Regards,
Erik Murray