Yes, i would prefer a nice English home with bay windows, where i could read and draw pictures, a big or small brick house in a well landscaped surrounded by garden, trees. etc. Like what you see in the movie , the girl who drew picture books of rabbits --- whats the name, cant remember, anyway all these English movies... you know...
Depending on your use - if you own an Airstream and never enjoy the "dreams of adventure" that goes with it, then, its better to buy a house because you should live your dream, and not waste your time. People live with symbolisms that helps them focus, target their dreams.
maybe the problem is in the connotation of the name "trailer", a trailer usually refers to a practical camping car in camp sites, temporary home before buying a real home. It is a step towards a real home.
Whereas an Airstream is designed for travelling. This is not really a "trailer" because as you point out, for the cost involoved, its clearly the fancy cream on the cake for travelling, and not shelter for thrifty reasons. An ordinary trailer is less expensive than an Airstream? I have not even looked at any other trailer in the trailer category - because "trailer" is like "trailer park". Asians are house crazy anyway. To me, the Airstream is a category of its own. Like a yourte is not a trailer - its much closer to a house. Even though it is originally meant to be moving mobile shelter, and not a shelter aiming to upgrade to a real house. I would imagine myself owning a yourte, but not a trailer, an Airstream but not a trailer, isnt this strange?
Although, Jacques Tati has made a kind of charming camping car movie... changes the context of "trailer" a little bit, but he is careful to stage it in a 24 hour exhibition ground, away from ordinary camping car contexts - which is much harder to glamourise. The North American, and British "trailer" life in movies, and reality is often less than romantic, I agree.
Airstream is an icon of North American culture, nobody refers to their Airstream as a simple "trailer" because they love it too much and due to the love, it isnt. They've got some fun names to each model, Safari, Bambi, Land-yacht - rah rah rah - thats what marketing people are, they sell designer life style dreams... Like a coffee in starbucks is selling a life style - cost 4buck - and Tim Hortens is 2 bucks - when you get a drink in a bar, a screwdriver is not exactly the same as "orangejuice with vodka" - not everyone wants to have coffee in starbucks... go to sl, there is a Tim Hortens complete with the out doorsy camping chair glamour, and space, greenery all around. (in real life, Tim Hortens are in big malls, on highways, in urban shopping centers...)
A small house for the same price brings other values that an Airstream wont do: its a stability oriented cozy warm nest - not a roaming nomadic dream. An Airstream is slightly like living on "Rocket/spaceship", moving ahead to un-explored ground, better pictures coming into view...on the highway, across America, in the desert..., its a 50s happy forward, futurism travelling conquering land dream.
If you take any other trailer which is a temporary home the function and dream is not the same. A trailer points to a dream of a better solid house, and an-Airstream points to new adventure.
Both are building towards a happy future.
Are there sl Airstreams? In sl, everybody flies... maybe they dont need Airstreams. :)
