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by LeifCarrotson 1667 days ago
It's for manufacturability, not design... Airstreams are now a premium brand, and it's quite expensive to develop and maintain a mirror polish. Someone buying a $150k polished trailer expects it to be completely unblemished.

You can still polish it yourself, it only takes about 80 hours of manual labor...
1 comments
quesera 1667 days ago
That makes sense. Like a popcorn ceiling.

Also any road damage or wear will be much more visible on a polished surface, which is not a premium look.

I thought earlier-era Airstreams were buffed and clearcoated before initial sale. My only evidence is vintage photos, and the fact that some owners "restore" the mirror finish.

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