President Donald Trump announced that the United States will impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, including those from Canada and Mexico. Additional import duties will be announced later in the week, according to an Associated Press report. Will aluminum tariffs hit Airstream?
600 pounds in a “Silver Twinkie”. Will aluminum tariffs hit Airstream?
According to Airstream-provided statistics, the average Airstream trailer uses around 1,200 square feet of aluminum sheeting. The “silver Twinkie” shell is the primary aluminum user. And just how thick is the shell? It ranges from .032 to .040 inches thick, depending on the model of the rig, and the area of use. For our purposes, we’ll average that thickness to .036 inches.
With that in mind, we’ll surmise that an “average” Airstream trailer uses around 6,221 cubic inches of aluminum—or about 607 pounds. As of February 7, 2025, the price of aluminum was $1.1965 per pound. In terms of aluminum value only (not taking into account the additional cost of turning aluminum into sheeting), the value of an Airstream’s aluminum would scale in at $726.
Add on a potential 25% tariff? Make that $907.
But the supplier is an American company—right?
Could this all be moot? Here’s a quote from an Airstream website: “Alcoa has been supplying aluminum sheet to Thor Industries for its flagship brand Airstream recreation vehicles since the 1960s from its Lancaster, Pa., plant. And, Airstream trailers have been sporting Alcoa aluminum forged wheels for as long as they have been commercially available, starting in the 1970s.”
Alcoa is an American company. No tariffs, right? That remains to be seen. When the whole issue of tariffs came up in January, Alcoa had a game plan. The company said it would shift its output of Australian aluminum to the U.S., dodging the threatened tariffs on Canadian imports. “We would be optimizing our global system based on any new tariff structures … there is a potential for metal to come out of Australia and go into U.S. if there is a massive tariff dislocation,” an Alcoa spokesman told media outlet Reuters.
Alcoa produces 2.2 million metric tons of aluminum per year. Of that, 900,000 metric tons are manufactured in Canada. A majority of this Canadian product goes to the United States. The announced tariffs are apparently on all U.S. imports. Will aluminum tariffs hit Airstream? it would seem the Silver Twinkie may get bit after all.
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If only we had a choice. Hopefully soon someone will invent a plastic based resin product that can be reinforced with spun glass fibers and molded into panels for trailer construction.
So sad that all those “entry level low budget Airstream buyers” are getting priced out of the camper market. If only another product for the entry level demographic was available.
OMG, the sky is falling.
IMO, New Airstreams are in a bit of a niche market, kind of like bamboo drinking straws. Love seeing Airstreams. Great product. Not an “everyman” product however.
Yep, much ado about nothing. Steel and Aluminum tariffs were eased in 2021 but the Airstreams didn’t get any cheaper.
we’re kinda already there with materials that can be used to produce rv’s, same used on the Boeing 787, Airbus aircraft, some experimental aircraft, home built aircraft, the list goes on so essentially just need a company to create the panel molds with attachment points to complete the shell structure…
Thank you for the information, Russ and Tina! Given how expensive Airstream-branded RVs are already, such a small increase in the build costs from the tariffs likely will be hardly noticeable. Have a great day and safe travels!
Drink canned soda? Be prepared to pay more. Tariffs are TAXES, any way you look at it. I understand the want to buy American but in a global economy just building a new car may involve hundreds of parts made by a hundred different companies from all over the world, not just china.
The soda example was given previously but when tariffs were eased in 2021, the price of soda inexplicably did not come down. 🤔
You can thank the companies producing the products. They raise the prices to compensate the higher price for materials. When those prices fall, instead of reducing prices, they just realize a larger profit. More money in their pockets and less in yours.
Not much different than when they downsized the volume of things like cereals, bread, OJ and most other grocery products due to Covid
Packaging basically stayed the same, but less inside.
The people responsible for raising the tariffs don’t have to worry about paying more, or the number of jobs that are going to be lost. Most have more money than they know what to do with.
Corporate greed.
Predicable but I wasn’t aware businesses were in business to lose money?
Companies offshore to avoid paying taxes within the markets of which they benefit. Tariffs are used to make such decisions less rewarding.
Whether increases in costs come from taxes, tariffs or fees, whoever buys the product pays.
The most obvious difference between the consumer paying the company’s taxes or paying for the tariffs is the latter employs those abroad.
I hate paying more for anything but I also know crime and poverty increase as jobs decrease. Employing the world is a nice ideology but it decimates American communities. Those global parts suppliers employ foreign workers who aren’t paying to keep your Social Security solvent…..
Americans asked for it when they installed the current administration. Enjoy that crow.
C’mon don’t be so disingenuous. Both parties have added to the 36 T dollar debt, and something has to be done to pay for this impossible amount! At least this current admin is dedicated to doing something about it.
https://www.heritage.org/debt/commentary/the-lefts-7-trillion-lie-biden-far-outpaces-trump-racking-the-national-debt
Time to recycle aircraft fuselages and create new “Airstreams” from old, hmmm. alternative materials are already in use in other industries, just needs to be redirected to the rv industry
The US has been ripped off for too long, tariffs will help with our National Security and also protect American jobs!
Heh… You are funny!
Thank you…I’m here all year