Anyone have an Airstream

Mickey · December 2016

looking to buy a 20 ft. Have questions?
thanks

Proser · December 2016

My parents owned Airstreams for 30+ years. Traveled everywhere. It's a cult unlike anything you have every seen including BGE. My Dad still lives in the Airstream community in Hillsboro just off I35. Doesn't travel anymore but still loves the people

Airstreamers believe, with good reason, that their trailers are the best in the road

As to buying a 20ft trailer I thinks that's like buying a small egg, you will go bigger

Mickey · December 2016

Thanks @Proser. I might have to sell 3 of my Eggs if I get this.

Jeremiah · December 2016

We thought very hard about buying one before purchasing ours trailer, even looked at several. I really believe they're worth what they're asking, I just can't afford one right now.

Proser · December 2016

Have you ever been up to the Airstream park in Hillsboro? Lots of good info there. I think you would want a 28' min the problem with any of the small ones is they are popular as food trucks

Mickey · December 2016

Proser said:

Have you ever been up to the Airstream park in Hillsboro? Lots of good info there. I think you would want a 28' min the problem with any of the small ones is they are popular as food trucks

When I retired I bought a Tacoma and wife a Toyota Van. Will need to stay in the <20 ft size. Don't want to buy a Tundra.

Skiddymarker · December 2016

Not sure, but is Argosy still around? Always thought they were the less expensive, non full timer version of the Airstream. They used to be slightly lighter.

Jeremiah · December 2016

Have you looked at the airstream base camp? Super cool and small enough.
https://www.airstream.com/travel-trailers/basecamp/

Mickey · December 2016

Jeremiah said:

Have you looked at the airstream base camp? Super cool and small enough.
https://www.airstream.com/travel-trailers/basecamp/

Went yesterday with the 16 ft Sport in mind. The first thing she showed us was the Base Camp. But after looking at both they were just going to be too small. We have a 70 lb Poodle that took up a lot of real estate. If we were younger those both would make the list. The 19 and 20 seemed to work even with the 70 lb lump who still took up lots of space.

Jeremiah · December 2016

I'm sure you well know this already, but I've found he rule of half holds true. Whatever your truck's trailer capacity is, cut it half to tow comfortably.

Mickey · December 2016

Jeremiah said:

I'm sure you well know this already, but I've found he rule of half holds true. Whatever your truck's trailer capacity is, cut it half to tow comfortably.

The Tacoma is 6500 lbs with the factory pull package. The 20 ft is 3800 plus less than a 1000 in water and crap. Checked with both our master mech and service manager (Toyota store I used run) and both felt OK. Of corse both said a Tundra would be better. I have backed way too many tundras onto stuff (just too big for me).
Checked Internet and lots of people pulling with Tacomas this size.
if going this way will invest on the best ELE brake and hitch stabilize I can find.

Mayberry · December 2016

Just bought a travel trailer and looked at numerous Airstreams. They are quality built machines and worth the money. That being said, I didn't want to buy a 2nd home. I wanted a reasonably priced way to travel with my family and take spontaneous shorter trips with a wife and 3 small kids. We ended up buying a Winnebago Minnie Plus. Better built than 99% of the travel trailer crap we looked at, very spacious floorplan, quality trailer and axles, all at 1500 lbs less than a comparable Airstream. Plus, it has a slide, which gives you a ton more room in a confined space. Airstreams don't have slides. Less to leak or break, but also less room to move around. If you are at all interested, check out the Minnie's and the Micro Minnie's. There is even a retro/vintage line my wife loved.

DoubleEgger · December 2016

Get a gas station loyalty card @Mickey. You're gonna get it. My 06 Tundra got 5.5mpg pulling my boat.

Mayberry · December 2016

My new F150 with a 5.0v8 pulls my 31 ft travel trailer and gets 10 mpg. I'm very surprised it's that good.

Mickey · December 2016

DoubleEgger said:

Get a gas station loyalty card @Mickey. You're gonna get it. My 06 Tundra got 5.5mpg pulling my boat.

I can't tell you the number of people that would come into the store to buy a Tacoma until learning that they both get very close to the same gas mileage and cost very close to the same especially when Toyota put big rebates on the Tundras and hardly ever put on the Tacomas (and nothing compared to the larger truck when they did).

Jeremiah · December 2016

Just remember, being capable of pulling a certain weight and comfortably pulling something are two different things. Maybe take the trailer out for a short test drive before buying?

DoubleEgger · December 2016

Mickey said:

DoubleEgger said:

Get a gas station loyalty card @Mickey. You're gonna get it. My 06 Tundra got 5.5mpg pulling my boat.

I can't tell you the number of people that would come into the store to buy a Tacoma until learning that they both get very close to the same gas mileage and cost very close to the same especially when Toyota put big rebates on the Tundras and hardly ever put on the Tacomas (and nothing compared to the larger truck when they did).

Yup. Since the Ranger went away, the Tacoma owns the small truck market. No reason to discount them.

Mickey · December 2016

DoubleEgger said:

Mickey said:

DoubleEgger said:

Get a gas station loyalty card @Mickey. You're gonna get it. My 06 Tundra got 5.5mpg pulling my boat.

I can't tell you the number of people that would come into the store to buy a Tacoma until learning that they both get very close to the same gas mileage and cost very close to the same especially when Toyota put big rebates on the Tundras and hardly ever put on the Tacomas (and nothing compared to the larger truck when they did).

Yup. Since the Ranger went away, the Tacoma owns the small truck market. No reason to discount them.

Looks like the smaller truck market is growing once more now. When I retired we were it.

YukonRon · March 2017

@Jeremiah
My Beautiful Wife and I were backpacking last weekend, and saw the Basecamp. It was very cool, but, very small. It was being towed by a Rubicon.

As a couple of future empty nesters, we have already down sized for our home. We sold the mcmansion on a couple acres and went smaller in the city. We have discovered that we really could go even smaller. We are thinking about doing so for our next home.

I mentioned that, to tell you this, which we both find extremely odd, we do not want a small or confining RV.

We have friends that have gone Airstream and friends that have gone 5th wheel.

The one thing about an Airstream, that gets me, no matter what size you get, I felt extremely confined inside. Beautiful, well made, engineered intelligently, just very confining for me. My Beautiful Wife, did not share the same feeling, nor did the owners (obviously). They are astounding travel homes, to be sure.

This is not a bad thing, I suppose, (the feeling of confinement). All we plan to do, is sleep in one, but, as everybody knows, you can't control weather. I do not know how I will feel inside an RV for long stretches of time.

My Beautiful Wife also likes the 5th wheels. Our friends that have them, love them. They are very well made and engineered too.

With the likelihood of others tagging along, (children and hopefully grandchildren), there is enough room, as not to be overcrowded, or confined in a 5th wheel. But to me, they are essentially a mcmansion on wheels. What we decided to move from.

We have plenty of time to decide, thank goodness, as we both know that is our goal. Maybe I can start therapy for my phobia of confinement.

Mickey · March 2017

@YukonRon I agree.
After a ton of video and reading the 20 foot is out.
1 I don't back worth a crap!
2 I really don't pull car trailers worth a crap and not seeing how thus will change with a 20 ft Airstream.
Found what I want: Airstream class B Van. But the $180k is a serious problem. That and wife says no way going to do a navy shower and washing hair that way after spending $180,000.
So looks like will keep the Sienna and motels going. Will be in Seaside FL today and was in Captiva yesterday. Captiva was full and did not stay.

YukonRon · March 2017

Mickey said:

@YukonRon I agree.
After a ton of video and reading the 20 foot is out.
1 I don't back worth a crap!
2 I really don't pull car trailers worth a crap and not seeing how thus will change with a 20 ft Airstream.
Found what I want: Airstream class B Van. But the $180k is a serious problem. That and wife says no way going to do a navy shower and washing hair that way after spending $180,000.
So looks like will keep the Sienna and motels going. Will be in Seaside FL today and was in Captiva yesterday. Captiva was full and did not stay.

We are also weighing the opportunity of a second vacation home. It is a lot to consider.

Mickey · March 2017

@YukonRon
this is our 19th year at Seaside FL and second time in 3 weeks (800 miles from home in TX). Love it here but no way to buy into it. Last vacant lot went for 1.3m so we do a week or so at a time.
We have looked in Dirango CO and around but can't decide where????
The real bad part is when you finally get where something is possible like the second home or Dead Airstream deal you are getting so damn old.....

YukonRon · March 2017

@Mickey

I read you 5x5. Suzy and I love Seaside. We usually make a side trip there for a day or two when we do the PCB area. We go in December usually. Lately though we have been going further south, around Treasure Island.

Durango is a heck of a place for a second home. If you do not mind elevation around 8K above sea level, (if memory serves me well) there is a place called Livermore, that is extremely reasonable. Houses and acreage being dumped for cheap, due to the mines closing.

Depending on where you choose to go, you have to be mindful of flooding and wildfires in Colorado. Other than that, it is heaven. We love it there.

Jeremiah · March 2017

@YukonRon I share all the same sentiments regarding the Airstreams. I love them, but since owning my trailer with a slide out, we'll never go back to campers without slides. I believe you'll be very happy with a 5er. That's the route we're thinking for our next one. We really love camping (rving) and every aspect of it. I'll give you the grand tour of ours at the butt blast and we can further discuss rvs/ travel trailers/ and 5ers.

DoubleEgger · March 2017

You can pay for a lot of hotel rooms for $180k...

fishlessman · March 2017

always wanted the smallest one, checked craigs list and a 1961 model is still mid 20k

YukonRon · March 2017

Jeremiah said:

@YukonRon I share all the same sentiments regarding the Airstreams. I love them, but since owning my trailer with a slide out, we'll never go back to campers without slides. I believe you'll be very happy with a 5er. That's the route we're thinking for our next one. We really love camping (rving) and every aspect of it. I'll give you the grand tour of ours at the butt blast and we can further discuss rvs/ travel trailers/ and 5ers.

@Jeremiah
Thank you very much. I certainly value the opportunity to do so. We are wide open to the options out there, so any information and the tour will certainly be appreciated.

55drum · March 2017

Don't know what the attraction is but everytime we visit an RV show we allways check out the Airstreams...they look good and are well made but we can't justify the price tag for what you get.

We're on our 3rd 5'er ..no way I could give up that much room plus an extra $30k to switch to an AS....current floor plan

Image: http://www.uvsconsole.com/manager/admin/cp-floorplans/large/141866082925131.jpg

Durangler · March 2017

Plus 1 for Durango.
Elevation 6512'

Mickey · March 2017

fishlessman said:

always wanted the smallest one, checked craigs list and a 1961 model is still mid 20k

They priced us the 2017 Sport 16ft for $61k plus tax. That is the one that looks like an Airstream not the Basecamp.

Eoin · March 2017

55drum said:

Don't know what the attraction is but everytime we visit an RV show we allways check out the Airstreams...they look good and are well made but we can't justify the price tag for what you get.

We're on our 3rd 5'er ..no way I could give up that much room plus an extra $30k to switch to an AS....current floor plan

That's a house! Here's my compact caravan, 500 kg so it can be pulled by anything.

Anyone have an Airstream

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