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The dream of full time travel in an Airstream trailer is realistic for some individuals that have the internal fortitude to be separated from their family, old time friends and local landmarks.
For many years I traveled almost every weekend in a VW Westfalia camper. Although the Westfalia size is much less than almost any Airstream I managed to have most of my necessities on every trip. The trips were mostly 400 miles or less turn around miles.
The activity was good training for potential full time travel in a travel trailer.
With every new adventure come exciting stories, some with negative results and some with positive pleasant yarns to tell. So with my nice safe short trips history I’d still be adjusting to traveling in an Airstream with an open mind to approaching the adversities of full time residency in a restricted area.
I never had a dream to be a full time traveler. I guess I’m just a homebody and like familiar territory and predictable routes.
Here is where I’m currently at in relationship to becoming an extended time Airstreamer (for a short thirty day term, or a season each year)
Five years ago I bought a half acre lot in a small town 40 miles from the city I live in. The lot has a four car garage on it, nothing else just the garage. Over the five year term I’ve owned the property I’ve stored cars, trucks, deck boats and my Airstream there. I’ve also added some features to the four car garage consisting of an 8 foot by 8 foot full bath, a 10 foot by 20 foot kitchen, office, work room combination and an 8 foot by 8 foot walk-in closet for wardrobe and storage.
With the idea in mind that I needed a base of operations to return to at least once a month, I’ve prepared the four car garage with the accommodations equal to a small hotel room. In addition to the storage, office, bath, there is a stack washer/dryer, electric range, kitchen counter with connections to add a dishwasher. IE I can toss out the junk stored in the remaining three parking spaces and convert the building into an apartment with a nice sized sitting room and big bedroom. This building and its potential functions represent a security blanket for me.
It seems that the world revolves around the “Stuff we own” and I see that I can spend a great deal of time on the road or traveling and still keep lots of my stuff until I can wean myself from it.
If this scenario is beginning to look strange to you, I need to outline my thoughts quickly.
First off, I don’t really know what I want. I’m hoping that the Airstream adventure is something that I want and not just a retired guy charging windmills.
Second, I fully expect for the Airstream adventure to be only another slice of my life and not a long term commitment.
Although I’ve got a 31 Foot Sovereign I think one person traveling could easily survive on the road with a smaller unit as long as they have a base of operations where they can take a low cost or no cost break from time to time. I recall many times that I set up a tent alongside my Westfalia in great weather and roughed it a little as long as the area was good for tent camping.
If you start working with “what if” scenarios you’ll drive yourself crazy. I think that an early start on planning would be to start acquiring the minimum size Airstream (or other) that can be moved with the most efficient and reasonably cost tow vehicles that can be a dual use vehicle of standard configuration that can easily be upgraded as you feel the need.
Since you’re operating on a limited budget, you might consider this as an alternate beginning.
Unless you have strong objections towards trailer parks, I’d suggest that you actually start living in the Airstream as soon as you get it by parking it in a trailer park. If you choose not to live in it while in the trailer park you can make weekend visits to the “stored” travel trailer and start making short local trips out from the park to learn to fundamentals and pitfalls of towing.
There are also other opportunities to help get you started. There are many seasonal recreation vehicle parks at lakes, rivers, scenic areas that have full season parking prices that are reasonable. Even if there are a hundred miles from your full time residence they’re practical if you leave the trailer parked and don’t suffer the cost of towing it.
I’m still working on my Sovereign getting it ready for extended trips but I’ve taken into consideration that I can have lots of adventures with the Airstream if it’s anchored at a nice lake overlook or beautiful scenic area that I can drive to on the weekends I want to. When the geography gets boring I can just move it to a new location.
I’ve never envisioned moving the Airstream every weekend to a new location. With that thought in mind you’d be paying the highest prices for RV parking at State / National / Private parks. The out of the way, down the road parks that offer long term rates are always the best prices. If you don’t want to live like a tourist the lower cost residence parks are less expensive.
I have planned my adventures with a back door that I can walk out of with a moment’s notice. I just return to base and sell the truck and trailer.
I'm also in Dallas ......... you should contact me and see what I've done as far as a base station, trailer storage etc.
Stan Wilder
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