A lot of the vintage trailers made from aluminum or fiberglass have held up quite well, and if the right one came along I certainly wouldn't turn up my nose at it. If you're looking at vintage, don't pass up the argosys either. Made by Airstream, they are painted, but just as nice inside, and they have fantastic huge wrap-around windows on the front.
There are many questions and you will get necessary answers here.
When we were searching...we did not know about this forum. We thought we wanted a Bambi, small, easy to tow. We found a 20 ft Globetrotter and are very happy. Easy to tow and more space. Now we think the Bambi would be too small.
You need to decide. You did make the right choice Airstream. Have fun.
Searching is fun...don't rush. It took us 2 years to locate ours.
Check the thread "wow I'm stoked" Fyrzowt just got another safari to replace one that was wrecked and I think he is going to sell his 21 footer. He is in central california.
__________________
Ron and Debbie Lawrence
1985 345 Motorhome...... delightfully tacky......yet unrefined
AIR 7992
welcome, Steve, and if you're into classic cars (assuming you meant maintaining and repairing,not just driving/owning) you are a prime candidate for a vintage AS!
you already have realistic expectations. yes, vintage will always require some hand-work unless you pay megabucks, and even then sometimes.
I'd venture the majority of vintage (25 yrs & older) need some type of floor replacement. roof and window leaks simply slide down, invisibly, to the floor/frame within the cavity between ex/in skins. oh. that was an eye opener for me. these leaks wreak havoc. don't be too shocked. or a PO (previous owner) will simply neglect a leaking toilet valve for 10 years turning the back floor to compost. no, you can't go back and kill them ;-)
vintage usually means axle replacement, too, unless it's been done already. doesn't seem like that big a deal from what I see here. (Inland RV site has a very nice explanation of how the torsion axle works,check it) the PO may have left the trailer parked for another decade without bothering to use the leveling jacks. not everyone who OWNS an AS is qualified to own one. can we start some kind of certification with appropriate penalties?...
bottom line on vintage: they freakin' rock, dude!! if you can put in the sweat eq, you can end up with a lighter, hipper, more reliable trailer for a fraction of the cost of new. you'll pay for it in sweat. that's what beer is for...
everybody says "search" on this forum but here's a tip: the vBulletin/forum search feature is kinda...bad. who knows why? it doesn't work too well. a google search with "site:airforums.com" placed after your search term seems too work for me a whole lot better. my 2c.
sounds like you have the bug. it's not curable. you'll have to have one. sorry. you'll love it!
don't rule out the ole 23-footers. the diff that extra few feet of space makes is incredible. if you have kid(s) and spouse, i'd recommend them.
Hello,
I am new to the forum and to Airstreams. I am looking for a Bambi, or similar trailer, I would prefer it to be 17-20 feet, a 22 at biggest. Does anyone know of one in good condition and at a reasonable price in the Arizona or Southern California area ?? I would prefer a classic older one but, if it was a later one that would be fine as well. Any input and information about the Bambi's (pros and cons etc) would be great as I don't really know much about them.
Regards,
Steve
Phoenix, AZ
Steve,
We looked for a very long time for the Airstream that best fit our needs. In the meantime we had other types of vintage trailers so we were out camping a lot, but we hungered for a vintage Airstream. We looked at a lot of them and found many to be in excellent condition but their lay out did not suit our needs. Others were clearly misrepresented by the sellers in terms of condition and it was only because of our own knowledge of trailers that we were able to properly check them out.
In the end we ended up with a pretty decent canvas to rework to suit our needs. The basic size, weight, and age suited us, but it needed some effort on our part to redo it. We tore into it and it still took 5 months of nights and weekends to have it to the stage where we were able to camp in it. There were still things to do, which we accomplished over the next two years during the non-camping season, and we redid a few things once we realized that our original thought about use changed.
Had we known about this Forum, or about Forums or WBCCI events in our area we would have gone to see, talk, and learn from folks who are passionate about their trailers, and can show what to look for, and give you tours of their trailers so you get a sense of what you like or need. There are some happening in the Phoenix area this month and over the next while so don't be shy about going and introducing yourself and asking for guidance.
Size counts. Small is nice, but for any extended camping for us, at least, we found we needed just a bit more room for those days when the weather is uncooperative. We had mostly 17' other brands and we find 21' of Airstream to fit us perfectly.
Good luck with your search. And don't be afraid to travel a ways to get the right trailer. If you are looking at vintage to start with and find one that's already polished consider that a bonus.
Merry Christmas,
Barry
__________________ Take care. Unlike your puppy, it is so embarrassing to put your Airstream to bed belly up.
Barry & Donna Life is short - so's the door on an Flying Cloud (ouch) 1951 Flying Cloud 21' 1957 Pontiac Safari 2dr wagon TV AIR #7364 WBCCI #8110 member 4CU
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