Airstream "Time Share"? Whats' next????

[Jim Jarzabek]

This current posting on eBay already has one bid.....
Whould YOU pay for a time share in an Airstream?
Look at the "timeshare" geographical areas you get to choose from...
Keep in mind, you have to show up & tow the thing!

@ http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Vacat...QQcmdZViewItem

Things are getting a little bit ridiculous for my taste....

[2airishuman]

hi jim

the dealer in davenport iowa (usadventurerv) has been offering timeshares in 3 different new airstream trailers.......since they opened.....it would be a neat way to try before buying....and the only thing close to airstream rentals...i've found.

you can read about it at there website.......i think they call it fractional leasing.....

www.usadventurerv.com

cheers
2air'

[Jim & Susan]

Sounds like yet another way to line somebody else's pocket at my expense. No thanks.

Jim

[mandolindave]

It comes to about $380 for a week.

That is cheap compared to what I rent MY trailer for.
And you can't cook in it, eat in , sleep in it, tow it, or use the bathroom.
I try to discourage milling around or walking in the rental unit.
Propane tanks and batteries are removed for safety purposes.

[2airishuman]

hi e "bay watch" ers and thor conspiracy zealots......

i've never considered this sort of auction as literal......

what it is, is cheap advertising for the dealer.

sure someone may eventually bid up to required figure,

but more likely, anyone really considering a rental or time share, would contact the dealer.

look how many times the question 'where can i rent an airstream' appears here....

when i was shopping new last year, i called this dealer....
as i recall the price for 3-5 weeks rental was about 5-7k$....
and the time could be used quickly...not one week a year....
also any unused time/dollar amt would be applied to a purchase....

so a fractional lease, using 1-2 weeks would be a nice trial and if going on to buy....a pretty nice deal....

i commend them for being creative; offering folks a novel option.....

so whenever someone asks you 'where can i rent an airstream' , just point them to usadventurerv in the quad cities......

and actually i think they are the folks opening the new airstream franchise in the 2nd city.....

so just imagine how many airstreamers are seeing their ebay ad...i mean auction.

wally would commend their creativity in helping folks to byam.....

cheers
2air'

[davidh]

You ROCK!! 2air..

[Jim Jarzabek]

I have never seen the question appear here...

Where can I commit to a five year "timeshare on wheels"?...

Either you can afford to own a new Airstream or not.... and it doesn't take five years of "test drives" to find out...

No offense, but I believe you are attempting to characterize the ebay listing as something it is not... conventional timeshares in condos get resold all the time because people change their mind.

With gas at $2.50 a gallon and rising; to expect someone to drive to one of two areas to pull a floating timeshare to rent is just absurd....try renting a large enough s.u.v w/trailer brakes to tow one of these (if you can find someone to rent to you) for the rental period & price it...

To attempt to apply the concept of renting motorhomes to renting travel trailers (especially in a very limited two area geographical market) is unrealistic.....

This is just frivolous advertising... I don't find it clever at all, just ignorant of the reality involved in towing & camping with a travel trailer...

Travel trailer camping cannot be converted to a timeshare concept... leave it to a Dealer to find yet another way to try to sell something.

[flyfisher]

I looked at time shares on Prevost's at the Tampa RV show a couple years ago, so why not with an Airstream?

It looks to me like you get 12 days per year for (what?) $5,000? That would be $1,000 per year, plus the interest you'd loose on your money if you have to plunk down the entire amount upfront, which I assume you have to (5% x $5,000 = $250. So, that'd mean at a $5,000 up front investment, the real cost would be $104.17 per night.

Compared to what I pay for ownership of my 30' Classic, I'd say it's not too bad of a deal for a person or a couple who just what something to use for their 2 week vacation each year.

When I calculate what owning my own trailer costs costs me per year (depreciation, foregone interest on my investment, maintenance, insurance, storage, license and inspection, etc.) it's around $150 per night for 90 days usage per year.

It's not something I would want to do personally, but I suppose some people would. I would hope though that they would have a new trailer each year or so, because I bet it would look pretty shabby after a few weeks or months of use.

John

[davidz71]

Originally Posted by flyfisher

...the real cost would be $104.17 per night....When I calculate what owning my own trailer costs costs me per year (depreciation, foregone interest on my investment, maintenance, insurance, storage, license and inspection, etc.) it's around $150 per night for 90 days usage per year. John

Just like renting an apartment, what do you have to show at the end of the lease for all your money? Nothing! At least if you owned it, you could sell the trailer when you got tired of it.

[47WeeWind]

Originally Posted by Jim Jarzabek

... To attempt to apply the concept of renting motorhomes to renting travel trailers (especially in a very limited two area geographical market) is unrealistic.....This is just frivolous advertising... I don't find it clever at all, just ignorant of the reality involved in towing & camping with a travel trailer...Travel trailer camping cannot be converted to a timeshare concept... leave it to a Dealer to find yet another way to try to sell something.

Hi Jim:

Leasing is becoming the American Way of Life. I've been "renting" all my meals since I was born and thankfully don't feel any grand compulsion to keep possession of them after use. I've had some great meals that still kindle fond memories and many lousy meals that just filled a need. But I don't want to own them all, just the experience of eating. Let someone else take care of the aftermess.

And in the dead horse dept, the WBCCI IBT now proposes renting the club's identify from a Thor affiliate with nothing to show at the end of the lease. Financiers have increasingly been "securitizing" monetary assets to make possible short term ownership of smaller and smaller pieces of pie. Why burden yourself with equity when you can pay-as-you-go for happiness? Leasing is the newest fangle. So don't miss the cruise ship and be sure to hop on the rental wagon now at only $100 down and $49.95 a week for your little slice of RV heaven.

[gryphon]

if he throws in a tow vehicle he might get some serious takers.

gryphon who would never even let a relative borrow her airstream

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by Jim Jarzabek

I have never seen the question appear here...

Where can I commit to a five year "timeshare on wheels"?...

Either you can afford to own a new Airstream or not.... and it doesn't take five years of "test drives" to find out...

No offense, but I believe you are attempting to characterize the ebay listing as something it is not... conventional timeshares in condos get resold all the time because people change their mind.


To attempt to apply the concept of renting motorhomes to renting travel trailers (especially in a very limited two area geographical market) is unrealistic.....

This is just frivolous advertising... I don't find it clever at all, just ignorant of the reality involved in towing & camping with a travel trailer...

Travel trailer camping cannot be converted to a timeshare concept... leave it to a Dealer to find yet another way to try to sell something.

well it looks like this is some sort of hot button for you? perhaps the concept of timeshares is the issue?

use the search tool......

i've seen 5-6 threads and responded to 2-3 asking about where to rent an a/s......invariably someone responds that you cannot.

http://www.airforums.com/forum...highlight=rent

and another.....

http://www.airforums.com/forum...ghlight=rental


have you called the dealer?
do you know anything more about their plan than what you have read on the ebay ad?

when i spoke with them (only weeks after opening the dealership) about the program,
i recall they had 4-5 folks signed up for this....so apparently it fills the need for some....and i considered it as well.
it is a fractional lease....and the time not used could be applied toward purchase....and a week or 2 usage before buying might work for some.

it may seem expensive....but most moho rentals are....

your opinion my be that this is frivolous, ignorant, unclever, unrealistic........whatever and that their location doesn't work....and perhaps all of that is correct.

i'm not trying to defend them or the ebay ad or any other method dealers have for income/sales and so on....

this is a newer dealer, still trying to find themselves and a customer base....some ideas fail other work....i don't agree it is like a traditional timeshare, or that it violates the reality of trailer camping....whatever that is.

and i don't know how i have incorrectly characterized the ebay ad.

maybe no one will buy it; maybe it's another way to advertise or find potential airstream customers....that's all i suggested.

you apparently don't like the idea.......i think it is interesting....

what a great variety of views can exist here.....

cheers
2air'

[85MH325]

This is a very common way to gain the use of a yacht. It's been wildly successful over the years in the yachting world, and now that Airstreams are almost ALL over $50k new, and some of them push $100k, I'm surprised that more businesses haven't gone that route. I'd guess you'll see more of it into the future as prices continue to climb.

It's practical and actually economical if all you're doing is your two week vacation annually. No payments, no storage, and the use of your trailer for two weeks a year...

Roger