Have you ever sold an Airstream?

[azflycaster]

If you have ever sold an Airsream, do you ever hear from the new owner?

[azflycaster]

This past week I was fishing in New Mexico. The PO of my trailer (a forum member and a great guy) stopped by and we almost had lunch (sorry about the mix up!). We did chat for an hour or so and exchanged some items that he had left in the trailer and that he had found for the trailer. I email him and tell him what's going on with the trailer. Does anyone else have this "bonding" with someone they have sold a unit to?

[uwe]

Nope. Sold my 71 Tradewind to a family in Los Angeles, and never heard from them again.

[Stefrobrts]

Sold my Bambi to a very nice lady in MN, but I've never heard any more about it. I hope they're doing well!

[safari57]

On the other side of that I contacted the PO's of my trailer and they were, at best, disinterested. It was more what do you want, what are you looking for, we've got a new SOB we love, so thanks for the call but maybe lose our phone number. When I was buying it both of them had insisted when I finished the interior I let them know so they could get pictures. Oh well. I got the trailer I wanted, sounds like they did as well, and I wonder if we are ever camped in the same campground if they'll even bother to come past and say hello. Weird.
Barry

[66Overlander]

Originally Posted by safari57

I wonder if we are ever camped in the same campground if they'll even bother to come past and say hello.
Barry

This actually happened to us this past August during the Metro Detroit Forum Rally, when by chance we happened to be camped in the same camp ground with the previous owners of our '85 Sovereign. Lorrie and I were out for a walk around the park when previous owners noticed us as they drove by. We didn't notice them in the truck at first, but they stopped and backed up to talk to us. We talked for several minutes and we both offered to show our trailers off (they're now in a 5er SOB), but due to time constraints it never happened. They seemed genuinely interested in how things have gone since we purchased their trailer, but I doubt we'll be in touch again unless we return to that camp ground, because they have their new 5er permanently parked there.

[safari57]

Joe, it's nice that your unit's PO's stopped at least to chat for a bit. It shows that they were at least aware of your being there. When my wife read my comment she suggested that there is a lot of excitement and emotion around intially buying an Airstream and then being out with it. It means a lot more to a lot of people (like us) than just buying an SOB. It's more like an adoption because like it or not, you become part of a very large and recognizable family of unique people having a similar experience with their Airstream passion. When the trailer being sold needs to be restored or in our case the restoration needs to be completed and much redone because the seller has run out of steam/time/patience/skill/money/creativity or whatever and sells it, there's got to be emotions around that as well. Then to have the next owner finish it and out and enjoying it in a couple of months may cause the PO's to not want to bother. I can see the flip side as well - when I bought my '57 Pontiac it was obvious that the sellers were having a lot of second thoughts around letting their baby go, even if it was considered "totalled". Their family had owned the car since new but a drunk driver had ripped the front end off the car while it was parked and his insurance would not repair a 23 year old car and gave them a pittance to do it themselves. Once it was in my hands (gosh, it's been 25+ years now) I forgot all about them I was so busy fixing and then enjoying the car. Now I feel bad. I wonder if they still live in the same house. Maybe I'll drop a note in the mail with a couple of pictures and see if it comes back. Oops! Barry

[tin sista]

We sold ours to a lovely couple, they are going to do some volunteer work for Habitat for Humanity down south and live out of the trailer during that time. We are so proud that our baby went to such nice people. They took it out camping the first day (neither had trailer camped before) that they picked it up. Well we remembered our rookie trip, and so we printed out airstream forum member's arrival and departure checklists for them, including Road King Moe's all you need to fulltime checklist for their big trip. Made sure that they had the forum's internet address too. Hope they love it as much as we did.

[flyfshr]

Contact with PO's

I found an old registration in my Trade Wind and, just for the heck of it, called them up. I was curious about their length of ownership and possibly any caravans it went on. Leo didn't answer the phone but Edna did. It was a challenge for her to understand who I was and why I was calling. She said she loved that trailer and had told Leo that she didn't want to sell it. It had so much storage space. We spoke for about fifteen minutes before she told me they had company and she needed to get off the phone. Everytime I remember that conversation, it makes me smile.

Brad
FF

[genearnold]

In 1999 I listed my ’69 31 ft. International on the internet and sold it sight unseen to a guy north of San Francisco who said he planned to live in it while he built a new house on an acreage. When he came to Boise to pick it up he wouldn’t even let me give him a walk through. He didn’t know how to hitch up and didn’t seem to know much about towing so I was a little apprehensive about whether he would make it back to California. He paid me $100.00 more than agreed since there had been some delay in the transaction. He e-mailed me to let me know he got home safely but I haven’t heard from him since.

Gene

[Torpedo Family]

I have sold three Airstreams now and only one kept in touch. That was to my Brother and Sister in law. The others did not have any questions I guess, the last one I think we will see again and know about it. I would be interested in know where our 1988 Excella is, last account it was sold to a person in California. Yes, we all want to keep in touch with our "family".