Visit our Popular Forums

wheel interested · 04-17-2006, 08:53 PM

I had an idea it might be fun to see what kind of SOBs we have had in our past.

Some may be fortunate enough to have an Airstream as their first travel trailer, but I suspect many of us have had a history with many different kinds of units. So just for fun, tell us...where did you begin?

Our first family camping was in a 3 man dome tent for Brad and myself and dog, and two mountain pup tents for our children. That was great to get us outdoors but the disenchantment began with pit toilets, coolers, sleeping on the ground, and exposure to cold and rain.

A Jayco 806 (8 foot box-6 sleeper) was our first towable. Aah the good life began, heat, portapotty, foam mattresses, water feed to a single sink with manual pump from a a 5 gallon totable jug, cooler with drain to let replacable melted ice escape. Appointment included Corelle dishes and sleeping bags. Yes that was good for many years.

But then the Jayco 1406 started looking good. A shower and privacy for the potty, overhead cabinets, and a king bed. Room to spare in extended 27' We were styling then.

Sooner or later as you start to acquire more "stuff" to enhance your camping, making camp and striking camp starts to feel, well, laborious. Standing in the elements unprotected pulling on end bunks and following "sequences" to become mobile again was getting old.

Our first hardsided unit was a 21' Towlite from Hi-Lo. And it was cool. Now the bears would have to work harder to get us. Our "stuff" and dog was more protected in the lockable unit. Setup consisted of pushing a button as hydrolics raised the roof.

Now we were in the habit of looking towards new units, fun to do, but dangerous. A new larger SUV meant we could go bigger still. If we went with a 26' Towlite, we would gain an oven, ducted heating, permanent queen size walkaround bed, and lounge. However by now, we start wondering why we just don't get our first full profile trailer. No buttons to push, full storage top and bottom, no cables, no drafts. Hmmm...no white boxes hubby said. It would have to be an Airstream!

In the fall of 2003 we bought a Safari 25' side sleeper, and within 6 months saw a 25' Classic at the International Rally in Lansing and traded right then. But then came Homecoming 2005 and I saw IT! A 25' Safari FB SE. The floorplan and look of the SE was perfect. Not too plain, not too fancy, but this one was "just right." Many of the Classic and International features with a permanent dinette, queen size walkaround bed, generous L-shaped galley and split bath. Now just how can they get so much in one 25' trailer? And we will have it by Friday!!!! Yeow

Pictures of out last SOB, the 26' Towlite.

cameront120 · 04-17-2006, 09:01 PM

My current Tradewind is my first ever travel trailer. Prior to this I slept in a tent and did alot of travelling by mountain bike and pulled my gear in a BOB trailer (so technically, I suppose the BOB was my first travel trailer).
http://www.bobtrailers.com/trailers/

wheel interested · 04-17-2006, 09:22 PM

You really were in touch with your environment with that "rig!" I have never seen a Bob, but have seen motorcycles with trailers in the Smokies. That's one really "green" TV.

**Janet H** · 04-17-2006, 11:49 PM

Ours Argosy is a first trailer for me. I always tent camped in fact I worked for Outward Bound for a while doing survival training. But the last few years... well... the ground started getting harder and those merlot bottled get mighty heavey in a back pack!

We rented a tent trailer for a weekend - glad we did - it left a lot to be desired. Leaky, moldy, not very comfortable and a hassle to put up. We looked at lots of SOBs - and then one day stumbled into an AS dealer - it was all over! We started looking for a used one.

wheel interested · 04-18-2006, 12:04 AM

Wow Janet! Wouldn't it be great to have a woman's rally and you teach us how to survive while we sip our merlot and have our noshes.

Seriously, an outdoors woman training seminar at a place where we can hike and do our outdoor activities would be too cool!!! Please oh please oh please.

I don't know if anyone here has seen Roam Sweet Roam, great Airstream video told from the perspective of a dog. There are the women that sit around the campfire comparing experiences of traveling alone. One woman said a gentleman asked her where her husband was and she told him she shot him for asking silly questions.

Another woman said regardless of how many women are gathered in a group a man will invaritably ask are you women alone?

SilverToy · 04-18-2006, 12:19 AM

Great thread!

My "First" ever was also my current. SilverToy. What a way to go!

NEVER went camping with the family coming up - my dad would never willingly sleep on the ground. Former military training?! He has never, to my knowledge, and likely never will - till he is put "in" it.

Did one tent camping trip - carry everthing in AND out - on the Buffalo River in NW ARK for 10 days - AWESOME!!!!! But that was the extent of it.

Started looking at TT's and AirStream has SUCH!!!!!!!!! a classic line.... It speaks to you - if you listen. ALL of them.

Even my dad ( see above ) who has NEVER camped, said he would sleep in the AS! He loved the AS look, even when confronted with 'Millionaire Row' at the campground in Michigan. Believe me, there was SERIOUS $ on that aisle! AS won the day. Simple, elegant and WOW!

Enough said.

My "First Ever" is an AS, likely be my last - will stay with AS! Where do I go from here? The wife has become the staunchest supporter!

Can't wait to quit the rat race and join the Full Time crowd! Is there any dream finer!?!?!!!!

My .02 cents

Axel

SilverToy · 04-18-2006, 12:22 AM

Wheel and Janet -

Could I possibly sneak in too? Know that I am of 'the other gender' but I think that sounds like a KILLER idea! Plus I'd be amidst....

Axel ;>)

SilverToy · 04-18-2006, 12:24 AM

Zing, Whizz, Pwang, Pawow....

What???

Are you alone?! Zing, Whizz, Pwang.....

Axel

**azflycaster** · 04-18-2006, 12:27 AM

We started with tents and bought this new in 1987. It's a smaller Starcraft Popup. Sold it last year after we bought the Trade Wind. The SOB went everywhere with us, too many fishing trips to count and several journeys to Yellowstone. Lots of great memories and I still keep in touch with the new owner.

wheel interested · 04-18-2006, 12:45 AM

Sometimes I think we need another pop-up for the yard as a moving gazebo! Such memories your picture brings back. Thanks for posting it Azflycaster. We only made it as far as the Dakotas with the pop-up. Yellowstone took years of begging and longer vacation benefits to acquire.

Axel I think I was shortsighted making gender distictions. Help convince Janet to put something together and you can sit at the place of honor between the tiki tourches at our "survivor" campfire.

Janet, we'll pay you!

I am only alone when I travel swiftist.

Chaplain Kent · 04-18-2006, 02:52 AM

We started with a tent then moved up to a VW Van, not a camper but one I converted to be a camper. It was great fun but now I wonder how we got two kids, two adults and a dog in that thing for camping trips. Our Tradewind was the first trailer and now we brought Chummy into the family.

wheel interested · 04-18-2006, 03:57 AM

We went as a family to Mammoth Cave (pre-camping years) with two active school age children and a Shepherd/Collie and a car full of "paisley"

zippered suitcases in a Ford Pinto.

It sort of looked like the car full of clowns spilling out at the circus! Now that we are empty nesters we have the big SUV to seat a crowd. The early years although the hardest always draw the best memories...

lewster · 04-18-2006, 05:37 AM

My first ever was a 40' Monaco Dynasty 325hp diesel motor home. All the comforts of home.......and then some

. Only way the wife would go 'camping'. We actually full timed in that for 5 years! Sold it last year and bought the 19CCD so I could 'hit the road' again....mostly by my self.

Before the hard sided road worthy appliances, it was whatever you could carry in a back pack hiking in the woods.

rebel beck · 04-18-2006, 06:26 AM

We started out tent campers after just a few short weekends we started looking at pop-up's. Our Jayco 1206 was fun for 2 years we had many weekends camping at all the local campgrounds. Last year we had a new canvas put on and everything checked out and headed to Disney World when we got there we broke a cable (broom handles come in handy) and we had some sway problems the whole way. So we decided we wanted something just to pull in and your there. We bought our Airstream last Nov. and will never go back to sob.

Becky

I still think about the pop-up day's

juel · 04-18-2006, 06:36 AM

My first was a 17ft Caravel that I used when I showed dogs full time. I loved that trailer and , as you can imagine, would like to have it back. It wasn't very big, but was all I needed when I traveled alone. Also did the tent thing; however, as you get older the ground gets a lot harder. Have the "memory foam" in the Argosy now.

maxandgeorgia · 04-18-2006, 07:28 AM

It looks like many of us followed similar routes to our Airstreams. We began in rustic cabins in state parks with our four kids--swore no one should be able to tent camp in hot humid mosquitoey Missouri in the summer. We finally ought a 20 year old turquoise canvas Sears family tent with a charming troubadour-style canopy and started heading up North for summers in Minnesota. After many rips and heavy-duty sewing repairs, we moved up to Eureka family tents. Gradually Max and I got too creaky for sleeping on the ground and we purchased a Coleman pop-up that lasted several years until we dreaded that and got a 25' Coleman trailer where only the beds popped out of the ends; this we took on our first Yellowstone adventures. We sold that on ebay to a family that drove all the way out from New Jersey to get it and started our Airstream search. We looked a new ones, but couldn't imagine paying for the classic new ones and the Safari line just seemed too much like our Coleman, when one day we found an ad in the local paper for a 30' Classic only 30 miles away. Needless to say, she was our "Gypsy" and she's taken us on some wonderful trips so far. Parallel journeys with many others on the way to 'streaming! ~G

Cracker · 04-18-2006, 08:05 AM

Pup tent, jungle hammock, homemade tent trailer, a series of three Starcraft pop-ups, one nameless SOB, then a Coleman pop-up, then an Award SOB (nice trailer!) then a small vintage Winnebago motorhome, and finally the current Airstream! All had their pluses and minuses - along with great memories!

tin sista · 04-18-2006, 09:06 AM

Folks started off with Georgie Boy motorhome and various popups. Always liked the looks of Airstreams...they got an Airstream after all of us left home...but inspired us to get our first...

We started with a tent. Then after the baby and looking at the budget we decided to try a vintage Airstream. After that we found a great deal on an Excella (96). Now I'm starting to peer hopefully at the 25 FB layout oh maybe...shhh the man isn't ready for that info yet, its gotta be his idea ya know!

Safari Tim · 04-18-2006, 09:46 AM

Five years ago we were invited to go camping in the redwoods with some friends who just bought the top of the line Coleman pop up.

We had the the top of the line Wal-Mart *three room* tent ;-)

After waking up with condensation dripping on us, and having to find the facilities in the middle of the night... we needed something different.

Our friends seemed comfy in their pop up sitting at their table with lights on playing cards, we thought a pop up would be the way to go.

After looking at some used ones I decided they were more trouble than they were worth. Used SOB's seemed like a money pit and I did not know if camping was something we would serously do and I wanted to keep my losses to a minimum.

So we decided on a vintage Airstream and haven't looked back.

Of course, now we are looking forward for a larger one ;-)

Condoluminum · 04-18-2006, 10:29 AM

We skipped the Tent Trailer, going directly from Blue Dome Tent to a Nomad Weekender Bunkhouse... Met "family" criteria for: A/C, Flush Toilet, Shower, Running Water and Real Beds, plus would (allegedly) keep bears and critters outside...

We discovered quickly the construction was not real heavy duty, and to encourage children not to swing from doors or bang things (most of interior was 3/16" plywood or composite material covered with wood vinyl "veneer". it was christened "Casa de Cardboard.." Name stuck, and we managed 14 good years and 30,000 miles before children too old to camp and it was replaced with our Excella 25...

John McG