Mystery16' w/AWNING!

KIMILI · 09-19-2003, 07:55 PM

Hi everyone!

on our last outing we found this beauty!

It's a Bambi 16' manufactured in April 2003 and yes, you read right, it has a real zipdee AS awning installed!

Also, as you may see from the pictures it has a great "Safari" looking interior. The floorplan wraps around the sides and leaves the center clear, very spacious and roomy. Much more than the 16' CCD's we saw at the dealer/AS website.

We don't know if this was a prorotype or a custom job, but someone who had actually been in it told us it has:
linoleum floors, full kitchen w/ 2 burners, oven and refrigerator, full corner bath (like in 19' Bambi), plenty of overhead cabinets, spacious 2 door wardrobe, drop down leaf table and L sofa that opens up to a full size bed. (I took the pics from the open windows).

We think it's adorable, the perfect bachelor pod or escape pod!

Anyone seen it before or know more about it?

KIMILI · 09-19-2003, 07:57 PM

Check this out

KIMILI · 09-19-2003, 07:58 PM

and this...

KIMILI · 09-19-2003, 07:59 PM

now the interior...

KIMILI · 09-19-2003, 08:00 PM

sofa and info panel from exterior

Shep · 09-20-2003, 06:06 PM

I wonder if you were able to notice if the awning was attached to the rib? The door handle is supposed to be on the rib. We were told it's going to be an engineering problem to ever get an awning on the 16'. I would 'guess' it's a custom job?

frozen chosen · 09-20-2003, 08:00 PM

Somewhere on the AS website they have photos you can download as wallpaper backdrop for the pc. One shows a Bambi towed by an Explorer. I've been trying to figure out if it was a 19' or 16. By the angle, its difficult. It is, except for an AC unit on top, identical to the Safari in this thread. So I would guess these were not custom, but one of the dead end evolutionary branches on the AS Bambi tree. I had asked AS if an awning was going to be made for the 16's in 2004, and was told they put too much wieght into the package. Not sure how this passed, probably because of other things added (?)

MaShep · 09-20-2003, 09:11 PM

Good eye Frozen! I found the AS picture and chopped it small enuf to post. It is odd that it shows the awning on the rib, but the handle isn't. Our rib rides right along the edge of the door, and the handle is attached to the rib. We were initally told that our 16CCD was coming with an awning, and were happy to hear it. But, when it arrived we learned otherwise.

frozen chosen · 09-21-2003, 11:14 AM

The other reason AS gave me for no awning had to do with Chris Deam's demands for the esthetics of the CCD line. He felt the awning detracted from the overall appearence on the 16 and I guess his feelings won out. AS said they held firm on the matter of the AC on top.

47WeeWind · 09-21-2003, 11:54 AM

Ah, so Deamwise "form flagellates function..."

MaShep · 09-21-2003, 11:59 AM

Well, there are awning channels on both curb and street side on ours. So, I'd figure it was a 'maybe'? I think it's got to do with cost and where to attach the awning to the rib, and keep the handle for the door. We were told that the wrap around rear window, and the wet bath were design issues as well. There was a third window in the galley (above the burners), too.

KIMILI · 09-21-2003, 07:44 PM

You guys are right!

As you can see on your units and on the picture here enclosed, because of the wrap around windows on the CCD version the position of the ribs is different compared to the safari one we saw. No apparent room for an awning on the CCD.

Well, the CCD is the only one advertised at the moment so... wrap windows 1 safari 0.

The awning is great but the double (front and back) wrap around windows you guys have are BEAUTIFUL and give much more light!

Congratulations on your new babies!

PS
The model we saw did not have an AC on the roof.

KIMILI · 09-21-2003, 07:45 PM

Quote:

I wonder if you were able to notice if the awning was attached to the rib? The door handle is supposed to be on the rib.

No, on the model we saw it was not on the rib. Actually there were a few inches to spare...but no big windows.

Silvertwinkie · 09-21-2003, 08:17 PM

Taking a look at the 2004 CCD specs (on the Airstream website), a curbside awning is an optional feature on the 16' unit. Since the 16 footers use near the same framework, if the CCD can get it with the front panoramic windows, it would only make sense that any 16' non-ccd could even more easily accept this option.

Also note this page on the Airstream site, even before delving into the spec sheets:

http://www.airstream.com/product_lin..._trailers.html

This picture has been around since late 2002. It is a picture of a non CCD 16' unit and it has the awning. The way you can tell it's a 16' is by the galley exhaust. The 19' is on the other side.

Eric