Looking for an Airstream

[cljackson]

Doug & Sue,
How much do you want for your Airstream? Also, do you have the towing specs? Our Expedition is only rated for 5900 lbs towing, but it's a lease, and we're checking now to see if we can trade it for a truck that will do the job, probably a 4x4.

Also wondering if anyone else has any comments or experience with the newer trailers since Thor took over?????

Thanks,
Cheryl & Carl

[daltondbh]

Went to the Tampa RV show this past weekend over in Tampa and Airstream had some nice rigs on display. They had 2 Retro styled units that we did not care for and one expando. The expando was okay but really didn't add much to anything except the price. A new 30' runs in the area of $60k... ouch! We spent less than half that 6 months ago and really feel we have a better product than what is being made today.

[daltondbh]

We are looking in the area of $29.5k as a starting point but you have to see and touch to know what you are getting. The rig weighs in at less than 8,000 lbs. Your Explorer is way too small to tow. The plastic that the company put on the carpeting in the bedroom is still in-place in our unit and the rest is hardwood flooring.

My Ford is a F-250, F-150 is too small and I highly recommend the diesel unless you have stock in oil. I get about 18 around town and at least 14 pulling the rig. I am not exaggerating, honest. Mine is also a 4x4 and again, I would recommend that to anyone. Never buy something "just" big enough to tow your unit, you'll regret the day and wind up spending more money. The F-250 with disel will easily tow up to 12,500 lbs.

[daltondbh]

Sorry, I meant Expedition, not Explorer

[cljackson]

Doug & Sue,
Your trailer sounds wonderful. We would prefer hardwood flooring. Yes, we know the Expedition wouldn't be an acceptable tow rig. That's the primary reason we're looking at the Safari line, although we don't like the interior nearly as well, due to the lighter weight materials they've had to use to reduce weight. We figure that since it's a trailer, it won't be all that difficult to upgrade as we go along, once we get out of this lease and into a larger vehicle. We will definitely be moving to a 4x4, most likely a diesel. The problem we face right now is that we could afford your trailer, but not another tow vehicle. We're still waiting for a call back from our leasing dealer. We talked to them yesterday about turning in our Expedition early for a pick-up, and they said "no problem", but they haven't called back, so they probably don't want to let us out of the lease, especially since the current leases have lower monthly payments than the one we got stuck with a few years ago.

By the way, I forgot to ask. What color is the interior of your trailer. We're interested, but it will depend on whether or not we can do something about a tow vehicle. I should know something within the next day or so. In the meantime, if you could send some pictures to my email: cheryljackson@att.net, that would be great!!! Also, can you send me the specs, options, etc., so I can check on financing with our credit union? That will help in our decision-making process.

Thanks,
Cheryl & Carl

[Rubyslipper]

Ok..too much for the truck. I can get a 2003...F250 Diesel 4x4...for $31K.Hummmmmmm.Dougs Rv floor plan is identical to mine.Its a workable plan.Perfect for 2 people....the animals?????Cheryl..call the bumbs and TELL them what you want.There are rebates to the tune of $2K and then there are the hold back monies that the skunks dont want you to know about.And look for a new 2002 that is still on the lot...they exist.Good things come to those who wait.

[Rubyslipper]

Cheryl..I saw a Excella either a 28 to 31'at a dealer on I-70..about 15 miles from me.Dont know anything about it.Its at Wilder Rv..573-592-8000. We bought at Bill Thomas outside of St Louis...they always have used ones and a service dept that is ok by me. And I am a royal pain sometimes.Their number is 800-367-5767 or 636-327-5900.Sometimes just getting handles on dealer prices can give you a better idea.

[cljackson]

Dear Rubyslipper,
Thanks for the advice. I've been trying to call them back because I KNOW they can trade us out of this lease. The guy isn't returning my calls, probably because they're still make so much money by keeping us in this lease. I'm getting ready to turn the heat up a notch on him though because they supposedly base their reputation on a lot of return business, which they certainly aren't going to get from us if this continues!!! They will be able to turn our Expedition around instantly and sell it again. It's black, has the sports package, all leather interior, we've had it professionally detailed every 6 months, and it's got less than 50K miles on it. It has the heavy duty tow package with a receiver hitch, so it's a great vehicle for someone who wants to tow a boat or just use if for running around town.

I'll keep hammering on these guys and try and get them to move on this!!!

Cheryl & Carl

[daltondbh]

If you can get a new 2003 F250 4x4 diesel for that price you'd better hurry. More power to you but don't think it is possible. Mine retailed at almost $40k. I got a good discount but nothing like you are indicating. Also, this is a XLT Crew Cab pretty well decked out. Just the cover and the side steps were over $1,100.

[Rubyslipper]

2003 didnt have 4 door crew cab.But is an ext cab,short bed .The dealer has several models,most were retailing at $40+ but they have them marked down $5k-$8K.Good time to buy a truck.Your truck is a good buy I am sure..didnt mean to imply it isnt..

[cljackson]

No worries, I took no offense at all on account of our truck, was just commenting that our leasing guys can turn it around if they will just work with us, AND they will get another lease out of us which will take us past the point we would have normally gone if we just stayed in the one we're in now. New trucks are definitely pricey, but the price on our Expedition was $39K back in '99, so it would seem that if they still have some 2002's on the lot we should be able to get into one without our montly note going up much, if any. At least, that's our hope. I'm going to get on the phone now and start trying to call these guys again.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. We really appreciate it!!!

[John]

Cheryl,

I just wanted to throw my 2 cents in if you don't mind!

From I past experience at looking at trailers, when you're in a 22'-24' unit, you say to yourself, "no problem, this is big enough."

But if you guys are going to spend months over the year in this trailer, I wouldn't go below a 28'.

I'm a single guy and my 28' is just larger enough to live comfortably for an extended period time. You'll be surprised once you start loading your belongings in, how quickly you'll eat up space.

I removed my front sofa/sleeper and put in a full-size lay-z-boy and a swivel chair.

This really makes living on the road a most enjoyable experience. After driving, it's nice to come in and truly relax!

You never know, you may never move back into your house .

Good luck on which ever you chose-John

Doug- that's a sweet unit you have there!

[cljackson]

John,
We appreciate your advice, and that's why we haven't yet decided on the 26-footer. Doug's trailer looks like it would meet our needs much better, but we still have this tow vehicle issue. I should mention that we already own 3 vehicles, one of which is being used by our son who's a freshman at Baylor University!!! That should give you some idea of our financial state at present... ; however, he's the last one, which is why we want to start some traveling. Our hope is that we CAN turn this into full-timing, so a larger rig is preferable. I was finally able to get in touch with our lease guy, and he says he has some numbers on Ford, Dodge, and Chevy trucks to share with us in the morning, and that our payments should be "just a little more" than what we're paying now. Those are always scary words from a car salesman, but we'll see what he has to say in the morning. If it's ridiculous, then we'll probably go with a smaller trailer for now, use it as best we can (which probably means shorter trips and having to limit where and when we go, i.e., no major mountainous areas and stay south during the winter) for the next couple of years, then sell and buy a larger one when our lease is over. We're hoping that since the Airstreams hold their value so well, this strategy will work out and we won't have to take a bath when we sell the A/S in '04. The one we're considering is a 1999 26' Safari, only used twice, stored inside, and asking price is $18,000. Sounds like a decent deal since the new ones are going for more than twice that amount. What do you think?

Thanks again for the advice, and if you think of anything else, don't hesitate to write.

Cheryl & Carl

[John]

C & C,

Of course you don't want to get over your head just because of emotions and wants eh!

The safari sounds great, but check with www.nada.com first to see if the resale is inline.

You're correct about A/S holding their value and by 04 you'll know the likes and dislike. Also, having 3 vehicles now, it's hard to shallow a larger payment just to tow a trailer.

Again, you still could remove the sofa/sleeper and it would be really comfortable for both of you.

Good luck-John

i'm going to check the nada site too.

[John]

C & C,

1999 26' Safari 6-sleeper: Low resale $14,100 Avg $16,990

You have to take it from here as I don't know the condition or the person's situation thats selling it.

Sound like there may be some room to move.

John

[cljackson]

John,
We thought about the sofa removal option, too. Currently, we work from home when not traveling and we have a wireless network inside our house which enables us to sit in our recliners in the family room and work on our notebook computers. We plan to do the same in the A/S...sort of a mobile Archie and Edith if you will.

Your handle is "fulltimer", so I take it you live full time in your rig, is this correct? Do you mostly stay in one place or do you travel around a lot? Are you working, too? One of the reasons this lifestyle appeals to us is that we love the outdoors, traveling, and just no longer really need a big house, although we love the area where we live, but the house ties us down financially. We hope to be able to simplify our lifestyle over the next few years and maybe get to work less enjoy life more.

We started out looking for a bus conversion, and were planning to make the leap of getting rid of everything and making it our sole residence. Then, we started looking at the Airstreams and decided it might be a better idea to move into this lifestyle a bit more slowly, especially since our jobs dictate where we are a lot of the time. For example, I spent a big part of last year overseas, so having an RV would've just been an extra financial burden, plus it was nice to come home to a house and spread out after living in a little European apartment for weeks at a time. Most people we've talked to went full-timing in stages, maintaining a "home base" at least for awhile until they got to the point of being sure they wanted to spend all their time in an RV. We think that probably makes sense for us, too. How about you? Do you still maintain a house somewhere?

Cheryl & Carl

[John]

Cheryl,

Search "everyone has a story" and that will update you on many of your questions about me.

I travel about 3 months per year( 1 month between state parks or FL to be near family). I'm going to be a campground host in NM for the summer, but I'll take a month going out there from FL. Then after that, who knows- I'll have to see which way the winds blowing . No I don't own a house and if you're frugal, man it's doesn't really cost much to maintain a comfortable life style fulltiming.

Starting off with the Safari will give you lots of great infor between now and 04. Then you'll know if a travel trailer is for you since you have the MH experience. So I think your doing it the right way by taking baby-steps instead of selling everything and looking at each other saying, "what the hell did we do?" This isn't for everyone, but it's great for those who do!

Oh yea, I don't work, but I do volunteer at State Parks(free rent w/electric ) and I too love traveling. I spent last summer in BC and loved it. (and I love our strong dollar too)

Keep on asking-Johnmy story

[cljackson]

John,
That's one of the enticing things about full-timing to us, too. It's a lifestyle that doesn't cost all that much, which in turn will give us more options as to how much time we must devote to work vs. travel. It'll take us a few years to get rid of our debt, but if we can manage to full-time, we can get rid of it quicker. The Safari we are considering is a '99, and has only been used twice (the husband passed away, and now the wife is selling it). They are the original owners, and it has been stored indoors. The asking price is $18K, and it doesn't sound like they're willing to negotiate on that at all. My husband figures it's probably what they owe or have in the unit, but for whatever reason, apparently the price is firm. It's got twin beds, but we figure those can be changed out without too much trouble, and other than that just the basic options that come on most of the Airstreams this size - 13,500 BTU A/C (non-ducted...wondering if this will be an issue), heat, AM/FM/Cassette, 3-burner stove w/ oven (no microwave), Stainless cover over LP tanks, rock guards, and it comes with a heavy duty adjustible anti-sway hitch with 2-5/16" ball. I checked the NADA site for this model, year, and options and the average retail value is right at what they're asking, so I guess that makes it an okay deal. Not being that familiar yet with Airstreams it's difficult for us to know if we are getting a good, great, or marginal deal. We both feel that we can live with something this size for a couple of years, as it'll at least get us on the road; however, if it's unlikely that we will be able to turn around and sell it easily in a couple of years when we want to up-size, then we will just wait. We've already taken a bath financially on a couple of RVs that we had to sell for way less than we had into them, and we don't want to do it again!!!

Any advice?
Cheryl & Carl

[Chas]

Sounds like a good deal to me.

I don't think any A/S's come with ducted a/c so I wouldn't worry about that. Kinda hard to put ducts between the skins. I have seen a 91 Excella 500 at a dealer here on consignment. I think it was a 28'? and they wanted $15,900, it was kinda rough, looked like it had been a fulltimer unit, dirty, needed curtains had some major dents and the clearcoat was peeling. Of course that was the asking price, think it was worth more like 10 grand myself.

As far as taking a bath on the Safari I believe the first owner is taking the major part of it.

I think you will be able to stick with your current tow vehicle as well though I am not sure what your lease company would think of using it to pull, if they care or even if you want to bring it up?

Chas

[Rubyslipper]

Cheryl,What you are planning to do is what we are doing.Sold the house so we are mortgage free.Paid off everything.Use a rental we have owed for several years as our base.Son is in college and he lives in the house so no extra college living expenses.We have been on the road since May.However my hubbys contract here in Missouri is going to be a long one so our big all over the road trips plans are on hold. We do live in our RV all week and go "home" sometimes on the weekend.It took me awhile to adjust to living in the RV. That empty nest thing hit me harder than I expected. Being someones mom for over 30 years and then one day being a"free-bird"was different.We have several friends who are planning to make fulltiming their way of life as soon as they are able.I think its a way of life that over the years is going to appeal more to our generation.We belong to an organization "Escapees".They are based out of Livingston,TX.They have one of the best mail forwarding services around.Check them out.We feel we have made the right choice with our A/S at least for now.We are both very comfortable in it.You will be happy with one too.Rubyslipper