Noob needs advice ASAP

[m.hony]

Option 4:
Buy a truck where you live and drive cross-country to pick up the trailer.

[moxie t. moto]

Originally Posted by joe12pack

hey everyone,
I am seriously thinking about buying a 2015 25' airstream on the east coast (I live on the west coast). I am getting a very good deal so it's possibly worth the hassle. My options are:

1. have it towed by a transportation company (getting quotes of $5-$8k)
2. Fly out there & rent a truck (Enterprise Commercial rents one way trucks I believe) and bring it back myself.
3. Fly out there & buy a truck (used/new) and bring it back myself. Either keep the truck or sell it when I am done.

2500 miles. Never towed anything before.

Need to decide in next 12 hours.

Any other advice? Am I in over my head?

we bought our 2013 23 signature from bay area airstream 2400 cordellia rd. Fairfield ca. 94534 707 549 6094 from Kathy. fantastic deal! we live in mesquite tx. tells you something about the dealership & people. we drove up &picked it up and drove it back to tx. they are having a sale till the end of the mo. highly advise you talk to them before drining east to the unknown.
if I can help call me .972 415 1666 dan

[md11flyer]

Lot of really good comments here and I agree with most. IMHO pass on the deal since you feel pressured, you have never towed before, its the other side of the country, you probably are not aware of payload, anti-sway issues, towing vehicle setups and so forth. Absolutely get an automatic transmission. I drive an F250 D with its six speed tranny and it handles my 29ft Excella with GLEE! The Dodge rigs come with an Allison which may be the best tranny out there. Please do your self a favor in the interest of safety for all of us and go drive a tow vehicle you are interested in first. Learn about anti-sway systems and decide which one is best for you and your family. Oh, and send us a picture of your rig when its all setup. Cheers!

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by joe12pack

hey everyone,

I am seriously thinking about buying a 2015 25' airstream on the east coast (I live on the west coast). I am getting a very good deal so it's possibly worth the hassle. My options are:



1. have it towed by a transportation company (getting quotes of $5-$8k)

2. Fly out there & rent a truck (Enterprise Commercial rents one way trucks I believe) and bring it back myself.

3. Fly out there & buy a truck (used/new) and bring it back myself. Either keep the truck or sell it when I am done.



2500 miles. Never towed anything before.



Need to decide in next 12 hours.



Any other advice? Am I in over my head?

Hi there - I feel your aluminitus pain 😄

Easier to say from here but your opening statement about seriously thinking about this conflicts greatly with your closing statement of needing to decide in 12 hours. And that's only addressing the outer slices of bread on this delicious fluffernutter sandwich you've presented for reaction and advice (I'm leaving the delicious middle alone &#128516.

My advice - since you asked - and this is free advice which could be worth everything you're paying for it - is to just stop. You are in over your head and with even a few more weeks spent researching and learning, you'll be in a MUCH better position to make a fully informed decision and get the perfect buy.

What type of camping are you interested in? Will you be boondocking or KOAing? That would have a huge impact on solar and battery choices. How many of these trailers have you walked through/explored? What is it about this particular configuration that suits your needs so well? What % of time will you be camping? What tow vehicle best suits your needs for the balance of camping/daily driving you'll be doing - with the weight of this trailer when fully loaded for camping? With your TV/TT combo, what WD hitch solution works best for you? How are you going to learn how to tow this thing before taking it cross country? Do you even need to go cross country? What's your risk tolerance for EBay "dealers" who may (or may NOT be) authorized Airstream dealers (like say Colonial in NJ if you must come to the east coast)?

Those are some basic questions just scratching the surface.

If I were your Dr., I would prescribe aluminum rest, put on the trailer brakes (damn, that's funny!! &#128516 and do a bit more research first. There is no doubt in my mind you're going to find a great deal at the right time. These things aren't as scarce as hen's teeth after all. And this brief respite will ultimately make your decision 100 times more valuable.

Your call as to whether this advice has any value 😄

Best of luck!!!

[LucasS]

Joe, I'm glad I came across this post and I really hope this gets you in time. I see you're in my neck of the woods (well, the crusty northern hippie part at least.) so before you go flying off to the east coast to find out you've wired money to a scammer I behest you to call David Morse at Toscano RV. I guarantee you that if the dealer out east is legit, David will beat the price on the same model. If David isn't available ask for Henry the owner.

[iowaroots]

If the price to haul it is acceptable including the purchase price then have someone haul it for you.

It occurs to me that if the deal is that good then buyer be ware. Did I say buyer be ware. If it is so good then why has someone close to where it is not bought it already? After-all a price $5-6k under normal market value is attractive to any serious buyer. Something seems iffy here but make your best decision. Getting in a hurry and having a 12 hour window is not always the best way to buy.

[B00merang]

Joe
I have always liked adventures like this, And since you can take whatever time you need I'd say just do it. Buy a truck in CA, drive it to the east coast, pick up your new AS, and take your time heading back (avoid I-76/I-70 from PA through Indiana). Trips like this are why, in part, we're in the camping business in the first place....for adventure. On the downside, your last post sounds like you're coming back down to earth. And with all these (legitimate) doubts, maybe take the boards advice and keep looking around on the west coast. Safe travels either way.

[joe12pack]

Originally Posted by dan hartman

we bought our 2013 23 signature from bay area airstream 2400 cordellia rd. Fairfield ca. 94534 707 549 6094 from Kathy.

I actually visited the local Airstream dealer in Fairfield this past weekend which is what started this obsession. The dealer I met in person has looked at what I am being offered by this east coast guy and is adamant that its way below dealer cost and how can this other dealer be possibly offering me this deal. He said he can match the offer but for a Flying Cloud which is 2 levels below this Intl Serenity.

I did email the east coast guy and say if I move forward I will fly out and hand him a cashiers check for the remaining $5k.

The interest rate does suck but I can always pay it down early.

As for option #4 driving out there- I have time but not that much time.

The dealer can't guarantee me that my delivery costs will be $3k or less as he says that's my responsibility.

This is an amazing forum. Thanks to everyone's advice so far!

[DotTexas]

I am glad you are stopping to think some more. Read all you can here. There is a wealth of information and many helpful people. That is what I did for about 2 years with lots of hands on and other research. What I learned: automatic transmission is best (I had not had an automatic for decades); I really did want an Airstream. I had never driven a big truck or pulled anything bigger than a 4x6 U-Haul trailer. But I did and do both just fine for over a year now full time. And I'm an old lady!

[lindaebrewer]

Call Bay Area Airstream in Fairfield & see what they can offer you. Huge selection. Incredible indoor space. We just bought a 23'FB 2015 FlyCloud from them. 2.99% rate.

[inthralled]

I had my 22ft towed from North Carolina to Seattle for around $5000 two years ago. It was my cheapest option. I used a company called showroom transport. It took them 5 days door to door with no problems. You can find them here: Showroom Transport - 1-800-462-0038 - Nationwide Auto Movers and Car Delivery

[Gmoore]

I was in Sonoma last year and stopped into Bay Area Airstream and met Kathie Roes. I live in Canada but nevertheless she was most helpful in answering a slew of constant questions from me as we were searching for our dream first AS. We eventually bought a used one locally last fall from CanAm RV, but I will stop in to see Kathie when we are travelling through. Like lindaebrewer I would suggest a call there would be well worthwhile.
And during our three year search we were warned off so many times about scams and too-good-to-be-true deals, that we decided to stay on the safe road. After all there is soooo much to learn and the Forum and the dealer is always there to help. I wouldn't go any other route.
Good luck!

[65Streamer]

Funny, when I did a recent search looking for a 2014 27FB twin I found the usual dealers in Midwest and East Coast $5-$10 thousand more than AS dealer in Los Angeles. And yes, these were e-mailed, in-writing quotes. The kicker was: they'd have to tow it to the California boarder for $600 or I'd have to pay California tax if I picked up at the dealer. Got to thinking about cost: $62+ and $15k-$20K in interest and figured it's better to spend that money elsewhere, including my '65 and '69 vintage units which are waiting patiently. I really love the idea of jumping in something new and being ready to camp but...1/2 the weight, built the way I want, not worried much about the first ding or hail storm and the value goes up in some cases, not down (depreciation). Just my thoughts.

[Mrjkq]

Add the $3K shipping, the cost of hight interest on the loan & your good deal just went up in smoke....just saying!

[LOGRIDER]

Hey there...a lesson learned. We too live in CA and shopped all around for the best deal, and rather than spending nearly 6K more on the unit we wanted close to home, opted to purchase ours from Bay Area Airstream up in your area. We saved big bucks in our estimation. However, (and here is the warning), when we attempted to have some warranty work done locally (actually at the dealer that wouldn't deal or even come close to the deal we were about to make with BAA), they told us that because we hadn't purchased it from them, they would not be able to provide the warranty service for nearly five months. It appears that unlike auto dealerships that service vehicles not purchased from them, RV dealerships are not held to the same standard. We were incensed, and I contacted AS at Jackson Center and was told that they did not have the same control over their dealers that auto dealers have. We ended up driving the thing 5.5 hours back up to BAA who serviced it happily!
A word to the wise, unless this is the killer of all killer deals, buy locally, save yourself the frustration, for I assure you, you will have warranty work, and like leaks, they all do.

[55AS]

You can set up a uship account in minutes and get bids the same day for your shipment. Bids will improve with time but will give you a good idea what the market is like.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by joe12pack

I actually visited the local Airstream dealer in Fairfield this past weekend which is what started this obsession. The dealer I met in person has looked at what I am being offered by this east coast guy and is adamant that its way below dealer cost and how can this other dealer be possibly offering me this deal. He said he can match the offer but for a Flying Cloud which is 2 levels below this Intl Serenity.

I did email the east coast guy and say if I move forward I will fly out and hand him a cashiers check for the remaining $5k.

The interest rate does suck but I can always pay it down early.

As for option #4 driving out there- I have time but not that much time.

The dealer can't guarantee me that my delivery costs will be $3k or less as he says that's my responsibility.

This is an amazing forum. Thanks to everyone's advice so far!

Joe- lots of sound advice here on AS's!
For tow vehicles F150 Echoboost automatic vs F250 diesel stick?? No brainer for most of us who own Echoboost's; For both AS purchse, new or used, important to take your time; as others have said, there are "great deals" all the time~ when your serious. No need to wire money; that should be a red flag...$500 down with credit card should hold at most dealers...and if it is a good dealer, likely 100% refundable (ask) ...we had 2 deposits with different dealers in CA last year until we decided which unit we wanted. We went with Bay Area Airstream Adventures; Bobby V. said he did not want to be undersold, and he was the best price for us with the unit we wanted. The other dealer in Los Banos was also very good/competitive, but did not have the front bed unit we wanted. After several conversations talking with dealers, you will likely decide who your comfortable working with. Visiting BayArea Airstream was very helpful, since they have big inventory. We have spent lots of time in dealer models over the years which also helps!

Now to your original question with no experience towing and which tow vehicle to buy; you can rent an Airstream with tow vehicle in some locations; one example here I saw in AS Magazine is a dealer in LA area is WWW.airstreamlosangeles.com if you want to get some experience; they will credit cost of rental toward unit, if you decide to purchase.... As others have said, if you are not experienced and have any doubts (most all of us have been there), you would be better researching this a bit more before plunking down $100K+ for entire package only to find out the experience is not what you expected. Good luck!

[KiraR]

Hi Joe12pack:
I wanted to pipe in since I just did the reverse trip you are asking about. For what it's worth...here's what I did and what I learned.
I live in CT. I looked for used airstreams anywhere and found one in Sausalito. I was planning to do exactly what you are thinking of doing (flying out and driving it back with a new truck). I am a newbie trailer driver too so I decided against that option. I want to be safe and I want everyone around me to NOT be at risk because of my lack of experience.

I ended up buying a 30' airstream (from Sausalito) and hiring RJ (RJDominic@aol.com) from Flatcreek Enterprises (I found him here....on this forum!) to bring it here to CT. It took just under 8 days, cost $4,000 and was in incredible, competent hands.

The owner in CA took me on a virtual tour using his phone and we spent hours going over the trailer. I know it is not advised to buy such a machine this way, but it worked. With the exception of him leaving out the small detail that he still owed money on it....(that's all sorted out now) it went well.

If this trailer is near to CT and you want help with inspecting it, I am happy to help you if I can.

[KiraR]

Oh! I forgot to add: I bought the Ram 2500 Cummins engine. It's spectacular!
What a performance vehicle!

Still, it all requires research so you can accomplish what you need to according to YOUR needs.

Good luck.
Kira

[dcasr]

I seriously hope you let this one go by. Unless the AS is brand new, take an experienced Airstreamers with you to look over any Airstream. Learn to tow on a cheaper trailer. Buy within a days long drive. Deals come and deals go, but problems will arise and you need to be within a days drive of a dealer you buy it from. Don't wire money, full stop, repeat, don't wire money. Don't do non refundable deposits that are multi thousands of dollars. Buy a two vehicle that can handle a trailer heavier than the one you think you will buy. Buy the tow vehicle locally and get used to it. Practice backing up inexpensive trailers.

When you finally get the Airstream, and its been inspected to be sound and road worthy, and the floor isn't spongy and there aren't any water stains on the walls or upholstery, put Tire Minders on the Airstream tires, and figure out how to use them. Have the hitch adjusted both for height, then appropriate tension on the spring bars. Cross the safety chains. Use a sway control unless you have one of those expensive sway prevention outfits. Get it insured for AGREED VALUE, no other term, not cash value, not depreciated value, not book value, only AGREED VALUE. Then go and enjoy your Airstream. Or cut corners and weep.