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Ahab · 10-24-2012, 08:47 AM

We've been towing this for six years without any problems. Image was taken above 10,000' We do not use a WDH or sway control. Note your owners manual tells you to avoid WDH. Your truck is one of the most stable towing platforms out there.

AWCHIEF · 10-24-2012, 09:04 AM

This thread is from 2008. Is the OP still around?

hamiltonmj · 10-24-2012, 10:19 AM

Where is this in the Airstream Owner's Manual. Never heard of it from any other 'Streamer nor have I heard of it from the factory which I have visited twice with my setup. I purchased the OB from Colonial Airstream and they would not release it to me unless I had W/D. Pg 8-5 of my Owner's Manual says only Sway Control is optional.

Think about it...your hitch is rated at what...450lbs? Without W/D you're putting more than that weight on the hitch IMHO. My specs say the 19' hitch weight is 510 lbs without

options or variable weight like water in the tank.

Dick Collum · 10-24-2012, 10:53 AM

Dear Stephen:

I am sure that your 19" Bambi is a good unit. Should have a change of heart, I am looking for a used 19" Bambi. Good Luck!

Dick

JackDog · 10-24-2012, 01:06 PM

Nightwind,

My previoius trailer was a 2007 17' Spirit Deluxe Casita. I just moved up to a 2013 16' Sport. The Bambi weighs about 370 pounds more dry than the egg.

I tow the AS with the same TV I had with the Casita (2010 Jeep Liberty 4X4).

Any Casita owner will tell you that you have to travel light due to the lack of outside storage. I can't tell you how much more room we feel we have with our 16 footer. We are using the exact amount of "stuff" in the AS but now we can store most of it in the rear outside storage compartment and not on the bed or floor as in the egg.

Of course yours being a 19' weighs more but has a bit more inside room than our 16 footer. Our Jeep is rated at a 5,000 pounds towing capacity; we just returned from Yosemite where we did a fair amount of mountain driving (one grade was 10%!) and felt the Jeep did almost as good as when we towed with the Casita. the MPG went down from the 15/16 we got with the Casita to 12/13 with the Bambi. I'm thinking this has more to do with the larger frontal footprint than with the additional trailer weight.

As far as towing with equalizer bars and/or a sway control. We towed with a Valley system on the egg and now use the Equalizer brand which I love since we don't have to deal with the chains and the separate bar to install. Add to that the great AS towing aspects and the Sport towed as good as with the egg.

Unless you tow a small tent trailer or other small light trailers I wouldn't tow without either one of these items.

Here is the weight specs for both trailers:

17' Casita Deluxe: dry wgt/2,480 lbs tongue wgt/365 axle max/3,500
19' AS Bambi: dry wgt/3,795 lbs tongue wgt/550 axle max/4,500

We plan on moving up to a Jeep GC with the Pentastar V6 next year; 80 more hp and more torque. With the Sport the V8 for us would be overkill.

One last comment, if you read every negative thread in both the Casita Club and AS websites you would come to the conclusion that both trailers are major pieces of crap.

Now that I have owned both I know I've experienced the two best travel trailers bar none! Sure I had a few "minor" issues with the Casita and I'm sure I'll have some with the AS but remember; these two trailers have the best resale value of any travel trailer offered in the market place, when you go to sell them you have multiple buyers, the owners of these jewels are typically the nicest people you will meet and last the unique and very cool appeal both these trailers offer.

No offense but during a trip out when was the last time an owner of a stick built box trailer got multiple requests to see the inside of their trailers or get honked at out on the road?

Good Luck in all you AS adventures.

Jack Dog
in So Cal

Ahab · 10-25-2012, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamiltonmj

Where is this in the Airstream Owner's Manual. Never heard of it from any other 'Streamer nor have I heard of it from the factory which I have visited twice with my setup. I purchased the OB from Colonial Airstream and they would not release it to me unless I had W/D. Pg 8-5 of my Owner's Manual says only Sway Control is optional.

Think about it...your hitch is rated at what...450lbs? Without W/D you're putting more than that weight on the hitch IMHO. My specs say the 19' hitch weight is 510 lbs without

options or variable weight like water in the tank.

It's in the Honda Ridgeline Manual. The hitch is rated at 500#. When ready for travel I have 437# on it.

hamiltonmj · 10-25-2012, 01:42 PM

Interesting that the Ridgeline Manual would tell you not to use weight distribution. Probably because it's not a truck frame but a car unibody and weight distribution might deform the unibody. The Airstream specs for a 19' says the hitch weight is 510lbs "without options or variable weight". How do you only get 437lbs on the hitch when loaded?

Globie64 · 10-25-2012, 01:54 PM

Does the Ridgeline manual say no WD, or an improperly set up WD? My 2012 Pilot says this in the manual: "Weight Distributing Hitch
A weight distributing hitch is not recommended for use with your vehicle, as an improperly adjusted weight distributing hitch may reduce handling, stability, and braking performance." and nothing about a properly set up hitch. I use a WD hitch on the Pilot.

And, the Ridgeline is not entirely unibody, it has an integral ladder frame. We have a 2006 Ridgeline with 110k and no problems at all, used as a work truck. From Wikipedia: "The Honda Ridgeline uses unibody architecture ladder frame/unibody hybrid chassis. Honda claims this design gives it 2.5 times more ball rigidity and 20 times the torsional rigidity than the standard ladder frame only type of chassis construction, while retaining the load carrying capacity of the traditional ladder frame."

Nightwind15 · 10-26-2012, 05:03 AM

I am still here and still have my Bambi. No issues and traded vehicles to a Ford F150 4 wheel drive. Gets better milage towing than my Ridgeline did and more comfortable. Still miss my Honda a bit though, so unique.

c177tx · 10-26-2012, 01:36 PM

Do you miss your casita?

Nightwind15 · 10-27-2012, 06:41 AM

I do not miss the casita realistically but aesthetically I do. The little Casita was just cool looking while the Bambi looks industrial and commercial like the old corner hamburger diner. Would I go back? No! The only thing I would change for would be a Flying Cloud 20 and I would do that in a heart beat. Cost too much though.

Ahab · 10-28-2012, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamiltonmj

Interesting that the Ridgeline Manual would tell you not to use weight distribution. Probably because it's not a truck frame but a car unibody and weight distribution might deform the unibody. The Airstream specs for a 19' says the hitch weight is 510lbs "without options or variable weight". How do you only get 437lbs on the hitch when loaded?

I don't have a Bambi.