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Old 09-23-2013, 08:19 PM   #1
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Littleton , Colorado
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New Purchase

My wife and I will be purchasing a Bambi Sport 16' AS this fall/winter, most likely a new one. This will be our first camping trailer. We will use the AS mostly on 2-3 night trips, primarily in National Forest campgrounds or boondocking. Occasionally we will use it on trips of 5-7 days but these trips will probably involve a night or two in a campground with all the hook ups. Most of our trips will be in CO, WY, MT, ID.

Our question is what should we add from the dealer or what should part of the purchase price that is not included in the standard package? We live in Denver but we will buy from the "best" dealer in the west.

Our tow vehicle is a 2013 Toyota 4 runner. The AS will be stored in a climate controlled indoor facility when not in use.

Any recommendations or advice will be greatly appreciated,


Thank you,

Garry and Kathy
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Old 09-23-2013, 08:32 PM   #2
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2015 25' FB Eddie Bauer
2013 25' FB Eddie Bauer
2012 20' Flying Cloud
Small Town , *** Big Sky Country ***Western Montana
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... Solar power with AGM btty, inverter, load EQ hitch (?), wife might enjoy convection / micro if available; inverter generator for times when boondocking w/o strong sun for solar or to use 110 appliances. (We drove to Seattle ... but they also have branches in Portland, & Boise and found a great price from Airstream Adventures Northwest...ask for CJ or Steve)
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Old 09-24-2013, 05:32 AM   #3
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2003 25' Classic
Houstatlantavegas , Malebolgia
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Thumbs up Welcome Aboard....

Boondocking.....AGM battery, three stage converter up-grade. 2000w Honda or Yamaha generator. Quality WD hitch with sway control.

Practicality....rear bumper.




Sweet Streams...


Bob
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Old 09-24-2013, 08:59 AM   #4
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Newport , Rhode Island
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We have a 2010 16 sport that we purchased in May. I added a cover for the fan so that I can leave it open when it rains. I upgraded the battery, and switched the propane tanks to aluminum. I just ordered the screen door guards as they are not standard on the sport.

I tow with a 2013 v6 tacoma with Reese hitch. So far so good in New England. We shall see how it does out your way.

Have Fun
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Old 09-24-2013, 10:06 AM   #5
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Welcome Garry and Kathy...here's my advice

Read everything you can on this forum about towing, safety, hitching up, dumping, maintenance, and precautionary measures that you come across.
( transmission coolers, brake controllers, anti sway bars etc )Learn about how to conserve batteries, propane, and water. Learn from our mistakes. Ask anyone you know who has experience for advise. I researched for a month before I took my first trip.
Then realize that you might change the way you thought you would use your trailer. I found out that my trailer was a great safe place during emergencies, such as power outages. You might want to run a 30 amp outlet to the trailer, so you can use it as a guest house. ( I give guests MY bed and I use the trailer ha ha ) Have fun, enjoy, MD
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Old 09-24-2013, 11:14 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kpatrick View Post
My wife and I will be purchasing a Bambi Sport 16'
Not in any way trying to talk you out of this, but have you tried the bed? It's extremely snug for two people.

I love my wife, but I don't think we could be comfortable in a 16' Bambi.
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Old 09-24-2013, 12:11 PM   #7
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2003 25' Classic
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Thumbs up pay him no mind......

......he's a Pooty Parper

Bob
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Old 09-24-2013, 02:40 PM   #8
cwf
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Mmm comfy!
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Old 09-24-2013, 05:36 PM   #9
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Since you're going to be in a climate controlled indoor storage when not in use, have a battery switch installed that will completely disconnect the batteries from all use. The switch that they come with does not completely disconnect when in the 'store' position. There is a phantom load (LP gas detector and others) that will drain your batteries. Or, remember to disconnect the battery ground when in storage.
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Old 09-24-2013, 11:01 PM   #10
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2005 16' Safari
Mill Valley , California
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Look for a little bit older one in great condition, from a dry climate. They are out there and you can find them. I found that the newer ones lack some of the important features (bumpers with storage, rock guards etc.) that a few years older model comes with. Let someone else take the depreciation hit and be watchful and patient. Pounce when you find "the one". Buy the ebook "How to buy an Airstream" and educate yourself as much as you can prior to pulling the trigger. Get someone you trust, available on the forum, to check it out before you buy. Then go for it and love every minute of your life on the road....free and at home.
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Old 09-25-2013, 12:24 AM   #11
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I think you will find the Bambi perfect for 2-3 days of boondocking. National Forest campgrounds are my favorite. Water and power become limiting factors for me at about 4 days without hookups, mostly the power. Top of my wish list is solar.

You will have a blast, and I hope you consider adding UT to your list of states to visit.

Stan
Salt Lake City
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Old 09-25-2013, 04:29 AM   #12
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2003 25' Classic
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spenfolder View Post
I think you will find the Bambi perfect for 2-3 days of boondocking. National Forest campgrounds are my favorite. Water and power become limiting factors for me at about 4 days without hookups, mostly the power. Top of my wish list is solar.

You will have a blast, and I hope you consider adding UT to your list of states to visit.

Stan
Salt Lake City
The sun don't shine enough in our forests....must be an East Coast solar thing.

Bob
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Old 09-27-2013, 09:49 PM   #13
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2013 16' Sport
Washington , Washington, D.C.
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Garry and Kathy

Darlene and I bought a 2013 Bambi 16 this year and we too camp as you've described. I'm 6'3" and Darlene is 5'2" and we sleep just fine in the bed. We upgraded the battery and installed all led lights. I use an Equal-I-Zer hitch and it works great for us and our Toyota Highlander. At a recent trip to a National Park we visited with an 86 year old couple who had their AS for 40+ years. I asked for his best recommendation to a new AS owner. His answer, "use it as often as you can."

You will love the 16 and most complaints about the 16 are made by those who do not own one.

I too spell my name with 2 R's.

Enjoy

Garry
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Old 10-11-2013, 04:41 PM   #14
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2013 16' Sport
Orange , California
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Living life small

kpatrick,

We purchased our 2013 16' Sport new a year ago. We did have the AS dealer install a second battery and since I felt the factory porch light was to dim they added a unit from a Safari.

Since then we added led lights and will soon upgrade to a solar package. The day we picked it up I had them level the AS and installed bubble levels in the front and side. I picked them up from Camping World. They use a adhesive backing and being black look great against the silver skin.

We plan on returning to the dealer and have them install the segment protectors in the front. We added a brush guard accross the back of our Jeep to minimize road damage to the front of the AS.

Oh, and we installed a manual fan switch on the frig since it tends to run all the time even in cool weather.

So far we have done a 12 day trip in our little tin can and enjoyed every minute. Don't let the small size deter you from going small.

Jack Dog
in So Cal
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