Pulled the trigger on a 2006 Safari SS

[thegarse]

Hi everyone, I used to browse these air forums and the classifieds page only dreaming of ever owning an Airstream. They have the elegance I've always wanted in a trailer, the nostalgic retro look that I love and the craftsmanship that can keep a maintained Airstream going for decades.

About a week a go we had the opportunity to purchase a friend's 2006 Safari SS for what I think/hope is a good deal. Other than what I've casually read on these pages I am no expert (today's troubleshooting proves that) but this was either transitional part of our camping/RVing lives, or a mistake.

The Airstream needs some love and was lived in for some time. There are dents 3 or so, missing rivets, seals that need to be resealed, in need of new batteries, tires, toilet (my wife said this toilet is gross and very hard to clean), tv, rock guard, power lift, stabilizers, WDH, mattress, etc.

I'm hoping this never ending list of toDo's is normal, I even bought a truck because our little v6 would never be able to pull it (the v6 pulled our R-Pod just fine). I'm considering taking it to Bay Area Airstreams since they're only an hour away. Then later a famous/infamous Vinny who now lives in a neighboring town from me after his relocation (he wouldn't take any work until this summer - very booked).

Does anyone have feedback on Bay Area Airstreams? Should I leave the dent or have them work on it? Where do I go to buy a mattress? Do we have to make all/most of our purchases on the main Airstream website? Are there great parts pages I haven't found online? Why doesn't my power lift work when I'm connected to my TV, is it because my batteries are dead? All of these questions make this purchase seem very overwhelming. Does it get easier? Why are the pictures showing upside down? (edit: fixed the pictures)

Thank you in advance.

Mike G
Elk Grove, CA

[Woosch]

Hello Mike. Congrats on your Airstream. We have a 2007 so have done just about everything you have described. The only difference is that we have done it over a period of time. You have quite a list and I can see why you are overwhelmed.
We have a friend who has had service at the Bay Area Airstream and he has not had any complaints. I am really hesitant to have anyone other than someone with expertise on Airstreams working on ours. Vinnie would be my first choice but maybe you can get some things that are a lower priority scheduled with him in the future.
If this were my rig I think I would start with the seams on the trailer. If its never been done, you are way overdue and it can be expensive if you have someone do it for you. Next would be your running gear. How are the bearings? Sounds like you know the tires need replacing so that would be a big priority. Batteries are not too expensive so next trip to Costco I would pick up a pair. Not sure what the power jack is but I would figure out how to manually operate it if has an electrical issue. The dents that I can see, I would live with. They don't look too bad and you will hardly notice them a year from now.
Inside...If Lisa told me the toilet was gross I would just get a new one and replace it myself. I did a rebuild on ours last year and it wasn't a hard job. As far as the bed goes, there is nothing worse that waking up with a sore back and/or hips. There are many threads on the forum about replacement mattresses. We got one from Rocky Mountain Mattress many years ago and are happy with it.
A lot of this stuff isn't hard to do but can be time consuming. Even if I think I know what I'm doing I still check a youtube video to make sure I'm on the right track.
It gets easier as you go along so hang in there. PM me if you have any questions.

[Rich W]

Hi, Mike, welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of Airstreaming.
We have the 2006 23' LS model and have been happy with it. It has a mark on the right side where the original owner had a limb fall on it. He kept the insurance check and sold it to the guy I bought it from. There are no leaks, all cosmetic, all rivets intact. We were happy to get it and intend on keeping it and enjoying it for the rest of our lives. Our children can decide what to do with it.

Your power jack won't work if you have no batteries connected. The jack is directly wired to the batteries so even if you have the TV connected there is no power. If you can afford them, Lifeline AGMs are one of the best, but they are expensive. You can also just use marine/RV deep cycle batteries which are lower cost. I recommend Deka brand but they are hard to find. Lowes carries them but has only a 90 day warranty.

I replaced our batteries, which were older but still working. I thought they were pretty weak but it turned out the converter was bad, not charging them. I replaced it with a Progressive Dynamics 4655 and all's well. I have the old Lifelines in the garage, they hold a charge of about 85% for a long time.

We had ours resealed and rain stress / pressure tested at Airstream in Jackson Center, OH in 2015. At that time labor was $120/hour. Strip and reseal the entire top was $1,000. We do not have any leaks but the roof hadn't been resealed for more than 5 years and we were concerned. I had them fix a soft spot in the floor (I removed all the furniture in the front to save on labor) and also clean the existing front floor to remove most of the mold stains.

The PO gave us his Equalizer hitch along with some extra tools and parts, a small cost savings for us. He had just replaced the awning too, so another bonus.

I think the answer to many of your questions is to repair/replace stuff when necessary and when you can afford it. Leaks take priority, in my opinion. Enjoy the AS and don't worry about resale so much. If you're a DIY kind of person then do as much as you can yourself, especially anything that will save on labor costs. Google what it is you're looking for, like "Airstream corner mattress", then check the dimensions against yours. Airstream will sell you what you want but there are other sources.

[wulfraat]

That is an awesome floor plan - love the 25SS! You’ll be very happy with it - we had a 2008 international version.

We made a lot of upgrades over the years. The items you list are all pretty minor to address, with the exception of the dented panel. If your jack doesn’t work it could be dead batteries, the jack wire (it is brittle and can crack/break), the fuse in the jack wire or the motor on the jack itself. Start with checking the batteries....

You’ll get the hang of things - take it slow - when I got mine it was my first trailer ever, and with time comes experience!

Here is a link to ours and the upgrades we made over the years...

Enjoy that 25SS, miss ours but we are enjoying a 30’ now with a little more space for the family and dog.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f370...al-106742.html

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1lbseqqluc...For%20Sale.pdf