Bang for the Buck?

[Zigidachs]

We are researching for a new AS Classic, and after reading these very informative AS posts for hours, I have serious questions about the value of the AS verses the tremendous investment in dollars. I fully understand that the AS is considered the "best of the best" in terms of TT's, and that it is essentially one of the safer refuges in case of an atomic attack (!) but the initial investment costs are quite high. Several upgrades will be required e.g.: Satellite dish, better tires, better batteries and inverter/converter, led lights, exterior light bulb, levels, TV brackets, etc.

I certainly don't wish to commit hearsay on this site after all I have learned from so many folks, but I am simply interested in your opinions and observations which will compel me to take that last step toward a purchase.

Thank you in advance to all who take the time to address my concerns. Zigi

[Paul&Dee]

Zigi:
If you buy any new RV trailer, they usually will not include a satellite dish or a generator. You will also have to buy a weight distributing hitch, a brake controller for your tow vehicle. You will probably want to upgrade the standard mattress that AS supplies.

If you are not going to be camping without electricity, there is no need to upgrade the batteries or change the light bulbs to LEDs. The standard Goodyear Marathon tires don't need to be replaced either.

But if you buy brand new, you take a big first year depreciation hit just as you do with a car. If you can find a late model used one that you like, it will cost a lot less and may have some of the other extras you want. Look at the classifieds here on the Forums, on Craigslist and on Ebay.

Take a look at the Safari/Flying Cloud models and the International models too. They cost less than the Classics of the same length.

Good luck in your search,
Paul

[TBRich]

First, Paul&Dee is/are correct...buying used will save you big bucks..and any rig you buy new may have things that you may want to upgrade depending on the way you intend to use it and what amenities you desire...even used ones may need upgrades, for that matter. Secondly, all RVs have issues. Airstreams have their share, most would agree ... but in the larger scenario Airstreams are made to last ... and they do last ... that's why there are so many vintage and gracefully aging Airstreams on the road today. Only you can decide what is the right decision for you ... the important thing is that you are happy with your decision when it's all said and done. You could buy the most expensive rig out there and not be happy for a variety of reasons ... and you could buy the least expensive rig and not be happy for a different set of reasons ... it all depends on what you want, what your expectations are, and sometimes what you are willing to pay.

Good luck with the decision making and keep us posted...

[Aviator]

Zigidachs,

You raise a good question. In our case we came to Airstreaming through my wife's parents. They owned various SOB's as she grew up and when they retired, they moved to an Airstream. They bought new because they wanted to put their wear and tear on the trailer. I don't remember the length of the first Airstream, the second was a 34' as they decided they wanted to spend a lot of time in the trailer and do the caravans. Later, they asked why they still owned a brick house when they only spent a couple of weeks a year in it. That led to the selling of the house and fulltiming in the Airstream. It also led to another new Airstream (1996 34'). That on was involved in an accident, and was replaced by a 1997 34'. When my Father-in-Law passed away, the trailer passed to us.

From what I have learned, and our current stage in life, I wouldn't by a new Airstream, but would look for a good used one. However, were I at the stage of retirement as my in-laws were, a new one would look pretty good (should I be able to afford it at that point).

The choice is truly a personal one. If you like tinkering and changing things around to suit your particular taste, then you are a used trailer type of person. If you want to pick it up at the dealer and go with a full warranty to back you up, then you are a new trailer person. If you want a trailer which can last a lifetime with proper care, then you are an Airstreamer.

[KL's 77]

Investment, Airstream as an investment? Did I read this post wrong?

[moosetags]

You sound very much like us 4+ years ago. We thought that we wanted to become RV campers. We had never owned an RV before, and knew very little about them. We started researching (in our case, over-researching), and decided that an Airstream was the only way to go. Our research disclosed that Airstreams were virtually the only travel trailers that had any value in the used market. This was important since we didn't know if we would take to the RV travel style.

We bought our dear Lucy new in June of 2006. Lucy is a 2005 Safari 25FB. We began camping in Lucy, and eventually learned the ropes. We found that the more time we spent in Lucy, the more we enjoyed her.

Lucy has been to all of the lower 48 states over the last 4 1/2 years. We keep a detailed "Lucy Log". We have pulled Lucy almost 70,000 miles, and have spent 746 night in her, including tonight.

As far as bang for the buck goes, Lucy is still worth more than half of what we paid for her new. There are not many cars that you can say that about after five years. We figure that based upon our use of Lucy, we have already gotten our money's worth, and then some.

Airstreams are not perfect, but are closer thereto than anything else out there. We still love Lucy and have many more great Airstream adventures planned.

Here are a few pictures of Lucy in her natural habitat.

Brian

[JimW]

Originally Posted by Zigidachs

We are researching for a new AS Classic, and after reading these very informative AS posts for hours, I have serious questions about the value of the AS verses the tremendous investment in dollars. I fully understand that the AS is considered the "best of the best" in terms of TT's, and that it is essentially one of the safer refuges in case of an atomic attack (!) but the initial investment costs are quite high.



[COLOR="rgb(139, 0, 0)"][COLOR="rgb(139, 0, 0)"][/COLOR][/COLOR]Several upgrades will be required e.g.: Satellite dish, better tires, better batteries and inverter/converter, led lights, exterior light bulb, levels, TV brackets, etc.



I certainly don't wish to commit hearsay on this site after all I have learned from so many folks, but I am simply interested in your opinions and observations which will compel me to take that last step toward a purchase.

Thank you in advance to all who take the time to address my concerns. Zigi

We have been traveling in our '97 Limited (Classic) for 3 months and 7000 miles so far. Generally speaking, it seems to us, that AS owners are more likely to be movers and travelers as opposed to destination campers. Traveling in an AS is unparalleled with ease of towing and liveability.
Upgrades are just a fact of owning a trailer. Usully they come naturally with wear and tear and use.



Also important is the "cult" aspect. Many camper wish they had one, at some time wanted one, etc. Universally, the consider the AS as the top of the heap. Even owners of 1 mil. class A's respect the AS.


I'd certainly consider purchasing a new unit for two reasons: 1. Used units are hard to find, especially Classics. 2. We need more new units to be sold so more used units will be available in the future. In this light, consider a 30' classic. I might be looking for a replacement in 10 -15 years or so.

JimW

[arcamedies]

I once knew a man who bought a $95000 Mercedes for $125,000 just so he could be first for two weeks in Washington DC. Do you buy new and love it cause you were first to use it or pre-owned and save $$$$, your call.

You can always get an SOB that's 10 years old for $1200 and grin about it not costing you as much as those dern airstreams.

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by arcamedies

I once knew a man who bought a $95000 Mercedes for $125,000 just so he could be first for two weeks in Washington DC. Do you buy new and love it cause you were first to use it or pre-owned and save $$$$, your call.

You can always get an SOB that's 10 years old for $1200 and grin about it not costing you as much as those dern airstreams.

Well, there's spending a little more to get new-with-warranty vs. gently used or to get the particular qualities of one brand over another... then there's being a pretentious moron and wasting $30k just to be the first to have the same assembly-line-built Mercedes that everyone else at the country club will have next month. I've never understood that tendency... it's not like a Ford GT or some other hand-built exotic, but people fall over themselves when an anticipated new model of a regular production vehicle comes out, like the MINI or a new model of the Camaro or Mustang, etc... it's bad enough to pay list, paying a premium for that is crazy!

[xonvldz]

i dont squander money,but when i have time off i like to travel with the same comforts of home.the airstream fits the bill for us.what i suggest you do is do some comparison shopping at an rv show and compare how trailers are made.i have been rving for 30 yrs and have towed all kinds of trailers.imho if you intend to travel like i do,then you need a unit that will withstand the road.this is my 2nd new airstream and i am in no rush for a replacement.usually a higher end airstream owner is not someone testing to see if they like rving.the high end owner usually has been through a career of owning sobs snd then buys there dream rv for extensive travel.in my case i bought this trailer to use as long as time permits,and i dont care about loss of value if there is any over time.supply and demand will dictate values.

[AZ-JH]

No recreational vehicle or depreciating item is an investment. Ideally, it's purchased with disposable income. We bought a two-year old Airstream, our very first RV, and saved on depreciation. We're having a great time and meeting wonderful people! Just go with what you really want and have fun now while you still can. That's what it's all about.