Desperately seeking AS

[Shelly M]

Hello all,

Just found this fabulous site and have spent many hours reading the posts. What a valuable resource for newbies and experienced Airstreamers alike. Kudos.

Last October, my hubby and I went to the RV show with friends to look at 5th wheels - the only way to travel in our friends' opinion. We wandered into the Airstream section just for kicks. Of course we fell in love - or more like obsession - and the search is on.

We have since spent several hours at a dealer learning about the models and options and have spent countless hours surfing the web.

Our big dilemna - new or used? We love the styling of the International with the modern detailing and the plentiful natural light and love the floor plan of the 27FB . I am OK with a used trailer, hoping to save a little money. If we buy used, it seems like 2006 or later are going to be our preferred options.

My husband is concerned about what technology upgrades/innovations we might miss with 2 - 5 year old rig. He's also concerned about not know how to look for problems in a used trailer . And how do we determine a fair price?

Your insights are appreciated.

Travel well.

[moosetags]

First off, welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us.

The 27FB is a great choice. We have a 2005 25FB, named Lucy, that we have spent almost 600 nights in, and have towed her over 50,000 miles. In our opinion the FB floor plans work well for thew long haul.

As to your question regarding new vs. used late model, it depends on how good a deal you can find. Don't be afraid of a used late model Airstream as most are very well kept. There have not been any earth shaking improvements in the last several years.

Check out the Classified Section here on the Forums. As a matter of fact, I noticed a 2009 27FB listed there this morning. This trailer belongs to a Forums member who is up-sizing to a 31 footer. I believe this 27FB is located in Mobile, Alabama. Take a look.

Brian

[moosetags]

I just looked at the Forums Classified again. There are actually three 2009 27FB's listed for sale, two in Alabama, and one in North Carolina.

Brian

[Silverfoxrae]

That's incredible! Three?!

Welcome to the Forums! And good luck with your decision!!

Rae

Originally Posted by moosetags

I just looked at the Forums Classified again. There are actually three 2009 27FB's listed for sale, two in Alabama, and one in North Carolina.

Brian

[bob34787]

tell your husband not to worry about missing out on any technology updates in the past 2-3 years, i don't think there has been any change in 10 years.

[TBRich]

Most of the technology seems to be fairly stable ... the electronics (TV, DVD, etc) are the quickest to change, but can be updated fairly easily, too ... the basic systems (furnace, electricity, water hater, water systems in general, propane, solar, etc) do not seemed to have changed that much over over the last decade...

[moosetags]

Price a new 27FB equipped the way you want it. Then take a look at the used ones and see how they compare.

Brian

[Aage]

Yeah, we worried a lot for a while about the difference in technology between the '74s and the 2010s, but then we figured, what the heck, what's 36 years to a trailer?

Oh, and we managed to save about $70,000, too! Here comes that European trip! LOL!

[aftermath]

Ooooh, it sounds like you got it bad. We just purchased a "lightly" used 2006 25FB and I would suggest that the 27 FB is a great choice. We saved a lot of cash upfront but have had to do a few fix ups. In 2006 the televisions did not come with digital tuners so upgrading was important but not real expensive. Our converter also went out so we upgraded to a much better one. Other than that, I really don't think there will be many issues.

We looked for a couple of years and found very few FBs out there. Now I notice they are a little easier to come by, probably due to the fact that they are not so new any longer and the economy must have had something to do with it.

Good luck in finding one close to home.

[Shelly M]

Thank you to everyone who offered their thoughts on the subject of new vs. used. It really helped us. We felt that if we found the right used trailer, we could confidently proceed. But in the end, we went for the convenience and certainty of buying new.

So we've taken the plunge and we can't wait to start our new travel adventures! Maybe we'll see you out there.

Best to all - travel well!

[moosetags]

Well....don't keep us in suspense. Tell us all about what you ended up getting. Some photos of the new baby would be nice, also.

Brian

[Aage]

Yeah, c'mon, pleeeeeeze: photos and description..??