After prowling fields in the region and coming up empty, I bought my
1967 Airstream Safari on eBay, (half cash and half credit card advance) for $4,100. I drove to California the next day, buying a new tow vehicle on the way (financed, of course). It would have been love at first sight if my trailer hadn't begun falling apart immediately.
I towed it directly to a dealership, where they helped me get the lights functioning, and then 1,000 miles home to Wyoming (along the way, I got kicked out of the lovely Oasis RV park in Vegas because my trailer was too trashy for their standards). Also along the way, lost a battery compartment and window. She came in handy that summer during a separation from my DH. My dog and I lived in her for a couple of months as sort of a guest house in my friend's yard.
The PO installed bamboo floors and a front-end couch/bed conversion kit.
Last spring, I got new tires, new front window, side window and drove to San Francisco for a week's vacay with my sister. My new customized license plate (TRSH) blew away on the trip to Idaho Falls for a checkup, same trip where rocks blew out the front window. Two months later, after the snow melted, a fisherman found it and returned it to me via my LOST classified in the paper. The rear panel appeared to have been hit by a snowplow. It didn't survive, but the plate did. Now have lovely woodgrain paneling in her rear door area.
After all this self-destruction, I decided to name her something to curb her wild tendencies. A gay masseuse walked up that day and asked if my name was Stella. No, I said, but THAT'S A GOOD NAME. She's calmed down considerably since. We've camped in West Yellowstone, Mont. and around Jackson Hole.
Improvements: Lots of scrubbing, new door lock, 1 dome, 3 windows, new futon, futon covers, curtains, plastic screen tab thingys, ripped out useless shelf and dead fridge, new tires, rear jacks, propane tanks modernized, bought copy of original owners' manual.
Her plumbing doesn't function yet, because I couldn't decide between investing the money or ripping out her whole guts and starting with a new layout.
I'd love to invest a little more cash and sweat into Stella before taking her on a long southwest tour starting March 28.
I've "lurked" on the forum since I started my search for an Airstream in early 2006, so it's nice to finally be here!
Jo in Wyo.
Hello from snowbound Wyo
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