Hello.. I'm new here.

[TravelinCRNA]

My name is Misty & I am in the market for an airstream. I recently stayed in a Bambi & really enjoyed it. I am hoping to learn as much as possible & will take any advice anyone has to share. I haven't decided if I should by vintage/restored or new. Thanks for reading my post.

[Kevin245]

Welcome Misty,

Glad you're with us and considering your Airstream purchase. You'll find plenty of advice here.

Regards,

Kevin

[moosetags]

Welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us.

Tell us more about what you want to do with your Airstream, and what you plan to pull it with.

Brian

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by TravelinCRNA

My name is Misty & I am in the market for an airstream. I recently stayed in a Bambi & really enjoyed it. I am hoping to learn as much as possible & will take any advice anyone has to share. I haven't decided if I should by vintage/restored or new. Thanks for reading my post.

New has a warranty.

Used, well you take your chances, especially from E-Bay.

Restored, is great, depending on who restored it. There are those that do it as a hobby/profit, make it look great, but buy parts from K-Mart, and sell it to to a buyer who is not expecting a pile of trash, but indeed bought one.

Be very very careful in anything used, or rehabed.

Find a dealer or shop that you can trust, and have them check out anything used, that you may have your eye on.

Andy

[Foiled Again]

Best advice - take your time and see as many models and years as you can IN PERSON. Floor plans, layouts, etc are SO different than the real thing.

Also, this ends up being an emotional purchase, later justified by logic, so it won't hurt at all making a list (or ten) of things you intend to use the Airstream for. That list will help you analzye the practical choices - Queen vs. Twin Beds - separate bedroom, wet or dry bath, lounge or dinette or both. Oh, and will you want a gas oven or a convection microwave. Are you intending to boondock (wilderness camp without hookups) or will you spend most of your time in campgrounds with full utilities? Watch out for that last one, I started in campgrounds, now give me an excuse to boondock for a weekend or longer.

You'll also have to make choices regarding the tow vehicle. If you decide you want a 34 tri-axle with a slideout, you're looking for a 3/4 ton pickup, possibly diesel which means a Chevy 2500 Silverado, Ford F-250, or Dodge Ram 2500. Smaller lighter units will add the possibility of using the 1/2 ton versions of those, or a Titan or Tundra, or maybe the new Ford Flex.

If you're planning on fulltiming, you'll need to consider where you'll be able to park it in California. If it's just for summer and weekend trips, can you keep it at your home - the zoning Nazi's may have other ideas.

BUT - all the real world concerns aside - it's a lot of fun.

So welcome. Read here, CHECK the classifieds. Go visit a few. Look for an Airforum rally in your area.

And most of all, study "aluminitis" - you've obviously started coming down with it.

Paula

[Jezibels]

Paula is right, floor plan, floor plan, floor plan. How many do you need to sleep? Once you start looking, go inside them and see which one feels right to you. We searched for a year or so, saw 1960's, 70's, 80's and 90's thru 2010's. We saw old ones in poor shape, but new ones not in the best of shape, a 2005 with a leak so bad it would make you turn and run! We found a 1966 that we knew was right, felt right from the start and we are still smiling! You will learn from talking with the fine folks here that no matter what you decide on there will need to be repairs, but lets face facts here, nothing in life is perfect, no house, no car, no camper. But oh the fun you will have taking care of her!
All the best in your search! If you need advice take pics, plenty here happy to help! Get ready for BIG FUN! ; )

[LisaP]

Vintage or new , whatever you decide your going to have a blast! After owning our Bambi for 10 months I wish we had a larger bed. We liked the size of the Bambi and thought the bed would not be a problem but the more time we have spent on the road it gets a little tight. We also travel with 2 dogs. Happy hunting!

[CaddyGrn]

Hello and welcome to the forums!

A lot of your decision will be based on your lifestyle, your pocketbook, your preferences for comfort level and where you want to go and camp! We have a 1963 restored bambi... hubby restored it. I bought it on eBay... we absolutely love the little thing! It has original appliances, etc. so we don't have a drain on the battery for things like the heater or refrigerator... so no matter how cold, our furnace works unless we run out of propane! But, restoration was a major effort... but my husband really enjoyed it. The new Bambi's are stunning, and have a techie feel...

Are you only wanting to camp in RV type parks, or places with full hookups? Or do you see yourself camping out in the wilds? Or perhaps somewhere inbetween... think about what you want to do with it, and start from there. Here is a link to an older thread, but one with useful information you may want to read: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f353...eam-22920.html

Talk to everyone, ask every question you can think of ~ and decide what will be best for you! Airstreams are great, and the folks who own them are even better! We have met so many good people who have Airstreams. It is the very best part!

[TravelinCRNA]

WOW... thanks everyone for welcoming me! so many posts was a surprize. :-)

I am going to start looking at floorplans & different years from old to new.

I just started working independently in a different part of the state than where my home is located. I usually spend 2 wks in Sonoma county & the rest of them month I fly home to SoCal. I am getting so tired of the commute, but I am really upside down in my home I've had for 3 years that I don't want to sell it & loose so much money with this market. So after staying a two nights in a Bambi airstream at The Metro hotel in Petaluma, I got the idea of getting a sweet travel trailer to use as my "home away from home" instead of having always fly back to SoCal.

I will be needing to buy a vehicle to tow it, but hopefully it will not have to be a truck (can a jeep tow an AS??) as I am wanting a model slightly larger than a Bambi- maybe a Flying Cloud? But like so many stated- I really just need to get out there & start looking at floorplans & models to be sure.

I am definately wanting a larger bed as it will just be myself that will use it. I definately want hard wood floors (wish they could radiate heat-wouldn't that be awesome!) & a convection oven vs microwave. I want more of a modern/sleek appearance inside, but I am comfortable with a vintage AS.

Will rely mostly on campgrounds to get my feet wet & then if I can rent land somewhere around Sebastopol or Petaluma- will boondock it.

Thanks everyone for your input- keep it comin' please!

~Misty

[CaddyGrn]

Hello again,

Be sure and check out the Vintage Airstream Archives for photos and floor plans... many folks completely gut their older 'streams and create a new environment... so there is lots out there! Vintage Airstream Photo Archives
Have fun!

[SilverHoot]

Not sure what the tow capacity is for a Jeep. Short wheel bases such as Jeeps have, are generally not that good for towing.

[Alwhisman]

Welcome to the Forums, great to have you here!

Which ever way you go, you can't go wrong. Depending first on what type of effort you want to put into it. Also what everyone else has mentioned.....


Good Luck!

Al

[gail]

i love old, the floor plan is number 1. Number 2 your budget and number 3 streamin along and the great great people you meet. Everyone is most helpful here on the forums.

[arcamedies]

The hunt is on :O)

That's the fun part, window shopping for the perfect Airstream. Try this web page when looking for one advertised before you go to see it and you'll know what the floor plan is like before you drive to far only to see something that won't work.

Airstream, Inc :: Travel Trailer Specifications

As far as a tow vehicle, get the right trailer first, tow vehicles can come and go. Someone said it's like buying a house only to find a bedroom set you can't live without only to find it doesn't fit the bedroom size you now have, bummer.

Gook Luck John S.

[soldiermedic]

Welcome to the forums. I assume you are pulling Locum Tenens work as a CRNA. If you want worry free, I would suggest looking at a new unit, or having a vintage trailer completely restored. It all depends on how fast you need it.

Another member here names Sugarfoot is a CRNA, and is having a 1956 Sovereign of the road completely restored. You can see her blog at Traveling with Elvis.

Hope to see you down to road, and may all your inductions be slam dunks!

Steve

[EClark]

Hey Misty, there is something about these silver twinkies that's kind of like an addiction...that shiny metal is pretty mesmerizing. We have been on the road for 7 months in our 2004 19ft. Bambi, it is such a great size to pull around and back into tougher places...but as we continue to travel we are thinking of upgrading to a slightly larger size...so think about your long-term usage.

you can check out our travel blog at Tin Can Travels.

we were southern caly folks as well...

cheers!
eli

[fotochop]

It's hard to be patient once you catch a bad case of aluminitus, but you will be rewarded for taking your time and waiting to get the right trailer for your needs. A few more major considerations:

- are you able to handle (skills, tools, and TIME) minor and major repairs and renovations? If so, your first trailer may be the one you "learn Airstream" on. It's incredibly fun in a really painful and exhausting kind of way *(that doesn't sound good, does it?).... If not, you'll be better off finding a REALLY tight trailer that needs little or no work and being near a really good dealer/repair shop that already knows Airstream (don't assume every RV shop does).

- take the time here on the forums to really learn the systems that interact in your trailer: from running gear to plumbing, 12/120 volt electric to buck vs. Olympic rivets.. man, what an education! this forum is amazing! The better you know how the systems work, what distinguishes a good component from a bad one, the more prepared you'll be to make a wise purchase..

- there's also a lot to learn about tow vehicles. I was lucky enough to buy a complete trailer/Tundra package that already had all the good extras you'll need to tow: brake controller, hitch, sway bars, etc. I personally think my 2001 access cab Tundra is one of the best tow vehicles on the road and plan on keeping it at least another 10 years and towing the whole time...

Like the Rod Bernard song (almost) says: "this could go on forever".... but you've got the bug...now the fun begins! good luck

[TravelinCRNA]

I've rented a 2007 Mercedes Pleasure Way from a friend for a month. I am traveling along Pacific Coast Hwy 1 in California. I've gone from Venice beach to Big Sur since Jan 1. I am enjoying the experience. I am doing this as a trial to see if I really like the idea of living in a small space for several days at a time as I hope to use my airstream as a second home 2 weeks a month.

[Sugarfoot]

Hi Misty, and welcome to the forums. It's great to see another CRNA here.

Great idea to do a trial with the Pleasure Way. Airstream has a similar product called an Interstate. If you find that space is comfortable for you, I believe you will find an Airstream travel trailer very liveable. Airstreamers also tend to think of the great outdoors as their living room. Kinda adds to the available living space.

Using an Airstream for locums assignments sure beats facility-provided housing and hotels. I have friends that do this with other brand RVs and one of these days I'll probably do the same with my 30-footer when restoration is completed. There is nothing like having your own comfortable space with your own bed after a long day in the OR.

Lots of good advice here. I agree with others, research until you nail down exactly what you want. Then go after it. There are good points to either vintage (if restored properly) or new. But if you are like most CRNA's you have little time to do a restoration yourself. If you're like me, you may not have the entire skill set either. I went vintage because I love the look of the early 'Streams and could customize during a restoration in ways that are important to me.

I can't help much regarding a new or recently pre-owned Airstream purchase. But if you have questions about vintage, feel free to send me a PM.