Hi, the main selling point or reason for buying an Airstream was to travel, stop when and where we want to, and always have our own bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. [no more motels] Yuk!!!!
I take care of the trailer, the tow vehicle, and do the driving. My wife pre-cooks most of the food at home. I do the set-up and hitching things while my wife sets up the interior things. I cook the breakfast, my wife makes the pre-cooked lunches and dinners. I do the dishes and she does the bed. [Team Work] This is not carved in stone we just work together to make things easier for both of us.
Bob and his wife have got it right: teamwork. You have to both want it and one usually has to talk the other into it, but the other one has to become enthusiastic about it too. By the way, my wife helps with set up, hitching and drives too. We do what each of us is best at, but help each other whenever we can. We hate motels. Besides the dirt problem, they are all the same and not very comfortable. We don't have to eat in bad restaurants either which is very important to us as we like healthy, well prepared food—there aren't a lot of restaurants that do that.
Get some Airstream brochures. Visit the factory and take the tour. Have a discussion where you tell your husband just why you like the idea so much. There are a few KOA's (check their website) where you can stay in an Airstream for the night. My wife got me into this and I didn't want to tow anything, but she showed me how important it was to her and I agreed to look into it. Once I looked around at trailers and read stuff on the Forum, I was hooked. There's no doubt traveling this way is very different and there's a lot of maintenance, so just the idea takes some getting used to.
Of course, if that doesn't work, there's the new husband option.
Thanks everybody for your insightful and funny tips and stories. When we were first married almost 30 years ago, we camped in a pop up and then a tent. About 15 years ago we bought a timeshare and our camping days came to an end. But we haven't been using the timeshare much lately. My sister and her husband took early retirement a couple of years ago and became fulltime RVer's. (In a big fancy motorhome, not an Airstream. lol) We have visited them and even stayed with them in their RV. Guess that has put the camping bug back in my system. I don't know why I'm so attracted to Airstreams. My guess is you all felt/feel the same way. . . Anyway, that's my story. Hope to see you at the Milan Rally! And Digger Bear, thanks for mentioning the Kentucky Rally. We'll see where we are in this process by next April! Thanks again!
As Bob and Gene have said...teamwork is essential.
In our case, as with many others I'm sure, it just fell into place naturally.
Stream'n ain't always easy and there is plenty of work to go around.
Me..I'm in charge of "stuff", which includes: TV, trailer, campsite set-up and maintainence, boat, fishing gear,(DW loves to fish), generator, firewood, dog, libations, weather, rowdy neighbors, small children, items we forgot, fresh water, sewer duty, and anything else I'm told.
DW is responsibe for the good times we are about to have.
We also "share" duties. He is "in charge" of the the outside, I am "in charge of the inside. I do a lot of double batch cooking & freezing, so have extras to throw in for cooking ease.
We tend to sleep much better while out in the A/S. Although the bed is smaller than home, for some reason, it is very comfortable & inviting after a long hard day of sitting around doing nothing. Well except maybe a crossword, sudoku or reading some book we picked up at the 2nd hand bookstore.
I think the key is to make your RV as comfortable as your home or more so. First get an RV with a pedestal queen bed. Take out that uncomfortable sofa and put in some really comfortable recliners. Loose the rock hard mattress and get a Select Comfort (Camping World) or other extremely comfortable mattress. Buy the nicest cotton sheets for it plus get a great microfiber down blanket to put on top. If you make the RV comfortable enough he won't want to go home to the old stuff!
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2002 Toyota Tundra Not that Bob Thompson, the other Bob Thompson!
Well, all good points and most agree comfort, freedom, and enjoyment are the keys to good Airstream adventures. Unlike some, I would say if you help around the house then being out should not change your actions or expected duties. I do all the towing and most setup, for this I get the first on site meal fixed for me, after that it's back to normal. The key we found for over 7 years we did the Rallies and such and after being out for 10 years have just got a 1994 34' Excella, is to make it like home. We keep it fully stocked (food, clothing, etc.) and it's not a task to get it and go. Time Share's and box campers are great........plan for weeks, rush to get in and have fun, then back to work...Airstreams to us are more of let's go enjoy ourself for not much more than the cost of a movie.
On the personal side. Tell him how romantic it could be.. Just the two of you, camp fire, bottle of wine, and plenty of time to kill if you get the hint
I have a 3 and 6 year old so this isn't the best selling point for people with kids...
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Jason
May you have at least one sunny day, and a soft chair to sit in..
BeckyT - I would try to talk w/husband a bit before attending the rally. See if he will discuss what his reservations about having a trailer/camping are.
Then, when you get to the rally, you will have some inkling of some of the things you might discuss w/veteran AS owners. For instance, is he concerned about what towing an AS is like, is he worried about finding AS parts, does he think AS trailers are all old and falling apart? He will be quite surprised at the rally, if it is anything like the one we attended a couple years ago. There is such a wide variety of trailers and owners - new and vintage, young and young at heart, completely remodeled and kept original. And, there are many rallies that have workshops to attend. He will have to be one tough cookie not to get involved (if he likes to camp/travel at all) Good luck & keep us informed as to how it progresses!
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Leigh (IB Aluminated)
"When a great ship is in harbour and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that is not what great ships are built for." by Clarissa Pinkola-Estes, author of ‘Women Who Run With the Wolves’
I don't have any suggestions for you but it would be nice to see another
Airstream in a yard near Toledo. We're in Whitehouse and we just don't see many Airstreams around here! Good luck!
I think the key is to make your RV as comfortable as your home or more so. First get an RV with a pedestal queen bed. Take out that uncomfortable sofa and put in some really comfortable recliners. Loose the rock hard mattress and get a Select Comfort (Camping World) or other extremely comfortable mattress. Buy the nicest cotton sheets for it plus get a great microfiber down blanket to put on top. If you make the RV comfortable enough he won't want to go home to the old stuff!
The other thing that is really great about getting out in your AS is that all the things at home that seem so much like work are left behind, out of sight and out of mind.
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Hi, the main selling point or reason for buying an Airstream was to travel, stop when and where we want to, and always have our own bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. [no more motels] Yuk!!!!
Sharing 
DW is responsibe for the good times we are about to have.
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