Looking ahead

[Fiamma]

Greetings! I'm several years away from buying my first Airstream, but I happened upon this forum and couldn't just pass by. There seems to be a wealth of information and goodwill here.

I'm in my thirties with years in the veterinary medical field, currently in nursing school. Once I graduate and have one or two years of specialty nursing under my belt, I plan to start travel nursing, and would like to do so in an RV. I've loved the look of Airstreams since I was a child, and frankly, nothing else will do when I think of living in an RV full time.

My grandfather, a fantastic man, once renovated a school bus into a well-equipped camper called The Hobo that we used often. Same grandparents lived on a houseboat for years after retiring. Following in his footsteps, I lived in an 18' travel trailer all summer several years ago (rented and stationary) with my dog and cats, and am tremendously excited at the idea of rolling from interesting job to interesting job with my pets and home coming along.

Right now I'm overwhelmed by the thought of used vs. new, how much restoration/renovation I could handle myself (fairly handy but better with flesh and bone), and everything else that comes along with looking for ones very own Airstream. Since I'm a few years out from buying, I should have enough time to absorb and ask questions and avoid some newbie mistakes when the time comes. Looking forward to getting to know you all.

[CaddyGrn]

Welcome to the Forum!

This is the place to learn all things Airstream! Reading and posting questions will likely give you a wealth of information about Airstreams. I suggest you check out the rally schedule and find one near you... you can generally go to a forum rally and check out the Airstreams if you ask. Folks are always great to show their 'streams and give you their opinions!

There are quite a few good threads on whether to buy new or used or go vintage... it may boil down to personal preference, your pocketbook, and how much "fiddling and repair" you want to deal with! The brand new ones are a bit spendy if you are looking for one to live in full time, but you can often find one just a few years old and save some big bucks!

Here are some links you may find of interest:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f353...eam-22920.html

Vintage Airstream Photo Archives

Price vs. Condition - Airstream Values

Good luck and have fun on your search!

Mrs. NorCal Bambi traveling in S Tardis ~ from the Great State of Jefferson

[mpc]

welcome fiamma, my wife and i resently bought our 73 model tradewind which is in pretty good shape. we have made a couple of trips in and will make more before we start doing some restoring. i like the older models better mainly for the more original airstream look (or am i revealing our age to much) but you can pretty well bet if you get an older 1 you will still have put a good bit of restoring into it. so if you plan to travle alot you probably be better of with something newer.again, welcome to the forums and rest assured you will get info on anything and everything here. a lotta of good people means a lot of good experience, i know im getting what i need to help me out and all i have to do is read what others post. be sure to check out the pics of all the modes.
happy rving!

[Fyrzowt]

Welcome to the forums!
I'm a Fire Medic and we have a number of travel nurses work at our local hospital. It does seem like a great way to make a living if you like travel.
Good luck in your schooling, job and travels.
Dave

[moosetags]

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

[Fiamma]

Thank you for the welcome, I've been busily reading some of the bazillion pertinent threads on this site. My current favorite is the "How Much Space Does One Girl Need" thread. My Airstream and general RV knowledge is increasing exponentially (since it started at near zero that's not hard). Love these forums! Can't wait to hit a rally near me.

[Fiamma]

Just subscribed to Airstream Life today. Have spent hours surfing the Airstream company's site looking at floorplans, and more hours here. Spent time looking at hybrid vehicle GVWR vs weight of 23', 25', and 27' Safaris and Internationals, and hoping that more powerful SUV and truck hybrids come out in the next few years to allow me to get the space that I want with the (relatively) eco-friendly TV that I want. Went back and drooled over more floor plans. Wondered if the side-facing queen bed is better than the back-facing one. Wondered about front bedroom vs. rear bedroom. Debated nightstand vs closet (nightstand winning at this point). Intently studied the rally list to see if there's one near me soon (there isn't). Cruised Amazon and the local library's online search for books on RV living. Calculated payments for current new and used models. Started looking at solar panel setups, but had to slap myself and go back to studying for finals.

I feel like I'm coming down with something...I can't find it in my Nursing Diagnosis handbook, but I believe it's called aluminitis. I can only hope that it doesn't become too acute, as it will be a while before I can truly satisfy my shiny silver craving.

[Sugarfoot]

Originally Posted by Fiamma

. . . I feel like I'm coming down with something...I can't find it in my Nursing Diagnosis handbook, but I believe it's called aluminitis. I can only hope that it doesn't become too acute, as it will be a while before I can truly satisfy my shiny silver craving.

There is no known cure. Symptoms will only briefly and temporarily subside upon the acquisition of shiny things.

Welcome to the forums ~ this is a support group. And good luck on your finals.