New Guy in Park City, UT

[ljschnel]

Last weekend my wife, 18 month old daughter, and our dog spent a wonderful two nights in our friends' Land Yacht parked on their property in southern Utah.

It was our first 'glamping' experience and we couldn't have imagined we'd have such a great time. We are frequent car campers, but the hassle of packing everything up, setting up camp, freezing at night, eating sand is getting old.

The trailer we stayed in is quite old and a bit dated, but it was clean and served our needs well. It was so refreshing to be able to flip on a light and play cards on a windy night with the heater running.

We'd really like to get a small travel trailer to grab and go, but our budget won't allow for much right now. We've got friends with pop-up campers, but those don't really appeal to us as it's about as much hassle as setting up a tent camping site.

Anyways, I look forward to reading a lot of threads on small AS trailers so I can be an informed buyer in a couple years.

[CA_Tallguy]

Welcome! I spend some time in Park City myself as my sister lives there and folks have a place there.

As for a good Airstream -- I highly recommend finding one in your price range that is "camping ready" and feels somewhat like what you might do to it yourself. If you put a lot of money into revamping a trailer it can be hard to recoup, so if you can find one that is already up-to-date and ready to camp you might save.

Why not get a fixer-upper? It is easy to underestimate how much work is involved.... especially the first time you do it. As someone new to Airstreams, a better way to get exposure to the systems and familiarity with how things work is in an already functional trailer. After you've had one, it is far more practical to know what you would be getting into should you buy one that needs work.

Focus on the items that can be more difficult to fix/replace such as cabinets, flooring, furnishings, etc. Even draperies. Anything that is "standard" to replace is not as critical -- stovetop, toilet (which many people will replace on purchase anyway) even the fridge, the AC, axles/brakes, wheels/tires, etc can all be swapped out fairly painlessly by just about any RV place or yourself. Rebuilding the cabinetry, furniture, etc is far more specialized, craftsman type work. (This was the mistake that I made.)

Plus, an interior that is in good condition is one sign of a well taken care of trailer.

Good luck and happy hunting!

[Piggy Bank]

You might think a bit about these factors that might be a part of your decision process.

1-What vehicle do you have that you are anticipating using to tow? How much can it tow? (verify on the actual vehicle. Read up on towing and tow vehicles until you understand what all of the numbers mean.)

2-Do you expect to have more kids? If so how many people will need to sleep in the AS?

3-Can you store at home? (Some Homeowners Associations don't allow) If so how much room do you have?

4-How's your budget? Do you already own a home and have education fund set up for your child and retirement fund for yourselves, with spending money left over for camping? Or would a AS purchase delay these other financial areas?

5-How's your free time? How much time do you have to camp? What's the availability of nice places to go within 25-150 miles of where you live (so you can leave Friday after work and set up camp before dark).

6-What's your skill level and set up? Are you a contractor, engineer, mechanic, farmer, or builder, with major aptitude for skilled project tasks, lots of tools, and a nice space to work? If so you might want a project older unit On the other hand, if not, then you will likely want a very new used unit that is ready to use.