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No. 13 · 02-11-2012, 12:16 PM

Hello and a big THANK YOU to all. What a great forum this is. Everyone is so helpful and polite; unlike a lot of other forums I have been part of (mostly auto forums). I joined many months ago but just got around to getting my photos together.

I started my search for a previously owned Bambi back in June. I planned to really take some time and have no regrets down the line with my purchase. Had no luck finding a used 19 footer, then moved up to a 20 footer. Got close then decided on a 23 International. I made a couple offers but no luck. In August I bought a used Tundra and spent time getting that set up for towing; brake controller, trailer mirrors, Toneau cover, etc., all with the info I collected on the Air Forums.

By this time summer was over and I started thinking about a new one instead of used. I kept coming back to a local dealer and sitting in a 25' International and really liked the layout and the queen bed. At this point my wife started to get involved with the purchase with one demand: queen size bed. I then started shopping for a 25 footer and ended up purchasing new in late November. A dealer had a 2012 FC FB ordered and almost completed back in Ohio, with the interior I wanted. I was able to add a bedroom TV before it shipped.

I picked the trailer up the day after it arrived in N. California and spent 3 days driving it home. I spent the first night hooked up at the dealer. The next two in Paso Robles and Santa Barbara. I caught some great weather and quiet campgrounds traveling midweek. I was a great shakedown trip with no problems other than fine-tuning my hitch. We have been on 4 trips locally since our purchase, with another outing next week.

Having never owned a travel trailer before, all of you out there really helped to make this new adventure a heck of a lot easier. Here are some pics from our first few trips; all in CA so far. Incidentally, I have run into other Airstreams at each campground we have stayed. From left to right:

Toscano RV parking lot, Los Banos
Wine Country RV Resort, Paso Robles

Highway 101 north of Santa Barbara
Ocean Mesa at El Capitan, Santa Barbara

Crystal Cove State Park, Laguna Beach
Crystal Cove SP from about a mile up Moro Canyon

San Mateo State Park, San Clemente
My latest purchase

Thanks again!

Gene

Dan@LED4RV · 02-11-2012, 12:26 PM

Nice pics! Thx

FreshAir · 02-11-2012, 12:28 PM

Toscano's is a great place. We 'stayed' there also a few years back while having the street side of our Trade Wind replaced. Caution......give those service station steel posts a wiiiide berth! Anyway we were royally treated there. Glad you are on board.

Neil

Alumaholic · 02-11-2012, 12:29 PM

Thanks for recording the maiden voyage, and thanks for sharing!
Welcome aboard and happy trails!

elfirebob · 02-11-2012, 12:40 PM

Gene,
Thanks for posting your pics and story of your purchase...let the miles and smiles begin!
See ya out there...

ROBERT CROSS · 02-11-2012, 04:13 PM

Gene,

Looks like you did everything right, even got the pic's done on your first post.

Great looking rig.... your 'gonna have some fun now.

Spent some "quality time" in LB during my stay at MCAS El Toro...big vacant lot now though.

Stream Safe...

Bob,

Gene · 02-11-2012, 04:40 PM

Gene,

You have excellent taste. You bought the same trailer (except it was called a Safari then), same truck (except it isn't blue), and you have the same name.

Do you have a wife named Barbara? Were you born in October?

Welcome to the Forum, but if you do have a wife named Barbara and were born in October, I'm going to start worrying you're from a parallel universe.

Gene

KeithC · 02-11-2012, 05:01 PM

Hey Gene,

Welcome to Airforums. You have a great rig. Now you just have to start exercising your investment by camping often. Joining other Airstream owners in a "The Airstream Club" (TAC) get together is a great way to meet other Airstreamers in an informal setting. Check out the "rallies" tab at the top of the screen for listings in your area.

No. 13 · 02-12-2012, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Gene,

Looks like you did everything right, even got the pic's done on your first post.

Great looking rig.... your 'gonna have some fun now.

Spent some "quality time" in LB during my stay at MCAS El Toro...big vacant lot now though.

Stream Safe...

Bob,

Quite the ride you had there Bob. I lived on the Irvine ranch from the mid sixties through the late seventies. Was that you flying over me?

No. 13 · 02-12-2012, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Gene,

You have excellent taste. You bought the same trailer (except it was called a Safari then), same truck (except it isn't blue), and you have the same name.

Do you have a wife named Barbara? Were you born in October?

Welcome to the Forum, but if you do have a wife named Barbara and were born in October, I'm going to start worrying you're from a parallel universe.

Gene

Gene,

I'm afraid the similarities end with the rigs. But thanks for the comments!

The other Gene.

ROBERT CROSS · 02-12-2012, 06:42 AM

Gene,

Yep was in the air a lot around there at that time but not in the F-4, our squadron VMGR-152 KC-130's aerial re-fueling/transport in support of VMFA-122 F-4 Phantom. I was a rigger/loadmaster/grunt.
65-67 El Toro
67-68 Okinawa, Da Nang RSVN.

Bob

AIR-Quarius · 02-12-2012, 07:03 AM

Welcome! Great pics!

Scott J-24 · 02-12-2012, 09:12 AM

Gene,

When were you at Crystal Cove Moro? We were there for 5 days around Christmas and met a family with a 2012 25' FB FC. Was that you?

No. 13 · 02-12-2012, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Gene,

Yep was in the air a lot around there at that time but not in the F-4, our squadron VMGR-152 KC-130's aerial re-fueling/transport in support of VMFA-122 F-4 Phantom. I was a rigger/loadmaster/grunt.
65-67 El Toro
67-68 Okinawa, Da Nang RSVN.

Bob

Bob,

Thank you for your service. We felt pretty safe back then, with the Marine air base to the south and the Tustin helicopter base (LTA) to the north.

Gene

No. 13 · 02-12-2012, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott J-24

Gene,

When were you at Crystal Cove Moro? We were there for 5 days around Christmas and met a family with a 2012 25' FB FC. Was that you?

Hi Scott,

Yes, it was us. Not sure if you noticed, but when you came back for your lost flamingo another Airstream had pulled in...it would have been three of us in the same row...pretty cool. As I recall you went south to San Mateo for a few nights. We were going to join you but ended up staying longer in Laguna. We did stay at San Mateo in January and loved it...heading back this weekend Friday-Monday...you should join us if you can. Another friend with your model will be there too.

Gene

Scott J-24 · 02-12-2012, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by No. 13

Hi Scott,

Yes, it was us. Not sure if you noticed, but when you came back for your lost flamingo another Airstream had pulled in...it would have been three of us in the same row...pretty cool. As I recall you went south to San Mateo for a few nights. We were going to join you but ended up staying longer in Laguna. We did stay at San Mateo in January and loved it...heading back this weekend Friday-Monday...you should join us if you can. Another friend with your model will be there too.

Gene

Gene,

Sounds like we will have a mini rally! We will be at San Mateo CG in site SM024 arriving Friday night (2/17) and leaving Monday (2/20). We made the reservation about 6 weeks ago. We really like this particular site and was glad it was available. Unfortunately work may require a Sunday departure, but I won't know for sure until I leave work on Friday (hate it when work gets in the way of 'streamin). See you there!

Mexray · 02-12-2012, 04:54 PM

Great pics of you new rig, Gene...get out and enjoy it!

BTW, have any of you stayed at any of the Ventura County parks up near Simi Valley? We're going to a wedding in early October near the Reagan Library, and would like to park for a couple of days with hook-ups...

Ag&Au · 02-12-2012, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Gene,

Yep was in the air a lot around there at that time but not in the F-4, our squadron VMGR-152 KC-130's aerial re-fueling/transport in support of VMFA-122 F-4 Phantom. I was a rigger/loadmaster/grunt.
65-67 El Toro
67-68 Okinawa, Da Nang RSVN.

Bob

Funny you should mention 1967, Okinawa, and Marine F-4 in the same post.

In the summer of 1967, we were sitting in the run up area at the end of one of the runways at Naha, waiting to take the runway for take off in a SP2H. There was an F-4 at the opposite end of the runway preparing to take off before us in the opposite direction. I am guessing he was doing some sort of pre-take off checklist and hit a wrong switch or two. The result was a pair of rockets fired right down the runway toward us. Luckily, they pretty much stayed over the runway. We were thankful we were not on it yet. This was apparently not a standard runway clearing procedure, as the tower made him taxi back to his ramp.

Before he had a chance to rearm, we took off for Tan Son Nhut. After that, Saigon seemed pretty tame in comparison. We then decided to stay clear of MCASs for a while, although we did get sent to Iwakuni a couple months later. However no one shot at us there.

Ken