Longest Trip with a Vintage Airstream

[Pick]

Do you folks with restored units or those with units in decent shape have any qualms about taking your Vintage Airstream on a long trip, say over 1000 miles one way? I have taken mine on an 800 mile round trip this fall. Would like to pull her to Florida this year, but not until the axles are replaced. She does sit about an inch lower curbside, but according to Andy's article the street side is ok. Other than that my Airstream is in top shape with no outstanding issues at this time.

[uwe]

Pick,

I drag my 71 through Baja without hesitation. My axles are little weak also, but not unevenly so.
Is your trailer heavier on the street side for some reason? Or have the axles collapsed there??
Just make sure the bearings and brakes are ok, and it should be ok to pull around all year. According to Andy from InlandRV, it is supposed to be checked and/or repacked every 10000miles or once a year, which makes sense. Maybe take a look at the electrical connections to the tow vehicle etc. i just found some nasty corrosion in my vehicle side plug, probably from water collecting in there.

[overlander64]

Greetings Pick!

I don't hesitate to take my 1964 Overlander International anywhere the roads can take me. For the past five years, I have averaged more than 3,000 miles per year traveling with the Overlander.

My trusted Airstream dealer, Ace Fogdall, Inc., checks the unit out at least once a year including an annual brake and bearing service. So far, the axles have checked out within specifications, but I am getting suspicious that trouble may be in the future as a crack in the interior skin above the entrance door has recently become eviddent. The longest continuous trips with the Overlander have been in 1998 when we toured the Rocky Mountains and attended the International Rally in Boise, ID (4,000 miles total for the trip). Then in 1999, we toured Ohio as well as the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys (2,200 miles total for the trip). In 2000 it was a tour of North Dakota that included the International Rally in Bismarck, ND (4,000 miles total for the trip) as well as a side trip to the Black Hills of SD. For 2001, we toured Minnesota on our way to the International Rally in Sioux Falls, SD (3,000 miles total for the trip). This past summer, travel was cut short due to problems with the Air Conditioner and power inverter but we still managed a trip to the International Rally in Rapid City, SD as well as the Wagon Wheels Pre Rally (2,000 miles total for the trip).

The trips haven't been without minor problems, but there have been no major problems. Some examples of problems encountered have been a brake malfunction that caused one of the streetside wheels to lock up anytime the brakes were applied (simple fix performed by a highly recommended RV Service Center), water heater burner failure and air conditioner failure (last night of 1998 trip so didn't interfere with plans), spare tire mount failure (during 2000 trip - - spare carried in back of Suburban for the balance of the trip), and air conditioner/power inverter/electric tongue jack problems in 2002 that did cause me to shorten my travel plans as I wanted Ace Fogdall to perform the repairs.

I can't comment on traveling with the Argosy and Cadillac combination as the Argosy was new to me in August, and the Cadillac has been an ongoing project. I am hoping to take this combination to the International Rally in Vermont next summer.

So long as everything checks out with the running gear on a Vintage Airstream, I wouldn't hesitate to tow it wherever the roads and my tow vehicle might take me.

Enjoy your travels!

Kevin

[davidz71]

I pulled my '77 Excella back 1,600 miles to TN. after I picked her up in AZ. I have since made around 12 roundtrip jaunts of anywhere from 194 to 218 miles. I'd like to take some longer trips this spring if I can work them in, say, a rally as mentioned in another thread.

[Silver Bullet]

I've taken our Overlander to hometown Ohio from New Mexico 6x's in a 10 yr span. That's 3600 miles round trip without side trip sight seeing. I do go over everything ( bearings, breaks, tires, etc) before such a trip. Oscar

[Levon]

Pick,
As long as you make a pre-trip check, and continue to make inspections along the way, you should have no problems. My wife and I made our first long trip this past May with our 72 Landyacht 25' with no problems...total round trip was 4402 miles. I did sell it the following month, but only because I acquired an older vintage one that I plan to use just as much. By the way, the new owner of the 72 headed out last month from Georgia... headed for California.

So hit the road every chance you get...that is what they were made for.
Levon

[riverdreamer]

We drove from Nevada to Michigan to buy our 1971 Overlander this summer. We took three weeks to come back, and did not have a single problem. It is a testament to how well made Aistreams are. We were camping in Cheyenne, Wyoming for one night, and I had to walk our dog in the middle of the night. I had no idea that a wind had blown up, and was I surprised... the door almost slammed against the trailer wall when I opened it. We didn't hear the wind or rain, in our old tent trailer we would have had a miserable night.

[Ken J]

I have a 1959 Traveler that I took to the New Jersey shore from Colorado this past summer - about 4500 miles round trip. Did 300-400 miles per day. No problems, except delays at every rest stop because everyone wants to see and talk about your old Airstream which is part of the fun of owning one for me!