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Old 07-06-2009, 08:15 AM   #1
4 Rivet Member
 
2008 16' Safari
Destrehan , Louisiana
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 395
Maiden Voyage

We picked up our 2008 Safari Sport two months ago. For those of you not famailier with this model, it's a 16'8" trailer with a 7'6" wide body. Very small and very light. In the last two months we cleaned the trailer and did all the yearly maintenance. I had to replace one tire that had been run under inflated.
Packing - We were a bit concerned about packing up. The trailer is small and we were not sure we could take eveything we want. This turned out not to be a problem. We packed for a 4 day trip with plenty of space left over. A two week trip would be no problem at all.
Towing - This thing tows like a dream! Traffic was heavy both going and coming home. We had to do some hard stops and also had to maneuver around wrecks and did detours. Drove down dirt roads and over many speed bumps. There's a lot to be said for a 17' trailer that only weighs in at 2850 lb.
Camping - Well, it was the 4th of July weekend and we did not get a full hookup site. We had water and power but no sewer. We had the trailer set up and ready to go in 10 minutes. The AC had the trailer cool in about that same time. With me, the wife and two big dogs, we had no trouble campng. The Zip-Dee awning worked great and gave us a very nice outdoor place to sit and visit with friends and family. The trailer was easy to keep clean and cooking was also not a problem. We had plenty of counter space to set up the espresso machine so we could start our mornings with espesso and cappuccinos. (What? You don't travel with an espresso machine!)
Problems - We only had two problems. One was the black water tank monitor. The probe is mounted behind the left wheel and it got wet in the rain. I got it working but this will need to looked at so we don't have this problem again. The second issue was the bed. While I slept fine, my wife had trouble getting comfortable. We had opted for sleeping bags on top of a cover over the bed. This work fine but she found her bag was too warm.
Holding tanks - OK, they are just a bit too small for 4 days. We did two days and then had to dump. This was not much of a problem. The trailer sets up and moves so easily that it was just as fast to move the trailer as it was to dump a blue boy. Also, the trailer sits so low that a blue boy is not a good option for this camper. The black water tank could have made 4 days, it's the grey water tank that fills up.
The camp site - We stayed at the Blue Angel Rec. center in Pensacola, FL. We found this to be a very nice place to stay. Too bad you have to be military or DOD to get in. Both my son and daughter have military ID, so they got us in. Seems there are lots of benifits to being in the military or retired military. The folks at this camp ground were very well behaved and everything was in good order. It was both hot and crowded for the 4th of July weekend, we look forwad to going again in the fall. With kids back in school and the temperature down, this should be a great place to stay at.
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Old 07-06-2009, 08:21 AM   #2
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2007 Interstate
Normal , Illinois
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 18,081
Sounds like you have the perfect trailer for two. We like small, as well, and have found we can travel for a couple of months at a time with everything we need. Dumping carefully rationed dishwater into the toilet helps us conserve precious grey-water tank space. We have seen those silk sleep-sacks for sale in travel catalogues, that may serve your wife better in terms of temperature comfort. Travel Smith has them, but Googling might find you a better price. Have fun and travel safe.
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Old 07-06-2009, 08:52 AM   #3
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2015 25' FB Flying Cloud
2012 23' FB Flying Cloud
2005 25' Safari
Santa Rosa Beach , Florida
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,159
Images: 5
Greetings from the Florida Panhandle

Congratulations on successfully completing you first Aistream outing. There is a bit of a learning curve, but it's not rocket science. Each trip will get better.

Have lots of great Airstream adventures and safe travels.
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Old 07-06-2009, 09:40 AM   #4
4 Rivet Member
 
2008 16' Safari
Destrehan , Louisiana
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 395
This was our first trip in this camper but not our first in an AS. We had a 72 Safari 23' before this one. I really like all the new appliances, no more running around lighting pilot lights when you set up. Just turn the switch on and it works. I also like having the built in grey water tank, the old one only had the black water tank and we had to haul a blue boy around. There is a lot of difference in the amount of storage space too. We had so much in the old camper that we really didn't have to plan very much. We could just load in everything we even thought we might use. Overall, we're very happy with this little camper. My daughter says it looks like a jelly bean.
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