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Old 06-16-2010, 04:20 PM   #41
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... ok then a few words on cabins ...

There are three main problems with cabins as compared to traylahs.

1. Money. That is, recurring cost.
2. Time. That is, the requirement to perform maintenance during your vacation time.
3. Flexibility. That is, the cabin is a fixed destination.

While cabins can potentially appreciate in value it is important to realize that not all of them do, because tastes in cabins change over the course of years, and cabins tend to accumulate back maintenance and develop serious flaws over time. So you have:

Interest
Depreciation
Real estate taxes
Insurance
Association fees
Maintenance

Cabins in general, and lakefront cabins particularly, receive unfavorable tax treatment and have high insurance rates. Traylahs, on the other hand, receive favorable tax treatment in most jurisdictions. As a point of comparison I would expect to pay $2000 a year in taxes for a very average cabin here, and pay around $30 a year in taxes in my traylah. I pay around $800 a year for insurance for the traylah, and would pay typically $2000-$4000 for insurance for a cabin, mainly because of the fire risk in remote areas.

Everyone's situation is different but I came to the conclusion that in the long run it was considerably cheaper for me to purchase a brand new 30' classic than it was to purchase an unremarkable cabin on an unremarkable lake or river, a considerable distance from home.

Then there's time. The problem my cabin-owner friends have is that they are forever mowing the lawn, putting in or taking out the dock, cutting down trees, fixing the roof or otherwise engaging in one or another maintenance or repair project right in the middle of their vacation. Now, Airstreams are not maintenance free, but there are no grounds to keep, no driveway, no waterfront, and you at least have the option of doing any remaining stuff at night or on weekends (because the traylah, unlike a cabin, is close at hand) so that you can actually be on vacation for your vacation.

Finally, flexibility. The central problem of cabins, for me, is that they become your only vacation destination, because they are a money sink and if you have one it doesn't make sense to go anywhere else (Besides, the lawn there needs mowing). With a traylah, you can change the destination on each trip if you want.
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Old 06-16-2010, 05:14 PM   #42
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Quality Remains Long After The Price is Forgotten

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Originally Posted by Mihoff View Post
Then we start thinking that $40k will buy a lot of nights in fancy hotel rooms or a huge deluxe rain tarp and the best lantern ever made to make our camping experience that much more comfortable.
$40K will only buy 285 nights in a hotel at $140/night, not to mention you'd be eating most of your meals out which tend to be overpriced and packed with sodium and fat. Campgrounds charge fees, but it's less than a decent hotel. Why rent hotel rooms when you can own your own Airstream? You'll have the Airstream decades long after you've spent that same money on hotels.

Personally, we are no longer comfortable in hotels. Don't like the bedding, the disappointment, eating out, marginal food, crappy coffee, packing in, packing out, no forest-front views. You get the point. I could go on and on.
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Old 06-16-2010, 06:12 PM   #43
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Why don't you see if you can find a place where you can rent an RV and check it out for yourself. You won't be able to rent an Airstream.
It is possible to rent airstreams. There is a company in Florida that rents a few of them and tows them to the campground of your choice. I recently read in Airstream Life that there are stationary AS in certain campgrounds in Vegas, Maine and possibly some other place to rent.

My reason for having an Airstream - they are unique. You don't see many when traveling down the highway. Retro is cool. Mid century modern cool. Airstreams will still be classic and modern in 2050. Very cool!!!

Mary
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Old 06-16-2010, 06:28 PM   #44
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We're a little older than you, but still in our 30s. To be honest, I'm really happy that we started out with our little $9000 used T@B teardrop. We used it and found out we loved this type of camping
I forgot about our T@B too! It was such a good introduction to camping and trailer life. Bought it new for 15K sold it 2 yrs later for 13k to buy the used AS. DID NOT spend $40K!!!! Just half that. Love it, love it, love it!

Mary
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Old 06-16-2010, 07:25 PM   #45
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Originally Posted by rettoc625 View Post
It is possible to rent airstreams. There is a company in Florida that rents a few of them and tows them to the campground of your choice. I recently read in Airstream Life that there are stationary AS in certain campgrounds in Vegas, Maine and possibly some other place to rent.

My reason for having an Airstream - they are unique. You don't see many when traveling down the highway. Retro is cool. Mid century modern cool. Airstreams will still be classic and modern in 2050. Very cool!!!

Mary
OK, I know that there are a few places to rent Airstreams. The idea was for them to check out the RV experience and see if they like that and then worry about Airstreams. They are in Alberta, Canada. Florida, Vegas, and even Maine don't really help with a preliminary experience.
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Old 06-16-2010, 10:40 PM   #46
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My husband and I used tents when we first stated out 30 years ago. The children varied in ages and differed in genders. When I was younger, my mom and dad had the boys on one side of Blue, and the girls on the other sde of Blue, and dad's sleeping bag when down the middle, so his feet would be near the screen door in case of a problem. We inherited their ginormous blue tent when we started, and followed through with mom and dad's solutions. Then we graduated to a used pop-up and big blue eventually adding another tent as the children grew older.

The children are grown young adults, so Dave and I found our first AS two years ago. The 30' Excella was a wonderful unit, and we enjoyed spreading out in the travel trailer. Keeping little ones contained before breakfast can be a challenge, but less of one if they are in an Airstream. With children gone on their own, we now have two Dachshunds who are well-behaved and seem to enjoy wherever we go. However, we recently sold Lucy and are currently looking for our new larger unit. So really, this is story of evolution and assimilation for this newbie AS family.
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Old 06-16-2010, 11:24 PM   #47
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How about "because you want to?"
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Old 06-17-2010, 01:57 PM   #48
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My folks settled on a 28' Silver Streak when I was in high school . . and sold it when I was nearly fifty. Spent very little on it over the years, traveled when and how they would, and we were all of us accustomed to meeting them at a Texas State Park years later (past college, marriage, children) for a Thanksgiving or other holiday.

Early on it was always ready to go for weekend trips, and it never felt crowded for the five of us on 4-week jaunts. It was paid for a very long time prior to their retirement, stretching those dollars even farther. Two tow vehicles in all those years.

Think it though, and consider that you may have it a very long time. The flexibility of a travel trailer is really hard to beat. You can always park it and go tent camping or stay at a luxury hotel anytime while on the road for a change.

.
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Old 06-21-2010, 07:57 PM   #49
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Last summer while on our first shakedown vacation in Colorado, I was walking down the road with a flashlight and heard a rattling up ahead. A late night arrival was setting up their tent/ campsite, heard some yelling back and forth. The man had his head deep in the trunk of the car with a light rummaging through everything trying to find the nor important thing they needed for the tent. That's the thing I hated about tent camping was looking for stuff in the trunk, always hauling things from the car to the tent to the pick nice table. Then all that setting up which seemed go on til it was time to take it all down again. You had to be gone for at least 5 days just to "settle" in.
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Old 06-21-2010, 08:26 PM   #50
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We have an Airstream trailer and live in Colorado. A beautiful place to use the trailer with so much to see. We also have a vacation home in NB, CA on the coast and another on a small island on the coast of Texas. We do love being able to visit the ocean when we can. The trailer is wonderful and so much different than a vacation home as you can move around and see different sights each day on a long weekend. The houses are a constant drain of money even after they are paid for with taxes and maintenance. The trailer is a license fee and some insurance. I still work and I only recently started to golf, I played my first game this past week!
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Old 06-21-2010, 08:35 PM   #51
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Full Timer Here

Ok, since we bought our Airstream out of necessity, job loss and no home and we are full timers. Family of 5, with a 5, 4, and 2 year old.
I feel that the following points should be added to the list:
1) No matter how much stuff the baby needs there is always room in a Airstream
2) Remember how hot the baby gets in the heat and then remember how cranky baby gets when hot, no A/C in tent!
3) Remember how cold baby can get in the cold, not heat in tent.
4) Waking up to screaming kid because its raining and the thunder and lighting is outside tent, annoying. Waking up to pitter patter of rain in trailer Priceless.
5) Placing child in own bed down the hall, while parent recoup in their own bed Priceless.
6) Critters have a tough time getting into trailers, easy time into tents, boots, shoes, back packs, food, clothing.
7) Mosquitoes cannot I repeat cannot get through aluminum.
8) Being able to stow away stuff you think you might need and having a place to put it in an Airstream wonderful.
9) Having the option to stay inside when the weather is horrible.
and
10) Because an Airstream gives you opportunities to share with your child that will last forever.
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Old 06-21-2010, 08:39 PM   #52
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Why do you camp?

Lets see, our first 15 years we camped out of a tent, the next 17 years we had a pop up and then 5 years in a hybrid. My wife loved the whole tenting experience and the reason we liked to camp was to get out of doors. This worked well until our two daughters got a little older and we had to deal with wet and cold situations.

The tent trailer was a great move because we still felt like we were out of doors. I pulled this thing over logging roads, through fields and set up beside lakes and rivers. We had shelter when it rained and got stormy but was still a bit of a challenge in the cold.

The hybrid kept us warm and toasty and provide some amenities that we enjoyed. It was a little harder to pull into the wild but we still managed to go places I can't any more.

The kids are gone and we are retiring, this week actually. We are going to do some traveling and have stepped up to an Airstream. Our season will now expand into late fall and very early spring which opens a lot of options for us. I don't feel like I am "out of doors" as much as before but I really like the security of the 'stream.

So, ask your self, why do we camp? If you want to stay on the asphalt and travel, the airstream is for you. I, on the other hand, wanted to get my two daughters out into the woods, have them sleep on the ground, build fires to keep warm and learn how to "go" in the woods. We had great times doing that and I feel that they learned a great deal in the process. We still camp together now with son in laws and grand kids. One is in a tent, one is in a tent trailer and us old folks are in the Airstream. It is all good.
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Old 06-21-2010, 09:45 PM   #53
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For us, three little girls and the night time potty runs across the campground, and the baby waking up in the middle of the night crying became unbearable. We bought a 1500.00 motorhome to try out and never looked back. A year later we bought a 67 airstream and this week I am picking up another airstream. It's become a hobby for me, and a necessity for the ladies. It makes everything about camping more enjoyable and provides me with a project at home.
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Old 06-21-2010, 10:05 PM   #54
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just like you

Well, my wife an I are the same age as you two, and we have (I think) the cutest 16month old known to man. We just found an old airstream to camp in, and after years in a tent I would never go back.
Its nice to wake up warm, but not cooking, have a warm place when it rains, and have a happy baby. We are probably like you we don't go camping to hang out in the trailer, but i have to tell you that the convenience factor is great. Everything is already packed. just stock the fridge and go. You can spend more time with the family, and everyone is in good spirits.
Well good luck, I know that after the first trip you will love it
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Old 06-23-2010, 08:54 PM   #55
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Rental Airstream - KOA Virginia Beach

Last fall I noticed a nice 25 FB in the KOA for a long time... Stopped by and found out that it's a rental unit owned by the campground.

It seems that about 1/3 of Canada comes to Virginia Beach for vacation - so if you want to try one out for a week, join your countrymen and visit Virginia Beach for a week or so. I'm sure the rental is not cheap, It was $60 per night in the OFF season, But trying is still going to be cheaper than buying and regretting it later.

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Old 06-23-2010, 11:02 PM   #56
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i like the simplicity of the airstream.started in tents went to popups ,then to sobs and finally to the trailer made for traveling.wife and i prefer the lifestyle the airstream affords us.i dont live this lifestyle to save money.we do it because we enjoy this mode of travel much better than hotel living.most people dont understand the lifestyle until they experience it.my brother who is 7 yrs younger than me and his wife finally asked me to include them in our next fla trip,so that he can check out the lifestyle.at 46 yrs old he is ready for some adventure.he knows it is nothing for me to travel anywhere from maine to fla.the only thing that holds me back is time off from the job.now that my two youngest are living away a college my wife and i find it easier to sneak away.great family memories created on alot of these trips.
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Old 06-24-2010, 01:13 AM   #57
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your family should not buy a trailer

Trust me, as someone your age, and also as someone new to Airstreams - they are not flights of whimsy.

Just face it - your beautiful child now dictates that your backpacking days are over for a few years. Trailer camping isn't the same. Go buy yourself that cabin and spend the time with your kid.
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Old 07-05-2010, 02:11 PM   #58
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Last I read, some KOA's have Airstreams you can rent for lodging.Check it out and see what you think.
My husband and I traveled all over North America.The AS significantly extended our travel season and comfort level.When breaking camp, it took about 30 mins to be on the road/about the same amount of time it took to break camp when we tent camped for all those years. When tent camping, 3 weeks was MAX. With the AS it was indefinite! And, no wet tents!
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Old 07-05-2010, 04:12 PM   #59
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Some other reasons to get an AS:
1. Get and old one and restore it. This makes a great hobby and you pay as you go. We got our first AS for $2500 and had it road worthy in 4 weeks. We continued to improve it until we lost the trailer due to damage. (long story)
2. A great place to put up friends and family when they visit.
3. A home or office away from home when work demands it.
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