Picking the right AS for full timing

[Pudentane]

I chose my trailer with full-timing in mind. It's just me and a big dog - but a fair amount of stuff. I'm not full timing yet - but the things I considered were a place to sit and read or just lounge about - a sturdy table for my various crafts, laptop and eating and a bed I could walk around. The corner beds are a pain to make up and I knew that I wouldn't want to fight with that on a daily basis.

I chose a Safari 28 and I love it. It has a living room area, a dinette opposite the galley and a seperate bedroom with a queen I can walk around. The "powder room" is big enough so I can shut the door without banging my knees and the shower is big enough so I won't bang my elbows. I found the layout I thought would work for me and then I went searching for a trailer with that layout to see if it really would suit me. I also opted for a microwave convection oven and will have a generator to run it when I'm not plugged in (probably most of the time).

I would advise that you consider how you live now - what do you do that's improtant to you and what kind of amenities do you need to do those thing that matter to you. Listen to that small voice in the back of our head that says that will annoy me and avoid layouts that have a lack of space or comfort that will bug you. And remember that there will be times when inclement weather will mean that you are inside the trailer for the duration. There will be compromises - but if you keep them small you can deal with them without undo stress. My compromise was that I can't take my whole gourmet kitchen appliances and a zillion dishes with me. But I'm trading that for the freedom of full timing. Not a big deal for me.

I can accomodate guests - but prefer to go with the 6-4-2 rule - 6 people for drinks, 4 for dinner and two to sleep! Just have a really good look at how you live and what's important to you and you'll figure it out - just fine.

[3 Dog Nite]

How will you be fulltiming? In my arrogance, I thought fulltiming was living in your AS out on the road. I didn't realize folks live in them while still firmly planted to one area. If you will be staying somewhere with storage area available, The size is your choice. I would recommend nothing smaller than 21', but I'm a pack rat. If rolling around the countryside, look for an AS with lots of storage. We had to have lots of garage sales to dwindle down from 2 3-bedroom houses with garages to a AS MH. We've adapted a policy of "something in, something out". Look for items that have more than 1 use. Like using the bottom pan from a steamer as a sauce pan. We carry a 4 peice setting only, 2 coffee mugs, 2 wine glasses, 2 general use cups. The more weight you carry, the worse your gas mileage will be. Being overweight will put extra repair costs on brakes & tires.

Ricky

[AirstrmNewB]

Just purchased a '72 Overlander, 27', rear bath, full bed. It will be just me and the dog with an occasional overnight guest. I wanted the full bed vs. the twins because of all the storage space you get (or lose if you choose the twins arrangement.) Trailer hasn't been delivered yet so we'll see how well I planned! Good luck!

[pappy19]

We looked at alot of different AS models and lengths and finally went with a 30' Classic with a slide. It is a 2002 and was a 1 owner but looked brand new. I can say that the slide is so nice when you set up and was a great choice for us. We are semi-full-timers and snow birds from Idaho to Arizona. We had a huge 5th wheel a while back and going to a 30' AS has been a dream to both tow and to live in. I would think that a 28-31' would be the right choice for a full timer. If you can find a good used one with a slide, then more the better.

Pap

[xonvldz]

we dont fulltime ,but bought our trailer with the idea of some day traveling for a few months at a time.dw chose the 31 based on dinette,closet space and adequate room for two people on an extended stay.for me the trailer is not as important since if the weather is nice i can sit outside in a chaise lounge and read.at nite the dw can go to bed and i can sit on the couch in the front of the coach and watch a movie without disturbing her.of course the real advantage of the airstream is being able to travel and tow comfortably.sit in a few models at the dealer to see what you like and if you have time visit jackson center,and talk to some of the people that build them.this is what we did before trading our 28 safari on our current trailer that we bought new 4 yrs ago.

[mareinmn]

we have full timed in our 34.5 classic motorhome for 5 years now and in my foolishness thought we could move down to our 29 foot 1972 overlander. my husband didn't say anything just got the trailer on site and let me start packing up. by 2pm i sat down in our trailer and said this is too small. i had really believed we could do it as we love the trailer for traveling. For us and the 2 cats we need the extra feet for living space. you need separation. we did decide that the trailer would be perfect for 1 person but 2 is quite a stretch though we know people who have made it work.

[craftsman]

We full time in a 25' Classic and find it perfect. I'm 6' my wife is 5'-11" so we not small people. We don't feel cramped or crowded at all. As for a dinette, I thought we might miiss not having one but not at all. Both tables in front of the couch stay folded out giving plenty of room for pretty much anything.We opted for twins giving much more room to get dressed and storage both inside and out than the queen option. So it's really whats comfortable to you and everyones comfort level is different. There is no minium size Airstream to full time in. This is as large as I'd want to go and if we weren"t full timing we probably go smaller.... but I doubt it would be Airstream

[william Haym]

I have a 1993 34'Airstream Classic. I did have a 1969 31' Sovereign.
They are both good trailers. However even though the 34' is longer, I find it pivots better while backing up. There is more storage ,as well as a dinette ,rear bedroom design.
For full-timing or frequent camping the space in it is refreshing.
Once again what ever suits your needs is good for you!!!!!!

[fmrcaptevil]

We started RVing ten years ago on a part-time basis with a 19' Bambi. We both enjoyed it so much that we began to anticipate becoming full-time RVers upon retirement, which happened unexpectedly within three years (employer offered a deal to get rid of some of us old guys). In the meantime we traded the Bambi for a 23' Safari (sofa), and began our full-time journey with that. Traded that for a 25' Safari (B model); traded that for a Bunkhouse when they came out; traded that for a Safari 25FB SE, and recently traded that for a Flying Cloud 28. Here are some of my observations:

1) Every floorplan (and length) has its advantages and disadvantages

2) When reminiscing about our full-timing experiences, what comes to mind first are the
good times we've had, and not the little things that annoyed me about each one of
them.

3) My Airstream Dealer sends his kids to expensive colleges, and seems to take alot of
nice vacations!!!

[DreamStreamr]

We tried ten days in our CCD 22 and it helped us think through wants and needs for a full-timing Airstream. First, wanted bigger fridge than three cubic feet. Second, really wanted a sofa -- didn't like only seating was the bed or the dinette bench. Third, wanted separated shower/toilet/vanity instead of wet bath. Fourth, wanted outside storage lockers.

Decided upon a 2005 CCD 25 and never looked back. It has been perfect in every way for two of us as we enter our fourth year of full-timing. We sleep over 350 days a year in it, we tow approximately ten thousand miles per year, and try to find somewhere warm to park and live in it for winter months.

A comment on suggestions for bigger trailer -- several times a year we are rewarded for having a relatively petite trailer. Some older provincial and state and national parks have small spaces. Sometimes a smaller space is the only available when we arrive. We fit just fine but others left it for us because their unit was too large. Also some older campgrounds have very tight road configurations, and we are able to navigate them more easily than any larger trailer. And anyone in a smaller trailer could do better than we, but this 25 suits us perfectly.

Like Paula said so well, checking floor plans is fine but you really MUST step into them and talk yourself through where everything goes and what it would be like to move around in it.

Best regards,
Jim
http://dreamstreamr.com