Wondering if I should get an Airstream or not ?

[M Williams]

Coolbikeman, Enjoyed your post and pretty much have most of your concerns about owning an AS. This is a great site and the info is superior. My dream was always to be an owner of an AS but after getting on to this site and reading tons of posts I'm having second thoughts. Will be retiring in the next couple of years and intended on buying an AS and probably living in it 6 months out of the year and living at home the rest. Problem is finding an AS that is livable and operational and that doesn't need a ton of fixing or remodeling to get it that way. With my background I wouldn't have any problems doing alot of repairs and fixing but I just don't want to spend the time. Have seen a couple of AS's from websites that I would be interested in and there will probably still be many more in the future. Probably just best to retire and if my decision is to own one then I guess I'll drive all over the country and see if I can find the rite one. And before I buy anything it will be thoroughly checked out and inspected by a professional. I am not that concerned about the price, its the condition that is important to me. ALOT TO THINK ABOUT!!!

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by Bill M.

I think you should get an Airstream because they are nice trailers to have. and because WBCCI is a great organization to go on carvans and rallies. I do not think living in a airstream for an extended time in cold weather is at all feasible. But for a short time like a week or so it should be doable. You will use a lot of propane to keep the pipes from freezing. and you will have to re winterize it when you are done. Be sure to keep both propane tanks full when it is stored.

Well, Ihave to reply to the cold-weather question, although my info is only second-hand. Our '86 34' Ltd we purchased from the original owner who had lived in it with his wife for 4.5 yrs in Alaska. He had removed the vac system to have room for an extra furnace in the bedroom. He also had hook-on and magnet-fastening insulated skirts made to go all around the trailer. They did just fine. But do you contemplate the extreme cold of Alaska?? With lesser extreme cold, you would not need the precautions of our PO. We have camped in below freezing temps with one furnace running in Idaho and no skirts, so you can do it, but you do need to be careful not to run out of propane. Buy your airstream and enjoy the unit and the other 'Streamers!

[FullTimin2HI]

Originally Posted by coolbikeman

I guess what I was really getting at in my first post was whether Airstreams are made as well as they are perceived?

Terry, We shopped around for all sorts of trailers when we decided to full-time... We looked at all the fiberglass monsters, we looked at airstreams, we looked at apartments, even a couple old sailboats. The Airstreams are the yachts of The American Highway. It like comparing a Bentley to a hand me down 94 Saturn with manual windows. Really.

No BS'in about it, there will be things that break. We do live in a woild where moth and rust destroy. Since we got our used airstream we've had to fix lots of little thing the previous owner neglected... An A/C unit being the biggest deal, a couple plumbing bits, a nick knack or two and even a couple rivets, but all in all they are built so much better than anything else easily available.