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Old 12-23-2003, 12:52 AM   #1
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choices choices

I am a newbie member of this organization and have never owned a trailer. I have very recently retired and my wife and I are ready for some adventures on land. After much deliberation on choices between a trailer, motorhome, or fifth wheel, we have decided on a trailer. As I am a recreational auto restorer, presently doing a '60 olds bubble, I am attracted to the silver airstream which has caught my attention, however, I need help with the basics on model selection.

I am somewhat limited in that my tow vehicle, at present, is a '93 buick roadmaster wagon with a towing capacity of 5000lbs. My only other requirement is that it should sleep 4, and have a rear bedroom, as I have spent many nights in a sailboat that required a bed to be made up each night and have had enough of that process.

I expect I will be limited to about a 24' or 25' model due to the load restrictions. I do not mind some restoration and would actually prefer a wood interior although that is not a requirement. Any help on how to start my search for a suitable model will be appreciated.

Here's wishing all you airstream vets out there a happy and safe holiday season!!
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Old 12-23-2003, 01:46 AM   #2
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First off...welcome to the Forum!

It sounds like you would be a perfect candidate for a pre-'69 TradeWind or Overlander to me. These would range in the 24'-26' range and being '68 or older would have primarily wood interiors. The 70's models start incorporating alot of vinyl interiors and cabinets. Wood cabinetry does come back in the 80's, however these trailers will be much heavier. The older trailers are going to be lighter than newer models of the same length.

To get an idea of the layouts & features, you may want to check out the vintage archives.

Once you get an idea of what you are looking for, you can check out the towings statistics at the Airstream Corporate Site. Most of the models are listed there with there overall & tongue weights.

Good luck in whatever you choose!

Shari
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Old 12-23-2003, 08:27 AM   #3
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choices choices

Greetings Technautica!

Welcom to the Forums!

Once you are ready to begin looking at coaches in-person, there are any number of places to look. I found my first Overlander through a local "trader-type" magazine in a "blind advertisement". One thing that I have learned about these "local" advertising publications is that the accuracy of the description isn't always on-target my Overlander was advertised as 28' and the owner's didn't even know it had a model name until I pointed out the plaque beside the door.

One of the great resources if you decide that a Vintage coach is what you desire can be accessed via the link below - - there are many wonder ful Vintage units advertised at:

Vintage Airstream Club Classifieds

I found my Minuet through an advertisement placed there about two years ago. Only had to travel about 200 miles for just the coach that I had in mind and at a very reasonable price.

Just to give you an idea of fully loaded gross weights (when loaded for a three-week trip to the International Rally) - - the '64 Overlander (26' 8") weighs in at just a bit over 6,000 pounds while the '78 Minuet 6.0 Metre (19' 3") weighs in at just a bit over 3,100 pounds.

Your only problem with a Vintage coach is the desire for a Rear Bedroom. The vast majority of the larger 1960s and 1970s coaches will have a rear bathroom with center bedroom (24' and larger) - - the bedroom often has twin beds that can remain made-up as my Overlander has, but a pull-out double is another configuration (the pull-out double doesn't accommodate being left made-up as it blocks much of the center aisle to the bathroom when it is open). Starting in the mid 1970s, it was possible to get the largest coaches (27' and larger) with a rear bedroom, but the floorplan was still a less common alternative to the traditional rear bath. Rear bedrooms were not uncommon with the 1950s coaches, but often the trade-off was a less-complete bathroom (often without bathing facilities) in the smaller (under 24') trailers.

With the 1950s and 1960s coaches, it is not terribly uncommon to find one with a "custom" floorplan from the factory. Recently, two rear bedroom Overlanders have surfaced with these custom floorplans, and to add additional interest one of the coaches even had a second exterior door for the bedroom.

Kevin
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Old 12-23-2003, 09:05 AM   #4
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twin bed configuration

Kevin,

Are you saying that the twin beds will make into a double bed? We thought something else could be done but can't figure it out. Do you have any pictures of this and if not, could you draw it for us?

Thanks,

Gloria & Don
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Old 12-23-2003, 09:47 AM   #5
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Newbie,

Ever considered an Argosy? I know, I know they are not aluminum coloured and don't have wood interiors, but they are more reasonable to purchase and parts are interchangable. Besides, the wrap-around front windshield looks great!

We have a '76 24' Argosy/Aitstream with mid-ships bunks and head in the tail. (H-m-m-m?). Cabinets are plastic but if you're inisistet, buy Airstream wood ones.

Rick
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Old 12-23-2003, 10:25 AM   #6
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felicitations to you...and welcome to the forum. my suggestion to you is that you peruse the forum and let your imagination run.....after a while consider the tech aspects, but first set up a list of priorities....how long a trip do you want to take, and will that be with max occupancy?....do you want to boondock?....do you prefer your own cooking as opposed to going to restaurants?....are your a large type person...since you are a sailor....i am guessing you are not prone to cabin fever...this will hellp you formulate how big a trailer you want, forget about the tow vehicle for now....smaller trailers have smaller reefers...but considering that you want to restore, the skys the limit....let your creative juices flow!!!!!
norby
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Old 12-23-2003, 11:41 AM   #7
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Deja Vu

My brother, who lives on a sailboat, stepped into my Airstream and said "This is just like a boat cabin; I like it!" I have owned both cabin sailboats and airplanes in my life and I find the Airstream to be a familiar combination of the two.

A little inventiveness and some woodworking skills can greatly enhance the liveability of an Airstream. Little things like enhancing the usability of storage spaces can make the trailer much more liveable.
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Old 12-23-2003, 05:46 PM   #8
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Greetings Gloria and Don!

Quote:
Are you saying that the twin beds will make into a double bed?
It was essentially an either or situation. Either twin beds with one on either side of the hallway; or a pull-out lounge (very similar to the one across the front of the coach) on one side of the aisle with a vanity table and wardrobes on the other side of the hall where the second twin would usually have resided. One characteristic of a double-bed model Overlander is that you generally loose one window on the side with the wardrobes (1960s) - - there were often two windows over each of the twin beds, but one window is often lost to the wardrobes on the double-bed model.

I do know of at least one or two Overlander owners with the twin bed cofiguration who have had a drop-in panel made that fills the space between the twins (effectively blocking the center hall) and then have a pair of bolsters that they drop into place over the drop-in panel when made-up for sleeping - - during the day, the bolsters make each of the twins appear to be luxurious sofas (the filler panel simply slides under one of the twin beds during the day).

Kevin
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