International CCD 16'

[Silvertwinkie]

AHHH... this one had a happy ending and it got eaten by the black hole!

It's like Star Trek. We went down this road before and get to start all over from May 20th!

Eric

[airstreamvirgin]

Hi all,

I've been reading with great interest everybody's posts about the 16' International CCD. I am absolutely in love with the design, so much so that I'm thinking about starting to sock away some money to buy one in the next two or three years to take short weekend trips alone during the warm months. (I live in the South and do not do "extreme" travel, i.e. sub-zero temps or desert treks).

However...I'm an RV virgin and I need to know: are there other women out there like me who are single RV travelers? How difficult would it be for a fairly intelligent 35-year-old woman to haul this little beauty around and set it up properly on her own? , I do have a 65-lb. chow named Bear, but he won't be much help!

Please be honest; I'm pretty adventurous, but I would hate to make this kind of investment without being fairly certain it won't become a huge albatross.

Advice, suggestions, encouragement or other wisdom welcome!

Betsy

[Silvertwinkie]

I can't see why you couldn't. You need to make sure that you have a tow vehicle that has the right stuff, not that the 16' is a monster, but there are things you need to make sure you have.

Next is some strength. Some folks don't like applying the weight bars. I don't think the 16' would require it, but it couldn't hurt to use. The fact that you are even considering this to me indicates that you are not afraid to get your hands dirty. Setup is not very difficult and as with anything with time comes exp.

All in all, I have the 19' Bambi and have taken Penny (70# Shep mix) without probems. For me getting Penny used to the Bambi took a bit of time getting both aquainted....

If you're into adventure, you sure are in the right place. I think doing your homework as you have started is a great idea and IMHO, you only live once. If you do the math and come up with something even close (not talking strictly monetary here either), I'd do it, heck, I did it, I don't think being or woman or a man has much to do with it.

Eric

[dtbw]

It is mainly a state of mind. As the old saying goes, those that think they can and those that think they can't are usually right. We met a lovely single lady at an A/S regional rally pulling a 34' with a Tahoe. This was her 5th A/S (migrating from smaller to the larger). She used a Hensley hitch as that made the Tahoe and the 34' behave better and made hitching up simplier.

As far as having a pet in a small A/S, you need to really checkout how much room each of you expect. We have a 19' Bambi and our little 6 1/5# cat is a house full (he is very docile and loving and loves to travel). The 16' International is a neat package, but for the money, the 19' is a better buy in my book. It is no harder to tow, park, etc and that 3 extra feet makes a lot of difference.

I do like the layout of the 16' (at least when it had that wraparound rear window in the bed area), but I wish they would build it on the 19' chassis which would give more room for storage and usability.

Just my two cent worth. BTW, you might check out our pics to see what CAN be done with a Bambi interior.

[Silvertwinkie]

It's one of my fav interiors!

Eric

[85MH325]

Originally posted by airstreamvirgin

I'm an RV virgin and I need to know: are there other women out there like me who are single RV travelers? How difficult would it be for a fairly intelligent 35-year-old woman to haul this little beauty around and set it up properly on her own? Betsy

Betsy, my hat's off to you for being adventurous! I think you shouldn't have any difficulty at all towing. Sometimes it can be a little frustrating, but what worthwhile endeavor isn't? We met a lovely lady in our WBCCI unit in her mid-to-late '60s who tows her 25' Sovereign wherever she chooses, along with her 'camper kitty'.

As a matter of fact, I understand that there are lots of single women in the WBCCI who tow by themselves.

If you'd like a little encouragement, try this site:

http://members.aol.com/hhamp5246/

It chronicles the travels of a fellow Airstream owner who just happens to be a single woman. I think you'll find it interesting. Be sure to click on the "Airstream" link.

Best of luck to you. The experience of the folks who subscribe to this forum can make your decision a little less fraught with peril!

Roger

[Turtle]

We have a 2004 16' CCD. Check my posts on other threads for further info. Jamie