It's been fun, but we must move on

[DHart]

A year ago we decided to downsize from our 44' diesel pusher to an Airstream. Knowing that the change was pretty significant, we went with a 30' International Serenity and custom ordered the recliner layout so we could have great sitting comfort in the trailer.

Over the months and several trips we enjoyed aspects of the Airstream very much - all the windows that open so wide, great quality of materials used in the inside, easy tow ability, low profile. There is a lot to like about Airstreams.

But we found that the interior space and storage was too tight for us. Moving around inside the trailer (we spend a lot of time inside the trailer when traveling) was awkward and not enjoyable. And when you find yourself storing things that you really want to have with you in the shower, you know you don't have enough storage space.

We also found that we really missed not having our Jeep Wrangler along with us for off-roading adventures (we pulled it behind the Class A motorhome before getting the Airstream).

So, for us, the Airstream experience was very interesting, fun, but ultimately did not meet our particular needs.

Last week we returned the Serenity to the dealer and bought a Newmar Class A coach. The difference in space is dramatic, the ease of parking and maneuverability is great, ease of auto-leveling is much appreciated. The storage space is considerable. Being able to front-in or back-in to a campsite (depending on views and such) is great. And now, we can have our Wrangler with us for off-roading.

So, we've given up the benefits of the Airstream in exchange for the benefits of a Class A coach.

Neither trailer, 5th wheel, nor motorhome is a 'perfect' mode of RVing, each have advantages and disadvantages, but each type works best for some people's preferred method of RVing. We just found that for us, a motorhome suits our needs best.

I have good memories of our times with the Airstream and now begin to make new good memories traveling with the Newmar Class A.



Anyone looking for a virtually brand new 2016 30' Serenity with recliners can find ours (until it sells) at Desert Autoplex RV in Mesa, AZ. Ask for Denny. Same with our virtually brand new Denali HD pickup.

[crispyboy]

Good Luck DHart - you will be missed.

[Hittenstiehl]

But I didn't even get to run into you yet at an Arizona Rally and peek inside.

Might just drop into Desert on the way home and take a look (only).

You had such great pictures. Take care.

[DHart]

Thank you, crispy boy. I will miss being a part of the Airstream collective! I learned a lot here and enjoyed it all!

Hittenstiehl... I missed meeting you. And thank you for the kind remarks. Be careful at Desert Autoplex, that 30' Serenity recliner setup might lure you in! It is a fantastic trailer!!!

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from AZ. . .sorry to see you go, I've enjoyed our interaction. . . I'll keep my eyes open for a Newmar as I traverse our hood ! (and yours). . . good luck, Craig

[centennialman]

Good luck to you....see you down the road!

[ghaynes755]

Which Newmar?

[Hittenstiehl]

Ha Ha, DHart I will LOOK only as I have two vintages at home needing my attention.

[kb0zke]

Hmmm, we're thinking about following you from the MH to an Airstream. In our case, though, we're going from a 40' no slide Foretravel to a 34' no slide Airstream, so maybe we won't regret our decision quite as soon. Our Foretravel is a 1993, and the Airstream will be late 90's/early 2000's model.

[Wayne&Sam]

At least you got that great photo! Happy trails.

[DHart]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I will miss the iconic look and presence that the Airstream offers. And, yes, I got some wonderful images of the truck and trailer, and the trailer itself.



My appreciation for Airstream trailers remains. They just don't offer the space, storage, and some conveniences that we prefer to have when we're RVing, thus the change. We have two dogs (Golden Lab and Staffordshire/Heeler mix) and the new coach will give us and the dogs a lot more breathing room to move around in.

Originally Posted by ghaynes755

Which Newmar?

Having had a 44' diesel pusher before the Airstream, and wanting to downsize when we went to the Airstream, we've settled on a relatively compact Newmar Class A, the 3124, which is 32' long and has a full-wall slide on the driver side and a king-bed slide out on the curb side. This is on the Ford F-53 22,000# chassis, with a Triton V10 engine. The unit has a residential electric refrigerator, 50 amp service, twin AC/Heat pumps, automatic Equalizer leveling system, Onan 5.5kw gen set, and (yes) we've replaced the 88" sofa with our favorite recliners.

Here's a video reviewing the Newmar:

http://youtu.be/NWd-dApWboY









Rear, bedroom window is unusual in a Class A







King size bed is pup-approved!


Aside from the gen set and water/tank bays, all the other bays under the coach are available for storage.

Compared to our 44' diesel pusher, this Newmar Class A represents a compromise, but every RV I've ever had, including the 44' DP requires compromise of this or that. It is interesting to find, however, that with the top-rated Class A coaches, the line between Class A gassers and Class A diesel pushers has become quite blurred.

We think this 32' Class A gives us the best combination of features, creature comforts, and amenities while still having a moderate size/form factor. It isn't a perfect RV by any means (none are), but I think it's going to be just right for our needs.

Our 3/4 ton Denali HD diesel pickup has been replaced with a 1/2 ton Sierra SLT Z71 4x4.


I look forward to continue to chat with my (former) fellow Airstreamers, as we travel the country.

[rodsterinfl]

Very nice choice of model. I actually saw one of them at the dealer. He was recommending the model to my dad when he was on the motorhome binge. I remembered it with the all side slide.

[DHart]

One thing that amazes me... the Newmar 3124 can be purchased, new, for around $110,000, which is really not all that much more than a full-blown, fully-optioned 30' International Serenity might sell for. I like the new Airstream products quite a bit, but comparatively speaking, they way they are priced now, it could be argued that you get a lot more for your money in many ways, from alternative choices.

And among motorized RVs, Newmar is at the top of the game... they build a really great quality product.

Interesting factoid... Newmar was the first RV maker to build a slide-out room in an RV. And their slide-room design is considered by many to still be superior to the alternative designs in slide-rooms.

[Zybane]

DHart, you are very right that Airstreams aren't high on the value perspective. Too bad the Airstream was just a bit too small for your downsize. After searching and learning about RV's for years, one good thing I've noticed is that there is something for everyone. Hopefully you didn't take a bath on the Airstream.

I recently had to choose my path and settled for a 30 Classic Twin. I was going to go with a Pendleton but I didn't feel there would be enough storage for full timing, even if it's just me and my German Shepherd. I believe the Classic Twin has the most storage of any modern Airstream. I don't think I could do it full time with two people and two large dogs.

I am also an avid off-roader, so I made a compromise and got a Power Wagon as my tow vehicle. It's kinda like a large Rubicon wrangler for off-roading if you are unfamiliar with it. That way I can tow the Airstream and off-road quite a bit, and also toss a motorcycle on the back.

Sometimes it takes trial and error and hopefully your Newmar and Jeep will suit you the best!

[DHart]

Originally Posted by Zybane

DHart, you are very right that Airstreams aren't high on the value perspective. Too bad the Airstream was just a bit too small for your downsize. After searching and learning about RV's for years, one good thing I've noticed is that there is something for everyone. Hopefully you didn't take a bath on the Airstream.

I recently had to choose my path and settled for a 30 Classic Twin. I was going to go with a Pendleton but I didn't feel there would be enough storage for full timing, even if it's just me and my German Shepherd. I believe the Classic Twin has the most storage of any modern Airstream. I don't think I could do it full time with two people and two large dogs.

I am also an avid off-roader, so I made a compromise and got a Power Wagon as my tow vehicle. It's kinda like a large Rubicon wrangler for off-roading if you are unfamiliar with it. That way I can tow the Airstream and off-road quite a bit, and also toss a motorcycle on the back.

Sometimes it takes trial and error and hopefully your Newmar and Jeep will suit you the best!

Zybane... it sounds like you have a great solution for your RVing needs. The Power Wagon sounds like an awesome, versatile tow vehicle for the Airstream!

I think if it were just myself and one medium size dog, the 30' Serenity probably might have been ok. But our RVing needs go a good bit beyond that.

My wife and I are very active computer users: we run a busy digital graphics business online;

we also have two dogs (one large, one medium);

I am:

an avid recording musician/composer needing at least one guitar and gear;

an avid, retired commercial photographer needing a modest kit of gear for that;

an avid shooter, needing a small mobile firearms kit with handguns and long guns with ammunition (for sporting clays, defensive practice, etc.);

an avid radio-phyte, needing a small kit of HAM radio gear;

We are

avid off-roaders wanting to have our Rubicon Wrangler along with us;

and, we often go RVing for several weeks, to several months at a time, requiring a nice stock of supplies, particularly stocks useful for dry-camping.

Thus, for us, it so happens that our needs exceed the space and amenities available from Airstream. It was my error in thinking that the Airstream would meet these needs. This is nothing against the brand, nor the models. They just don't quite meet our particular needs.

I wrongly assumed that as long as we had great recliners for our long-term seating comfort and a great queen mattress for sleeping comfort, that the 30' Airstream would be ok for us.

I greatly underestimated our storage needs and I also greatly undervalued having clear, wide-open floorspace inside the rig to make use of when in camp, for our maneuvering and especially when having our greatly valued dogs along with us.

I remain an Airstream fan, but just happen to be much better served by a 32' Class A rig.

This is the Wrangler that we bring along with us (towed behind the Class A) when we go RVing across the land:

[BoldAdventure]

Congratulations on the move to the bigger unit. Gotta say, the old setup sure did look classy though.

We have been thinking about buying a Jeep and having the wife and kiddo's tag along for months. But I ended up just buying a Powerwagon instead. I sure can see the appeal though.

Happy journeys.

[streaminwild]

Once family... always family. Please keep posting good places to stay, eat, and visit while traveling. That beautiful crisp clean rear window is begging for a ''Air Forums'' sticker. Many happy and safe trips with your Newmar DHart, and don't be a stranger.

[DHart]

Originally Posted by BoldAdventure

Congratulations on the move to the bigger unit. Gotta say, the old setup sure did look classy though.

We have been thinking about buying a Jeep and having the wife and kiddo's tag along for months. But I ended up just buying a Powerwagon instead. I sure can see the appeal though.

Happy journeys.

Hey buddy... thank you. I need to look into the Powerwagon... sounds like a great vehicle! Anything that can reliably carry you on off-road explorations is well worth the expense in my view. Off-road travel is fabulous life-experience!

Happy journeys to you, as well, and hopefully, we will meet up somewhere along the RV trail!

[DHart]

Originally Posted by streaminwild

Once family... always family. Please keep posting good places to stay, eat, and visit while traveling. That beautiful crisp clean rear window is begging for a ''Air Forums'' sticker. Many happy and safe trips with your Newmar, and don't be a stranger.

streaminwild... thanks so much for the positive well-wishes. I will always hold my Airstream memories as warm and wonderful and will continue to seek out Airstreamers during our travels, for sharing the love of travel and RVing!

[DHart]

The Power wagon looks awesome... the only 'must-need' elements for me would be: to tackle off-road really well requires the right tires, even more than 4wd, itself. Having 4WD, as well as seriously capable off-road tires is the ticket! Great off-road capable tires don't make for very good pavement tires/ride/noise, but the trade off is well worth the price.

I prefer Nitto TRAIL Grappler meats on the Wrangler, though they are a bit noisy on pavement and I wouldn't choose them on a 1/2 ton truck which would be pulling an Airstream.

But we also have a 2016 GMC Sierra Z-71 4x4 which, if we upgraded to Nitto TERRA Grapplers (more of an on-road/off-road blend than TRAIL Grapplers are), would make a good off-road vehicle, considering the size of a full-size American pick-up. TERRA Grapplers offer a great blend of on-road comfort and quiet, along with good off-road traction and capability. A friend with a Rubicon Wrangler has a set of TERRA Grapplers which have performed remarkably well off-road in the Rockies and are pretty quiet on pavement.

What tires have you found for the Powerwagon that give excellent off-road performance without being too bothersome when on pavement when towing a trailer?