Visit our Popular Forums

Jimandrod · 03-02-2008, 07:18 PM

The wait is killing me! Finally after 2 years, the A/S is going on order. We finally decided on the 2008 28 ft Safari SE - Midnight Sun. We're putting some cool options on it too!

I'll finish up the financing this week and as soon as I get the check from my broker for the down payment, the trailer goes on order. Then it's a 4 to 6 week wait - counting it down - minute by minute!

We don't plan of being home that much this summer. No, actually we will be home - at home in our 2nd home, the new 'streamer!

Jim

airedale · 03-02-2008, 07:20 PM

Congrats, Cant wait to see pictures of it!!!!!

maxandgeorgia · 03-02-2008, 08:15 PM

Good news! The Airstream is coming, and what a great choice

~G

Jimandrod · 03-02-2008, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxandgeorgia

Good news! The Airstream is coming, and what a great choice

~G

Now all we need to do is get over the towing anexity!!!

airedale · 03-02-2008, 08:22 PM

LOL, dont worry, its not that bad!!

Jimandrod · 03-02-2008, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by airedale

LOL, dont worry, its not that bad!!

Somewhere deep down in I know that's true!!!

juel · 03-02-2008, 08:48 PM

Love you choice of AS and your cat. I have three of those little critters.

2airishuman · 03-02-2008, 08:54 PM

a couple of new order suggestions for ne1 going this route...

1. deposit

the deposit doesn't need to be a large dollar amount. mine was 1,000$ on a 34 classic with lots of extras.

and was handled with a credit card.

IF the dealer wants a lot of money, find another dealer.

but AT LEAST make SURE to read your purchase order carefully.

2. purchase order

this document MUST include wording that allows you, the buyer to NOT ACCEPT the unit and NOT LOSE ANY of the deposit.

don't buy into any nonsense about your losing money, special order rules, or not being able to walk away from the deal.

your deposit is a reflection of a strong desire to get the specific unit, with the specific accessories.

it is NOT a final purchase agreement or a first payment on the trailer.

3. delivery

a/s does NOT sell trailers directly to customers, no not even special orders.

and as for that matter EVERY trailer the dealer buys is ordered.

so technically and legally, the trailer is being ordered BY the dealer, just like everything else on the lot was...

and still belongs to the DEALER until the 'closing purchase documents' are signed...

this packet includes an inspection/dealer delivery form, an a/s CPC form, the invoice purchase form and so on...

4. inspection

many posts cover the process (or parts) of inspecting a new unit.

as the buyer you should CAREFULLY inspect the unit and try ALL of the systems, before SIGNING anything at delivery.

so folks even spend 1 night IN the unit on the lot, before signing/accepting the unit.

IF for ANY reason like...

crappy rivets, dents/scratches, poor door fit, squeaky/loose floors, sloppy window placement, corrosion and so on...

you, the buyer aren't satisfied with the trailer DON'T accept it, don't sign the paper work.

some dealers will pressure buyers to sign the documents first, while they promise to fix stuff later.

while they may try to fix things, once you sign the paper work it is YOUR TRAILER and the problems are YOURS.

for example IF the unit needs to go back to jackson center for any work the dealer cannot do correctly,

once you sign, YOU pay for transport back to the factory.

so my point is, as anxious and excited as we get about ordering 'our' units....

there is NO reason for big deposits or non-refundable deposits or accepting a trailer that isn't right.

there are dozens of threads here about folks who signed and accepted units that had should NEVER have left the factory.

and then spend the next several years trying to get the unit right, while investing personal time and money and emotion in the process.

i only know of a few folks who have rejected a unit at delivery,

but in EACH case, the defective trailer went back to j/c or was replaced with ANOTHER ordered unit.

cheers
2air'

CanyonCrazy · 03-02-2008, 08:58 PM

Very cool trailer!

I know what you will be going through while waiting for delivery. Don't fret, delivery day will be here before you know it. We placed our order on Jan 14, and will take delivery this week, 7 weeks after the order.

Enjoy!!

redeagle313 · 03-02-2008, 09:43 PM

Congratulations on your soon to be new Airstream, it is a great floorplan. Towing is not as bad as the anticipation of having to tow. Get a good brake controller and a good weight distribution hitch with sway control and I am sure you will be fine.

2air brings up some great points in his post.

Jimandrod · 03-03-2008, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanyonCrazy

Very cool trailer!

I know what you will be going through while waiting for delivery. Don't fret, delivery day will be here before you know it. We placed our order on Jan 14, and will take delivery this week, 7 weeks after the order.

Enjoy!!

I noticed that you're from Edgewood - are you by chance getting your trailer from Dan at Holiday?

Jimandrod · 03-03-2008, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redeagle313

Congratulations on your soon to be new Airstream, it is a great floorplan. Towing is not as bad as the anticipation of having to tow. Get a good brake controller and a good weight distribution hitch with sway control and I am sure you will be fine.

2air brings up some great points in his post.

Thanks for the info. 2air always makes some great points in his posts!

Boondocker · 03-03-2008, 07:18 AM

Congratulations on the new AS! I will be looking for it when I pass through NM in May and Aug.

Jimandrod · 03-03-2008, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gen Disarray

Congratulations on the new AS! I will be looking for it when I pass through NM in May and Aug.

I checked out your photo page - nice photography. I was on your other website last week - it looks like it might be really nice when you get it all together.

Boondocker · 03-03-2008, 08:25 AM

Thanks! I really appreciate your taking the time to visit my sites. The synapticstorm site is on temporary hold while some work related junk gets settled. But I think it has potential to be really neat once it is up and going.

**moosetags** · 03-03-2008, 09:48 AM

How exciting!!! Congratulations on your new baby. You're just going to love her.

2air makes very good points about the transaction. Take heed.

The towing part will come, but there is a learning curve. Read everything you can on the subject, and talk to others who are experienced. Usually, the Airstream dealer is NOT a good source for towing information. Many of the salesmen know as much about towing as they do about brain surgery.

Take your time and do your homework. All of this RV/towing stuff will become clear.

Post baby pictures when she arrives.

Safe Travels,
Brian

Midamrail · 03-03-2008, 10:02 AM

If there's any way at all you can swing a trip to Jackson Center the last couple of days your trailer is on the line, I would highly, highly recommend it. We were able to go through ours the last two days and identify several areas we wanted addressed that the inspectors missed, and the quality control people seemed happy we were there to catch those things so they could address them before the trailer left and the issues became dealer issues. As a result, our trailer was delivered with virtually no flaws, and on top of that, we really, really enjoyed the experience.

It takes a bit of coordination with the factory to get your travel schedule lined up, and they need the heads-up you're coming, but it was well worth it for us and a small financial price to pay to insepct something that cost us more than anything but our house.

FordTruck · 03-03-2008, 01:22 PM

Congrats. We took delivery of our 2008 Safari 27FBSE on 1/12/08. Haven't de-winterized it yet so obviously, it's sitting there, unused.
My choice was the 28 floor plan but the MRS, preferred the 27'.

Kinda funny that the 27 is actually 28' long and the 28 is 27'11".

pilgrim · 03-03-2008, 02:15 PM

We know about waiting! We started the purchase process last October with the agreement that we would take delivery in early March or April - the dealer would store our new trailer for the winter as we knew of no place to keep it for the winter. Salesman agreed. As 2air mentioned, look it over good! Little things that could easily be missed such as the rear screen not attached along one side. The big thing we didn't like was the black microwave sitting in the middle of the aluminum wall. Big, black and ugly. We told him if he couldn't find a stainless steel microwave (or chrome or whatever), it was a deal breaker! He called Jackson Center and they traded him a shiny one for the black one - no problem. The inside trim of the rear lights were very corroded. They replaced them - all of them, no problem but it had to be pointed out to them that the present ones were unacceptable. We walked around the entire trailer over and over and over again pointing out these problems. They made every change we requested. And last Saturday, we towed her home. First time I've ever towed a trailer larger than a U-Haul. We towed her about sixty miles in city traffic, small town traffic, country roads, and into our new storage area. Learning about the Equalizer Hitch is the most dramatic part of the learning curve. Towing was ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM. You go - it follows. It couldn't have been any simpler. We stopped for a traffic light on a steep hill - no problem. Everything worked as it was supposed to - only thing to remember is that it takes a little longer to do anything - start up in traffic, stop, get up to speed, etc...Not much, but a little. But now she's in her new home and we've already stripped the cushions and curtains in preparation for the new interior. Ocean Breeze is a noticeable interior but it's not us. We will change all the cushion upholstery and all the curtains. We've even changed the curtain divider between the bedroom and the galley. One design for the bedroom side and another for the dinette side. Still looking for the right rug(s) but that'll give us something to look for in our travels. You're going to love it......we do already! The anticipation was such a big deal and the real thing has made the wait that much more meaningful. Now if spring would only get here. I'm in my last month of full time working - retirement is April 1. We have a number of trips planned - NM is one of them.
The best part is being so new at it - everything is a NEW EXPERIENCE. Good Luck and Happy 'Streaming.
__________________________________________
2007 Airstream International 25' SS OB (modified)
2004 Nissan Armada
Equalizer Hitch
Prodigy Brake Controls
"It's better to keep your mouth shut and thought a fool
Than to open it and remove all doubt."

Jimandrod · 03-03-2008, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FordTruck

Congrats. We took delivery of our 2008 Safari 27FBSE on 1/12/08. Haven't de-winterized it yet so obviously, it's sitting there, unused.
My choice was the 28 floor plan but the MRS, preferred the 27'.

Kinda funny that the 27 is actually 28' long and the 28 is 27'11".

Congrats on your unit too. The reason that we're ordering it now is so we'll have it in the late spring - we didn't want to have it over the winter and not be able to go anywhere. In the Southwest we can take it out all year, but for us it was scheduling.

Yes - it is funny with the differences in length - or I should say no difference in length! We were all set to get the 25' SS SE. We really liked the salon area with the L shaped sofa but we really didn't like the bedroom (or lack of) We didn't care for the 27 ft because of the straight sofa on the side. It makes it difficult to kick back to watch a movie. You could drop the dinette down, but that's a pain. We did however, really like the bedroom.

When we saw that the 28 was really the same length as the 27 we started to consider it. We like both the salon area and the bedroom. It's the best of both.

We saw our first "real live" 28 footer this afternoon. Our dealer just got one in and we went down to Albuquerque to see it. It was a CCD but it was the same floor plan as our baby-to-be. Sweet layout!

We're also Ford F-150 fans. We have the 2004 extended cab 4x4 with the 5.4 V8. We're rated at 9300 lbs so we should be able to tow it with no problems.

Post some pictures when you take it out for your first trip.

Jim