I am planning to buy an airstream trailer 23 footer or so, pull it with my 2004 GMC Denali. ... am 63 years old and want to runaway from home and see the couuntry before i expire....have been reading and lurking for some time....need to put it all together....want to head for the national parks, wildlife refuges, workcamp, boondoock and figure life out....
need to know definetively about computer acess, tv, solar, GPS devices. etc. etc, etc
Whoa, there is alot in this post. First off - welcome to the Air Forums. I'm sure you will find all your questions will be answered here on Airstreams and lifing the full timers life. Check in the archives - there are many posts on living, working and in general escaping in an AIrstream.
You have a plan - or a framework to live by - sounds like an adventure many of us would like to attempt.
I'm sure the services you desire once on the road will be available and now days not that expensive. Ask specifics and the answers from experienced members will come.
Cellular access to the internet is available in many urban areas, it drops off in large national parks, GPS units are common and very fancy now with a lot of aptions available for little cost, solar - lots of threads on everything from the units themselves, power management, installation, and living off the grid.
Welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us.
Sounds like a great plan to me. There's a lot of information here on these Forums on all of the issues that you mentioned. Anything that you can't find, just ask.
__________________ SuEllyn & Brian McCabe WBCCI #3628 --- AIR #14872 2005 25' Safari FB (Lucy) with HAHA 2005 Suburban 2500 Quadrasteer (Olivia) & 2004 Suburban 2500 Quadrasteer (Daisy)
Great, go for it! Got the same bug a little earlier than you before I retired. Traveled a lot by air in business world and never enjoyed the schedule, delays, cancellations et al. But wanted to see the country on our time, in our bed and not out of a suitcase. If we liked where we were- stay longer; if not we're outta here.
We enjoy touring mansions, gardens, national parks and historical places (such as Civil War battlefields). We have parked the Airstream in Maine for the summer and Florida at Paradise Airstream Park for the winter. But we travel to and from those and in between. Six years older than you now, but still got the bug.
Also, welcome to the forum - you say you are 63 - you have at least 27 more years to enjoy your Airstream - take the necessary time to purchase the correct unit for your needs. Best of success.
So i am looking at a 23' safari and it seems to include most everything- wired for solar?? wired for sat tv?? and i would like to plan to have it rigged and ready to go when i leave the dealer- am just beginning to talk to dealer and haven't really gone into it but first salesman i got really seemed eager but knew less than i did. i need to go to school.....any thoughts
You will find that your A/S will come equiped with whatever your desire, solar, sattelite, etc. The 23' unit is a fairly desireable unit. You must consider that the 23' includes tip to toe, i.e. the hitch is included in the 23' so you are only getting about 20' of useable space. I am 63 and looking forward to retirement when we can hit the road and get out of snow country in the winter time and spend summer months at our home base. Good luck in your decision.
Bob Member Four Corners Unit/CAC WBCCI # 10105 AIR # 28748
Hi and welcome.
You didn't say if you are going full time or will have a house to return to whenever. That could make a difference in the length of the trailer you choose.
For internet I've gone with the recommendations of several full timers and got a Verizon aircard for about $60 a month + taxes. Coverage is good and my friends have never had a problem getting on line (I'm not full time - yet but will be in a few months. ) For TV, Direct TV seems to be the recommended choice - as all their channels are on one satellite - which means less hassle getting signals for various channels. You can have a dish installed or go with a portable, which entails learning how and fussing with setting it up. It depends on how important TV is to you and your budget.
Solar has it's benefits and drawbacks - not so good when the weather is gloomy or low winter sun or if you are parked under trees in the shade which can be desireable. But once you get by the inital cost it certainly has the benefits of not dealing with generators and fuel. It depends on your power needs and your tolerance for keeping track of your supply or just firing up the generator - which can have restricted hours in some campgrounds.
Just plow through all the stuff here on the forums - there's an amazing wealth of info, ask questions and enjoy figuring out what may work for you. The key is to make decisions that will work for how you want to live in your AS. What works for some is not important to others!
__________________
Louisa & Jasper Joy
Last edited by Pudentane; 02-09-2009 at 06:21 PM.
Reason: duplication
We have been fulltiming for awhile now, and most of the campgrounds have wifi, usually free. We purchased a signal booster and had better luck with them.
Good luck on your future, and welcome to the forums.
Marie
__________________
When people lie to you, and refuse to honor their word, don't regret trying to follow a dream, new adventures and friends await you.
So i am looking at a 23' safari and it seems to include most everything- wired for solar?? wired for sat tv?? and i would like to plan to have it rigged and ready to go when i leave the dealer- am just beginning to talk to dealer and haven't really gone into it but first salesman i got really seemed eager but knew less than i did. i need to go to school.....any thoughts
seashores
One surefire way to get a wealth of info and a look at various models and setups is to go to a rally - either a Airforums rally or a WBCCI rally. Look under the rally tab above - there are several great rallies in your area. Then you can see things work (or not) get real user comments and really get into the fun of owning an Airstream.
It's a big investment - the decision you have already made - so let the people who have done this some help guide you along.
We ran away from home from April 2008 until a few weeks ago... enjoyed every minute!
This is a great website full of sage wisdom. Just pop a topic in the specialized google box above under the search menu and mine the information. If it's not covered, ask!
Several folks also keep blogs on trips, full-timing and restoration. Those are great resources as well.
So i am looking at a 23' safari and it seems to include most everything- wired for solar?? wired for sat tv?? and i would like to plan to have it rigged and ready to go when i leave the dealer- am just beginning to talk to dealer and haven't really gone into it but first salesman i got really seemed eager but knew less than i did. i need to go to school.....any thoughtsseashores
Seashores - You're on the right track, asking questions here. After all, this is hands down THE resource for all things Airstream. The search function is someting I haven't been able to get much out of, yet. Hopefully you will have more success, or a mod will step in with helpful suggestions.
Some thoughts -
DO YOUR REASEARCH!! Buying one model, only to discover you'd ultimately prefer a larger or smaller trailer is expensive. Consider all possible issues - the tow vehicle, is the wife / partner / girlfriend / grandkids ever going to be with you, closet space vs. your lifestyle - you know the routine. I think it's also important to KNOW you'll be comfortable in a somewhat confined space - some folks like the idea that a trailer CAN'T accomodate all our collected "stuff", thus you have to weed out the things you haven't seen or used on ages, as well as the stuff you'll no longer use or need very often. Storage somewhere may be a short term solution until you learn if full timing is your cup of tea. Your current tow vehicle might do the trick with a short or vintage trailer, but may not fit the bill with a larger new trailer if hills & mountains are in your travel plans.
Be patient (I wasn't), assess your real needs/uses (I didn't), don't skimp on your tow vehicle (I got that one right for once), and at this point in your adventure - USE THE KNOWLEDGE BASE HERE ON THE FORUMS before you make any decision, in an effort to make the best informed decision you can - the first time.
Good luck and please do post often with your ideas and/or your decisions.
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