Went looking at new AS today

[m.hony]

The Classic 30 twin is my favorite floor plan.

[dkottum]

We liked the 30 Recliner model but preferred the 25 for its size, so bought the 25 and had Airstream convert the front to a 30 Recliner configuration after two year's use. Some day we may convert the rear queen to twin beds if we need to.

Not likely to get the perfect for everything, always Airstream. Try to buy once, not too big and not too small, with an eye to how you will use it, where you will go with it, and what vehicle you will need to tow it as the years pass. Can a minor remodel take care of future needs.

[switz]

I suggest spending lots of time inside the units you are considering. Get rid of the salesman so you have quiet time to contemplate your surroundings.

When seated, is that comfortable? Can you view the TV without twisting your neck? In the FB models, move the cushions on the dinette to view the TV. Is the length of the bench seat comfortable for you for more than five minutes?

Is the "best seat" in the house high enough for your knees? Some are lower than others. Is there adequate space for your legs and to do the necessary paperwork?

Are you tall enough to see the floor in the bottom of the roof locker? If not, a folding step stool has to have a storage location inside for easy access.

Is there a pantry installed/option? Get creative in thinking about what else could be stored on the wire shelves (we added several more shelves to our 25FB but then access can be an issue).

Note where the power outlets are in the trailer. Are there enough to plug in the electronics we all carry today?

If you plan the occasional remote camping experience (no hookups), then do you want a generator running to recharge the batteries, an inverter to run some AC appliances, and perhaps a solar system to recharge the batteries quietly, etc?

During our solar power conversion, we swapped out the single outlet AC power outlet for the microwave and put in a fully functional duplex outlet. That allowed for a simple extension cord type run behind the kitchen cabinet to an outlet in the closet for any rechargeable devices we might wish to have with us.

The power outlet modification could be done to the single outlet TV power sockets to make them a functional duplex outlet for some other device.

We also extended duplex outlets (using a GFI duplex outlet as the first new outlet in the extension) into the rear storage and street side storage compartments as well as the water service area in the street side rear of the Classic so a heating device would help keep that unheated area from freezing.

Take note pads and make two columns headed "PROS" and "CONS" on a page for each trailer you seriously consider. That may help in your forum research for the perfect trailer for you.

[AnnArborBob]

It seems to me after reading over the various threads in this forum that address the question: "which size unit should I get?" most of the responses from people who have traded their units after a few years indicate that the majority trade up in size. I'm sure that there are some who happily traded down in size, but the vast majority seem to be people who started small and then traded up to a 25 to 30 foot unit after living with their smaller unit for awhile.

The lesson I take from all these comments is that after carefully assessing your needs, start out with the largest unit you can afford unless you have a very specific reason for wanting the smaller unit such as: you only use it for a couple of days at a time on weekends, you are going to camp in very tight spaces, or you absolutely do not want to get the size tow vehicle needed to pull a longer unit.

[dkrug]

We like the light, airiness of our Serenity. More importantly, it is very easy to clean. We downsized to a smaller trailer for seven years and really missed the extra two feet and did not like cleaning carpet and fabric. With the menagerie we sometimes travel with space and ease of cleaning mean a lot.

[BAB]

I couldn't agree more with the suggestion to get rid of the salesman and just lounge around and contemplate HOW you plan to use your trailer. Also, I think it's absolutely true that most folks "settle" at one size and then wish they'd sprung for the next larger trailer. I was sure all I really needed was a 25. I ended up with a 28 -- and I've made major mods to it to make it "my own" -- mainly pulling out the attractive but extremely uncomfortable L seat sofa (that makes into a bed) and replacing it with recliners. The discomfort isn't immediately apparent, but if you sit on it long enough you find it's a bit wide and a bit high for more than a few minutes....and it faces the TV. Really, it boils down to what you plan to use your trailer for, how long you want to be in it, and how many need accommodating. Good luck in your search for the perfect trailer. The "least desirable" A/S is 100% better than the SOB. Yes, I'm prejudiced, but walk through a couple of those HUGE 5th wheelers and see how cheesy the interiors are, and contemplate that in around 5 years they will have fallen apart....earlier if their rubber roof gets a pinprick in it!

[AnnArborBob]

BAB, I gotta believe that a lot of those SOB owners are relieved when their units fall apart so they can finally get an AS!

I agree wholeheartedly with your aesthetic assessment. When we began to look for an RV, we looked at a dozen or so SOB travel trailers and decided that their interior designers must have all worked at Montgomery Wards' furniture department in the 1980's. Yeech!

[AnnArborBob]

I stumbled across this thread in which owners discuss their positive experiences in downsizing from 25's to 16's. I thought it deserved "equal time"

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f295...ml#post1445583