The courage to make a solo decision

[AlaskaSafari]

Originally Posted by AKristine

Hello everyone -- Greetings from Cape Cod!

Questions like, will I be able to tow by myself? Will I be able to handle the responsibility? Unhitch the Airstream? Take care of it properly?

Yes you can! I'm partial to my Tundra, but your Ford will do the heavy lifting for you. Just keep her between the lines and you'll be ok. Hitching and unhitching is a piece of cake. Just take your time and it will come together. As for maintenance, if this non-mechanical soul can keep our 'stream rolling down the road, so can you!

Best of luck to you.... Enjoy the journey

[graysailor]

I preferred the twin bed Cloud myself but it did not come with a microwave and there was really no place to put one so I ended up buying the Cloud 25' which is the rear bed queen model. Other then being difficult to make the bed no real regrets.

[awryawry]

Oh, my gawd! Don't do it!!!
(When I say don't do it, I mean don't spend an instant trying to rationalize NOT doing it!)

Sure, it's a bit convoluted,

wry

[BJnewby33]

A year ago i was in your position ... at 73! Yes, you can do it. I do it all myself and love my lifestyle now. It was definitely the right decision and I'm so glad I went ahead and did it. I'd suggest going to the classifieds and looking for a private sale, as well. That's where I finally found my Airstream ... a 2008 Safari SE that looks like new ... very little use from two previous owners ... and at a fair price. If you've researched, you recognize that.

[cwf]

Soooo.. Got an update on your dream?

[judycarlyn]

I will be 67 this month, my husband died in January from cancer, soooo, I felt I needed a left turn down a dirt road as they say here in the south. I searched and found a sweet sweet little 1974 Airstream Argosy 24' I love her! I am 90% restored. I bought a nice nearly new Ford truck to pull her with, I chose Argosy because I knew it was built by Airstream and I wanted something I could paint. I lived in Japan for two years and love the culture and people so I decided to paint her a nice cream on the top and a very light pink on the bottom, (needs to look girly), I am in process of painting cherry blossoms on her now. She is looking great and her name is Blossom. I won't be long before Blossom and I hit the road and start a new life after 47 years of marriage, I now have a new friend. Thank you so much for the inspiration that it can be done, I am out there. I hope to see you all down the road.......

Loves!
Judy and Blossom

[TouringDan]

Welcome and congrats.
You have started your new adventure. Time to continue it on the road. Have fun.

Dan

[bonginator]

You can do it if you want to!

A few comments:

We bought used from Colonial. Very good experience and you can negotiate on the price. PM me if you want more info.

I second the advice to look at dual axles. Great peace of mind when driving down the road.

We ended up with a 23FB for two people. It is a nice size for 1 or 2. When we have guests, I wish we had the 25. The towing difference is negligible so go with whichever you prefer and make sure you have a TV to support it.

When looking at TVs, pay close attention to their payload capacity. If it low, you will hit the limit with your gear, passengers, the trailer tongue weight. Do your own research on payload capacity - dont rely on the salesperson to tell you which TV to get.

I second the advice to camp on the lot the first night. After that, we booked a full hookup site close to home to practice all our hookups and be close to home if we needed anything. This gave us better confidence on our first real trip.

See if you can find a friend who has experience with towing large equipment and get them to teach you how to tow and backup. We have a friend who is a rancher and he took us to our storage facility and for a day we practiced parking, backing up, and towing best practices using ropes he put out to emulate camping sites. It was great.

Once you get your trailer and load it up with gear and water, find a nearby CAT scale (for truckers) and weigh it. (Instructions are online and I this forum). This will make you more comfortable that you are within your limits.

A trailer does require maintenance. Make sure you are prepared to hire someone to do it or do it yourself if you are handy.

We have had many great adventures in our airstream. You will not be lonely - people talk with you if you have and AS and also help solo people. You will love the sound of rain on the roof. If you have a strong desire to do it, then go for it.

Good luck!

[anniemaine]

Hi Kristine,

How you describe your situations is so similar to my own. I've just started making the dream a reality. I bought a 2011 27' International from Colonial Airstream last week. Colonial is great! A good friend volunteered to experience the maiden voyage with me. If possible, I'd definitely recommend it. Great to have the hand holding when writing that big check, and when getting behind the wheel for the first time. We found a large stadium parking area to practice in. It was hard for me to believe, but it does gets easier with experience, actually just a few hours and you will be a lot more comfortable towing.

It's amazing to me that I'm actually doing this. When I get intimidated by the magnitude of this life change (still in transitional stage with house rented 11/1, the stuff must go, either sell, yard sale, to kids, and a very little in storage), I just focus on the next step, and know that it's all doable. And the prize at the end of this major downsizing is an amazing new adventure. It is a little scary doing it alone, but this forum is incredibly helpful. People are so generous with their time and encouragement. Feel free to message me. Good luck, Annie

[Poprivet]

I can vouch for Colonial NJ - just bought a motorhome from them and was treated very well before and after the sale.

RV'ers tend to be very friendly and helpful. Don't be afraid to ask.

[jump]

Well?

What happened?

Last we heard, our intrepid Kristene was headed for Colonial in NJ ... Did she make it? Is she MIA?

We d like to hear and we need pictures!

Btw ... Judy ... We need photos of your little Blossom ...

We picked up our International Signature in March and we LOVE IT!!

[judycarlyn]

jump, I will most happy to post pics of Blossom very soon, I am on the downhill run with the restoration. She is a beauty.....

Here is a poem I made up about us: :-)

Judy had a little camper
She covered her with blossoms
And everywhere that Judy went
The camper thought was awesome.

From the old country dirt roads,
To the panoramic highways
Loving the winding mountain turns,
Just loving life our way.

See you down the road
Judy and Blossom