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Old 02-16-2016, 12:10 PM   #21
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Great info, thanks for the intelligence report!
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Old 02-16-2016, 01:37 PM   #22
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I too urge you to buy used. There are plenty of modern Airstreams from the mid 2000's time period that can be purchased in the $30k - $40k range. Go back to the gently used mid 1990's and you can get them in the $10k - $20k range. The 1990s models might be a little dated when it comes to fashion/décor but look at the $ savings.

After you decide if you really like RVing then you can determine if a new Airstream fits your situation.

There are less expensive brands of trailers but you won't get the true Airstream experience in a white box. You'll learn about RVing if you own another brand but that's not the same as Airstreaming. I don't think it's snob appeal to own an Airstream - I think of it more as owning a classic! Some things never go out of style.
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Got a cooped-up feeling, gotta get out of town, got those Airstream campin' blues...
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Old 02-16-2016, 02:06 PM   #23
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http://www.livinlite.com/camplite-overview.php

These look very interesting to me. NO WOOD in the entire trailer. Aluminum and composite. My brother is buying one of their slide ins for his pickup. No foo foo for sure, very utilitarian but I sure like the materials used. Interesting if nothing else.
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Old 02-16-2016, 03:07 PM   #24
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I have been inside these and they are built like a tank but are short on creature comforts. You will only stand up and bang you head on the corner of one of those cabinets once. 🤕

Has a very utilitarian feel. Like the inside of a commercial vehicle (maybe an ambulance). I was pretty impressed by them but DW wasn't having any.

Steve
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Old 02-16-2016, 03:32 PM   #25
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Yard Art - Emotional Purchase

Rule ONE in "How to be an effective salesman school"
People buy emotionally, and justify it after the fact with logic.
I'm fairly hard-headed about rejecting stuff I simply can't afford - and I know the difference between "want" and "need"... but with enough work you can engineer want into need. I went full time because I owned "This Old House" - that cost a fortune to maintain and seemed to be eating every minute of free time I had. My "emotional" purchase did work out very well. Evaluate your emotions... you could be on to something. Research is good, THEN do the intuitive leap!

I got LUCKY because I am not claustrophobic, I'm reasonably comfortable being alone, I can strike up a conversation with strangers without feeling great discomfort, and the first time I cleaned my whole home in 20 minutes I did the freaking dance of joy! Freeing myself from too much stuff was liberating... but I still do periodic potlaches. Suddenly I can't close a drawer and lo, there are 18 pair of socks in it, plus 5 mismatched ones I haven't seen the mates for in a year. (I have never yet made a sock monkey, so why would I keep the mismatches?) I do the big purge, reminding myself to throw T-shirts away before the sleeves fall off, etc. And How did I get 5 pairs of flipflops?

BUT absolutely before you buy - drive through any suburban area where the community isn't a planned one and the board tells you that you can't plant sunflowers in your yard, and you'll find 2 to 5 RV's under covers that have tattered over the years, or simply covered in dirt and moss or algae. Find a way to "try for cheap" before you buy for keeps! You might be able to find a Forum rally in your area - and visit as a tent or cabin camper. It's a good preview, and someone will know someone else who has an Airstream for sale.

Because a new Airstream IS so expensive, someone who decides that buying was a mistake has big money pressure to sell it quickly. The 30 year old ones WILL sit in the yards and rot. I know of 4 within a 20 mile radius of my present location. If you see a nice newer one that hasn't moved for a year - ring the bell or leave a note and ask if it's for sale.

So - the sweet spot is definitely the nine month to 4 year old Airstream. And IF YOU ARE thinking of full timing before you retire... well I'm on year 9 of that, and finally packing it in this year. Full timing isn't THAT much cheaper than renting a decent apartment or owning a modest home - unless you work at it and have some measure of luck. If you work in a job where there is need for overnight coverage (EMT, guard duty, etc.) - a nice parking space behind the business might be arranged. In that case you might not even have to pay for electricity. Of course you will be more "on call" but...

I found a "condo-campground" where I own a membership. Cuts my cost to camp by more than half compared to living in a KOA or other decent campground. Residential campgrounds are sometimes a bit downscale, as in "keep paddling I hear banjos". Mine does NOT have that "meth lab" vibe at all, but the rules don't allow members to stay for more than 28 days straight. And it often rains on moving day too

At 63 put 90-95% of you 401K investments into "preservation" mode. It isn't glamorous and you feel like you'll lose in an upward moving market... but hey if the market gets that hot, throw $500 in and turn it into $200,000. (Not sarcastic - just saying the tooth fairy stops coming after your 10th birthday.)
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Old 02-17-2016, 02:09 AM   #26
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I have read all your replies and thank you all for your input.

My thinking has been altered.

I have no issue with being on the road long term as in the past I drove a semi from the midwest to the east coast and back on a weekly basis. Talking about living in a tiny space.

I am now more inclined towards a used AS to keep the depreciation to a minimum. I won't go used for a TV though as I would want a full vehicle warranty on something that needs to tow a heavy trailer. For a TV I would probably go with the Ford 3.5L Ecoboost.

There are still a great deal of ongoing costs in this beyond the TV and trailer purchase as some of you have mentioned. Camp site fees, insurance, vehicle registration, fuel, maintenance etc.

So I have decided that I will be winning the lottery twice a week for the next few years in order to realize my goals. Off to 7-11 to start my investment program.

Thanks everyone once again.
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Old 02-17-2016, 06:54 AM   #27
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Researching RV trailers

I'm in a similar boat, but I'm 48. I'm in the market in the next few years and have been looking at all manner of RV, trailer, etc.

The first decision was trailer vs coach. My wife and I decided trailer as we don't want to buy/maintain another engine, and want to be able to drive around when we get to where we are going. No interest nor can I afford to buy another car to tow along. So travel trailer for us.

We then checked out all manner of brands. You are right. There are trailers that "look" just as nice, more spacious and cost less than half of an Airstream. I asked myself the same question. Why?

In my case, close inspection of the cheaper trailers found, well, cheap materials in its constructions. We looked at the inside of the storage areas and we pressed with our hand in the walls, and felt the flex. Cheap plywood. It wouldn't take much for these things to rot.

The slide outs are nice, but add an element of complexity to the operation. Can I use the restroom and the fridge while on the road? When I close the slide outs, did leaves or other debris get caught up on the rails? One more thing to break. But the extra living space is nice.

I've owned boats for 15 years, so I'm used to the cramped living quarters. I don't spend that much time inside. And when I do, I'm either eating, reading or sleeping. So after much thought my wife and I decided an Airstream was "big enough". And the build quality gave us some comfort that it would last 20+ years. We are not planning on upgrading every couple of years. Can't afford it.

I am still looking at other brands.
But I need something I can tow with a 1/2 ton, so something under 8000 lbs. And something that will stand up to the harsh Florida summer weather. We are still looking, but a slightly used AS looks like the ticket.
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Old 02-17-2016, 07:54 AM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ZBoater View Post
We then checked out all manner of brands. You are right. There are trailers that "look" just as nice, more spacious and cost less than half of an Airstream. I asked myself the same question. Why?
Can you list some of the other trailers that "look" just as nice?

I might want to have a look.

Thanks

Kelvin
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Old 02-17-2016, 08:49 AM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KJRitchie View Post
Can you list some of the other trailers that "look" just as nice?

I might want to have a look.

Thanks

Kelvin
My favorite is the Rockwood Windjammer

http://www.forestriverinc.com/produc...spx?LineID=205
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Old 02-17-2016, 09:41 AM   #30
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It seems the better conventional trailers are always in the longer lengths. Those are all 35' long. For a similar sized trailer to the Airstream 25, the Bigfoot 25 rear queen or front queen is a good choice. We didn't go with Bigfoot because there are few dealers in the US. We did see an old one locally and didn't like the floorplan as much as we thought we would. The bath area was tiny. We prefer the split show/bath of our Airstream.

One of the main reasons we decided on Airstream was because of the floor plans they offer in the shorter lengths. We didn't want the typical front bed, dinette in the slide, rear bathroom of most conventional trailers. If Bigfoot offered a 25fb twin layout I'd probably switch.

The one admiring feature of the Airstream, the aluminum shell, frightens me the most when it comes to adverse weather.

Kelvin
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Old 02-25-2016, 09:11 AM   #31
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Hello Yogi, We currently have a 31' Classic Limited and love it. We traded in a 41' Keystone Toy hauler for it. We had the toy hauler for not quite 2 years. That trailer was starting to fall apart during that time. Door delaminating, things coming off of the walls and such. Things that shouldn't happen to a trailer that young with so few miles. We visited the Keystone factory to see how the trailers were made. If you every do that you'll never ever buy a Keystone. Trust me, my wife and I are both engineers and have seen many factories, Keystone's is real bad. There's no framing in the walls, 2 X 2's for roof rafters, just pure cheap. The plastic lenses on the outside were turning yellow and breaking because of UV. We were so glad to take the beating of trading it in and upgrading to an Airstream. We also sold my wife's fathers 1975 Airstream 3 years ago, everything worked and the trailer was in surprisingly great shape. I'm sure you can find a quality box trailer with aluminum wall framing and quality interiors but you'll pay a good price for it. Good luck with your hunt. Regards,

Doug
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