Selling or Keeping?

[henw]

You have to decide if you can afford it. Then, what is important to you. For many of us, ASing is about the best thing we can think of to do.

[AZ-JH]

Still buying! Even when fuel gets to $10, we're still going to enjoy vacations and weekend get-aways. To put it into perspective, cutting back on my Starbucks habit or packing occasional lunches alone will pay for any cost difference in fuel. We carpool to work quite a bit, too.

[BeBop]

For me, if the target area is within about a 1,000 mile radius from where I live it is still more economical to take the Airstream than to fly or drive and stay in a hotel. It is also significantly more rewarding & peaceful to do so. The only true constraint is time allowed for the journey. If you have the free time and the desire to travel, I believe it is the most cost efficient and enjoyable way to go. The road calls... enjoy. The only alternative is to stay home and not travel at all. Quite boring. Regardless of where you reside, there is much to explore and experience.

[LJH]

Keepin it!! That would be like selling the......I don't know.... I just couldn't do it.

[Jim Clark]

Keeping, I just use my truck less and drive the wife's car or one of my small sports cars. The truck will last longer. This cycle has a ways to go before we know what is going to happen, I am in no hurry to make decisions about trailers, cars, or trucks. Everything is paid for I see no point in going in debt to save on gas. I may rent a long term site in somewhere and move the trailer there for a vacation spot for awhile.

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by rickandsandi

Looks as if AOL has been doing several gasoline price surveys lately and one of the questions was directed to RV owners and full timers. A surprising number of folks, especially older fixed incomers are looking for options other than the full time life style they had been enjoying. What really caught my attention was the photo they used!

Possibly Selling. If things work out the way they are going. I will sell the Classic 31 and get something smaller and most likely vintage.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by Airhog1

I'M SELLING!!!

ALL 42 OF THEM!!!!!



G

Originally Posted by utee94

Neither... Buying!!!


-Marcus

Looks like maybe you two should talk about a purchase/sale. It could be a match made in heaven.

[rgesch]

That's a funny picture, but...

We (I) probably do not fit the demographic included in that "surprising number of folks."

I am happy in my own back yard. Even if I have to stay within walking distance of our house... as long as our house is surrounded by miles of wilderness. I can walk a long way...

If fuel is $10 per gallon and we want to go a distance on vacation, we'll go. It's a vacation. In the swamps of Louisiana or a week in the Vintage area at International, it's a one shot deal. Heck, one of our favorite wilderness camping spots is eight miles away and there are plenty more of them nearby.

We'll keep or Airstreams. In fact, twelve hours from now (maybe this post should be in the "Airstream Sightings" thread) we are going to look at another one. Why??? Who knows? Because it's there...

[juel]

Keeping the Sovereign at the lake for my "down" time. No towing once he gets down there and I enjoy the peace and quiet, and room. Both the land and the Sovereign are paid for, so I'm with all the others here. It's my hedge against a real depression. The Argosy stays too, heck it's paid for and could be a guest house if things really get bad. Once you find a great AS/Argosy, you just can't let them go.

[Pick]

I would like to sell mine and go to something in the 20's length wise. But I usually average 15 mpg towing mine.

8 mpg gasser with $4.10 gas, @ 12K miles per year: $6150
11mpg gasser with $4.10 gas, @ 12k miles per year: $4472
15mpg diesel with $4.60 diesel @ 12k miles per year: $3680

I guess it's what you can afford or are willing to afford.

I'm camping in a 3 hour radius this year. 4th of July only a half hour from the house on the river, private property!!!

[startrekker2001]

First let me say that this is not the first time oil has been the center of attention. The 70's were a tough time with long lines at the pump and as it turned out, it was all a scam. I hope that all this will shake out soon. As soon as the Congress wakes up and opens up the oil drilling in all the places that have oil, AND THAT OIL GOES INTO OUR REFINERIES! and not to India or China or anywhere else, then things will calm down.

There is no way I am going to sell my Airstream. I waited a loooong, loooong time to acquire the Orange Blossom Special and make it our own. Of course I need an SUV to tow it. I have a Ford Behemouth and proud of it. They will have to pry my cold dead fingers off the steering wheel before I give it up.

We have changed our habits some. We are still going north for the summer to avoid the Heat, Humidity and Hurricanes of Florida. We belong to the WBCCI and attend rallies in the winter in Florida and enjoy it. With the increase in fuel costs, we will adjust our habits but not our goals.

I am 67 and looking at a much shorter future than past. As long as I can safely handle the tow vehicle and maintain the trailer we will continue to do what we do. Life is too short to let a little thing like gas prices stop us. When I become too old to travel, I will put it in the back yard, where it sits when not on the road, and use it there.

That's just me, I could be wrong.

[craftsman]

I don't think the 70's oil crises was a scam. It was an oil embargo brought on bythe 1973 Yom Kipper war. When president Nixon announced a military aid package to Israel on October 17, 1973 the Saudis retaliated by announcing a total cutoff of oil imports to the U.S.. Oil production peaked in 1970 at 11 millon barrels a day and we pump less than half that today.Even drilling in ANWAR won't save us now and the recent agreement by the Saudis to open the tap is more a political move to make George Bush seem like he's doing something than to provide any real price relief. Anyone waiting for gas prices to go back down is in for a long wait.There's probably as much crude still in the ground as has aready been pumped but it's getting more and more costly to bring it up. Here in the U.S. we're bringing up 100 barrels of water for every barrel of crude. When it cost a barrel to extract a barrel , what's the point?

[easyride]

I`m keeping,I have a 73 Overlander in Ohio,and a 77 Overlander down here,both are ready to go when I am.Dave

[Silvertwinkie]

All options are on the table. Why? Well for starters, you have more than the cost of the unit itself, fuel to tow it (or drive it), maint, insurance, LP, storage and on and on.

I estimated that if I got rid of the RV, between all the things listed above, I'd be about $600 month to the better.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not about to place mine in the classifieds just yet, but at the same time, as gas prices increase, every option is still on the table.

Part of the issue is that we also have a timeshare.....

[craftsman]

I'm keeping mine too.If things got really bad we could easily live in the Airstream. We are actually looking at Nor'Sea 27 also . One of the only sailboats for open water big enough to live aboard and still trailerable.

[Cracker]

Originally Posted by craftsman

I'm keeping mine too.If things got really bad we could easily live in the Airstream. We are actually looking at Nor'Sea 27 also . One of the only sailboats for open water big enough to live aboard and still trailerable.

Good looking boat! Looks to be about 3'-4" draft. What's the displacement? I sure do miss having a boat - and just today I was thinking about how great it would be to have a boat on a mooring at one of the harbours here in Maine. Actually we were on a large inland lake that boasted several sailboats in the 25' to 30' range. I did a double-take with the top photo since, at first glance it appeared to have a yawl rig with the mizzen mast stepped an awfully long way aft! We'll quickly sabotage this thread if I go on but, if you have the time, E-mail me with more of the particulars. This suggests something out of the Pacific Seacraft stable similar to the Flicka.

[craftsman]

Displacement :8100lbs, draft 3'-10" Here's another picture of Ladyship. Last post on boats. I don't want to hijack the tread but I guess you could say I'm sailing and keeping.

[Chief]

We just returned home on Thursday with our new '08 25' SE FB, which replaced our '07 20' SE. I thought that we would probably be spending more on fuel in the future, but over the same 600 mile route to/from Arkansas, under the same driving conditions......I averaged 11 mpg pulling the 20' and 11.1 pulling the 25'. I was plesantly surprised. So, the answer to the question of "keeping or selling" is "you betcha, we're keeping."

I tried to help Airhog1 reduce his inventory, but the count remains the same since he now has the 20' on his lot......which, btw, is a really nice 07 that was just a bit too small for us. And, while I'm at it......Gene, and the folks at Airstream of Arkansas, set the standard for what an Airstream dealer should be. If you don't come away from there happy......then, there is no one to blame but yourself.

Chief

[fotochop]

Just got back from a 400+ mile trip with many special moments...first canoe trip with my 8 yr old daughter on the Okatoma Creek (outside Hattiesburg, MS), first swim in a natural-water water park (Flint Creek State Park), first delicious meal prepared in my AS, and first time opening my awning:



pulled about 14 mpg at 55 mph and no complaints. A cheap trip overall, but the experience and memories will always be PRICELESS..

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, we are definately keeping our Airstream; We haven't even got into high gear yet for useing it. Just bought a brand new generator and haven't had a chance to use it either. But on the other hand, I'm sure that there are some people out there, in Airstream land, who have house or rent payments, car payments, tow vehicle payments, Airstream payments, and kids to feed, Etc, Etc, Etc; Therefore with job losses and the rising cost of everything, something has to go. Sorry!!!!!!