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rucos · 10-16-2016, 07:01 PM

I bought mine online sight unseen ... I then picked it up and towed home after doing a basic check on the wheels / tires etc ....It was a full days trip away .... the PO had been using it until 1 1/2years before and had replaced the tires and had it certified by an RV shop (at that time) . Since my plan was to do a full interior reno and expected to have to do axles etc I wasn't to concerned about the insides which made it easier to buy sight unseen. I would find the unit you want and then decide if its worth getting or shipping. If the units been regularly used there is a good chance its road worthy to get home. Also you could make a road worthy certification by a local RV dealer part of your condition of sale.

Ronman · 10-16-2016, 08:07 PM

Agree with IDIreland! Drive out there and tow it home! We picked ours up at Bill Thomas Trailer in Missouri. Drove 2,400 miles and towed it home. We STILL reminisce. One of the best trips we've ever taken!
As for condition, connect with the nearest Airstream dealer for a "Once-over." We were lucky enough to buy from a AS dealer.
Go make memories! Have fun!

Ron

pcskier · 10-16-2016, 09:23 PM

I bought a 2013 Flying Cloud 19 last October sight unseen but had a FaceTime tour via phone. Sold it last spring, just bought a 2014 FC 23 also sight unseen except for once again, a live video tour. This one was 1700 miles away. Both purchases were contingent on seeing it in person, but I felt confident in both and was delighted both times.

Picking it up yourself and doing a maiden voyage on the way home is a great approach!

rvb · 10-16-2016, 11:02 PM

Most car rental companies do not allow you to tow with their rental pickups, but, the box trucks they rent for movers usually have a hitch so they can rent a dolly to tow a car. An empty box truck should easily tow an Airstream and probably won't need an equalizer hitch. A key thing to check is the hitch ball size. You will need a 2 15/16" and they may be set up for a 2".

gator.bigfoot · 10-17-2016, 04:58 PM

I had mine checked out by an AS dealer then agreed to buying it. I drove over 4000km to pick it up. I had my sister who was in the area video the entire trailer and put it on YouTube as well. That gave the assurance that the unit was in the stated condition.

Ronman · 10-18-2016, 12:00 AM

My experience...you need to make arrangements on your end for the tow vehicle rental. You need something with a compatible tow hitch receiver AND trailer brake sensor. Only certain companies will rent a price pickup and only under specific circumstances.

mcomeaux · 10-18-2016, 01:46 PM

Where is the trailer located?

Rgentum · 10-21-2016, 10:57 AM

Typically, there are two issues about sales tax:

1. Tax Rate in State of Purchase vs. Tax Rate in Resident State.
Obviously, if the sales tax rate in the state of purchase exceeds that in one's resident state (where the trailer will be licensed), the purchase will result in excess sales tax. For example, a resident of NV, which has no sales tax, would incur excess sales tax upon a purchase in CA. Typically, purchase-state sales tax can be avoided by having the trailer, although purchased, for example in CA, delivered out of state, such as in NV, which has no sales tax. (Typically, a sale is subject to sales tax, if any, of the state in which the asset is delivered to the buyer, not where the actual sale occurs nor where any money changes hands.)

2. Amount on which Tax Is Imposed. Not all states imposed tax solely on the purchase price. For example, while CA imposes tax solely on the purchase price, WA imposes tax on the difference between the purchase price and any like-kind trade-in value. Therefore, if you are trading in your old trailer on the purchase of a new trailer, a state like CA is not where to do it. Typically, this anomaly can be avoided, for example, in a CA purchase by a WA resident by having the CA dealer deliver the new trailer in a tax-free state, such as NV, and then by the WA buyer driving the trailer to and licensing it in WA, where the sales tax will be imposed on purchase price less trade-in value.

Rgentum · 10-21-2016, 11:07 AM

I should add that many states that impose a sales tax allow a credit for any sales tax already paid resulting from the purchase. Therefore, for example, in the case of a resident of WA, which has an approximately 10% sales tax, who buys a trailer in CA, which has an approximately 9% sales tax, if he or she buys a trailer in CA and pays sales tax there, WA will impose additional sales tax in an amount equal to the difference between the two rates (ie, will allow a credit for the sales tax already paid).

paiceman · 10-21-2016, 11:46 AM

We purchased a new Classic out of state in September. We paid no tax to the dealer and paid the PA sales tax when we went to register the trailer based on the "net to trade" price of the Classic, with all document fees listed by the dealer subtracted from the tax in PA. Had to wait three weeks for the out of state title to get to us before we could do it all in PA. Then in PA, we had to get a mechanic to certify the Vin number and sign the form along with his inspection number as well as certify the empty weight and GVW again with his signature and inspection number. Then once that is all done we had to get it safety inspected.

Pain, but the trailer is worth it.

If I were you and you plan on using the AS to travel in I'd consider securing your own tow vehicle and picking it up and towing it home once it was safety checked by a reputable dealer in the area.

Bud

64airstream · 10-21-2016, 01:26 PM

First, welcome to the forums.

Just my thought, it seems to me that a 2015 model should be quite road-worthy for either approach (contract towed or self towed.) It's very likely the tires, bearings, brakes, lights, etc. are in very good shape. If you let us know what area of the country the trailer is in, someone here may even be able to help with the walkthrough and/or the tow.

Good luck and keep us posted,

Roy and Marie

WherryWillie · 10-21-2016, 06:47 PM

We live in Wisconsin and bought a 2016 26U new in Arizona. A few notes for you from that:
1. Do specific research on how your state and the state where you are buying are going to treat the purchase with regards to sales tax, license, title and insurance. I have purchased automobiles in Minnesota that have come back to Wisconsin and it was very simple. The Minnesota dealer filled out the Wisconsin paperwork, I paid Wisconsin sales tax. Arizona isn't caught up on the full faith and credit clause of the constitution and the hoops I had to jump through reminded me of a Marx Bros., movie. The take away here is there is no general experience in this transaction, it is specific to the buyer's state and the seller's state.

2. The tow vehicle literature and the AS literature talks about the total towing weight. Left out of the sales literature is the payload capacity of the truck and the tongue weight of the AS and the role a weight distribution hitch plays in this dance. I ended up with a good combination, but after spending >$100k on this AS+TV=rig it frightens me the degree to which dumb luck played a part. There are some very good threads on this topic here on the forum. If you don't find the answers, post your specific questions and I'm pretty sure some experienced folks will respond. They did for me.

3. I opted for the go get it myself option. That it was a new AS gave me reasonable confidence that it was road-worthy.

4. Include a small tank air compressor in your kit and make sure all your tires are properly inflated every morning. I also have a little 12 VDC air compressor for an emergency (none so far) but doing all your tires with this little guy would make it too much of a chore, and I think it is the single most important thing you can do as a driver to keep yourself going safely down the road.

5. I'm also a proponent of a rear-view camera, not just a back-up camera. It relieves a lot of anxious situations: backing out of (or in to) a tight spot, pausing at a stop sign to check the map (knowing there is nobody behind you), changing lanes in traffic.

happy trails.

rvb · 10-22-2016, 11:22 PM

Dito on the 12v air compressor except I also carry a set of jumper cables to use as extension cables so I can reach all the tires from the battery compartment.

USAtraveler · 10-24-2016, 02:29 PM

If you're gonna buy a small air compressor to run off your 12v battery, make sure the compressor is up to the job. Many inexpensive compressors are so small the only thing they're good for is inflating kid's bicycle tires. They may claim to pump high enough pressure, but the air volume is way too low and the small motor will fry before it pumps enough air. I'd shop around for the biggest 12v compressor you can find. Q Industries MV50 is pretty well rated and will get the job done, but there are a few similar units equally capable.

gator.bigfoot · 10-24-2016, 04:22 PM

Taxes vary state to state. If you want to avoid sales tax in some states you will need to take delivery out of state if buying from a dealer. California and Indiana are like this.

As far as taking anything extra, make sure you have the right tire changing gear. A breaker bar sure comes in handy. It will save you hunting around if you get a flat. Don't forget you can tow on 3 wheels for a hundred miles. So you don't necessarily have to put a spare on it.

I learned the hard way. A flat in no man's land and no tool to get the tire off. No tire shop would help either. I ended up unhitching and driving to the nearest store to buy a breaker bar and a proper socket. Then changing the tire only to discover the spare had no air.