General Advice

[mkcurtiss]

You will quickly find the AI to be unsatisfactory, imo....As was mentioned earlier, the inconvenience of a motorhome will quickly outweigh the benefit.....Find a nice used Airstream Trailer, preferably a 25' or larger, and save a ton of money at the same time......And remember, long term, every motorhome is on it's way to being worth absolute $0, while Airstream Travel Trailers, with good care, just keep on keeping on......

Mike

[Lily&Me]

You could surely drive anywhere with your family in an Interstate, just trying to all shelter there will be very challenging.

I still think, given the age of your kids, a tent would do well.

Maggie

[Piggy Bank]

I would like to remind the "bring a tent" responders to remember hard how much gear tent camping entails. That alone would take up so much space that it is not a very good solution in my opinion.

If the poster's family are minimalists and could be fully content each person only bringing a school sized backpack or duffle for all of their stuff, and a suitable sleeping arrangement can be found, then an interstate may work out. Most people want to have more things along with them.

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by Passin Thru

Tents have their own issues such as safety etc. What about an interstate pulling a teardrop trailer for the girls to sleep in. They would probably love the privacy, time away from Mom and Dad and it would be safer than a tent. The teardrops are small and the interstate would not even know it is there.

And I would definitely recommend the ext.

Interesting and creative

[Foiled Again]

Best place to see many Airstreams is at the factory. Jackson Center OHIO. Yes about 2.5 hours away.

Due to the Covid-19 situation the factory tours are probably closed down, but do call and ask. There may also be a new dealer or two not yet on the website. Look for WBCCI clubs near you. People love to show off their Airstreams, but of course wear a mask, use hand sanitizer and slip off your shoes when invited in.

[Lily&Me]

I had suggested a hitch hauler for a tent and sleeping bags, which would probably be helpful for gear for 4, anyway.

This is how we traveled with our grandkids.

Maggie

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Piggy Bank

It does bear discussing that safe and recommended highway driving speeds with a unit like an Airstream Interstate are higher/standard MPH speed rates.
When traveling with a trailer towed behind a vehicle, safe and recommended highway driving speeds are basically 60-65 MPH.

When towing I stick to 63 MPH. That's my comfort zone. So let's say the Interstate likes to roll at 70.
If you drive 8 hours you'll be 56 miles ahead of me. Is that worth packing into a small RV? (at a large price!). I can comfortably drive one hour more and be past you.
I had a 40' motorhome and if I had a guest, I'd end up with duffle bags under the table and settee cushions on the dashboard. I can't imagine four people in a 20' van.

[nvestysly]

mpapatonis,

Several of the comments you made in your initial post indicate a Class B is well suited for your travels. Easy to get around, go here and there, always on the move. We have an Interstate and like it very much for those reasons and more. We also have an Airstream trailer because that's more suited to long-term camping when we're not on the move very often.

Bear in mind that Air Forums members who travel/camp in trailers may not understand the freedoms of the Class B way of traveling. For that matter, not all Class B owners travel in the same manner. There is no right or wrong way - all that matters is what works for you.

There's no question a Class B is small for 4 people. We have a 22' Interstate with twin beds and it's perfect for 2 adults. However, there are several products on the market, as well as home-built designs, that allow two extra people to sleep in a Class B. The EXT will definitely provide more space for added passengers. We don't "put down stakes" when we travel - we only hook up to electric, filling the fresh water tank and dumping waste tanks every few days. That cycle of refilling and dumping will be shorter/faster with 4 people.

It's going to be a personal decision and every family will have their reasons an Interstate would (or wouldn't) work. The 15 year old... consider how much longer she will be traveling with you as college, or a job, is only a few years away. Maybe the 8 year old wants to bring a friend if/when the older child doesn't go along.

Looks for threads and comments from Wachuco on Air Forums - his family travelled with 2 adults and 2 teenage(ish) children on and off for a year or two. His experience may be very analogous to your situation.

[nateallen80]

Originally Posted by nvestysly

We don't "put down stakes" when we travel - we only hook up to electric, filling the fresh water tank and dumping waste tanks every few days. That cycle of refilling and dumping will be shorter/faster with 4 people.

We travel like this as well. *So far* has worked well, but our oldest is 12. I’m working on some sort of option for her to sleep across the rear captains chairs when she grows out of the bottom bunk of the cabbunk.

[mpapatonis]

Originally Posted by nvestysly

mpapatonis,

Several of the comments you made in your initial post indicate a Class B is well suited for your travels. Easy to get around, go here and there, always on the move. We have an Interstate and like it very much for those reasons and more. We also have an Airstream trailer because that's more suited to long-term camping when we're not on the move very often.

Bear in mind that Air Forums members who travel/camp in trailers may not understand the freedoms of the Class B way of traveling. For that matter, not all Class B owners travel in the same manner. There is no right or wrong way - all that matters is what works for you.

There's no question a Class B is small for 4 people. We have a 22' Interstate with twin beds and it's perfect for 2 adults. However, there are several products on the market, as well as home-built designs, that allow two extra people to sleep in a Class B. The EXT will definitely provide more space for added passengers. We don't "put down stakes" when we travel - we only hook up to electric, filling the fresh water tank and dumping waste tanks every few days. That cycle of refilling and dumping will be shorter/faster with 4 people.

It's going to be a personal decision and every family will have their reasons an Interstate would (or wouldn't) work. The 15 year old... consider how much longer she will be traveling with you as college, or a job, is only a few years away. Maybe the 8 year old wants to bring a friend if/when the older child doesn't go along.

Looks for threads and comments from Wachuco on Air Forums - his family travelled with 2 adults and 2 teenage(ish) children on and off for a year or two. His experience may be very analogous to your situation.

Good advice from the other side of the aisle. Thank you.

[mpapatonis]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

Best place to see many Airstreams is at the factory. Jackson Center OHIO. Yes about 2.5 hours away.

Due to the Covid-19 situation the factory tours are probably closed down, but do call and ask. There may also be a new dealer or two not yet on the website. Look for WBCCI clubs near you. People love to show off their Airstreams, but of course wear a mask, use hand sanitizer and slip off your shoes when invited in.

Wow! Didn’t realize it was so close. That makes sense now. The only place I could really find them was a dealer in Troy which is very close to that.

[mpapatonis]

Originally Posted by nateallen80

We travel like this as well. *So far* has worked well, but our oldest is 12. I’m working on some sort of option for her to sleep across the rear captains chairs when she grows out of the bottom bunk of the cabbunk.

Do you find it to be an issue on rainy days?

[djb75]

We had a Navion 24 Class C (which would be about the same size, give or take) for 10 years. Started out thinking it would just be for long weekends, but within a few years was also for an annual 10-day vacation. We found that with two adults and a couple of corgis, the walls started moving in on the 3rd or 4th day - so last year we traded in for a 27' Globetrotter.

As an experiment, have everybody sleep in their closets for the weekend and then take a poll. I honestly believe you will find it's too small until the kids move away!

[nateallen80]

Originally Posted by mpapatonis

Do you find it to be an issue on rainy days?

To be honest, we usually plan around rain by finding something indoors to do (museum, presidential library), or moving on to the next destination. We typically plan our route and itinerary in a fluid way so as to maximize our outdoor opportunities when it isn’t raining. We have been very lucky in that regard. One of the best things about the class B is how easy it is to move on whenever you want.

[Topshelf]

Hadocy Airstream is just down the road from where you are in Columbus. They are highly regarded in the Airstream community, you might want to talk to them.

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by mkcurtiss

You will quickly find the AI to be unsatisfactory, imo....As was mentioned earlier, the inconvenience of a motorhome will quickly outweigh the benefit.....Find a nice used Airstream Trailer, preferably a 25' or larger, and save a ton of money at the same time......And remember, long term, every motorhome is on it's way to being worth absolute $0, while Airstream Travel Trailers, with good care, just keep on keeping on......

Mike

And now for a different perspective yet:

There are SO many issues... Mike just touched on one... the long-term cost of ownership of a new Interstate. All other issues aside, if you buy a new coach, you'll lose $50k to depreciation in three years. Now I recognize that there are many folks who find that a drop in the bucket... it's a years' pension income for me. I got the deal of the century on mine... at about 10% the cost of a new coach. No depreciation left at all. As a matter of fact, I could just about triple my money if I sold it. Those deals are "out there" if you're patient. In fact, you can buy a really nice used coach for less than the three year depreciation on a new one! And you know what? My 16 year old well-used coach has exactly the same utility as does a 2020 Interstate. Perhaps more because it doesn't have the complex systems to fail.

"Comfort" and "space" are overrated in terms of "experience." What are you trying to provide your kids, a rolling palace, or experiences to be cherished? MY earliest memories of camping are of sleeping in my folks' 1959 Rambler with all of the seats folded down. I got the steering wheel spot 'cause I was short enough to fit. We progressed through a series of tents, tent trailers, and later on hard-side campers. As a matter of fact, my first encounter with an Airstream was in 1967 when a man pulled in next to us with a brand new Caravel 17'. It was a cold, wet Spring in a tent trailer without a furnace, and he invited us over for hot chocolate. I was entranced... obviously as you can see all the Airstreams in my signature.

When we traveled with my teen and pre-teen children, we always made it about the adventure, not the arrangements... and believe me we had some unintended adventures... that the kids all remember fondly to this day (my youngest is 31.) Most all of our memorable family travels involve an RV in one way or another, and most of them involve old Airstreams. It's not about comfort, its about being together, and facing whatever comes your way, together. And hopefully see some fun and interesting things... and making memories. Tents work fine for the kids when they want to be independent and have room... and the location and weather works for it. Floors, couches, and other inventive sleeping arrangements work just as well when they don't. Fancy isn't important. Family experiences are.

Find something you think will work, and go use it. You'll find there are things you like and things that are difficult to find work-arounds for... and it doesn't matter whether its a B-Van or a 325 motorhome or a 34' tri-axle, two-door trailer. I've had them all and they each have things that were great and reasons I sold them. Find something that works that you won't lose your shirt on... make that do and go and use it... it's the travel and memories that are important, not the sleeping arrangements!

[nateallen80]

Originally Posted by 85MH325

What are you trying to provide your kids, a rolling palace, or experiences to be cherished?

Well said...the whole post.

[mpapatonis]

Originally Posted by 85MH325

And now for a different perspective yet:

There are SO many issues... Mike just touched on one... the long-term cost of ownership of a new Interstate. All other issues aside, if you buy a new coach, you'll lose $50k to depreciation in three years. Now I recognize that there are many folks who find that a drop in the bucket... it's a years' pension income for me. I got the deal of the century on mine... at about 10% the cost of a new coach. No depreciation left at all. As a matter of fact, I could just about triple my money if I sold it. Those deals are "out there" if you're patient. In fact, you can buy a really nice used coach for less than the three year depreciation on a new one! And you know what? My 16 year old well-used coach has exactly the same utility as does a 2020 Interstate. Perhaps more because it doesn't have the complex systems to fail.

"Comfort" and "space" are overrated in terms of "experience." What are you trying to provide your kids, a rolling palace, or experiences to be cherished? MY earliest memories of camping are of sleeping in my folks' 1959 Rambler with all of the seats folded down. I got the steering wheel spot 'cause I was short enough to fit. We progressed through a series of tents, tent trailers, and later on hard-side campers. As a matter of fact, my first encounter with an Airstream was in 1967 when a man pulled in next to us with a brand new Caravel 17'. It was a cold, wet Spring in a tent trailer without a furnace, and he invited us over for hot chocolate. I was entranced... obviously as you can see all the Airstreams in my signature.

When we traveled with my teen and pre-teen children, we always made it about the adventure, not the arrangements... and believe me we had some unintended adventures... that the kids all remember fondly to this day (my youngest is 31.) Most all of our memorable family travels involve an RV in one way or another, and most of them involve old Airstreams. It's not about comfort, its about being together, and facing whatever comes your way, together. And hopefully see some fun and interesting things... and making memories. Tents work fine for the kids when they want to be independent and have room... and the location and weather works for it. Floors, couches, and other inventive sleeping arrangements work just as well when they don't. Fancy isn't important. Family experiences are.

Find something you think will work, and go use it. You'll find there are things you like and things that are difficult to find work-arounds for... and it doesn't matter whether its a B-Van or a 325 motorhome or a 34' tri-axle, two-door trailer. I've had them all and they each have things that were great and reasons I sold them. Find something that works that you won't lose your shirt on... make that do and go and use it... it's the travel and memories that are important, not the sleeping arrangements!

Though I’m sure that I would enjoy the company of everyone on the forum, you certainly seem like the type of person that I would enjoy sitting and chatting with.

A few things. I never intended on buying a new AI. I’m looking at 2013-2016 or possibly even a used Coachmen Galleria. I did not enjoy driving the large Class A, AT ALL. Plus, my intention is to make quick runs, out for a few days and back in between work responsibilities at home. Most likely a different place each night or two. The Class B is obviously ideal for that situation. I can keep it in my driveway and load up the family on the spur of the moment all summer.

All that being said, I still take everyone’s advice to heart. I don’t want to regret the cramped space. Though you make a good point that it’s about the experience.

[nvestysly]

+1 on the comments from 85MH325. Lots of very good thoughts in that post.

Class B's can be rented (I'm sure you know that with your Class A rental) and you can get a real-life experience to see if the limited space is going to be an issue.

We bought a used Interstate for a couple of reasons. Didn't want to take the hit on depreciation, didn't want all the bells and whistles in the new vans, and specifically didn't want Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF). In 2017 we bought a 2010 Interstate which was built on a 2008 Sprinter chassis. I know that sounds like a weird date combination but it's not when you consider importing vehicles from Germany combined with model year dates for RV's.

Be sure to do some searching here on Air Forums regarding the year model and the issues that come up. Although buying used may mean that somebody else has fixed the problem(s). There were a host of issues related to DEF when Mercedes first implemented that system sometime in the early to mid 201x's. Similarly, Airstream has implemented a variety of upgraded technology in Interstates and some of those products come with problems. Not trying to scare you away but it's worth doing some checking.

Regarding other brands... We are really enamored with the Class B products made by Coach House in Florida. They are a small family owned business and seem to really know their customer base. If we didn't specifically want an Airstream product we would have purchased a Coach House.

[mpapatonis]

Renting is surely good advice. I’ve been looking, but Class Bs within 150 miles are rented out until September. RV share rentals are up 1000 percent with the pandemic.

Here is what I’ve been looking at. If anyone has advice on the specific models/years, etc, I would appreciate the input. BTW, these are asking prices. I’ve already confirmed that I could make an offer. The Coachmen is new.

https://www.arbogastrvs.com/product/...ge-1189430-116

https://www.arbogastrvs.com/product/...xt-1196794-116

https://www.shaferrv.com/2018-galleria-301.html