Airstreams just for 'older' people?

[nvestysly]

Hello divorced. I sure like the idea of that storage building. I would build it for the largest RV you can imagine owning. After all you may find yourself with a motorhome at some point and AS made some long ones.

Whether you choose large trailer (34') or small (something in the 20's) you really need to look around and ask many questions. The variety of floorplans offer plenty of options. Do you want storage? Do you want built-in dinette? Will you be entertaining? Is cooking high or low on the priority list? The more you look around the more you will realize what fits your needs.

I urge you to consider a used trailer. You'll save lots of money. New is nice but even with the discounts of up to 25% new trailers cost lots of money. You can sometimes find a nearly new (never or seldom used trailer) for quite a discount.

Regarding simplifying - The 3rd edition of Your Money Or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin has recently been released. This book has lots of great ideas for simplifying.

See Ya Down The Road.

Lucius

[redeagle313]

Pricing: You can get a deal on left over '08 and '07 models on dealer lots. Colonial Airstream, the largest volume Airstream dealer in the country, has some left over '08's advertised at about 23% off of retail price. Looks like Arkansas Airstream has a left over '07 front bedroom 27' International at better than 20% off. Call around and using the dealer search tool on the Airstream website to see who is close to you.

[85MH325]

I went through a divorce in 1987 and bought my first Airstream, a 1970 Safari 23' and lived in it full-time for a little less than a year. It's a great lifestyle. I paid a whopping $2,000 for mine back then. It was what I could afford. If you can afford a new one, find the one you like the best. Don't compromise... it's really less expensive to do it right the first time.

Good luck!

Roger

[AZ-JH]

Today's younger people will probably buy ASs and other toys when they have the means to do so -- when they get older! Friends that think this is a drastic move for you may be secretly envious of your freedom and "less is more" lifestyle. Show them how it's done!

[HankandLois]

Hubby's 51 and I'm 46...I know what you mean about the friends and family thinking you're nutso wanting and airstream and shedding the "STUFF." That's it... it's just stuff!

We purchased our 2007 International 27'FB Ocean Breeze in September 2007. Hubby's an electrical engineer and most of his jobs require that he live near the project site. So we purchased ours as a second home on wheels.

We've been living in ours off and on since April 2008. I think both of us are secretly wishing for being full-time in our unit. But we're not ready to take the plunge just yet... but if we could sell our condo, I think we'd do it in a heartbeat! Oh, and hubby's current project has been local... So we've been choosing the trailer over the condo for living quarters...LOL!

Best thing? When wanderlust strikes, you just pick up the bug feet, hitch it up and go... Beach, mountains, forest, desert... You name it...

It's amazing how you learn to live with less. My family thinks I've gone over the edge because I love our airstream so much. Hubby's family thinks it's cool. Just depends on your background, I guess. My family is the living on the golf course in a cluster mansion type... LOL!

Hubby hung out Air Forums for almost a year before taking the plunge.There is TONS of wisdom on these boards. So, welcome and hang out for a spell.

And most of all enjoy your new adventure!

/Lois

[Ganaraska]

From reading other threads the consensus seems to be that the 25 to 30 foot models are best for travelling. Smaller if you like boondock camping, larger if you stick to the most modern camp sites.

There is really no reason you can't travel with the largest models especially as you indicate that you will not be travelling all the time. The extra room is nice to have.

Possibly the best course would be to visit an Airstream dealer and check out the different models.

As to how much of a discount you can get. In these days of starving car and RV dealers you should be able to negotiate a very good price. Though it seems kind of mean to try to squeeze them dry.

[n2916s]

I'm 54 and my bride is 49. Over the past three years we have spent 17 months on the road so I guess we are half-timing. We have a 31' Sovereign which is plenty big for us so I suspect 27' would (as noted) be plenty for a single.

We are allergic to KOA's (and clones) and any campground that has "resort" in the name so we tend to be found at State/Natl Parks/Forests most of the time (although we do love those military RV parks). Our 31' is pushing it for many of these places (we have occasionally shrunk to 30' mystically) because the campgrounds were laid out when trailers were generally smaller.

If you do jump in, especially with a new unit, you will need to roll some pavement under it on a regular basis -- keeps the mind clear, the heart warm and all the running gera happy, happy, happy...

mike

[94Tri]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Great thing about Stream'n.....keeps 'ya young at heart.

I am 35, my wife is 36, and we have 3 and 6 year old boys. Airstreaming is a way for our family to get away from the rat race and enjoy each others company. We also get to meet some really nice people at campgrounds............IT'S GOOD!!

[Poprivet]

Generally speaking - you can estimate the age of an Airstream owner by the number of dings in the Airstream. I consider myself some what an authority on the subject.

I would guess the mean age of the forum groups is about five years younger than the WBCCI group.

I would also guess that "full timers" tend to be younger than the age of the overall RV community.

[emdubyadee]

The OKC area sees more than its share of hail each year. I recommend that you either store the AS inside the storage building or build a cover for the AS on your property. Even small hail leaves dents.

[nmgt350h]

I’m 34 years old and I have owned a few sob trailers and seen just how poorly built they are. I just bought a slightly used 2006 31’ classic with a slide out and I love it! In my option a slide out is the only way to go that little bit of extra floor space make all the difference. Unfortunately a lot of the Classics looks like the inside of a Florida retirement home (as does this one) so it is undergoing an interior make over with new flooring, new upholstery, and counter tops, lighting, wall paper, and more. The good news is that there are so many good deals $$ out there you can afford to get the right AS for you and remodel it into the perfect trailer for you. And yes does not seem like you see too many young Air Streamers out there most everyone I have ever run into are much older (maybe it’s a wisdom thing)… Best of Luck!

[Crusty]

Yes, Airstreams are only for people who are old enough to know that any common fool can be uncomfortable.

[cameront120]

I'm living in a 25 foot trailer very comfortably with my two labs (since June). For me it has the perfect amount of space. I find that I have more than enough storage for my needs. In fact, if I were to go larger, I'd have more storage and more reason to accumulate more unecessary 'stuff' inside the trailer. The only thing that I wish were bigger is the refrigerator. I'd like to have something more full sized. For now it's fine though, because I do have a full sized fridge in the garage.

[slowmover]

The truck I purchased to pull our trailer and to do some work for me was equipped with a LEER topper (no windows) and a factory bedliner, two items I might not have purchased on my own. The combination gives me a big place to toss the dirty items, the heavy & greasy items; store spares, tools, what-not. We fulltimed last year for seven straight months and that easy-to-slide-things-on bedliner and cover were a huge help.

A trailer can easily be too small. I pull a 34' (would have preferred a 28') but find that neither size is any harder to pull or to back; just more swing room on turns. Less than 28' doesn't have much "living room", so consider carefully. The difference in cost of ownership is about nil past purchase price, and a new life calls for some room for "things" as tastes, avocations change or overlap.

The ideal route, IMO, would be a used 30' trailer for a year to 18-mos minimum, then a build out by TIMELESS of a rig suited to known tastes. By taste, one needs a good bit of travel to understand what is important under different conditions of climate, etc, beyond just sleeping in the rig at a private campground and trundling down the same interstate the next day.

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by ts8501

If I was buying brand new, I would seriously consider the 27FB Flying Cloud. I love the interiors, and I agree with what has already been said about the advantages of the front bedroom units. The International is a strong consideration as well.

I am 48 and my wife will be 50 this month. We really do love our 34' Excella, and feel we got much for the preowned dollar. We have noted many, many people in their 30's and 40's that have joined streaming this year. Not sure the whys for "younger" owners, but it sure seems to be a trend.

-Tim

I vote for the 27 FB too, but I want the CCD International - (There are three trim levels - "Safari" which has now been renamed "Flying Cloud" CCD International, which is mod-pod styling and Classic - which his high end, but very traditional). The 27 and 28 layouts are actually the same length... It's just the layout that differs, but the 27 FB has more closet space and in my opinion a better galley layout.

By all means GO to a big airstream dealer, and/or attend a rally or two. Looking at layouts on websites has limited usefulness. The real world will speak to you almost immediately.

Oh and on the travel, I work full time, and get a lot less travel time than I would like, but by all means travel even if just for the weekends and just within 100 miles of your home. There are lots of small towns, state parks, shopping opportunities, tailgate parties, Nascar events, etc. to go to... and using your own bath and kitchen while doing it... priceless.

Paula

[whitsend]

Originally Posted by divorced

I am 40 years old and am going through a divorce. It's taken me a long time to realize that chasing dollars and things did not make me happy and I want to make a drastic change by simplifying my life.

divorced - Welcome to The Wonderful World of Airstreaming (sorry Walt), and AirForums !! Airstreams only for old folks? Not necessarily, I see quite a few young folks enjoying their AS's. They're great for making those wonderful life long memories. And you'll NEVER find a group of nicer, more caring people, as this Forums will show you. I got the "late in life" divorce, made the same decision ~ to simplify my life. Bought some land in the country, bought a 30 ft Airstream Classic and have NEVER looked back. A 'grannys' interior? Maybe, but I'm a grandfather and it suits my taste. I've never felt so unencumbered, with the "stuff" that never did make ~ME~ happy. I also have a "brick & stick" house here in the country, so maybe I have the best of both worlds. I only have 1 kid, a grown daughter, who supports my lifestyle but also thinks I may have gone a tad overboard when I bought the 2nd Airstream - a 55 year old vintage!! to restore, keep me occupied & healthy and to love. Multiple Airstreams ARE NOT unusual, so you may want to give that some thought when you design your WAY COOL "storage" building.

What size is right for you? Take the good advise - dedicate several hours to visit an Airstream dealership. Tell the salesman to go away. Then envision yourself living in the various sizes & floorplans. FWIW, I've never had any problem parking my 30 ft'er in any RV park or state / national park.

And lastly, you should know that "vintage is cool" with a lot of us. WAY COOL. To see for yourself, my WBCCI unit (Texas Highland Lakes Unit) is sponsoring a rally in San Antonio, TX February 4th to the 8th - and the sole focus is vintage Airstreams, and Okla isn't that far a drive, for an Airstreamer. There will be almost constant seminars and an Open House for you to check out all the wonderful floorplans thru the years, as well as how many folks have remodeled to their taste & lifestyle. And the vast majority of us who have newer trailers would gladly "show you ours " to help you on your decision path. Check out the "Texas Vintage Rally" posting here on the Forums for more info. If you plan to attend, PM me so we can meet up. I'd be more than happy to "show you the ropes".

You've made great, dare I say informed, choice. "Full speed ahead, damn the torpedoes / perceptions of others".

Keep us informed of your decision -

[Chip Arnold]

Hi Divorced, I say go for it! I'm 62 and my wife isn't too far behind me. We've been working on a '76 31 footer for a couple of years and are just about ready to move in. No money to travel with so we'll be stationary but we're keeping everything in movable shape just in case. We've given the kids most of our stuff and will sell or donate what's left. We think the AS will be plenty big enough for us. Good luck and I hope you report back on progress :-)

[dreadydreame]

Hello, Just wanted to say we are in our 20's and just bought our first airstream. We don't full time but wish we could. I say if you can- do it.
I also suggest trying your hand at long distance hiking, you sound like the perfect person for that also.

[nunya001]

Sorry to hear about your divorce - but your plan seems pretty good. Some other folks have already recommended to buy a used and try it out - that's some pretty sound advice. I was 36 when I bought my AS - I was 37 before I was done doing a complete redesign of the interior. I spend about 2 months a year living in it at the beach and the mountains in CO during the winter. I think I could go full time if the opportunity presented itself. I am in a 1969 31' - but it's just me and my dog. Plenty of space, etc. . . but my design is a custom set up. Someone else mentioned the idea of a cap for your truck - good idea also. Do some reading and looking, set your expectations reasonably and enjoy.

J-

[NevadaGeo]

My opinion, split the difference in length, get a used Excella in good condition, live it it while you do your learning curve and figure out what you really want. Then trade it in on your learned choice next year.
Same if you think about buying a boat, get a windsurfer and be out there on the water checking out the classy sail boats versus the stinkpots.
Just my opinion.