30ft vs 34ft for Family of 5?

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by Masterz

Hi Folks,

We're ready to buy an Airstream! (Once we figure out which one to buy...)

Hoping that's where you come in. We've narrowed down the field to a 2000+ 30ft or a 2000+ 34ft for our family of 5x (2x adults and 3x children under the age of 6).

Our intention is to use it primarily for boondock vacationing, but it will get a mix of use, and from reading intensely on the subject- it seems that the length won't restrict us as much as we'd originally feared. Our 3/4 ton vehicle is capable of easily towing either, so that's not a factor.

That said, we're very keen to learn your thoughts/wisdom/experience/hearsay about a preference towards either of these trailers and hope to use it for making our purchase decision.

Thanks in advance!
Ross

IMO, go for the larger trailer. The biggest difference is in the additional living and kitchen space. That extra 4' with six people will be priceless, especially on a rainy day.

I have owned a 1999 30' and presently own a 1999 34', both Excella, very similar to the two trailers you mention.

As far as towing, there's not a lot of difference, except the 34' tows smoother. The difference in maneuverability is negligible.

[Bbelk]

I love my Airstream, but in my opinion, they are a poor choice for families. A pop up camper has more sleeping space in it. There are many good campers out there that will give you more space, more beds, more everything, weigh less and lighten your wallet a LOT less. Boxes are fundamentally more space efficient than tubes.

[Dschonfelder]

I have a 34 ft airstream and it is in really good condition. Has three axles and tows great. It is for sale, The back bedroom is twins, I added a queen matress and now it is king plus. big galley, five awnings. heat pump, ac, and added rv heater. If interested call me. Dave. 3093356368

[AtomicNo13]

We are a family of 2 parents, 4 children , and 3 dogs.
We are now 8 years fulltime in a 34.
4 feet is 4 extra feet, youll need every sanity inch...

[Henry T]

Hi there,
We have a 1984 34 foot 3-axle Airstream (named Stretch) purchased at Can-Am RV near London Ontario in 1996. They have set up 2 tow vehicles for me so far ('92 1500 Suburban, and '97 1500 Suburban) I've towed Stretch about 30,000 kms with these 2 vehicles including the prairies and Rocky mountains. At 300,000 kms the '97 the tranny died. Not a bad life though.

We traveled from London Ontario to Los Angeles in the year 2000 with 7 kids, oldest age 11. We didn't anticipate how much work it would be but still have tons of great memories and photos. (Mt. Rushmore, Grand Canyon, etc) The 3-axle, narrow body, towed like a dream everywhere. Again, the combination was set up at Can-Am Rv, they had me use 8-inch rims and a shorter profile tire on the '92 Suburban.

For the '97 suburban we acquired a Hensley hitch and stayed with the stock rims with LT tires.

I felt that I had sufficient power and great handling with both suburbans (5.7 litre).

Stretch is a rear twin, with aluminum framed removable canvas bunks above the twins. We even had a 3rd aluminum framed bunk crosswise above the rear window above the foot end of the bunks made for us, again at Can-Am. My 13 and 19 year old boys still prefer the bunks!

Stretch is not as shiny as most Airstreams but sure has lots of experience and stories. We're planning a trip to Montreal and PEI this summer, with 2 adults and 2 teenagers now.

Family of 5: Go for it!!

Henry

[Overstreet]

Which one fits the parking space at home?

Note my 30 ft Classic is 34 ft nose to tail.

[Dschonfelder]

I would recommend the 34 ft. I currently have one for sale, 34 2001, excellent condition, king plus bed, give me a call at 3093356368 and/or contact me via email at dschonfelder@frontiernet.net.