any ideas

[rorykirk]

Hi there,
We are new to airstream but not to camping. When our kids were small, we had a 29 ft and also a 5th wheel. We stopped for a few years as we bought a vacation home but now moved further so want to go camping again.

Our only option is to buy an airstream. We have always LOVED them and do have a vehicle to pull it. So any opinions or ideas of which model? We are willing to spend up to 50K,have two teenagers and a dog.

Would love to hear all the good, bad and ugly.
thanks
dorothy

[RUMSHIP]

You really should just do some window shopping to see what's out there. Floor plan layout was a big concern with my wife. They are remarkably different as you will see from age and length in terms of layout. Other then that the systems are basically the same. You have no tow vehicle issues so happy hunting.

[Midnightmoon]

Welcome Dorthy. My first bit of advice for you would be to take a drive out to Airstream of Western PA on rt. 119 in Greensburg. They are less than 10 min east of the Turpike exit in New Stanton. They have a great selection on the lot with everything from 19' up to 30' and everything in between. Since we are so close to the dealer, my wife and I have been there several times looking at the same trailers and they have always been extremely helpful, even though we have yet to pull the trigger on a new one. Even if you end up with a used one, you can get an idea of size and layout. I believe their site is www.airstreamwpa.com

[NJtoNC]

welcome, Dorothy!
im sure you'll get lots of opinions. personally, im in the boat with a lot of vintage airstream owners, and I think if you are (or if your partner / husband is) handy, it's more fun to buy a vintage trailer and turn it into what you want it to be. I'd recommend a pre-1968 trailer. our first trailer is a 19ft which is great for weekends but not for longer trips - i hate not having a dedicated bed. I wish i had gotten a 24ft with dedicated bed.

i seem to see a lot of issues on the forums with 2004 - 07 /08 airstreams. I believe Thor, the owner of airstream, doesn't 'make um like they used to". Wally Byam, the founder of airstream, used to provide a lifetime warranty. Now a new AS only has a 2 yr warranty.

I'd rather hold myself responsible for my own flawed work than hate on a company i paid $50 or $90k to for a new trailer with flawed work.

I'm sure posting more about your budget & situation , others can give you recommendations.

[Travel Bird]

Welcome!! We spent months visiting dealerships and going to rallies. We stepped inside so many models and lengths and just got the sense of which was right for us. The rallies were huge helps as we asked current owners many questions. Sealed the deal. Bought ours last October and know we made the right choice for our needs. good luck!!

[BIGED52]

Dorothy,

This is a good time for your search as there are 2012 and 2011 trailers out there that will have sale prices on them as the new 2013's are out. Do a search for other dealers and check what they have in stock too! I agree that you should walk through as many trailers/models as you can and look over a brochure as to available floorplans. You can also go to Airstream.com and view the new trailer models and floorplans for the 2013 production year. Look for ones that will sleep 4 and roomy enough to work for you. Hope this helps and good luck in your search. Ed

[dwightdi]

In my opinion, the first thing your family needs to do is decide how you will use your RV. Then you will know what kind of things you will need in it and what you will be bringing along. This helps set your size requirements. The next thing is to decide how much you can afford to spend. Now is the big decision, do you want new or used. New ones are a lot of money but no worries. Used you may need to do some rehab and maintenance. If you are not capable of doing some of the work yourself and the time, hiring it out can be costly. Do some prescreening on line but visit a dealer or attend a WBCCI rally to really get the feel for the size and capability. Talk to people (similar to yourselves) that have owned one for a while, for advice.

[Becky B.]

Teenagers seem to need lots of space! Right now in eBay there is a bunkhouse for sale. They don't come up very often. I'd check it out if I had your budget & your family. It looks really nice from the pictures (no, it's not mine!)

[dlb435]

Teenagers soon become adults. You will soon become grand parents.
Airstreams are often owned by the same people for 20 years or more. Think long term. What will you want in five years?

[rorykirk]

Originally Posted by Midnightmoon

Welcome Dorthy. My first bit of advice for you would be to take a drive out to Airstream of Western PA on rt. 119 in Greensburg. They are less than 10 min east of the Turpike exit in New Stanton. They have a great selection on the lot with everything from 19' up to 30' and everything in between. Since we are so close to the dealer, my wife and I have been there several times looking at the same trailers and they have always been extremely helpful, even though we have yet to pull the trigger on a new one. Even if you end up with a used one, you can get an idea of size and layout. I believe their site is www.airstreamwpa.com

Thanks, we are heading there next weekend to see what is available. We are south of Pittsburgh, so i think its not far (just moved here)

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by rorykirk

Thanks, we are heading there next weekend to see what is available. We are south of Pittsburgh, so i think its not far (just moved here)

You are ~45 min from the dealer I would say, depending on how you go.

By the way, welcome to western PA. Enjoying the snow from last night? It had been what.....2 days since our last one.

[Midnightmoon]

Oh, and they have several 2012's on the lot on sale. I'm really partial to the 25' Flying Cloud they have, but my wife doesn't think it is big enough. So, on the lot it sits.........

[hissilver]

Dorthy,

A year ago we wanted to make the move to Airstream, after 50 years of camping, so I daily checked eBay.com ... Search Airstream ... To see what was available. I even bid on a few to gage the interest and expected cost of the models and years offered. We now have a 2011 16' Sport and traveled 13,000 miles plus last year. My advice is to search carefully and you will find not only the trailer you have always wanted, but a community of fine people to share it with.

T