Before we buy

[SkillmanBud]

Is there an outlet (hopefully in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia) where we. Could rent a medium size Airstream with tow vehicle. Seems to be a logical step before making a major investment.

[Al - K4GLU]

No.

[overlander63]

This is the only place I am aware of:
Airstream2GO | Rental Airstream Journeys

[SeeMore]

If you want to do that, you have to fly to Vegas-

https://airstream2go.com/

[BoldAdventure]

You're out of luck. You best bet is to window shop.

[aquinob]

There's an Airstream dealer in northern VA near DC, Safford RV. Never been there so I cant say anything good or bad.

Have you ever camped before? Most folks seem to work their way up to an Airstream from older and or cheaper rigs. Give us some background and what you're trying to do.

[drboyd]

Cheaper to buy a trailer than rent at those rates! Yeeouch!

[Gsmblue]

Errrr, that is spendy! May as well by a used one at those prices!

[moosetags]

Yes, 13 grand for two weeks is a bit much.

Brian

[BoldAdventure]

It is a bit much, but they also provide the tow vehicle, so keep in mind you're renting two vehicles in reality and all the associated costs. The prices are on par with exotic rentals.

[Foiled Again]

The prior posts missed one opportunity - Virginia Highland Haven just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Copper Hill VA.... Between Roanoke and Floyd VA

It's an Airstream Only Campground, and while you can't RENT an Airstream, you could meet with a number of Airstream owners - some of whom might just have an Airstream for sale. They'll almost all be willing to share experiences with you.

Paula

[Hittenstiehl]

Airstream 4 Rent in Phoenix AZ rents trailer and Suburban.

[Hittenstiehl]

Should add, Airstreams4Rent changed their Business name to RetroRVs and remain located in Phoenix AZ. They are still in the rental business along with restoration.

[Mrjkq]

I think you need some baby steps here. Buy a truck & see how that works first. If you don't like it forget the whole idea & join Hilton Rewards, if the truck works buy a cheaper TT like was said in an earlier post. NOW, if you like the lifestyle, IT's AIRSTREAM TIME!

[BoldAdventure]

Ditto to the above. I think there is an influx of folks who are romanticizing the idea of owning an Airstream, and think it's going to be something it's not.

Also, Foiled Again had a good point, Highland Haven here in Floyd, VA where I am at presently is holding an Airstream rally this weekend. Place is almost full with friendly folks who would answer all your question in better fashion than any sales person.

Airstreaming is about community, and this is the friendliest park I've ever been too.

[KJRitchie]

Fly out to Utah to visit Zion National Park. Contact
Zion RV Trailer Rentals

Not Airstreams but if you'll get an idea what its like to camp in an RV.

If you like the experience then you can continue exploring getting you own RV.

Kelvin

[jgerardi]

What you want to do is admirable, but difficult to accomplish. I tried, but had to settle on something a little simpler.
Rent a class C and go for a trip. Reasonable price and easy to find. This will tell you of you like the basic concept. Traveling slow, in and out of campgrounds, the people, the pace.
Then go look at some airstreams. You WILL fall in love with one. Paula's tip about visiting some other air streamers can help you find the one that's best for you.
Then pull the trigger and have fun!

[Almandine]

Like you, we have been interested in renting an Airstream to try before buying. We have not found much, especially in the Eastern US. We asked at a couple of dealers (naively thinking that a used Airstream would be a fantastic sales tool.) Their cool response suggested there was little point in pursuing this option with dealers further afield.
Others here have mentioned airstream2go.com, which says they are the only factory authorized rental source in North America. It sounds like a memorable vacation opportunity if it fits your budget.
If you can consider something outside Virginia, another rental option is livingairstream.com. As I understand it, they have rentals in Denver and in San Francisco. A mix of sizes and vintages.
We saw an article about a few KOA campgrounds having Airstreams that you can rent. The Bar Harbor KOA in Maine is one example. You wouldn't get the experience of towing with that option.
In Michigan, where we are from, we were able to find an owner who rents out his Airstream with a tow vehicle, though his was an older, refurbished unit. I expect you have already explored this option in Virginia.
If you come up with any interesting options, please post them. It would be of interest to others.

[Almandine]

I saw this article on Fortune.com by a journalist that rented an Airstream from airstream2go and thought it was interesting.
Renting an Airstream for the ultimate luxury road trip - Fortune

[Bewell]

We too wanted to rent an Airstream before buying one -- actually, we needed to just go "camping" before buying an Airstream. So, we rented a 2011 International Signature 23 from livingairstream.com. We didn't tow it...we just had them drop it off at a campsite -- the San Franscisco RV Resort. We stayed for 3 days weekend and the cost was about $200 a night for the Airstream plus the campground fees-- we went at the end of January so it was off season. My experience with livingairstream.com was terrific. And, it was nearly as expensive as Airstreamtogo which I had also considered. By the way, I live on the East Coast and I couldn't find anyone on the East Coast who would rent Airstreams.

We absolutely loved our weekend in the Airstream and decided that we liked the camping thing so we would move forward with purchasing one. Still, the Airstream was a big purchase and we weren't sure if we really liked camping or if we just liked the Airstream. So instead of buying an Airstream we bought a T@B Sofitel. It was half the price of the Airstream we wanted but would allow us to learn the basics of RV ownership and camping. We practised in the backyard with the T@B for a month or so then went on our first camping trip to a nearby KOA. We also LOVED that camping experience but discovered the T@B was too small. So, this past Friday, we just picked up our Sport 16. On the one hand, I kind of feel that I should have just purchased the Airstream first. However, even though it was a very short amount of time, the experience with the T@B was invaluable.
So, I guess the moral of my story is if you already know that you like RVing/camping, go for the Airstream -- but make sure you get the right size for your needs! If you don't know if you like Rving/camping, then make sure that you do before investing in the Airstream. Hope that helps!