Need advice on new trailer?

[9campbec]

Hi All,

My wife and I have always wanted to be able to purchase an airstream and we are finally close to being able to do so (should be in the next couple months). We are looking at the sport 16 and sport 22. We looked in a 16 at our local dealer in Columbus OH and loved it but are worried about how we will like a wet bath. The dealership is going to have a sport 22 for us to look at in a week or so to see if we like that more then the 16. I was surprised at at much space was inside the 16 for it being so small and we are worried about the 22's width being only a little over 7 foot the walkway between the kitchen and table looks small in photos however not sure how this is in person.

As for camping style, most trips we take are weekend trips to state parks with some longer trips. We are however planning on taking our Airstream to as many national parks as possible so this trailer will for sure take us on some longer trips.

We will be towing our Airstream with a 2009 honda pilot so it should be able to tow both the 16 and 22 does anyone own 16 and 22 and have advice on the wet bath if its something to worry about or not and towing the sports with a midsize SUV?

We currently have another brand of a travel trailer that is about 20 foot but the quality of the other makes of trailers is not something to be proud of, when we walked in the airstream we where amazed at how solid and well-built everything was we hope to get many many years out of our airstream when we get it .

Also any advice on what is a fair price for the 16 or 22 I have no idea whats a fair price for an airstream.

[Foiled Again]

You live NEAR Columbus Ohio?

Really. Well the very next thing you absolutely MUST DO is go NW to Jackson Center Ohio.... AKA "the mothership" and take a factory tour! The factory is very busy and is expanding yet again, but with any luck at all you will at least get to pop your head inside several units on the line. Fridays they used to cut out early but now?

Hang around the lounge and/or the Terraport and you should meet owners having work done on their Airstreams. Most will be glad to show and tell.

It is unfortunate that only a few dealers keep a lot of inventory. If you buy without becoming aware of what most of the choices are, you are likely to find your perfect Airstream 3 months AFTER you have bought one that seemed fine.

If you are still working take a vacation day; tours are Mon-Fri. Call the factory for more info.... and STAY OUT of the retail store..
It is way too easy to spend money on Jackets, door grills, keychains, etc.

Paula

[9campbec]

We plan on taking a trip up to the factory before we buy just hoping we could get some more info from owners here that might have the 16 or 22 sport. We really can't wait to be able to take our new airstream on its first trip but also don't want to let the dealer to charge us more then we should pay or push us one way or another

[chicagoair]

Originally Posted by 9campbec

As for camping style, most trips we take are weekend trips to state parks with some longer trips. We are however planning on taking our Airstream to as many national parks as possible so this trailer will for sure take us on some longer trips.

If you plan on boondocking in State and National Parks the difference in tank size between the 16 and 22 is significant as the 16 has the combination black/grey tank. The Flying Cloud 19 might be worth a look if you like the size of the 16 but want the tank size of the 22.

Originally Posted by 9campbec

Also any advice on what is a fair price for the 16 or 22 I have no idea whats a fair price for an airstream.

You should be able to negotiate around 20% off a new unit's MSRP.

[9campbec]

We looked at the 19 FC but at this point, it's too costly for us they are well over 60k new, also they looked too heavy for our Honda Pilot, (the hitch weight specifically) the pilot has a max of 450 on the hitch. I was worried about the tank size, however, we don't see spending more than 2 nights or so between hookups or dumping the tanks so not sure if it will be a deal breaker.

[Foiled Again]

The RIGHT Airstream can be with you for 10, 20, or 30 years. The tow vehicle?

If the price is the main issue, buy gently used, or even buy another brand and enjoy it until you are better able to afford an Airstream.

Heard the Nest? The new fiberglass Airstream.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Whatever you do, spend some real time in each of the "candidate" trailers. By that I mean hours. Ideally find someplace that has them all on the lot so you can hop between them. Some things that seem like a big deal on first sight really aren't. Other things become more obvious after a while in this or that part of the trailer.

Wet bath wise - if you are 2 days from a dump station, you probably are 2 days from a bath house as well. Indoor showers may not be something you do much of in a small trailer. They use a lot of a scarce commodity .... water ( and gray tank capacity ). Coming back from the beach, the outdoor shower is usually a lot more convenient.

I started our latest shopping expedition owning a Honda Pilot. After we looked at this and that, the Pilot got traded in ....

Bob

[9campbec]

Thanks, I might try to look for a flying cloud 19 used and see what I find I would think the pilot would be able to pull it at least for a couple years until we got something else. The only thing I'm worried about the FC19 is the hitch weight we would have to use. WD hitch to get it back to a safe weight for the pilot.

Then again I might really really like the sport 22 as well when I look at it in a couple weeks.

[rmkrum]

I have an '07 22 International CCD, narrow body, front bedroom with a wet bath. It travels great, and tows easy enough with a Toyota Tacoma 4WD Crew cab short bed pickup. We have lived in it, on the road, for up to 6 weeks at a stretch, with three full-grown humans and up to 5-6 little dogs along. (yeah, we're a bit nuts...)

The wet bath takes a little managing to keep the floor more or less dry for other uses. We found keeping the toilet lid and seat UP during and after using the shower makes it dry off faster. A shower squeegee is handy for wiping the larger drops off the walls. I plan to add a Teak lattice-style mat in the shower to keep the floor cleaner and let water drain off faster. And, of course, run the vent fan to help get the warm wet air out of the bath.

We installed a tankless water heater because DW loves long, hot, hotel showers...and we all know the saying about, "Happy wife, happy life."

The aisle between the dinette and kitchen cabinets, stove and fridge is plenty wide enough to get myself and wife through there without too much bumping. We also have some small dog crates that get in the way as well. The aisle is not huge, but it seems wide enough to open the oven door, cabinet doors, and any of the drawers with a person standing in front of them as well.

I'd suggest what others have mentioned on the forums in the past. Find a dealer that has the unit with the floor layout you like in stock. Sit in it. Pretend to cook and wash up in it, see how the doors and furniture interact with each other. Stand at the stove, and have the others try to walk by to get elsewhere in the cabin.

Lay on the bed, and see how easy it is to get in and out, and get to the bathroom. Our front bed is a pain to get in and out of--somebody has to climb over the one sleeping on the outer edge, and contend with bumping into cold aluminum walls. We plan an insulated 'crib bumper' around the cold parts of the front wall below the panoramic windows... (I'm tired of bumping into then jerking away from the cold aluminum in the middle of the night!)

See if there are any lurking, obvious head-knockers that would be an issue at your height. Sort of 'live' in it for a while, and try normal activities and movements in the layout.

For example, I'm 5 foot 12 inches tall (officially) I have to duck our air conditioning vent assembly and controls (non-ducted air) a little bit, and the curve of the wet bath wall makes it a little tight to shower--so I sit on the toilet seat when I shower. DW claims to be 5 foot two, so she has no issues with the ceiling height, but occasionally has trouble reaching stuff in the back of the upper cabinets, or the awning locks outside...

Try to get the most comfortable one for your use the first time. Many Airstreamers fall prey to "two-foot-itis" where they get an Airstream, and it turns out to be too small, or the wrong layout the first try. Then they sell it, and get a bigger one, rinse and repeat... Ours was previously owned by a couple that took just ONE trip in it, and found it was 'too small', turned it in, and got a bigger one. My son bought it, fully shaken down and ready to go, at a heck of a lower price...now it's the family Airstream...

And, consider buying a used one--you save the depreciation that hits as you drive off the lot, the factory issues are already solved, and you may find a real nice one for a lot less money--we did!

[skyguyscott]

Hopefully not to add to your conundrum, but if you do consider buying slightly used, you will gain the following key advantages.

1. Save lots of $$ (that you can use on trips, the whole point, after all)
2. Getting a trailer with all the bugs already wrung out. (this is HUGE, trust me)
3. Getting "more" trailer for your $$ (whether in size, amenities, trim, etc.)

Very often new trailer buyers will, after a year or two of use, figure out what they really need or want, then trade in. With a gently used trailer you will avoid the huge depreciation hit on that trade in, and realize a greater percentage of your money back.

AS trailers, unlike most any other brand out there, hold their value pretty well, after the initial hit in depreciation. The older the unit, assuming it is in good condition, will hold a higher and higher percentage of it's initial purchase value the older it gets, such that, there are those second-or third-hand owners out there who sold their trailer after years of use for the same amount they paid for it.

[rmkrum]

Yup, 10 years on, ours is still worth exactly what our son paid for it...as an example.

[9campbec]

I'm going to schedule to go look at the 22 sport it might be perfect I have not been able to walk in one yet. I'm going to see if I can find a used 2017-2018 to buy as long as it's in really good shape I'm completely fine with used.

I feel that on longer trips having the 22 would be much better than the 16 in the long run.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

One never knows what might pop up on the used market. That said, very recent trailers tend to still be quite expensive when the do show up used. Something like a 2010 would get you into a much lower cost area. No, it's not a fall off a cliff sort of thing, they do drop between those points ( and continue to drop).

If a good deal does pop up, it is unlikely to stay on the market long. You should be ready to buy it very quickly ( = money on hand ) if it does. If you are financing the trailer, this can get a bit crazy. It's still doable, but there are a lot of things to juggle very quickly.

Bob

[ShinyPete]

All great advice above! Let me state even clearer than already mentioned though, do not buy an Airstream to “fit” your tow vehicle.

Pick the coach you really want after lots of time aboard those that interest you.....you’ll use it less if you don’t like it, and you’ll most likely lose money trading too soon.

Tow vehicles come and go, so get the coach right! We picked our 27fb twin layout knowing we’d trade TVs if need be. We love our floor plan, spending an avg of 45 nights aboard each year. Hope this helps.

[GammaDog]

We bought our first and only trailer (the Airstream we own and cherish) 4 years ago. I still read these forums every day. Here's a quote I have NEVER seen in those 4 years "We sure wish we bought a smaller trailer"

[KRPS]

Greetings,
I purchased mi 2017 Sport from our Columbus dealer. It was slightly used. Less than 1 year old. I love it.
The shower didn't take long to get use to for me. Mine has a team type floor. I do use the campground facilities more if no sewer hook up. The combo tank doesn't take long to get full.
My TV is a Toyota Tacoma TRD two wheel drive.
I just weighed tongue weight. 400 lbs. No fresh water in tank. 1 battery, no items in it. Propane tanks almost full. I had taken dinette table and half of seating out. Installed an articulating mechanism with a smaller top. That was less weight than I took out. Loved the way that worked out.
I agree with almost all that others said. They are very wise.
I love my Sport! Wouldn't want anything else. But I am just by myself.
Good luck.

[mammothmama]

@9campbec

We just made this exact decision. TOV -- honda pilot; bought a 22.

Slight difference (ha!) is that there are 6 of us... me and my husband, plus 4 sons ages 10-17. But to be fair, we bought it for me to be able to travel with a few of the boys at a time (one of whom is a dedicated fly fisherman and that takes us out quite a bit) and for weekend trips for me and the hubby. When we all go together the boys sleep in a tent.

I also tow with a honda pilot, bless her heart. She's a 2007 and has 220,000 miles on her. I also have a Jeep Rubicon I'd like to tow with, but I haven't done that yet since the Pilot is doing so well. I plan to keep going with her til she goes belly up.

We stopped into Airstream more or less on a whim, planning to buy something much less expensive. Didn't take more than a quick pop into a couple of units to decide that it was Airstream or nothin.

I bought a 2017, slightly used, from a dealer in Grand Rapids, MI. It was WELL WORTH the drive from my home in California because of the savings over a new, or even used, unit out here. I do not find the suggestions that you can negotiate 25% off new sticker to be true-- at least not in CA. I know I read "you can get a 25% discount off sticker" on this forum all the time but .... Here in CA, new units cost what they cost. Sure, they'll add on a bunch of free do-hickies, but you're gonna pay close to 59K for a new 22. By buying a 'used' unit I saved nearly 30% and it already had all the upgraded do-hickeys. (beefed up bumper, power hitch, stone guards on front, etc ... only thing is does not have is solar)

We looked at the 16, and I didn't mind the wet bath. I was actually looking for a small unit, both for price, weight, and so I could manage it for tow, set up, etc on my own. Not to insinuate that women can't manage a large unit, but I'm super-tiny. I also wanted a unit that could go anywhere and not be limited to RV parks bc of size.

Why we didn't buy a 16:

--smaller beds
--tall bath and closet located in the middle of the unit cuts the space in half and makes it seem closed in
--overhead mounted microwave is obtrusive
--there are a lot of them on the resale market; dealers told me this is because a lot of people buy them and decide they are indeed, too small.

What we liked about the 22:
--larger tanks and separate black and grey
--larger, U-shaped dinette
--bed area is not totally segragated from rest of camper -- during the day we use it like a sofa for extra seating if needed
--bathroom located away from bed area and close to the door
--lower mounted microwave
--totally open sight lines from one end of the unit to the other
--low tongue and tow weight (comparatively)

Now that I've used for a few trips (plus towing it 2500 miles back from MI) here are some things I've discovered:
-- dry bath -- this is actually nice when you have more than one person using it. no need to dry the floor between uses, plus its quite a bit larger. Also, we store toiletries/first aid/medications/TP/kleenex in there, and every bit of storage is important in these small units. I'd hate to lose that.
-- I'm not sure what kind of smells you'd get throughout the camper if you were using the combined black and grey tank for all 'business.' When we use the black tank for all 'functions,' the bathroom will have an odor after several days. This odor is limited to the bathroom, and we are able to manage it pretty well with opening the window, using the fan (located just out of the bathroom), and emptying black tank, of course. If we had combined tank, I'm afraid we'd get odors throughout the camper. YIKES.


We also looked at the 19 foot and other small Flying Clouds, both new and used. We did not prefer the layout of either new units or some of the older ones (like the L kitchen). To us, the 22 just feels more open and clean. I really did not want the bathroom right next to my bed, either. I know that floorplan is popular, it just wasn't my favorite. ;-( I definitely did not want to spend more on something I liked less.

I currently offer my 22 on Airbnb for rent. Have very mixed feelings about this, and have rejected a few requests to rent, but for now the listing is up so you can see pics here:

You can see my listing on Airbnb here:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/24134998/

Here's my blog:
https://www.glamonthelam.com/

Hope that helps.

[9campbec]

@mammothmama

Thanks so much for your reply everyone on this forum is so helpful. We did some looking around online and really feel the 22 will be perfect we just have to see one first THe dealer said they will have one in the end of July and we plan on going to look at it. I like the 16 but feel the small tanks as well as the wet bath might not be to much fun on long trips.

Can you tell me how your pilot does the only thing we worried about with the 22 was its close to the max weight on the pilot how does it tow? do you find there are any issues towing the 22 with a pilot? We also want to stay as small as we can to get into any campground and not have to worry about the size. From the photos I have seen of the 22, it looks amazing. We plan on doing lots and lots of cross-country trips with it.

[Chris W]

Hello!

We just traded in our 2018 22 Sport for a 2018 28 FC. So, Pete's RV might have a very good deal on a very gently used 2018 22 Sport very soon. We bring it up to Burlington, VT and pick up the new one tomorrow.

We are switching because we found the Sport 22 was too small to be a family camper for our family (2 teens, one a big person) plus dog and too big to be the tiny camper we want for short parents-only trips.

FC 28 is expected to be our forever camper and we will pick up something small as a project in the 3-5 year future, when our boys begin the detachment process.

In any case, if you are close-ish to VT or can travel, we only camped in the 22 Sport for 1 3-day weekend. I am not sure what Pete's will sell it for but it might be worth looking.

[Chris W]

Comment on TV's - everyone has an opinion.

We decided our Honda Odyssey, same tow capacity of Pilot, would be OK on flat roads but concerning on steep hills and, perhaps more importantly, steep declines. Look at sway carefully. We made an unplanned truck purchase along with the planned 22 Sport purchase. Good thing now is that it can tow the 28 FC :-)