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MG911 · 07-09-2007, 10:22 PM

Hello all, please forgive me if this question is getting old however our local Airstream dealer doesn't have much in the way of inventory for us to get a feel for these beauties.

So, how does one know if a 25' model is too long or not big enough? We're hoping for weekend get-aways to week long vacations and we are a young family with one 18 month old daughter.

Also, the floor plans have me baffled a bit. We've found a nice 1999 25' Safari but the bed lay out is a twin. That does not seem romantic nor cozy. Who is this lay-out geared towards? The price is right, could one make it a double with relatively easy modifications? I assume the couch pulls out to a double but the seller hasn't confirmed that yet.

Since reading a few posts, perhaps I should be considering the CCD's also. I thought the Safari was the way to go but have been hearing good things about the CCD's. I really don't know the difference however...

Thanks for your time and I look forward to any insight.

Mike

Janets Husband · 07-09-2007, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MG911

Hello all, please forgive me if this question is getting old however our local Airstream dealer doesn't have much in the way of inventory for us to get a feel for these beauties.

So, how does one know if a 25' model is too long or not big enough? We're hoping for weekend get-aways to week long vacations and we are a young family with one 18 month old daughter.

Also, the floor plans have me baffled a bit. We've found a nice 1999 25' Safari but the bed lay out is a twin. That does not seem romantic nor cozy. Who is this lay-out geared towards? The price is right, could one make it a double with relatively easy modifications? I assume the couch pulls out to a double but the seller hasn't confirmed that yet.

Since reading a few posts, perhaps I should be considering the CCD's also. I thought the Safari was the way to go but have been hearing good things about the CCD's. I really don't know the difference however...

Thanks for your time and I look forward to any insight.

Mike

Is 25' too long, that depends; if your tow rig is big enough to handle it it's not, you'll find that on rainy days 25' is nice and as your family grows it won't be big enough.
As to the bed, you did not specify the configuration I take it that it is dual twins. I agree not very cozy for Mom and Pop. If you did make the bed wider you would have trouble with passage from fore to aft. The 25'CCD has a corner bed and you have to craw out of it, the 28'CCD has a rear Queen which is nice, side dismount. It all depends! Take your time and look at the Airstream Web Site for various configurations of layouts. I know a few that baught the 22'CCD and did not like it at all. Again take your time before buying.

bobkelly · 07-09-2007, 11:44 PM

Go to a rally and look at all the trailers. Folks will be glad to share their thoughts as you look them over. Good luck.

dieterdog · 07-09-2007, 11:56 PM

Hi Mike and welcome to the Forums,,, searching is great fun,, do take your time,,, i have a 25 ft. rear double bed Safari,, with room to walk around on 3 sides,, no crawling over,,, good luck ,, wait for the perfect one,, just when you are about to give up,, it will appear,,, happy trails,,, donna

MG911 · 07-10-2007, 12:04 AM

Thanks for the replies everyone. I can't even rent an Airstream in my area to see if I'd like the floor plan or not. The Safari I had my eye on does in fact have a dual twin in the rear. One salesman told me it's nice for getting dressed as you have a walkway in between the beds as opposed to out in the living area. I know the 2000-2006 Airstreams don't last long when they do come up so I'm trying to inform myself should an opportunity arise. My wife and I are convinced that buying a good RV is an investment and Airstream is the logical choice for so many reasons.
Mike

Goin camping · 07-10-2007, 01:03 AM

Before you buy anything sit on the throne to make sure you have the leg and elbow room you need.

I'm 6-2 and the Mrs. is 5-3 and niether of us had enough room in the corner bath.

Go to a rally. You will be able to see various floorplans and styles.

Turtle · 07-10-2007, 05:24 PM

I kind'a like crawling over. A little pause for an ear nibble before exiting

safari57 · 07-10-2007, 05:50 PM

Mike

You might want to check this one out, as well as the others on Spokane's Craig's list. Also, there is or was an Airstream dealer in Calgary on Barlow Trail and I believe a good one in Spokane from what I've read on the forum.

2002 AIRSTREAM SAFARI 26' 1/2 price

And

spokane craigslist > for sale / wanted: search for "airstream"

Barry

BamCamper · 07-10-2007, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turtle

I kind'a like crawling over. A little pause for an ear nibble before exiting

I like your style Turtle!

Hi Mike.
You really need to see the actual trailers and sit in them to get a real feel for what works for you. There are as many preferences as there are Airstream owners so what works for me may not work for you. It depends on how many will be traveling (and how many pets as well). How much stuff do you bring with you and how long do you plan to "live" in it at a time? Do you travel light or bring your house with you?

Where to park it or store it when not in use is also an issue. How much room do you have for storage? And of course what will you be towing it with?

As others have said a rally is a great place to "try on" a variety of Airstreams.

Good luck! Whatever you end up with will be fantastic.

MG911 · 07-10-2007, 11:08 PM

Hi everyone, thanks for the replies. I don't know if I mentioned but my wife and I are not only new to RV'n but also to Airstreams. We are at a serious disadvantage as our local showroom only has a 19' Bambi - that's it! As far as I can tell, there aren't any rallies coming up near by either.

Having said that, we both grew up with parents that had RV's and we want to invest in an Airstream that we can grow into as a small family. Quite frankly, I'm not entertaining any other manufacturer at this point and I think we'd fit in quite well with the Airstream lifestyle and the product line speaks for itself.

We will more than likely buy our Airstream through some online source (private or dealer) as I don't want to pay new prices and if I'm persistent enough, I know the right 'used' one will show up. BTW, thanks for the heads up on the Spokane Airstream - I'll look into it (if it sounds too good to be true??).

We have an '06 F150 with 7200# towing package so the towing part is taken care of. We just need the darn trailer to tow!

I know I'll be purchasing an Airstream 'blind' but that's the chance I'm willing to take. Hopefully if I'm careful and we find we don't like the floor plan, I can sell it locally and break even (or better) and try a different model.

I have outdoor storage available. As far as travelling light, those days are done now that our little girl is in our lives! Weekend getaways with her look like we're packing for a European month long tour.

All I'm left with is finding the right floor plan at the right price. I've built several homes and remodelled a few so I'm thinking maybe I could do some 'renos' if I didn't like the 'twin bed' lay out for example. Who knows...

Mike

urbanfood · 07-10-2007, 11:20 PM

mike, welcome to the forums.

if you get more into looking, you'll ponder the idea of buying an old one and completely renovating it (especially since you're handy with tools). check out these threads, they are some of the best on the forum for renovation processes;

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f142...ler-11687.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f4/s...ent-17197.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f4/1...ion-20215.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f109...9-a-10709.html

enjoy!

MG911 · 07-10-2007, 11:39 PM

Hi UF, thanks for the note. My only hesitation in buying a vintage 'handyman' special is that we want to do some camping - yesterday. My wife (nor I) would not be impressed with some fixer upper sitting in the driveway all summer as I try to remodel it. I think this first one wil be 99 or newer and once I get a feel for it, maybe I can start buying/fixing/selling older models. I usually have enough on my plate renovating the darn houses, never mind a house on wheels. Thanks for the links though, I was looking for some before/after pics eariler. Take care.
p.s. Venice, California eh? Nice!

Steve & Susan · 07-11-2007, 07:20 AM

Mike -

Welcome to the Forum and to the AS family - almost!
My personal opinion is to get the biggest one you can afford and the biggest one you can tow.

I had my heart set on a 22' CCD (I REALLY liked the layout)and my wife talked me into the 28' - I 'm glad she did. There are only the two of us, but the full bed, and extra room for rainy days was well worth the extra investment. And the 28' tows like a dream.

Speaking of investment, if you are looking at a new one, it MIGHT be worth a plane ticket or two to get to a dealer with a decent inventory. Welcome to Can-Am RV Centre: Home seems to have several to look at.

The Special Edition Safaris came out the year AFTER we bought our CCD - we'd probably have gotten one of those had they been available - Safari cabinetry and woodwork, but CCD aluminum walls and lighting - a REALLY nice combo. The Aluminum interior walls don't hold cooking aromas and seem to make the interior seem bigger.

Colonial Airstream " Of New Jersey " 1121 Rt. 88 Lakewood, NJ 08701 Airstreams #1 Volume Dealership usually has 50 units with photos that you can look at and Airstream, Inc. :: Travel in Style has MOST of the floorplans.

Goin'Campin' makes a VERY good point - seating room in the bathroom is essential! It's still not much bigger than on a commuter jet, but the bath in the 28' has enough room. The corner ones don't.

Good luck with your search - and have some Saskatoonberry syrup on your pancakes for me!!

steve

MG911 · 07-11-2007, 09:58 AM

Hi Szy, thanks for the feedback. Syrup all over keyboard as we speak.

I've been looking at the NJ dealership (I really shouldn't be lookng at new) and a few of the others online. Do you find you have any limitations with the 28' trailer? I assumed 25' would be compact enough for easy towing and backing yet roomy enough. I know none of the bed sizes in the 25' seem very large however.

Anybody else having thoughts on 25' vs. 28' please share your thoughts!

Steve & Susan · 07-11-2007, 11:06 AM

Mike -

The only limitation with the 28' is my TV - I could use a little more power and will be getting a new pickup truck in the next few years with just that, either a bigger gas engine or more likely a diesel. My current truck does ok as long as I don't try to get up hills too quickly. I keep it at 60 on the highways too.

Other than that, no problems. I used to think that 28' was HUGE until we started traveling with our AS and I find that we are among the SMALLER units in the places we stay. I've run into several 31' and 34' AS on the road and they pull just as easily, according to their owners. And some of those fifth wheels are gargantuan compared to our 'little' 28 footer!

Pulling and backing are no problem - backing takes a little practice and courage the first few times, but once you get the hang of it, it really is pretty easy.

The bed size was my wife's primary reason for the 28' - neither of us is small any more and it sure is nice haveing that extra room 8 hours a day.

One more thing - we're in our 50's and in retrospect, we wish we would have bought one of these when we were in our 30's with the kids - we tent camped when they were little and had a popup camper too - I think we would have used the AS more than those other two combined.

I hope that helps - my daughter's partner/roommate is from Regina and brings us Saskatoonberry syrup when she visits home! We learned all about Nanaimo bars and Poutine from her too! Of course I already knew about Molson's and LaBatts! They lived in Halifax for two years - we took our AS up there for a week - no towing or backing problems at all.

steve

Goin camping · 07-11-2007, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MG911

Hi Szy, thanks for the feedback. Syrup all over keyboard as we speak.

I've been looking at the NJ dealership (I really shouldn't be lookng at new) and a few of the others online. Do you find you have any limitations with the 28' trailer? I assumed 25' would be compact enough for easy towing and backing yet roomy enough. I know none of the bed sizes in the 25' seem very large however.

Anybody else having thoughts on 25' vs. 28' please share your thoughts!

We looked at a boatload of sizes and styles. From the first look at the 25 FB we had to have it. Perfect layout for entertaining, bed size and bath and shower layout. Perfect size for offroad (boondocking) camping in the desert and mountains.

Colonial RV has a killer website for information and comparison BUT you must see the trailers in person. A picture does not give you the real space.

In my opinion a F150 is not enough truck for 25 feet or longer. There are many threads on this so please look into that. Not enough truck is really a safty issue.

By the way have you looked into the new Safari Sports? Less wieght and money. Both can be pulled by your truck.

Good luck!

safari57 · 07-11-2007, 12:45 PM

If you do find a unit on the web there are a number of folks who will go out and take a look for you if it's in their general area. It doesn't hurt to post a request for anyone in the area who might be able to validate to the best of their ability that the trailer is what the seller says it is.

The rig in Rathdrum does seem very well priced, and they say not perfect but still quite usable so one wonders if it's been in an accident or has a salvage title and been redone. One other place to try is the I think it's called Western Producer(?) out of Wpg that's targeted at the Western Canadian Prairie market. In their classifieds in the past we know of folks who found, by running an ad in wanted, a very rare '57 Pontiac convertible and several other items. I do not know if they have an on line version or not but suspect they would. I wouldn't hesitate to contact the folks at Airstream in Spokane and get info on what they have in stock used. Lot's of folks start with one rig, use it for a few years, then move into something larger (or smaller) depending on their changing needs. Importing a trailer into Canada is a piece of cake if you have the right paperwork - you will find all the detail many of us have posted on this forum, and it's way easier than importing anything that is self propelled. But glad to answer questions if you wish - just pop a PM to me.

Good luck with your search.

Barry

extiger · 07-11-2007, 01:27 PM

In response to your question concerning a 25 vrs 28 footer, I can comment on the 25SS that we have borrowed several times from our friends. The plus is the sleeping capacity (3 beds), and we really liked the dinette. We eat there and usually play games after dinner. The two minuses for us are the potty leg room and the bed. The bed is small (full size) and requires that the outboard person (my wife) crawl over the other person (me) to get out of bed. It is also a little snug if the dog joins us.

The current owner hates the potty leg room and that is the major reason they are thinking of getting rid of it. It is tight.

Also the shower is a very adequate size.

Don't take these comments as a don't buy a 25SS, they are just our observations. We may end up buying our friends 25SS if we can ever get around to negotiating the right price.

There are tradeoffs for every size trailer.

We are in our 50s and sometimes the grandchildren may join us.

MG911 · 07-11-2007, 04:09 PM

'06 F150 V8 with 7200lb. towing package - from everything I've read, I should be well within the towing capacity in a 25' or 28' AS. Correct me if I'm wrong...Mike

Poprivet · 07-11-2007, 05:06 PM

It could be that the double bed configuation would work if you really like each other - put the small one in the empty and if things get to close, one of you could join the wee one. Also, you have the convertable couch for those "special evnings". Remember, if things get close, there's always a Hilton to chill out a little - -