Hello! New owners of a 16' Sport

[speednoodle]

Hello fellow Airstreamers -

Greetings from Oregon, my wife and I finalized the purchase of a used 2018 16' Sport last week. If I had unlimited resources I would love to have a new 16' Caravel, but alas the more practical approach won out. We also had looked at a Basecamp, but have a retired racing Greyhound that will camp with us often and need a place for him to sleep that's not right in front of the bathroom door. Those long legs have to go somewhere!

I've been spending countless hours here reading on the forums and learning SO MUCH. Must admit I feel a little overwhelmed, but also very excited about adventures in our new metal pod.

We're not new to RVs though - I full-timed for a couple years in an aluminum 1978 23' Avion in my early 20s, and my wife travelled for work out of a Sportsmobile Sprinter for several years.

Onward now to finalizing the TV setup (of course we bought the trailer before the TV, ha!) A VW Touareg that should be more than enough for the '16 and will also serve as our daily driver.

Shakedown trip set for late March for a few days close by, then will be boondocking at an event in April. Glad the Sport already has solar and 2 batteries!

A big thank you to all who take the time to contribute to this community. It's such a valuable resource and very much appreciated. Looking forward to new adventures!

[Isuzusweet]

What! Are you insane! [emoji21]
Towing an Airstream behind an SUV is just un-American! A Ram turbo Cummins is the bare minimum required for a 16' Bambi.

Couldn't resist; one of the heavy duty truck guys was bound to pipe up.[emoji16]

Have a wonderful time with your VW and Airstream.[emoji41]

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[speednoodle]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

What! Are you insane!
Towing an Airstream behind an SUV is just un-American! A Ram turbo Cummins is the bare minimum required for a 16' Bambi.

Thanks for the chuckle - I did search around the TV parts of the forums enough to figure out a 3/4 ton truck seems to be the most acceptable answer for 'what TV should I get'? Since we're trying to keep to just one vehicle, the SUV route made sense, and I've read of several happy owners of this combination.

I must admit I liked the idea of having a big truck though (I did grow up in truck country...), but the wife wasn't too keen on having to park it in the city on the regular, which I definitely can understand.

[skitger]

Welcome! You will love the 16, I have the very same. I do tow with a Tundra and there are many great TV to use. I bought the Tundra and Bambi in the same weekend, but I did need the truck for work. There are many great small upgrades ad some big ones too. I did get a second battery and a solar suitcase and a BVM (Victron 712) as some of my first upgrades. I live in Corvallis, so feel free to reach out, PM for my number. The 16 is a great size for the State and FS campgrounds, have fun! Rick

[speednoodle]

Thanks for the welcome, Rick - we're feeling pretty good about the size and glad to hear you've enjoyed it. So many great places to go in this part of the country, and are excited about spending more time outside the city.


Toyota trucks were definitely high on my initial TV list - payload is the one of the things we'll need to keep an eye on with the SUV. Nice that the Tundra can serve dual purposes for you!


Anything else on your upgrade list? I'm thinking of getting the lift kit installed so we don't have to be as worried about light off-roading.

[jeffmc306]

Speednoodle, welcome to the Airstream Community and Forum!

Speaking from experience, the Touareg is a great TV. We had a 2016 TDI, got it after they released the fix and towed our 2018 FC23FB. We got 16 MPG towing and mid to high 20’s without. Six piston caliper brakes, independent rear suspension and short overhang make it a sweet tow vehicle. Plus, the payload was 1168 lbs., tongue capacity 770 lbs.

You could do a lot worse! Good luck and happy camping

[skitger]

Some of my early upgrades were: better fantastic fan with rain sensor, Victron 712, second battery, rock tamer mud flaps, AS front rock guards, put shelves in closet, solar suitcase. This year, the plan is a lift kit with 15” wheels, solar on the roof (240 watt) and a power tongue jack! Last year I put in a Progress Dynamic converter and EMS. And I put gels in the light covers to soften the LEDs.

Also, start booking campground now, FS are 6 months, State is up to 12 months in advance. Summer spots are filling up now.

The Forum is a great pls e to get info!

[speednoodle]

Hi jeffmc306 -


Glad to hear your endorsement of the Touareg. We also got the TDI version (post-fix) and it's been fun to drive around town - lots more power than we're used to.


Hi Rick -


Sounds like you're a bit of an optimizer, as am I! That's a great list. I'm curious about the gels for the LEDs - will do some research on that, sounds like a great low-cost upgrade with nice benefit. I hadn't thought of upgrading the wheels to 15" - but when replacing the tires (next year) I'll keep that in mind, as I hope we can do the lift kit this year.


Appreciate the heads up on booking campgrounds - sounds like an excellent activity while I'm patiently waiting for the warmer (and dryer) weather to come back!

[skitger]

Now off topic some, I still have a half a sheet (big) which you can use for the LED lights. I got mine from a Theatrical supply in Seattle (check forum for info/links). When I get home, I will dig it out and PM you. It makes them a little orange (more incandescent), you can try it and see, but the LED's except for the sink are way too bright and sterile to be homey.