Hey from East Texas!!

[brownrandy]

Hello!

My wife and I are fully retiring is 7 or 8 years and because we are in the Tax preparation business we have quite a bit of time for travel in the summer time, you might say we are half retired. We started by looking at small RVs but the single purposeness and the cheap and cheezy appointments of most small RV is very disappointing. Nothing fancy is wanted but, classy and timeless is always good. So...I thought Airstream. I have been researching and pricing quite a bit lately and so have joined this forum to find out more. The tow vehicle issue seems to be the largest problem. We are empty nesters who drive smaller cars to save gas. So, we currently have no vehicle that could tow even the smaller trailers. The 19 Bambi CCD looks pretty luxurious for folks who are used to tent camping, but I wonder what we would want 5 years down the road when the trips get longer. I would love to know others thoughts on tow vehicles and trailer size.

Oh yeah, I am also a solo singer/songwriter. I tour some and it would be great to avoid motels so I have to take that into consideration too.

So much to think about
Randy Brown
Mineola, Tx

[Airhog1]

Hey Randy and welcome from just up the road in Arkansas...life can be TAXING...couldn't resist...get away in an AIRSTREAM!!!

G

[moosetags]

Welcome to the Forums, Randy. You will find a wealth of Airstream information here.

It sounds like you are in about the same position as we are. We run our business remotely from our Airstream while on the road. We have also used our Airstream to attend business meetings and trade shows. We like it much better than the hotels/motels that we used to stay in. We get to go back to our own place at night and really relax. We get to eat our own food from our own kitchen, watch our own TV, and sleep in our own bed. We have spent over 100 nights in Lucy (our Airstream) over the past nine months. We still like it very much. Our nights out in Lucy have been about half business and half pleasure travel.

We started considering the 19' Bambi, but decided that the sleeping arrangement was more cramped than we cared to deal with. We decided to go with the 25' Safari FB, and have not regretted our decision. The walk around queen size bed is great. We have been very comfortable in Lucy for as many as 32 consecutive days. We can hardly believe how much we like it. We can afford just about any Airstream that we would like to have, but would not trade Lucy for the world. We plan to keep her for a long time.

As far as tow vehicles go, 25 footers are best mated with 3/4 ton trucks or suvs. If you decide to go with the 19 footer, a 1/2 ton would probably suffice. We tow Lucy with a 3/4 ton Suburban and find it more than up to the task. You should also look into weight distributing anti sway hitch systems. We use the Hensley Arrow, but others on these Forums swear by the other brands. Read through the past postings on these systems. This is an important issue that you need to educate yourself on.

Best of luck in your quest to become an Airstreamer.

[brownrandy]

moosetags:

Gotta admit I agree with you. I have been eyeing the 25' Safari FB too. It seems like a good compromise for now and later. Plus it's is big enought that it will sleep 2 more if we wanted to. You mentioned that your tow vehicle was a 3/4 ton Suburban. How does it do in the mountains and such? Any options on your Safari that you wish you had gotten or for that matter hadn't gotten? Oh yeah, did you buy new?

Thanks for the response.
Randy Brown

[soldiermedic]

Welcome to the forums.

My one piece of advice is that if you don't want to buy new, spend the money to get a good condition coach that may be to your liking. Many people get a vintage trailer, and have to sink the same amount or more into it to have it just ready to tow (Raises hand).

[moosetags]

Originally Posted by brownrandy

moosetags:

Gotta admit I agree with you. I have been eyeing the 25' Safari FB too. It seems like a good compromise for now and later. Plus it's is big enought that it will sleep 2 more if we wanted to. You mentioned that your tow vehicle was a 3/4 ton Suburban. How does it do in the mountains and such? Any options on your Safari that you wish you had gotten or for that matter hadn't gotten? Oh yeah, did you buy new?

Thanks for the response.
Randy Brown

We did some extensive touring of the White Mountains in New Hampshire last Fall. The Suburban did very well on the grades there. I never felt like I was underpowered. Many members here like the 3/4 ton diesel trucks for their limitless pulling power, and should be considered as a tow vehicle. Since they stopped making the Ford Excrursion, the Suburban (or Yukon XL) is the only 3/4 ton SUV left that you can buy new.

As far as Lucy goes, she came with the audio/video option which we really like. You can get better bang for your buck in this area with components that you add yourself. Lucy was on the lot with this option. It works well and we have used it a lot. Lucy also has the black water tank flush. You definitely want this. Lucy also has the heat pump. We have used this often and have found it nice to have. We have done quite a bit of cold weather camping and have found both the heat pump and the gas furnance very nice to have. There really isn't anything in Lucy that we would not get again. The one thing that we intend to add is a second Fantastic Fan in the bedroom.

Yes, we did buy Lucy new. We bought her in '06 and she was a left over '05. She had been on the dealer's lot for 16 months. Acoordingly, we got a real good price (22% below MSRP). If you buy new, check several dealers. Their prices can vary widely. You can check dealer stock on the Company website at Airstream, Inc. :: Travel in Style.

[moosetags]

One thing I forgot to mention, the 25' has the separate freezer. The 19' does not. The separate frezzer is a big plus.

[joewinfield]

Hi neighbor. We went the motorhome route and tow our small suv. Jen loves the ability to take naps and use the bath while I drive. 3/4 ton towers are great but use a lot of fuel when you're using them only for transportation. So you may want to consider a classic motorhome. We love oue 79 Airstream Excella 28'. Good luck on your decision making. joe