Intro/help.... Greetings to all of you happy campers.

[Gene]

Dan, by tongue wt. do you mean payload? I have a double cab 4WD with the 5.7 L. engine. Payload on that one is around 1,500 lbs. The crew cab has a bit lower payload. Some other models are higher.

The "lower bump strip"—do you mean the trim at the bottom of the aluminum. I think people call it banana wrap, but I've never been sure. If that's what you mean, the shiny chrome like strip in the trim is a strip with a glue backing that is fairly easy to replace and I don't think it's all that expensive. It has a tendency to delaminate and I have have a couple of pieces replaced under warranty.

Dents in the rock guards come with time. That's why they're there—top prevent dents in the aluminum. They are stainless steel.

I'm sure you can get TV's cheaper anywhere else—I got my HDTV for our home on Amazon. Does it have the TV antenna?

Get the biggest A/C you can—trailer heat up fast, although having been in Pt. Angeles, I'm not sure the sun shines there ever.

A 4 year old trailer will have some scratches and such—the road can be hard on a trailer.

Ask how old the tires are—4 year old tires can be near or at the end of their lives. Trailer (ST) tires are not very good. The OEM tires are Goodyear Marathons; they have a bad reputation. You might consider Maxxis as many people replace their tires with that brand. Check carefully for tread separation, cracks.

Try to see if you can get some kind of warranty from them. I know is over a 1,000 miles away, but try it anyway at least to get some things fixed while you're there. Wherever you buy one, stick around for a few days to check everything out. Bring a list with you of things you want to know because no one can remember everything. Ask them to spend several hours with you going over things. It is a house and has lots to learn.

We looked at trailers in Colorado Springs. The salesman told me all sorts of lies about what our 2002 Tundra could tow (we traded for the 2007 because the 1st generation with the 4.7 L. just wasn't enough truck in my opinion), went to answer the phone and never came back. We walked out. We ended up buying in Denver, but that's a dealer to avoid because of their shop. I don't think dealers get a lot of used ones and most people buy privately. There are some dealers that get a lot of kudos on this Forum and Airstream of Arkansas probably gets the most, but Colonial in NJ and the one in Eugene, Ore., have some favorable opinions. I'm sure there a few others, but I can't remember them all.

The 28' Safari is possibly doable with a 5.7 L Tundra; I don't know how much heavier the Classic is. There's a lot of question where the 80% rule came from and I think it's somewhere between old wives tale and conventional wisdom. It's nice to have a margin of safety, but be flexible and check the weight thing carefully. It's hard to figure out. I have towed our Safari over Colorado mountain passes at more than 65 and the truck does it effortlessly. It also uses a lot of gas, so I usually go 45-55, but sometimes I'm in a hurry. Our Tundra tows our 25' easily, so compare the weights on a 28' on that assuming you have a comparable Tundra. There are Forum members that tow 27's and 28's with 2nd generation Tundras and have no problems.

Don't worry about long posts—I do it all the time. Of course, I don't know if anyone reads the whole thing.

Gene

[Gator113]

Gene,

My Tundra is a white 2007 (late year after they got the bugs out) 5.7 L, standard bed, double cab, 4x4 with the tow package. I bought it to tow my boat, a 28' ocean ready very fast cruiser/camper/fishing boat. It weighs about 7K dry, but it's never been dry and it holds 100 gallons of fuel.... and I don't even feel it back there. Although I haven't had any need to tow it over mountains etc, because the boat ramp is only 15 minutes from my house. ;>)

I have also towed my JD 970 tractor with the loader and backhoe attachments, a load that comes to about 9 to 10K. But again, I don't tow it far, because I have never had a reason to do so. The Tundra doesn't even break a sweat.

I can't offer more clarity in regard to the "lower bump strip", it's tough to see in the photos.

The AC is an upgrade from stock and is described as a 15,000 BTU A/C with heat pump. I don't know where that fit's in the AC food chain.

This trailer is supposed to weigh 6785 pounds from the factory, dry. This gives should give me 2215 pounds to work with.... such as water, propane clothes, food, dog, wife, me etc. At least this is what a salesman in Minnesota told me.

They told me they would give me a 30 day warranty and that for those things covered, I could take it to any AS shop and they would pay the bill.

Good point about the age of the tires. tough to tell from pics, but the thread looks sufficient, but I had not thought about the age. They are probably the original tires.I might as well plan to replace them.

I neglected to specifically ask about an antenna, but it is wired for a tv in the living area as well as the bedroom.

Thanks again,
Dan

[Gator113]

Thanks Bob. I will contact him if my shopping takes me back to that store.

[Gene]

Gator, you have the same truck we do except for the color which will not affect anything. Any color truck looks good with an Airstream. As I said, payload is the issue. I think we are at about 90% of payload, maybe a bit more. Things tend to accumulate in the truck bed and cab. You may have to put the dog on a diet.

15,000 btu is, I believe, the largest A/C you can get on that trailer.

All I know about the dealer in Minnesota is when I called them to get part numbers (I had a wheel bearing failure in Minnesota last spring, another story), the parts guy was very friendly and helpful. I seem to remember a post where someone complained about the dealer though. As always, be careful with a dealer you don't know, and I think you know that.

Keep having fun with this and the anxiety comes with it. Once you make a deal, don't look back because you'll never know if you could have gotten a better one.

Gene

[Gator113]

Good morning Gene,

It is my understanding that there are some members that volunteer as trailer inspectors on this site. Do you know if there is a listing for those folks?

It would be great if I could find one living in Colorado Springs, that might be up to the task.

I may be just thick headed, but I am not sure where it is allowable on this site to start a thread covering this call-out for assistance.

My personality will not allow me to buy the trailer without an objective evaluation from someone other than the salesman. I need to either find some help or walk away from the deal. I could fly down, but I don't fly well because of health issues.

I would greatly appreciate it if you could just point me to such a listing or tell me where it's acceptable to post such a request.

Thank you,

Dan

UPDATE: I think I just found where I should post the "call-out" request.... in the "off topic" forum.

[Gene]

Dan, go to the Forum page and on the right side are "Inspectors".

Gene

[Gator113]

Will do.

[Relentless]

Hey Gator;

We were just in Pt. Angeles last week on our way to Cape Flatery. We stayed at Shadow Mt. and drove, without the trailer, out to the Cape. Beautiful. We also stayed at Graylands State Prk. just south of Westport. Its on the beach and magnificent. I highly recommend it when you find your dream.

Be a little careful of the Colorado Springs dealer. A friend of mine bought a 19' from him in 2007. He paid the same price I did for my 25'. The first night out from the dealer on the way back here, he found that the fan on the converter didn't work. He discovered this when he saw smoke. No damage. Also, the trailer had been on the lot over the winter, was not winterized properly, and developed a leak in the fresh water line.

If you haven't contacted them already, talk to Sutton RV in Eugene. They gave me a great deal in '07 on a brand new, ordered from the factory, Safari. 50K delivered with all options. They always seem to have a lot of Airstreams on their lot.

Good Luck.

John

[Gator113]

Thanks John.

I appreciate your warning. I am close to writing the check, but from this site I have concluded that I should be a bit more cautious than I might have been.

I am hoping to find an inspector to help me limit how much I could get screwed. I would like to close very soon, but I keep shopping while waiting this out.

In any case, I will not just drive off after the purchase, I plan to spend the night in the trailer right on the lot or right next to it.

I am not sure if I should read anything into this, but they can't provide me with history on the trailer, because they bought it at auction. It sure looks good in the video and pic's though. I talked them down by 3K, but I need somebody that knows the product to tell me if the price is reasonable.... I think it is, but I am not sure yet.

I'll call your dealer and see if they have what I am looking for.

Thanks again.

Dan

[Relentless]

Spending the night is the right idea. Obviously, my friend did not do that. One of the things I liked about Sutton, and I'm sure you will insist on from whomever you buy, was a though walk thru. They ran every system with me watching and then had me run each system. It took 3 hours and was well worth it.

You're doing your homework so I have great confidence that you will get exactly what you are looking for and never regret the buy.

John

[Aage]

Dan,

Welcome to airforum.com and the world of Airstreaming. As the saying goes, opinions are like, uh, elbows, we all have one, so I'll jump right in and give you mine;

Everybody starts out thinking that a 25-footer is all they need. But don't fall for 2-foot-itis (the feeling that you should have bought one 2 feet longer). I have NEVER heard anyone that bought the one of the big boys (30-34') complain that there is just too darn much room.

Also, with some of the floor plans in the longer trailers, you can get the rear bed, the dinette, AND the pull-out couch. This makes for ready-to-go sleeping for six. I agree that the rear bed is the best arrangment; nobody has to walk by you in the night to get to the loo! And even if there's just two of you, it's nicer to not have to haul a table up and down just to have a meal...

As for the bed arrangement, the only note I would make is that from what I've seen, the rear twins gives you the most square footage of any of the bed setups. You may prefer to "get crowded" though.

Anyways, good luck with your purchase, and be sure to flood us with photos when you choose one!

Aage

[tallytwo1994]

There were several threads this summer about extensive hail damage to Airtreams including a info about a dealer lot- I believe in Colorado. It would make me very curious if the dealer told me they don't know the history becaue it was bought at auction. What kind of price would they have paid without knowing what they were buying?

Just something to think about.
Carol

[Gene]

The hail damage was at a dealer in Denver, not Colorado Springs. The hailstorm went through the area that dealer is located in. Note sure, Carol, if this explains anything regarding your post.

Gene

[Gator113]

Aage, all good points.

I like the twins, but we are willing to compromise on that if we get the 28".

I know all too well what you mean by 2-foot-itis. When I bought my boat it seemed large... until I docked next to a larger one. ;>)

I think we would be happy with a 25', 27' or 28'. My truck is new and I love it, so I am not interested in getting a more powerful TV.

Whatever we end up with, I'll have to figure out how to protect that small bit of carpet. I'll probably get a nice throw rug to put over it. I have a German Shepherd dog and I don't go anywhere without my boy. He is a well mannered gentleman, but boy can he shed., shed and shed some more.

Crowded is still good. ;>)

Thanks,

Dan

[Gator113]

I asked about hail damaged and was told that there wasn't any. The photos and video don't show the roof, but I see no evidence of hail hits.

Of course you folks now have me worried about how I'm going to react should I find a hail storm. Perhaps pull over and put the mattress, bedding, clothes and couch cushions up on the roof. ;>)

[Gator113]

"3 hours." LOL... I am about the least bashful guy you could ever meet. Those poor folks are going to be so sick of me by the end of the day, they might even pay me to just leave the lot. I would have been a politician, but I can't lie. LOL

[tallytwo1994]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

The hail damage was at a dealer in Denver, not Colorado Springs. The hailstorm went through the area that dealer is located in. Note sure, Carol, if this explains anything regarding your post.

Gene

Well, suppose you were a dealer whose stock was damaged. Insurance covers the cost of the damage and the repairs are made, but everybody knows what happened. So, you sell your repaired Airtreams at auction. Another dealer could then purchase them to resell and as long as they say they "don't KNOW the history" they are off the hook.

This kind of reshuffling of stock was done after several tropical storms here in Florida. Cars were flooded on the sales lot and then sold at auction to dealers all over the state after they were cleaned up.

Just trying to raise the issue so the trailer is checked carefully.

Carol

[Gator113]

Carol and others,

I can't tell you folks how pleased I am over finding this site. Many of you have helped me think of things I might have otherwise missed until AFTER I committed money.

From the photographs (poor quality) and video (not a full 360 view) I felt that the outside of the trailer skin was fine. Additionally, during my discussions with the salesman there had been NO indication that any problem existed. It was only because I specifically asked, that I learned of a few rock dings on the rock guards, certainly something I could live with. Because of some of the members here, I became concerned over the possibility that hail or some other such damage, could be at places not depicted in the photos and video. I asked the sales guy for a few more pics including some of the rear. He did send the requested material. I noted that the rear shots were not complete (missing top rear-curb side) and they were washed out. I could see no damage and I also couldn't see if there wasn't any.

Don't stop reading now... this gets better.

I have spent most of this week getting money available, scheduling a 1500 mile trip (one way) down to the store, and getting my wife to arrange time off from work for late next week. I have also been on the hunt for someone to go inspect this trailer before I got much further into the deal. That was the trigger I was waiting on.

I started this journey at the bottom of the learning curve, so I sure haven't had time to get bored. I have started to look into the various hitches and scheduled my son to install the brake controller. For the most part, my mind had already bought this trailer.

Although it was looking like this deal was going to work, I continued to shop just in case.

Tonight, I spotted an advertisement on the net for a 2005 28' Airstream Classic. I noted that they wanted the exact price for the one I had been looking at. I viewed their video and could see that the background on the video was very similar to the other trailer. The more I focussed on the details it became apparent that I was looking at a different video, done for the same dealer of the same trailer. This video was done by a different salesman.

This salesman did a much better job with the video. He did a complete walk-around narrating issues that a customer might be interested in knowing before even considering this trailer. He pointed out all of the same small issues that I had already found by viewing the first video, almost frame by frame. Even the small nicks on the leading edge of one of the sliders were perfect matches. There was something different though, this video showed HAIL DAMAGE and it's existence was mentioned on the video. At the top rear--curb side, were what were described as 15 to 20 dings from hail. Although they were never shown, he also said there were more on the front of the trailer.

Now, I sure don't know that anyone was trying to pull something off here. It could easily be that the left didn't know what the right had done. Both videos were on the net and both showed the same dealer name. However, had I not seen this second video and had I not been able to find someone to inspect it for me, I might very well had wasted a week in travel, time and money and still not come home with an Airstream. Additionally, I had been seriously considering a flight down there early next week... if I hadn't found an inspector.

So, as upset as I am, I consider myself lucky. I'll tell you one thing, that sales guy and the owner of that dealership is not going to like our conversations in the morning. It's probably a waste of time to complain, because it doubtful that I would ever buy anything from them now. But, I do want them to know how much money they lost. I might have had them put new bearings in, new brakes and new tires. I would have bought a few other AS accessories that any rookie would buy.

I just can't see me buying a 2005 Airstream Classic for 40K, that already has hail damage.

So now it's back to shopping. I hate shopping, I like buying and using, but shopping sucks. ;>)

If anyone thinks I'm being too picky, please speak up. I am new at this and I only want to do it once... I won't be around long enough to do it twice.

Best regards and thank you... now go rest your eyes,

Dan

p.s. If there is any misspelling, they are typos, it's late and I did this with one hand. ;>)

[Aage]

Originally Posted by Gator113

I think we would be happy with a 25', 27' or 28'. My truck is new and I love it, so I am not interested in getting a more powerful TV.

Dan,

If that is what is stopping you from going larger, have a look at this thread:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...eam-55607.html

Your truck could two TWO large trailers. Just kidding. But it would certainly tow one of any model.

ps: I think you did the right thing concerning the one you were looking at; hail damage is not easily repaired...

[Gene]

Dan,

Glad to see you discovered that 2nd video. The Denver dealer was trying to sell hail damaged trailers at a pretty high price and must have given up and auctioned them. Now we know there are hail damaged trailors out there on sales lots besodes where they were damaged. Carol figured it out.

Size: when I was in my 30's I drove a '73 Honda Civic cross country with a girlfriend, lots of clothes, food and camping gear and it didn't feel small to me (how did we get all that stuff in there?). Now our '06 4Runner feels small and the Tundra feels almost big enough. Long ago I lived in a 400 square foot cabin in the Colorado mountains with a roommate and it seemed just right, now I have a 2,440' house and an 1,800' shop. Times change, perceptions change, we adapt.

When we first took an almost 4 week trip in the Safari, I started to feel claustrophobic after a while. Both of us in the kitchen was a challenge. But 6 months later, we took a 4 week trip and it didn't feel small. In fact, it feels pretty big right now. Maybe I could tow it with a Civic.

We liked the 27' FB—it's the stretch version of the 25'. The orientation of the bed was better and there's about a foot extra storage. But we wanted the shortest big trailer we could get and we wanted to use the 2nd generation Tundra to tow it. And it had to have a queen bed. The 27' was $4,000 more. So we got the 25' FB. That's how we made the decision.

Others have different ways at getting to the decision and if you're looking used, a wise choice I now believe, it just takes more time to get what you want. Others looking for a used one have had the same trickery and disappointments you've had and eventually they find the one that makes sense and feels right. And we adapt, even though it was a close call and the 27' still looks real good to me. And those big 31's and 34's are really nice too.

You're doing your homework. You'll find one. RV's aren't exactly flying off the lots and the season to sell is over.

Gene