looking for advice

[sunseeker]

Good morning. Having just started to explore the possibilities of owning an Airstream my questions are as follows:

What are the practical limits if the towing Vehicle is a Pathfinder (6000 GW 600HW)

As the children are gone (but with an occasional visit from a grand) what is the minimum size for comfortable living for say 6 weeks in a trailer;

Would you purchase used or new, and if used, are there some models that are better thaan others

Thanks

[boondockdad]

go new... with gas prices/outlook on economy, dealers are willing to deal

[overlander63]

If you get the Pathfinder with the 5.6, you can tow up to 5400 pounds with it. A new trailer to look inot in that weight range would be a 23'-25', with the 25' pushing the limits. If you go older as far as the trailer, you can go up to, say an Argosy 26 as long as you watch your loading.

[azflycaster]

Welcome to the forums.
You need to look at as many different size trailers as you can and determine what you will be happy with. Keep in mind that the size of your truck will limit your choices. Vintage units are lighter and will allow you to go bigger, but then you have the maintenance factor. Good luck with your search.

[CanoeStream]

What year is your Pathfinder? Buying a lighter vintage Airstream would involve many months or several years to make it roadworthy depending on your skills and free time. And then you'd only heavy it up with an air conditioner, plumbing upgrades, probable new axles, and on and on. So "newer" is a good recommendation for starting out. An Airstream that suits your needs could be with you much longer than a tow vehicle. Spend your time researching features, your needs, etc.

6 weeks on the road? Go too small and you might want to sell both the trailer & tow vehicle to upgrade after your first long trip. Eating that depreciation gets expensive quick. If a trailer looks like it would serve you well, it would probably pay to upgrade to a completely satisfactory tow vehicle from the start. Tow vehicle (TV) muscle is the easy answer and I personally would shy away from towing a new 25' with a Pathfinder. But you are very close to one of the best resources for fine tuning TV-trailer combinations. Check in with Andrew at Airstream dealer Can-Am RV if you stick with the Pathfinder.

AIR Forums rallies welcome all to come and check out the experience. It's a great way to see what other people are doing.

[Foiled Again]

Every thread worth reading about "how to choose" contains this simple advice.

1. Go to a rally - tour as many Airstreams as you possibly can. Talk to the owners, get their ideas on pros & cons of their layout.
2. Visit a dealer with a good stock of Airstreams on the lot. Wear clogs, slip off your shoes, lie on the bed, the couch, put the dinette table down and lie on that bed, sit in the bathroom. Take a "virtual shower". If you hate the bath or bed, you'll be unhappy with the Airstream.
3. Evaluate your lifestyle - buy an Airstream that is big enough to be stuck in for three days of freezing rain without getting on each other's nerves.
4. Evaluate your skill set and your goals. I'd owned an old house before I went fulltiming. My number one priority was "I do NOT want another #*@^)*^!! fixer-upper. I want to travel and relax." I bought new.
5. Twin or Queen Bed - Twins are much easier to make, and give you more accessable space underneath for storage. But they are small and some couples hate sleeping apart.
6. Two ceiling FANS - is a great feature on anything 25' or larger. Manual vents just don't move enough air when it's stuffy and you're boondocking.

The prior poster's advice about the tow vehicle is excellent. The one I'd suggest you at least consider (27 FB) would be too big for your Pathfinder.

I REALLY like the 27 FB. It comes in Safari, Safari SE, CCD, CCD International Ocean Breeze, and Classic trim levels (that's listed from the low to high end prices.)

I have the 25 FB SE, and I have a vehicle that will allow me to move up... but I'm waiting a couple of years because those #*@^)*^!! at Airstream will probably come up with a 30 FB SE five minutes after I buy the 27. I'd also (personal taste here) prefer a CCD model to the Safari FB SE, because they use thicker more durable laminates and the overhead cabinets have sliding doors - fewer inside dividers, more usable space.

My preference for the 27 is that the queen bed isn't sideways - which makes it easier to make and uses a standard mattress. With a couple, no one has to crawl over their partner to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night. The closet space is MUCH better, and there's room for a microwave in the slide out pantry. AND it has the lobster bowl sink. RV double sinks are so small you can't fit a skillet or large pot in them. They are also so shallow that it's splatter city every time you use one.)

Paula Ford

[moosetags]

Welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us.

Ditto on all of the above advice, especially the part about attending a rally. You can look at a lot of Airstreams, bith old and new. You will also get honest assessments on both trailers and tow vehicles.

Brian