New member - STREMN

[STREMN]

We are new members, Tom and Wendy coming to you from the sandy beaches of New Hampshire. We had started our search for an “RV” in late 2015. Late bloomers and new to the hobby and lifestyle, we needed to discover what we wanted in an RV. Class A, B, C, 5th Wheel, Conventional, Toy Hauler? What are all those things?

After a few thousand miles of traveling around the country to see some really, really, big RV Shows and some really small ones we kept coming back to the AirStream brand. We can’t count how many different boxes, buses and vans we went in an out of.

With all the looking, touring and just in general having fun we felt an AirStream Travel Trailer made the most sense for what we wanted to do. Reading the Air Forum’s gave lots of insight into the equipment, maintenance and satisfaction of the community. Folks here really are helpful. How refreshing to see a great bunch of people sharing and contributing meaningful info in one place!

It took us about 6 months to find the “right one”. We found a new to us 2008 30’ Classic in excellent condition. Bonus, it’s a Limited with a rare slide out. We had some maintenance work to do once we took possession. Tires, Wheels, Batteries, Recalls, and some TLC got her ready for the road. The Air Forum’s have been an excellent resource to assist us with maintenance, repairs and operation.

Schedules didn’t let us get on the road until late this past season. We were able to make a long 2 week trip in early December. What a great adventure to get 3200 miles on the road. We can’t wait to get going again. Now if we could only fast forward through these next couple of months of New England winter weather.

We look forward to having good times, learning and doing more, and being able to share and contribute to the group.

[Isuzusweet]

Welcome to the forums:

Be sure to introduce yourselves in your trailers appropriate section of the forums. I would ask for possible problems associated with your trailer. For example I do know that Safari's of that vintage had problems leaking along the front rub rail; a line worker forgot to apply sealant behind the rub rail. Did that employee work on 30' limiteds? I don't know.

I would also ask and make yourselves aware of how the slide mechanism works, what problems could befall you, what parts you should take with you and what progressive maintenance schedule you should follow to ensure its smooth operation. This summer I came across a fellow camper struggling to collapse his slide. The look of concern on his face as he told me" Its never done that before and it's out of warranty" was sad to see. He was right in the middle of his journey; concerned that his slide would get stuck in the out position and didn't have a clue where or how to get it fixed. You will find others do not share your opinion of your slide as being a "bonus".

As the old saying goes; "if it moves, it will break", and this especially applies to the rolling earthquakes that are trailers. All it could take is one bad pothole, on the wrong side to break something. Be aware and stock hard to get AS specific parts as AS slide outs were discontinued.

Cheers
Tony

[Rich W]

Hello Tom and Wendy, welcome to the forum. Wow! A year's worth of searching, that's diligence. We were just happy to find one near us at a price we could afford and could be pulled by our TV. There were some upgrades and repairs that had to be done but we're happy with our AS and I'm sure you'll be happy with yours.

[SteveSueMac]

Welcome! There's a thread here somewhere for slide owners!

Tough in New England if like me, you still work and mostly get out on weekends. It means the trailer sits cold and lonely for several months 😕

But camping is right around the corner! If you haven't yet, please feel free to check out the WBCCI New England Unit website here:

http://newengland.wbcci.net

Some good rallies planned this year - and if I'm not mistaken, there's a member with a slide unit also.

Congrats and happy camping!

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from AZ. . . and welcome to the forums. Sounds like a great trailer you've found & I know you'll enjoy it ! When you come West (everyone does, eventually) come see us 4CU folks, we'll buy you a cold one, regards, Craig

[tvketchum]

Welcome! We also have an '08 30' Classic. Great rig for our full time home. Hope you check out the Airstream Owners Club at www.wbcci.org to meet other Airstream adventurers in your area!


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Tom

[STREMN]

Thanks for the warm welcome and all the tips!

Tony, we’ve spent many hours going through the systems and learning. You’re on the money with regard to parts. The trailer is frozen in time as they all are once they roll off the floor and out of warranty. Fortunately many of the systems and parts have been around for awhile or there are newer versions to keep things working.

Rich, well it wasn’t quite a year of searching. More like about six months…like you trying to find the right one to fit the budget. We were in and out of many and almost pressed the trigger on others, but things worked out for the best in the long run with this Classic. We too had to deal with some maintenance issues, like brake actuator recalls, and the fridge recall too. Some were easier to deal with than others and that was just part of our punch list to get on the road. We’re happy with the end result.

Steve, we’re still working full-time and it’s a chore to get everything done to make time for other things. During the summer our schedule really gets crazy so the weekends come every other week. Wish these winter days didn’t get dark so early, but they’re getting longer now…just over a minute a day.

We are familiar with the NEU…intro from Ernie and Pam. They both have shared advice, many publications and invites’ to join the group. Thanks for the pointer on the 2017 schedule. Looks like a fun time.

Craig, we love AZ! We’ve been a few time’s just never had the opportunity to get there with the trailer camping…yet. It’s on the list!

Tom, now having traveled with this rig I can see why it’s your full time home. We call it pulling the house around. All the creature comforts are just a few feet away behind you where ever you go. We plan on spending more time, having fun and adventure with it.

Thanks again for the warm welcome!

Tom