New to Airstream

[Halford1]

Hello ya”ll

I have been camping with my popup s since 1994 and loved it. It was by choice that I did this that long. The set up and set down was my therapy. But now it has come that I may travel far from home which would make it easier not to do too much set up and set down on way to campground. I have been a member of popupportal since 2011.

I have been watching for a good deal on Airstream. I think I found one. 2017 M16 Bambi for $40k. Used 4 weekends Is that a reasonable price? It has solar on roof with AC and basic features.

Let me know what to look for when I’m shopping for an Used Airstream.

Thank you.

Hal

[Rich W]

Hi Hal, welcome to the forum, greetings from central Kentucky.

Like buying anything, it comes down to personal choice, what you want and what you can tow as well as what you're willing to pay. We bought used and have been happy so far. There's always something needing repair or replacing.

We looked through the classifieds here to see what was available and compare the prices on similar models. That let us know what we were looking at. If you haven't gone through the classifieds I'd recommend you start there. You'll see an AS of the same year and model with drastically different prices. Then compare and see what one offers over the other. You can always haggle over price with the owner.

Good luck in your search.

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by Halford1

Hello ya”ll

I have been camping with my popup s since 1994 and loved it. It was by choice that I did this that long. The set up and set down was my therapy. But now it has come that I may travel far from home which would make it easier not to do too much set up and set down on way to campground. I have been a member of popupportal since 2011.

I have been watching for a good deal on Airstream. I think I found one. 2017 M16 Bambi for $40k. Used 4 weekends Is that a reasonable price? It has solar on roof with AC and basic features.

Let me know what to look for when I’m shopping for an Used Airstream.

Thank you.

Hal

Welcome to the forum Hal!

I have an Airstream Avenue class b and not an trailer, but this forum is a wealth of information.
.

[Halford1]

Thanks for the reply.

At the Popupportal we encourage potential buyers to inspect popup well before buying it by going under the popup, checking for soft spots in floor all over, open all cabinet doors and drawers. Check to see if the table is firm. Pull out the bunkends to ensure that it can slide out. Crank up and down the roof and listen for clicking noise. Check the water pipes and faucets. And check the roof and ceilings for leaks. So forth.

I know that the popup differ vastly but specifically WHAT do I need to be aware of. How do I know if there’s a leak or whatever the pop ups do NOT have.

This is what I need to know. Before I meet the seller this evening to check the slightly used 2017 Bambi selling for $40k. The seller said that it has only been used for 4 weekends but WHY is he selling it? Something wrong that I would need to watch for?

Don’t get me wrong - I HOPE I could buy this Bambi. My Explorer with factory tow package CAN tow this with ease. Exactly same GWVR as my current Coleman Niagara

Now what do I need to be aware of so I can haggle down the price.

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by Halford1

I know that the popup differ vastly but specifically WHAT do I need to be aware of. How do I know if there’s a leak or whatever the pop ups do NOT have.

This is what I need to know. Before I meet the seller this evening to check the slightly used 2017 Bambi selling for $40k. The seller said that it has only been used for 4 weekends but WHY is he selling it? Something wrong that I would need to watch for?

Now what do I need to be aware of so I can haggle down the price.

-Compare the price to others of the same size and year on the classifieds
-Take the vehicle when you pay, no delays
-Clear title, no liens
-Check tires and batteries. Tires are probably OK, batteries should read 12.7 volts, no lower than 12.4.
-Should have at least 1, probably 2, propane tanks in good shape
-Your nose should be able to note rotting wood, but walk inside and look for soft spots in the floor.
-Open the awning and inspect for tears or damaged rafter arms
-Look for dents, dings and scratches
-Look for obvious leaks around the windows and ceiling fan(s)
-Check the entry folding step, make sure it hasn't been damaged
-Make sure all the lights, appliances and holding tank gauges work
-Open all of the cabinets and storage doors, observe they move correctly
-Inspect the dump valves, should operate freely
- If you can, crawl under and inspect the belly for any obvious damage
-Turn the furnace on
-Make sure the A/C works, you will have to take it somewhere there is a 30 amp outlet, like a campground.

That's what I can come up with off the top of my head. Always ask if it's been in an accident, ever had any leaks.

[OTRA15]

Welcome to the forum!

The "Buyer's Guidelines" forum might be a good place to check out similar earlier threads:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f353/

See also these "buyer's guidelines" search results:

https://www.google.com/search?q=buye...=airforums.com

Good luck,

Peter

[Halford1]

Hello ya'll!

Yesterday evening I went up in the hills to look at the 2017 Bambi.. looks very good. Only used for 4 weekends, sole owner, was inside stored nearby airplane hanger.

2 minor problems: dead battery (owner forgot to slow charge it), and the freezer door inside the fridge broke off by accident when the owner accidentally closed the fridge door while cleaning. These are easy to fix or replace.

Got the price down from $40,500 to $37,000.

Now another question: where is the best place to get a RV loan? I have excellent credit (FYI) Any of you had experience in getting a low interest rate RV Loan?

Let me know ASAP! I need to hurry and go glamping!

Hal