stuck on size - need help

[Poprivet]

Short trips - short trailer. Long trips - long trailer. Maybe you need more than one Airstream

[3streams]

Originally Posted by Pop Rivet

Short trips - short trailer. Long trips - long trailer. Maybe you need more than one Airstream

I couldn't agree more! Seriously though- we have about 12 trailers and all but 3 are the 24'-26' range! I don't like dealing with making/unmaking the beds in a smaller trailer! We started with a '05 International CCD 25' (before we sold it and went all vintage) but I LOVED that layout and miss it! Wet baths are no fun- but most of the time I find we use the campground showers anyway. No matter what - you will love an Airstream!

[stefario]

thanks everyone for the replies, this is by far the most helpful forum i have ever signed up on, i am astonished at the amount of help, just awesome!

I am going to let my wife read through all the replies and see what her inclination is ...

Thanks again everyone and we will keep you "posted"

[vunico]

i'm in my first season of camping and i often am alone but i would go no smaller than a 23...the fb gives me many of the plusses of larger trailers,walkaround bed in a full bedroom,dedicated shower and bath,double sink ,in a compact package with 2 axles.
all i really miss is a couch,and the dinette can be broken down to a "sette"
good luck

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, we thought long and hard about which size Airstream we were going to buy. We chose the largest of the small trailers and the smallest of the large trailers. The 25 footer is the best happy medium. [for us] I'm not knocking anyone with a smaller trailer or a larger trailer, But keep in mind how many people on this forum went from "Cute" to "a Bit bigger" to "Ideal" at a great cost, in a short time period. Study hard before you sign on the dotted line. [the first time]

[richie rich]

I've got a 22' and a 30'.Never can decide.Bouncing back and forth between the two seems to be the order of the day.

[Ahab]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

By the way, we use our Bambi for "camping" and use sleeping bags; so making up beds is not an issue.

Same here, and we prefer a single axle rig, easier to get in and out of tight areas and cost effective too. We have two 50#+ poodles who share the space without problems. The single basin kitchen sink does just fine as that is what we also have in our house. Your wife like mine is used to making do without the non-essentials so we actually have storage space that's not being used.

[stefario]

This is alot harder than I thought. My wife has read the thread and she is fully signed up for the 25' (and thanks everyone for their input)

I thought this would make my life easy, but now i am having second thoughts on towing this rig and debating whether i should go with the 20' cmutch brought up - it is a nice floor plan and double sink and all! single axle though

what I need is the 19' with a 25' floor plan :P

[Boondocker]

Originally Posted by stefario

now i am having second thoughts on towing this rig ..........
what I need is the 19' with a 25' floor plan :P

Don't worry, 1/2 mile into your first trip you are going to realize you are more worried about width than length. You are going to be fine.

[Dakota's Dad]

Never met a single person, who really used their camper, SOB, Class C, AS, what have you, who wished they bought smaller, and although I am sure they are out there, WAY more wished they bought more camper. (IMHO)

Heck I never even met a tent camper/backpacker who wished they had a smaller tent.. lighter, yes, smaller, no.

A couple feet longer in length means nothing really when towing, it's height and width that gets you most of the time..

[dkottum]

We are new to Airstream (had a Scamp trailer for a while) but have been avid campers using tents and VW campers for some 40 years. Bigger has never been better in my camping experience, tending to limit your mobility and the outdoor experience itself (too much time monkeying around with gear). We bought the 2007 Safari 20 SE model because it has a superior kitchen, a nice dinette, a decent bath and bed, as well as a large outdoor living space under the awning to protect from sun and light rain. And because we are retired and are spending more time away from home. When camping, we do not sit indoors much, so this seems to be about as good as it gets, for the two of us.

I am wondering about the references to double axle trailers being better. Ours tows perfectly, is easy to maneuver, and you have to stop and change a flat no matter how many axles. A heavier trailer requires more axles to support the weight. Is there more to it than that?

[stefario]

2 axles will allow you to drive to a more appropriate location to change a flat if needed, one axle with a flat requires immediate attention.

[dlb435]

First, the biggest trailer we have ever had was a 23' Safari, dual axel. The smallest was little pop up. We now have a 17' Safari Sport.
The smaller and lighter the trailer, the easier it is to tow.
Get too small (the pop up) and it's not very comfortable.
Get too big; it's a pain to tow and hard to park.
Bigger trailers mean bigger tow vehicles.
Small trailers with easy set up means you'll use the trailer more often.
Big trailers are great to live in.
What it comes down to is what is the trailers major use going to be?
Set it up at one site and go there a few times a year....get the big trailer.
Want to travel all over or take it out for weekends? Get the smallest trailer you can be comfortable in.
Plan on slow trips with extended stays? You're back to a bigger trailer.
Kids on the way? Better look for one that sleeps four.
No trailer is perfect, they are all just a compromise. And it's not just the length. Look at width, weight and ease of set up. Do you plan on spending much time in the trailer or outside doing things? Do you want to spend the evening outside under the awning or inside watching TV? Are you going out for days or for months at a time?
No one can tell you the right size trailer that you need. You have to decide that yourself. When you think about going out with the trailer, what do you think about? What is your vision of camping?

[Mikethefixit]

I would respectfully suggest that You buy BIGGER than you think you will ever need. I at first wanted a 34ft BIGGER IS BETTER. Then a 31,we settled on a 1977 27 ft Overlander . Its lighter then some of the new trailers. Gives us enough room for 2 adults and 3 small dogs without a problem. Our TV was purchased with the thought that I could pull about any trailer and was not purchased with AS in mind. But we have the big truck and get good mileage, its comfortable for us with lots of room for everything. Its also our daily driver.
GOOD LUCK with what ever you decide. Remember camping in supposed to be fun. Be comfortable. Dont look back in 20 yrs and say "I wish we had done that" Do it now.

[dkottum]

If you plan to keep your Airstream for at least another 10 years, it may be a good idea to decide now if you can afford to pay triple the present cost of fuel, tow vehicles, and maintenance as we go forward. This may not happen, but you should be prepared for it, especially if you are going to finance your trailer purchase. In that case, smaller may be wiser, if not better.

[flmgrip]

Originally Posted by dkottum

If you plan to keep your Airstream for at least another 10 years, it may be a good idea to decide now if you can afford to pay triple the present cost of fuel, tow vehicles, and maintenance as we go forward. This may not happen, but you should be prepared for it, especially if you are going to finance your trailer purchase. In that case, smaller may be wiser, if not better.

either you will be able to afford to tow or not, fuel consumption difference between an 18ft and 28ft is minimal i would say... to base you choice on that i would say is silly... but that's just me

[stefario]

so we did it!

25' FB with Midnight Sun interior. We bought it from George Sutton in Eugene, Oregon. They are to deliver it to the border on the weekend and then Ill bring on to Canada.

I read the thread a couple years ago about importing and it says you need a notorized title, most other things i read say just show up with the bill of sale, title and notice of recall, pay your taxes and off you go.

can anyone comment? is it that simple?

[moosetags]

Congratulations on your new baby.

Our sweet Lucy is an '05 25FB with the Midnight Sun interior. We have spent over 450 nights in Lucy and have pulled her over 50,000 miles. The Midnight Sun interior hold up very well and never seems to look dingy. The floor plan is also great. We just completed a 10,000 mile, 53 day trip, and were comfortable in Lucy the whole time. During this trip, Lucy had a complete brake job at Sutton Airstream.

Enjoy your 25FB. Give her a name and make her your own.

Safe travels, Brian

[Airstream 65]

Hi!

Congrats on your new Airstream! Regarding the import process, yes, it is that simple. We picked up our new 27 FB International 2 weeks ago in New Jersey, and towed it back to Winnipeg. The whole process at the border crossing only took us about 10 minutes. Here's how the process went for us:

Step 1: The customs officer will open up an RIV case file, by filling out RIV Form 1 for you, they make a copy of the bill of sale (make sure it is signed by both you and the dealer), make a copy of the title, and fax everything off to the RIV for you. Then you pay the GST to the cashier at the desk and that's it for the border! Make sure you get a copy of the Form 1, you will need it later.

Step 2: When you get home, you can log on to the RIV website, (www.riv.ca), enter the information from your Form 1, and make your RIV payment ($195+GST).

Step 3: Quoting your case #, fax a copy of the recall letter from Airstream to the RIV. (Fax # for recall documents only 1-888-642-9899)

Step 4: The RIV will send to you by fax, email or mail (your choice) a Form 2. (We chose email, it was faster)

Step 5: Take the Form 2 to a Canadian Tire, they will verify the VIN, stamp your Form 2, and fax a copy to the RIV. (Took 5 minutes)

Step 6: (Not sure how this step will work for you in BC, as here in Manitoba our auto insurance is through the provincial government.) We took the title, bill of sale, the GST payment receipt, RIV Form 1, RIV stamped Form 2, to the insurance agent, payed the PST, insurance and got the plates, and that's it!

About a week later, we received a letter from the RIV with a "Canadian Compliance Label" to stick on the trailer next to the current VIN label.

Its a very straight forward process and takes no time at all. We crossed the border on Saturday evening, and by Monday afternoon we had Manitoba plates on our new trailer.

Hope this helps, and good luck with your new Airstream!

[Msmoto]

Hi there,

Just thought I would put up something about your trailer. First, congratulations. I had a 25SS Int and traded for a 27FB Ocean Breeze. The queen bed is so great!

Some changes I have made which really makes the impression of size and convenience so much "bigger" can be seen in my photos under Msmoto, member photos. http://www.airforums.com/photos/show...php?i=24188&c=
Eliminating the bathroom door and replacing with a curtain really helps. Also the custom cabinet under the TV give more counter space for cooking. You still have the bed option with the table, so it will still "sleep four". My trailer has been totally converted to LED and this reduces heat in the summer.

I wish you a great time in your Airstream and hope to see you in Gillette, Wyoming for the WBCCI International Rally.