Seeking advice from part-timers

[LeslieM]

Hello, I have been following these posts for several years and we have finally narrowed down our search for an Airstream -- we are looking at 2010-2013 27-28 foot units in the $50k-$60k range -- mostly looked at International CCD's and Safaris -- and have found several we like.

Here is my question:
My partner and I have 7 acres of beautiful land with views and a pond in the Catskills of NYState. All infrastructure is in place -- well, septic, electric etc., we have a small barn (not suitable for living without modifications).

This is not our full-time home. We rent a loft 100 miles away from our property. We have been reluctant to buy in this housing market. (sold our house in 2016 because way too much maintenance and very high property tax).

We have been back and forth about building a small cabin on our property, or buying an Airstream until we are sure about where exactly we want to live.

We keep coming back to the Airstream -- but how is it to park one of these in one place for 5-6 months at a time? We would move it to storage in mid October and then return it to our property in April.

Can anyone weigh in on the pluses and minuses of this scenario? Do axles and bearings etc. get damaged from sitting? How much maintenance would we have to do if our Airstream sits for that long, then travels 2x a year to storage? Are we crazy for wanting an Airstream, which we consider sort of 'liquid' as opposed to a cabin for the same cost (fixed/unmovable).

We want to spend time on this property in the warmer months. My partner is a teacher so has 3 months off and I am remote so we would be spending substantial time out on our property.

Help with any/all thoughts --- it's getting old sleeping in the tent in the barn!
Thank you!

[Fungus]

I love my Airstream, but it is a small rolling house whose wheels need to be rolled. We take a couple of 50-day trips every year plus a handful of short trips.

There are pros and cons both ways. But if I had a property such as yours, I'd opt for the cabin. Same advice I gave my sister a few months ago.

You would get more floorspace (AS can get pretty small sitting in one place), and head space (volume matters). No need to store the cabin. Real appliances instead of mobile home appliances. No running gear to maintain. No need for a tow vehicle capable of safely pulling the trailer. Etc...

The trailer is more liquid (financially) but the cabin is an asset on the property while the trailer depreciates. The trailer is quick-ish; no long build cycle with the trailer. However, you could probably do much of the work of building a cabin yourself (YouTube!!) and outsource the remainder. Two short trips doesn't swing the decision.

Then there is the option of both...Buy a trailer that you intend to use while building the cabin. Then sell the trailer. Not necessarily an Airstream. I'd opt for contracting the rough-in of the cabin so that I could live in it while finishing it out. Your current skillset may be different (but can grow via YouTube).

Just my quick opinion. Could be that once I got into the cabin build I would be saying to myself, "Dang! I should have bought the Airstream."

[LeslieM]

Great advice -- thank you! I'm so smitten with Airstreams and have wanted one since I was a kid (we had the pop-out tent thing that leaked like a sieve).

Out of curiosity, what happens when an AS sits for 4-5 months? Is it less 'wear and tear' on the equipment, tires etc.? Or is it bad to let the units sit? We'd be driving 100 miles 2x a year to storage.

And was your sister happy with your advice?

[azflycaster]

There are many people who park for the summer at an Airstream Park and only move their rig on and off their lot for the winter. Sounds very similar to what you propose.

[pcskier]

I have been living in mine for 3 years. 6 months during winter in an rv resort. 6 months all summer on my property 20 miles away that I’m building on.

Stationary is less wear and tear. No worries at all. Living on your property some of the time is a great plan while you weigh your options. It’s like an awesome camping trip but without having it end after a week or two. My winters at the rv resort get a little tiresome, but I have loved my last two summers (may-Nov) on my property and will be back up for my third this month. Do it, and enjoy!

[1StreamDream]

I presume the main focus of your question is about living in the trailer 5-6 months ? Longest we have done something like that is ~2 months, at a full hookup rv resort. Space is tight to be sure, but one key aspect (for us anyway) that makes it comfortable for that long of a time segment is that we use the resort shower house/restroom very regularly. If you are on your own property, I would give serious thoughts to adding or upgrading some kind of small structure that included a full size bathroom, maybe also a laundry room. You can most certainly skip that, it’s optional, but for us it makes things much more comfortable. As for wear and tear, sitting 5-6 months in place is not especially great for tires and wheel bearings, but I don’t think using it in place on your property is really any different than sitting in storage somewhere in that regard.

[Tyler2you]

Do you have a good sized pad to park the trailer on at the property (concrete/gravel)? Keeping rodents/insects out of a trailer parked on dirt/grass for long periods can be a challenge. I'd definitely want a large pad to park on with some underbelly lights to keep the rodents away. Is it covered to reduce wear/tear on the roof and prevent the inevitable leaks? I'd also consider moving the trailer back/forth a bit every couple of months to avoid flat spots on tires or the axle losing its bow. Probably not necessary for the timeframe your talking about, but can't hurt.

As others have mentioned, the concerns regarding maintenance at the property are the same ones you should consider when storing a trailer. As long as you've got a place (the loft) to escape when the claustrophobia of living in a 27 footer sets in, it sounds like a good plan.

[LeslieM]

pcskier, beautiful photos! and yes, that's sort of what we are thinking. Tyler2you, we don't have a concrete pad, we were going to do a pea-gravel pad where there are some concrete pavers in place from a former mobile home.

Our situation is a little odd -- we live full time 100 miles away from our property. The land was really a bit of an 'impulse buy' during Covid -- somehow it had been completely overlooked and underpriced by the local real estate rush. It had all the infrastructure in place and beautiful views -- we had recently sold our house and sort of felt like 'buy the land and think about it later'. Not exactly the best real estate strategy.

So because my partner teaches September-May, we are living a rented loft in a town an hour and a half away from the country property, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. We had been doing summer day-trips out to the property for the past 3 years, then last year got sick of driving back and forth so we got a tent for the barn. I'm a pretty experienced camper, but waking up in the damp cold in a barn full of bats got old pretty fast lol.

We didn't want to spend the rest of our future house downpayment on a cabin, so we started thinking Airstreams to keep it 'liquid'. We looked at many Airstreams over the past couple years, we started with older ones -- most of those had problems we did not want to tackle. So we settled on the price range/size/years that we liked and landed in this 2010-2014 range.

I camped extensively as a kid and am pretty outdoorsy, though we are getting older, so the Airstream seems like a luxury hotel compared to backwoods tenting. But mostly my concern are these:

Is this even a good strategy to enjoy our property? I'm worried about maintenance and depreciation of the Airstream, and getting overwhelmed by a giant vehicle I don't really understand.

Are we doing the Airstream a disservice by parking it in one place for 5 months?

Are we losing money on the depreciation while we do this for a few years, rather than investing in our own infrastructure? Should we just tough it out in the barn? although.. the bats

I'm wondering how long it took people to know their Airstreams -- what it takes to maintain it properly etc. on a day to day basis.

I've really enjoyed reading about everyone's set-ups and situations in these groups. Even without owning an Airstream (yet) I really love the community.

[Tyler2you]

Originally Posted by LeslieM

Is this even a good strategy to enjoy our property? I'm worried about maintenance and depreciation of the Airstream, and getting overwhelmed by a giant vehicle I don't really understand.

I'm wondering how long it took people to know their Airstreams -- what it takes to maintain it properly etc. on a day to day basis.

You should absolutely be prepared to deal with issues that arise on a 10+ year old trailer. As long as you're somewhat "handy" and nimble and can deal with small plumbing jobs, basic wiring, controlling corrosion, caulking/sealing jobs that require getting on the roof, etc., you'll be fine. It does take time to learn the systems, but there are plenty of resources out there to help. Otherwise, I'd check around to see if there is a good mobile RV tech in your area that would be willing to come to your property for repairs. You may want to do that anyway since something like replacing an AC unit is probably beyond what most folks consider basic maintenance. I wouldn't plan on relying on a dealer for repairs due to the long wait times most people are experiencing. The last time I called my local dealer to schedule an appointment, it was a 6 week wait.

If all of that sounds burdensome, you may want to skip the trailer option . . .

I wouldn't worry too much about depreciation on a solid 10 year old Airstream. As long as you pay a reasonable price and take care of it, you should be able to recoup your investment.

[Acheron2010]

If it was me, I would put a Boxabl or some other pre-fab tiny home on the property and call it a day.

[LNBright]

Airstreams have Dexter axles, which the way they're built, they consist of rubber 'rods' inside a tube, with the hubs attached. They like to move: if they get parked for extended periods and don't move at all, they can start to sag a bit. That would be my concern about being parked for an extended time. However, although you're talking about it being parked, you're still planning on moving it around at least the two times a year... if you would make a couple of roadtrips during the year, I'd no longer worry about the axles' longevity.


There are people that full-time, of course; but we would find it to small to 'live in', we still appreciate having a house, and just use our AS for a week here, two weeks there, another week trip, then several extended weekend trips throughout the year. We are fine w/ the small space for a week or so at a time... plenty of folks are fine for longer stretches, but, that's a personal choice....

Good luck!

[LeslieM]

These are such helpful replies -- we had thought of doing another pre-fab or 'tiny home' on wheels etc. (had not heard of boxabl..!) but... and this is a little embarrassing but maybe relatable .. I'm a designer and am just completely smitten with the 'coolness' factor of Airstreams. (I know, I know.. )

I have done so much research on these, read so many of the horror stories about leaks, issues, etc. we have looked at so many of them, even ones that were so bad I felt someone should *pay me* to take it away... I have crawled under more Airstreams than I can count, we have driven a full day to see one (which was soooo bad that we literally turned around and ran out after 30 seconds) and yet, we still keep coming back to this idea. Kind of ironic because one of the reasons we sold our modern 'fixer upper' house after 20 years was because the big clerestory windows leaked like a sieve. (on the positive side I know my silicone sealants!)

I don't mind the idea of doing standard maintenance myself (I'm obsessive) but things like leaks, mysterious things that happen behind shiny curved walls, and then of course, all the moving parts do concern me.

Are the leaks really inevitable? Are they hugely concerning? I grew up camping in one of the 'pop out tent' campers where dad always warned us "don't touch the walls!" when it rained and wonder if I just have 'leak PTSD' lol -- and if so are we setting ourselves up for failure??.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to answer, this is my first time posting after long-time lurking and it's so incredibly helpful!

[LNBright]

Any of them 'can' leak, but, I'd say that most, don't. Any of them 'can' have any sort of issue that most other campers can have: an electrical gremlin, a water tank hiccup, propane hiccups, a step's broken hinge, etc., but, most of them are fairly simple systems to figure out. So, you can maintain it, keep it functioning. If you purchased a SOB (that's Some Other Brand), you know, after 10 years, you might not have much left: that's why a lot of campground are now introducing age-limits, that they don't let in campers older than 10 years old, but, an Airstream, twenty, thirty years, and you can still keep it on the road (or, off the road, as the case may be).

We get it, we realize that these aren't as cheap up-front, but, it's more of an investment, but it'll pay off in the long run....

[LeslieM]

Super helpful thank you! I think 'leaks' is my biggest concern (after axles, bearings, brakes etc.) From the other Leslie

[Tyler2you]

Originally Posted by LeslieM

Are the leaks really inevitable? Are they hugely concerning?

It really depends on how the trailer was maintained over its life. Plastic parts and sealants on the roof degrade and crack/crumble from UV exposure. If they aren't kept up with, you will have leaks. It's hard work getting up on the delicate roof and scraping off and replacing yards of old/crusty sealant, so it often gets neglected. It's not terribly complex or complicated. Just messy and hard on the hands and body.

[majorairhead]

We hang out in our Airstream in Florida for months at a time. It's not an issue. I use tire/wheel covers to protect the tires. Other than that, she sits in the Florida sunshine.

I do clean my Airstream 2x a year, including a roof inspection, and have done some minor sealing up there. I also sealed the gap between the window glass and the aluminum trim on the non-opening windows.

They do take maintenance though, for sure. Living in one for a half a year is surely doable, no problem, but I've had to be aware of interior moisture control, battery maintenance, freshwater tank cleanliness, and a few other small items that you'd maybe not encounter in a traditional style home, cabin, or tiny house.

The great thing is, if we want to pull up stakes and go away for a week or two, it's relatively easy.

[kdfulsome54]

We have a 2018 28ft CCD, and have had it set up in a rv park for the last 3 summers. I pull it about 200 miles from home to the park and set it up for 5-6 months. For my wife and I this has worked very well. This year we purchased 9 acres near where the rv park was located and set up some concrete patios with water sewer and electric for our airstream and for other family and friends to use. After leaving your trailer set for 5-6 months be sure to check tire pressure before you pull it home.

[Luna1967]

Our 1999 31’ Excella is a permanent installation on our property. We are in the Pacific Northwest, and so don’t have quite the temperature extremes that you do in New York. This unit is our second Airstream, so we’re not new to 12 V electrical issues in tight spaces! That being said, our first, Airstream is a 1967, so the 1999 feels brand new, and very modern.
I am up on the property about 20% of the time. The trailer’s been installed for almost 3 years. So far the biggest issue I’ve had is arriving by to a flat tire. Fortunately, being dual axle, it was not a disaster! I did buy tire protectors for the trailer, as she does sit on a big gravel pad in full sun. And to that end, use 5/8 minus rather than P gravel for your pad.
Two huge things we still need to do on our install are, skirting around the trailer, and put some sort of structure over the top of her. The roof structure is for sun protection, and tree protection!
we went with Airstream both because we’re familiar with how they operate and love them, but also because the house that’s on the property is almost 65 years old and really needs to be lived in all the time. So we keep it at leased to others. I won’t offer an opinion on a cabin versus a trailer or the financial ins or outs of a that choice. I think others have more than adequately given advice about that. And everybody’s situation is unique. Good luck, making your decision, and always remember that having bats is a sign of a good ecology!

[MrStreamer]

Originally Posted by pcskier

I have been living in mine for 3 years. 6 months during winter in an rv resort. 6 months all summer on my property 20 miles away that I’m building on.

Stationary is less wear and tear. No worries at all. Living on your property some of the time is a great plan while you weigh your options. It’s like an awesome camping trip but without having it end after a week or two. My winters at the rv resort get a little tiresome, but I have loved my last two summers (may-Nov) on my property and will be back up for my third this month. Do it, and enjoy!
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Hello Peter from former Parkite... Bought Three Kings for $ 26K in 1976, Sold Crescent Ridge for $150K 1996 Where are you building?

We had two 1973 AS 31 , one in Lava Hot Springs year around and one in St George, as second home(s) getaway. I sold both and bought home in Coral Canyon canyon, Washington. The couple in Moab bought one for $10K, lived on their site 2 years as they were building their home and sold for $15K

Many great stories from Airstreamers !!!

[Atwebs]

What I can tell you is if you have a trailer and a cabin, one or the other will get used more often. We have both, and got the cabin long before the trailer, but with a limited number of days in a year, you gotta chose.

For us perfection would be a semi-permanent cabin where we could park the trailer. You know: running water, a full sized bathroom, laundry facilities and a roof over the trailer on our property.

Love the cabin but even the most scenic area gets a bit boring after a while. We have a massive clean up every summer; rake the pine needles, burn or haul the debris, repair the deck, clean the inside, paint the outside, cut and stack wood for the next season. It's so much easier to simply hop in the trailer and hit the road, more to see and more to do!