First time rver: vintage vs late model???

[Seemore2006]

That's a really tough decision between two great choices! The newer bunk will get you out the door camping with the kids asap and what you see is what you get. The custom vintage sounds unique but you're trusting someone to do a quality job and stay on budget in a chosen timeframe - three things that can go wrong - inferior workmanship - over budget - when's it going to be done?. I got the impression you want something unique so if you have a reliable source - go for it! It might take longer to get what you want but may be very much worth the wait - think of all the fun you can have too as a family going to vintage shows, rallies, and all things Airstream. No matter which way you decide it's going to be a blast!

[tvketchum]

If the goal is to be out camping within a year or less, you will want a newer, functional unit. There are many used units out there, but, as you know, they are not on the market long. You need to be able to move quickly when yours comes up. If the goal is to have something vintage outside, new inside, and you are hiring out, well, most work like this is twice as long as predicted, twice as expensive as estimated, and only half as good as bragged about. There is a couple in our WBCCI Central Indiana Unit who went this route, bought a rough, worn vintage very cheap, took it to a "professional", and over a year later and 1 1/2 times the total renovation budget, did not even have the trailer weathertight, let alone any renovations completed. They wound up doing the work themselves, and found it was far easier, less daunting, and more satisfying, with a great trailer the result.


Tom
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[kb0zke]

Welcome, Dan. I'm glad that you are going to let your girls learn about camping while they are young.

As for what to get, you've already seen some good advice. NO coach will be perfect, so there will always be something to do, and that includes brand new coaches. Buying a used coach, rather than a new one, is certainly a good way to save money. In fact, most people recommend that someone new to RVs do just that.

Buying a project coach might save you a few dollars, but will cost you LOTS of time. My suggestion would be to buy a 10-15-year-old coach with rear twin beds. As others have said, you can then easily add some upper bunks. That provides a place for the girls, and leaves you the couch. Not ideal for full-timing, but good enough for vacations and weekends.

If you find a coach that has the rear queen bed that otherwise meets all your needs, you can probably convert it to bunks without too much work. I suspect that a rear queen bed coach is more common than a twin bed one.

[Diogenes]

We have a 1967 Overlander with our 4 kids. It has four bunks and the front dining area turns into a queen size bed. Many of the vintage midels with middle twin beds or couches can also have 1-2 bunks. Our bunks are permenant, but I would prefer gaucho couches and the vintage style bunks that can be pushed up during the day. That makes the space more versatile. We even looked at ine that had made the bottom bunk into a very sturdy desk that converted to a bed. Smart.

Ours is a 26' and everything is of course tight. Storage is not a problem if you're organized, but with kids you know things are not always tidy. So I do get annoyed by having the bunks basically form a hallway to the bathroom...if everything is not perfectly put away, you suddenly have a path of stuff being trampled. So, in that way, a rear twin converted to bunks would be convenient so that a playspace is not in the middle of the walkway.

I do think that leaving money in the budget for a few conversions to fir your family is preferable to trying to find a pre-designed model. Chances are they weren't designing with your particular family dynamic in mind. I think someone mentioned trying to find a closer fit so your conversions are fewer. Just keep an open-mind...so many things we think are "must haves" might not really be critical or could be approached differently.

Good luck! It's challenging but a lot of fun as well!

[MichaelS]

Have a look at this one: 1993 Airstream Excella 32 - Florida

Looks good in the pics, sleeps 6, center bath... if I was looking, I'd go check it out.

Good luck and happy hunting!

[3wd67rg]

Originally Posted by MichaelS

Have a look at this one: 1993 Airstream Excella 32 - Florida

Looks good in the pics, sleeps 6, center bath... if I was looking, I'd go check it out.

Good luck and happy hunting!

Link didn't work.

[MichaelS]

Working for me. ??