Maybe....

[kb0zke]

I'm jumping the gun here a bit, but this evening someone is coming over who wants to buy our mpg. IF, and that's a big if, he buys it, we might be looking for another RV to use until we buy our full-time coach. The catch is that the limits that we're going to have to place on such an RV may not allow us to buy an Airstream.

Here are the parameters that it has to fit:
1. Purchase price can't exceed what we get for the mpg. That will have to include the hitch.
2. I'm assuming that the buyer of our mpg will want the Equal-i-zer hitch, and that any Airstream will probably be somewhat heavier than the mpg, thus warranting a stronger hitch.
3. A real queen bed running fore-and-aft, also called an island queen. I want to be able to walk around the bed to make it.
4. Gross weight should be well under 7000 pounds. The book says the Mountaineer can tow "up to 7000 pounds" but I want some reserve. I'd like to keep the gross to under 6500 if possible. Buying a bigger tow vehicle is out of the question.
5. Rear bath is out (lack of headroom issue). Rear bedroom is fine.

I've looked at the classifieds, and there are a couple of trailers that might be possibilities, but gross weights aren't listed and some of them don't indicate what sort of bed it has.

We've pretty much figured out what we're going to ask for the mpg, and before the prospective buyer comes over tonight we'll have to figure out our bottom dollar on it. If we sell we'll have a budget for an Airstream. Until then we're just dreaming.

So, what should we be focusing on?

[Naper]

To get a new AS with a queen bed you can walk around you will need a 27' or larger. That makes your weight of "well under 7000#" a bit of a problem.

[kb0zke]

I should have specified that it will be a used Airstream. We're looking at the mid-teens for a price.

[wahoonc]

How do you feel about a project? The 70's and early 80's vintage can come in under your weight restrictions.

Aaron

[redwoodguy]

As others have said, a island queen bed and under 7,000# may not go together in standard layouts. Of course an older unit could be reconfigured, if such work is tenable to you.

On our purchase, last December, I lobbyed aggressively for the island queen in a 27 International, but lost to the wife who was happy with a scootch around (east-west) queen in the 25 FC. So, when she is scootching back there at night, she knows better than to say a word!

[kb0zke]

Jo Ann has agreed that, since this would be a temporary coach, rear twin beds would be acceptable! Since they are much more common in coaches of the age and weight that we could consider, this may be possible.

The individual who is interested in our mpg did come out and look at it. He is very interested, and is checking on financing. Of course, he doesn't want to pay our asking price, which is to be expected. Right now we're just waiting. I'm looking at the Classifieds for possible replacements for the mpg, but we're not advertising it anywhere, either. If this man doesn't buy it we'll just keep it until we're ready to buy the full-time coach.

[aftermath]

A walk around queen can be had but you will be looking at a 25 FB and those are relatively new. I think they started this model in the very early 2000's. I have a 25 FB and to say it is a walk around is a bit of a stretch. You do not have to crawl over your partner but walking around is tough.

So, start looking at used 25 FB models. I am guessing that you are looking at the very high 20s to the mid 30s for these. Trading over an MPG for a walk around queen Airstream is going to be a real challenge. Just MHO.

[kb0zke]

Aftermath, I agree. We looked at FB models last year at the dealer's Open House, and decided that maybe a six-year-old could walk around it, but not a sixty-year-old. That's why we were first thinking about a rear bedroom. We've decided that, since this will be a temporary coach we could live with twin beds. There are a couple listed in the Classifieds that might work for us.

Yes, we're probably looking at 25' or maybe a bit shorter. The weight is going to be the big issue, since we're not going to trade in the Mercury for a truck. The Mountaineer can tow "up to" 7000 pounds, but I want to limit it to no more than a gross weight of 6500.

Remember that this possible Airstream is only if the one person buys the mpg now. If he waits until January, as he first indicated he would, we would probably just start looking for the full-time coach then. I'm not going to deal with advertising the mpg now, nor am I going to consign it at this point.

[xrvr]

My 2005 25 ft FB has twin beds. Gross weight 7300 pounds. Jim

[dkottum]

Pretty tough parameters for an Airstream or perhaps travel trailers in general. I would set up the Mercury for the 25', drive sensibly, and learn to full-time lightly. Most of the junk I've seen dragged around by full-timers is just that, junk. The idea is travel and adventure, not every possible convenience.

doug k

[kb0zke]

Doug, this won't be our full-time coach (fortunately). Our original plan was that the mpg would be our "learner" rig, and then in late 2013 or early 2014 we would buy our full-time coach. Since someone approached us about buying the mpg, we are willing to sell it if the price is right. If he buys it we would be looking for a 23-25' Airstream that the Mercury Mountaineer can tow.

Had we known then what we know now we never would have purchased the mpg. We would have gotten an Airstream. We didn't know about this forum then.

BTW, the man who was interested in our mpg was going to visit the Airstream dealer this week so I gave him the name of the Airstream expert (the dealership sells several brands of RVs). I suppose that it is possible he will end up with the Airstream.

[slowmover]

4. Gross weight should be well under 7000 pounds. The book says the Mountaineer can tow "up to 7000 pounds" but I want some reserve. I'd like to keep the gross to under 6500 if possible. Buying a bigger tow vehicle is out of the question.

David, this is an assumption that reading around here more ought to have dispelled. Or shown the cracks in the firmament. I suppose it is my innate respect for librarians that puts an edge to this, as well as lifelong experience with towing aluminum trailers. "The book" is not the bible you wish it to be.

TT weight, alone, is not the deciding factor in determining tow vehicle suitability. Consequently -- for the purposes of this thread -- it is limiting the possible range of acceptable TT's.

Aerodynamic resistance is much more important. This cannot be overstated.

Were you considering only square white boxes on buggy springs (with questionable COG and weight balance), lacking even shock absorbers and intending to use a cheap friction bar hitch . . . weight would be an okay first step.

But, you aren't.

Your own words, basically, is that it would be better to ask a thousand questions prior to writing a big check for the purchase of an A/S rather than suffer afterwards in asking what should have been asked first.

You could do some homework on a CAT Scale to get the adjusted empty weight of your Explorer, and even load that vehicle so that it approximated what you expect to carry on an extended trip. Those scale tickets would put numbers on the map from your end, and that same map could accept any number of scale readings acquired by other owners of their trailers (with reference to A/S published empty weights).

Get scale tickets that reflect axle averages "empty" and loaded (lightly loaded and heavily loaded). Cover the full range.

As Andrew T puts it this way in 2008:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...tml#post600506

"We have dozens of customers that tow with Ford Explorers and most are towing larger than 25'. I find a properly set up Explorer to be as stable if not more so than several of the full size SUV's. The big advantage it has is independent rear suspension. They need the tires changed to a more optimal size and type for towing but this applies to most 1/2 tons and SUV's."

Find out what your SUV needs to be fully realized as a tow vehicle, and ask about weight concerns of Airstream trailers at that same source, CAN AM RV.

Frankly, a VPP hitch and trailer disc brakes will do far more for you than any concern strictly with "numbers" where the context is not properly appreciated.

The more nuanced approach will give you the widest range of possible TT's as candidates (which starts with the TV being well sorted by professional advice).

Even had you already bought an A/S it would be prudent to start with best advice about the Explorer. Two birds with one stone, etc.

Ross

.

[ROBERT CROSS]

What the helz a mpg?

Good luck...

Bob

[kb0zke]

A small travel trailer.

< Heartland Lightweight Trailers | Heartland RVs

This is our floorplan, just not our color.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Oh...

Bob