Minnesota Airstream Park

[sovereignrwe]

We just wanted to say thank you to the Minnesota Airstream Park members for a great weekend at a great park. We look forward to many years of enjoyment of the people and facilities!

We strongly recommend scheduling time in the park if you are passing through. Plan a few days to enjoy the people and a great park!

[Porky Pig]

It is certainly on our list!

Right now .. we are camped at the Washington Land Yacht Harbor in Lacey. Another great place with very nice people.

[pyanke]

Hey Porky,

I am still waiting to sit down and have that beer with you when you get to the Airsteam Park.

Pete

[Davydd]

I bought a throw rug at Becker's Furniture World.

[OreExcella]

We were at Land Yacht Harbor in Lacey last weekend as well. We're about 5 hours away, and try to visit there at least a couple of times a year. Unfortunately, didn't get a chance to meet "Porky." (We were the ones that arrived late on Friday night! - Hope we didn't disturb you).

Jim & Karen

[Porky Pig]

Originally Posted by OreExcella

(We were the ones that arrived late on Friday night! - Hope we didn't disturb you).

Jim & Karen

Darn! That was you? We saw you come in ... and also hitch up and leave. We were camped in front of you about 2 rows away in the 34.

[Anna]

Well, we bought Rosie a few years ago, and this will be my first time using her. My husband has taken her on a few "boys only " motorcycle trips.
She's clean, looks okay and her stove and oven work... that's about it. I'm getting a little fustrated. It seems we never have enough time or money to get her where we want her. My husband tried to fix a leak under the curbside twin bed and when he started the pump threee more leaks appeared. Looks like we'll have no running water on this trip. At least we can cook and have a nice roof over our head. Hope you all enjoy the weekend!

[norbert]

i know you are gonna have a great time...everthing can always be better, but grab the moment.
norby

[dmac]

I visited the Minnesota Airstream Park for the first time yesterday. A nice woman named Linda showed me around - looked at lots for sale. The park is about 80 wooded acres. It has a golf course on mostly flat open land (free golf!), a clubhouse, and pool. The lots are mostly small, thus close together. Most lots and trailers are well maintained, others are less so. Basically the park is like a condo association, with individuals "owning" the lots and paying an annual fee (~$750/year) for maintenance and taxes. The park is closed winters and the trailers must be out. Site rental is also available - their web site shows $18/day, $95/week, $380/month, $1540/season. I think you rent a site from the owner, but perhaps the association coordinates this.

There are sites for sale - yesterday 28 of their 125 sites were on the market (22%). I am guessing that they may be difficult to sell because it is a small niche market. Prices range from $5,000 for a plain lot, to $15,000 for a lot with a Gazebo. Some people are selling lots with trailers. There were 5 lots for sale with an owner name of "Park Lot" - I suspect these were taken over by the association when someone walked away and stopped paying dues.

Ownership might make sense for someone who wishes to stay there the entire summer, every summer, for a very long time. For others it may not... With an median selling price of ~$10,000: invest $10,000 at 5% = $500/year, plus the $750 maintenance fee, plus mowing, phone, and selling risk/expense/time my conclusion was that you might as well rent and have the freedom to roam. But I don't own a timeshare condo either... for similar reasons the math never made sense to me. Your mileage may vary!

[Davydd]

Dan,

You make a sobering assessment. It sounds like the yearly cost I have to keep my pontoon boat on Lake Minnetonka, maintain it, and store it in the winter. I would be farther ahead if I just rented one whenever I wanted to go out given the amount I use it. But then again I have a boat on Lake Minnetonka and can go out on the spur of the moment hassle free.

Clear Lake, MN is not exactly a destination to me. It might serve well for a short stay for those on the go and have the companionship of other Airstreamers.

[markdoane]

Dan,

Good analysis.

Originally Posted by Davydd

. . . . But then again I have a boat on Lake Minnetonka and can go out on the spur of the moment hassle free.

I know what you mean. It costs $2500 or more for a slip on Lake Minnetonka!

[pyanke]

I would like to present a couple of counter points to the dollar figure presented for owning a share in the Airstream Park.

A number of the shares, although listed. are not really for sale. Like most things if you get enough money for it you will sell it. When is the last time you paid list price for something like this. Something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay. You don't like the price, make an offer. Thats what I did.

The cost of a share (lot) is influenced by the amenities. Is there a screen house or gazebo? Is there a drive way installed? The cost to have a new gazebo put up can be around $8,000 give or take.

I was looking for a seasonal site when I found the Airstream Park. The cost at most campgrounds was $1,500 a season for very basic facilities. I am below that figure here.

If you are the kind of person that wants the freedom to move around a lot
then purchasing a share at the Airstream Park may be the wrong thing to do. Please come visit for a weekend. Park coffee is at 8:00 AM (thats 7:30 airstream time) on Saturday morings in the club house.

Pete Yanke
Airstream Park B37

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by markdoane

Dan,

Good analysis.

I know what you mean. It costs $2500 or more for a slip on Lake Minnetonka!

If I paid that much I would stick to my kayaks.

The various city docks for residents around Lake Minnetonka are less than a third that amount. I'm one of the lucky ones in Tonka Bay's 300 homes not on the lake that waited and finally got one of their 38 slips. Once you get one you don't want to give it up.

Now if I could only live on Libbs Lake...

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by pyanke

I was looking for a seasonal site when I found the Airstream Park. The cost at most campgrounds was $1,500 a season for very basic facilities. I am below that figure here.

If you are the kind of person that wants the freedom to move around a lot
then purchasing a share at the Airstream Park may be the wrong thing to do.

Pete,

The key is just what you quoted. Do you want to travel or stay put? That is what would make your decision. I do the same with my pontoon boat. I am very happy with the one lake and don't plan to trailer it anywhere else.

[markdoane]

Originally Posted by Davydd

The various city docks for residents around Lake Minnetonka are less than a third that amount. I'm one of the lucky ones in Tonka Bay's 300 homes not on the lake that waited and finally got one of their 38 slips. Once you get one you don't want to give it up.

The city docks at (city of) Minnetonka were $2950, and you had to enter a lottery to get one. I saw a covered dock advertized for $3500/season.

If you can get one cheaper, it must be quite a deal. What would you pay at the Carribean or Tonka Bay Marina?

I missed you at Northern Hydraulic yesterday! There were about 10 people waiting to buy generators, but I missed you at the big chainsaw sale. I was looking for parts for my gas grill so I could heat up some non-Caribou coffee. Sorry to hear about your trees.

[Davydd]

Don,

Tonka Bay City docks are $900 but you are limited to 21 ft boat length. The waiting list the last time I checked was over 60 for 38 slips. There is no lottery. Once you get a slip you can keep it as long as you own a boat and renew it each year. You can't transfer it to someone else if you, for instance, sell your house. However, my next door neighbors moved to Waiheki Island, New Zealand and sold their house to their son and daughter along with the boat. The son and daughter managed to keep the dock rights. I see a lot of real estate ads inferring city dock rights which is not true. Tonka Bay has approximately 300 household off the lake and 300 on. The pressure is not nearly as great and dear as Minnetonka with 50,000 people mostly off the lake. I haven't checked the marinas lately but I am guessing they are higher than what you are quoting. I know one person was paying over $6,000 for his 33 ft cabin cruiser and decided to move to the St. Croix River.

Reading the Lake Minnetonka Board, eh. Yeah, I'm off today again cleaning up the storm mess. Just removed a 2 inch diameter tree branch off the Airstream. It did not appear to do any damage. Love my new chainsaw. There is something very therapuetic about cutting wood. I too saw a lot of people in line with generators. Northern Tool did a whale of a business yesterday. Good thing their electricity was not knocked out. I thought about buying a generator. It comes up just about after every storm and I keep thinking I could get double duty with the Airstream. But then I passed once again.

[Rob McGraw]

$735 a year doesn't amount to much when you consider that it includes everything, water, sewer, garbage, electricity, property taxes, grounds maintenance, pool, sauna, clubhouse with internet access, and even - get this - a 9 hole golf course!! All free of charge to shareholders and renters. Where can you find a deal like that? It's awesome for folks who spend their summers in MN and go south for the winter, but also cool if you live in the Minneapolis metro area, it's a quick drive to a quiet relaxing spot, and the people are so friendly. For the months that your Airstream is there, it's cheaper than storing it somewhere...and in the city, a lot of people don't have a place to put an Airstream either due to lack of space or ordinances.

Best,

Rob

[munimula]

we are on a waiting list to purchase a share at jersey shore haven airstream park. their waiting list, last i heard, was at least ten airstreamers long. i think we are third on the list. present shares at JSH are going for $3500+/-. i hope that doesn't creep up higher before we get in. the seasonal cost for a non-share holder at JSH is $1600 and $800 for share holders.

the park does not offer any amusements beyond a big heated pool and a horse shoe pit. but the ocean is a quick five miles away and the sat night happy hours are quite lively. presently we have a seasonal site there and really enjoy the people and airstream atmosphere at JSH.

boy do i wish i lived in MN. i'd buy up a share or two there today. i didn't see any bidding action on the MN share that was listed up on eBay this past week. i was surprised by that. $2500 for a share is a great deal. although i guess real estate is relative in different parts of the country.

over at the beach near JSH two bedroom condos are going for $750k+. for that kind of money i'll gladly live in my airstream and drive the five miles to go swimming and surf kayaking.

as an aside - RV parks in the local vacinity of South Jersey are charging $25,000+ for condo type ownership of RV campsites! i've been more than willing and able to pitch in on work weekends at JSH to save that kind of money.

--dave

'78 Excella 500
'93 Excella 1000