Airstream OCD?

[914Next]

My wife and I are contemplating the purchase of a newer but used airstream (globetrotter 27). We're both pretty aesthetically focused, perfectionists, and I'll admit I have a tendency to be a bit obsessive (although not unreasonably so in my view ). As an example my wife loves to tell the (exaggerated) stories of me having a modern chair obsession but then refusing to sit on them because I love to look at them...not wear them out. I also have been an old car enthusiast and I'm that guy who loves all original survivors and then drives them only rarely in order to keep them in pristine original condition. Ok, it sounds more anal than it is but....I'm not entirely innocent.

So....seriously I wonder whether airstreaming is just an OCD bout waiting to happen? Are the majority of you people fellow perfectionists who will worry about the potential hail storm, obsess about filiform corrosion, pack a chainsaw so that you can remove low hanging branches before you back the trailer into a spot (I'm joking....mostly), outfitting your wife with a reflective suit so that she can stand and direct you safely out and away from the gas pumps and contemplate selling the damn thing after the first dent? Is my mental health in jeopardy here?

I think I can let go....I think I can.....

And you?

[GMFL]

You have no idea.....

[bweybright]

Read your post and I think you have answered your question. We all obsess, but if that means you won't use it then move on my friend.
Just my opinion. I hate when stuff happens to mine, but I am in a fun time with my wife and family so I have to let it go. From your post you cannot let things go. So this is the wrong thing for you, unless you can change your perspective.
Just my opinion....and I like to keep my stuff pristine as well, just ask my son when he borrows stuff.

[majorairhead]

Don't buy one.

You have a whole house on wheels rumbling down the interstate, hammering pot holes, bouncing over bridges, taking stone chips from passing cars.

Loose screws, broken cabinets, pulled wires, leaks, troubleshooting this that and everything else, furnace won't light, A/C won't fire up, fridge not running, you name it.

It's an OCD nightmare.

Hit the 'new posts' button at top of page, just read a few pages of topics.....it's brutal.

Good luck

[lsbrodsky]

I am with Majorairhead! I understand your attitude as I was that way with my Corvette and my F-Type Jag, both of which have been sold. I think all of the stuff that goes wrong with my Airstream bothers me more than most owners I know. In fact, if it was not the only real activity for togetherness with my wife, I would sell the damn thing and get the albatross off of my back. I do not have any more failures than other Airstreams and I have done some nice modifications, but the Airstream is always finding ways to upset me. I bought used so it already had some scratches, fortunately, or I would have obsessed about the scratches I added. I just keep wondering what will break next. Sailing was more fun!
Larry

[Ultraclassic]

I think.......I have no idea what to say.

Any trailer will be a work in progress as there is always something to improve or mend.

Now for me this is the part I like, being a mechanic, don't get me wrong they are well built but there is always a latch that needs lubing or tightening, a lamp that needs a tap or a new bulb.....

Maybe all the "trailer duties" would be benifitial to.....um......er....ah....."your personality" like monitoring 3 water levels, 2 propane tanks, how you manage the shore power use with the A/C on. But it could also drive you nuts....

Cheers Ultra

[Dennis C]

I’m a perfectionist, but I don’t think I’m quite to OCD levels. I’ve got a list of Airstream projects that doesn’t ever seem to get smaller. It includes repairs and modifications. What I find is that I obsess more over the Airstream when it’s in winter storage. That is the time when it’s clean, there’s nothing in it, and I can complete projects on my own schedule. During camping season, the Airstream is packed full of stuff, and there simply isn’t as much time to work on my list. Part of the fun of camping is the carefree attitude that allows you to relax. It’s important to embrace that. On another note, I don’t carry a chainsaw when camping, but I do carry a folding hacksaw.

Based on your user name, my assumption is that you’re into old Porsches. Correct?

[Piggy Bank]

"And that's why you have insurance."

If this can be enough for you to treat an object (the airstream) as a tool, a thing, and not something you are responsible for keeping alive, then on the whole, airstreams are great for people who are picky.

I speak of this not lightly. We are on our 3rd Airstream. Our first two, though meticulously cared for by us, were damaged in accidents. And that's why you have insurance. We traded them in plus the insurance check and got new (albeit larger) trailers.vs keeping and repairing them.

And that's why you have insurance. Why I can park in a safe places, lock my trailer, and if some nefarious thief commits a crime, it is not a failure on my part. Because that's why you have insurance.

And that's why you have insurance. We avoid travel during storms or poor driving conditions if possible. But if we were to have a road accident --other driver, hit a bear (almost happened in Yellowstone), or just make a mistake, well that's why you have insurance.

Now, why Airstreams are great for picky people.

Their visual simplicity of design allows for a very pleasing space inside the rig. Everything is there by design. The storage is ample to keep everything put away unless you are using it. It looks so darn fantastic!. The metal walls glisten, the open windows allow a cross breeze unlike any other type of trailer, the panoramic views at the ends are amazing. The bathroom is easy to clean. The kitchen is easy to clean. The trailer is easy to wash with a bucket, a telescoping washing brush, and a step ladder.

We are meticulous about cleaning. But the space is easy to clean.

It has been a wonderful experience to know the we are fortunate to have this amazing tool to use for our family.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by 914Next

My wife and I are contemplating the purchase of a newer but used airstream (globetrotter 27). We're both pretty aesthetically focused, perfectionists, and I'll admit I have a tendency to be a bit obsessive (although not unreasonably so in my view ). As an example my wife loves to tell the (exaggerated) stories of me having a modern chair obsession but then refusing to sit on them because I love to look at them...not wear them out. I also have been an old car enthusiast and I'm that guy who loves all original survivors and then drives them only rarely in order to keep them in pristine original condition. Ok, it sounds more anal than it is but....I'm not entirely innocent.

So....seriously I wonder whether airstreaming is just an OCD bout waiting to happen? Are the majority of you people fellow perfectionists who will worry about the potential hail storm, obsess about filiform corrosion, pack a chainsaw so that you can remove low hanging branches before you back the trailer into a spot (I'm joking....mostly), outfitting your wife with a reflective suit so that she can stand and direct you safely out and away from the gas pumps and contemplate selling the damn thing after the first dent? Is my mental health in jeopardy here?

I think I can let go....I think I can.....

And you?

Auto Anal and proud of it...."Bertha", has been registered every year since new.
DW's Gramma's only new car, original unrestored. Cruise and shows only.

Bob
🇺🇸

[JonDNC]

If you can’t imagine a scratch or dent or not bothering you then don’t. If the only way a car is right is it’s a 100 point concourse ready, this is not for you.

While I keep my cars really clean, they are not concourse clean, they are really really well maintained drivers. I enjoy them for what they are which is why my 911 sees mountain roads regularly and race tracks on occasion. It does have a few patina marks but by no means lots of chips ( PPF & Ceramic Coat).

Good luck and love my Airstream.

[lsbrodsky]

Originally Posted by JonDNC

If you can’t imagine a scratch or dent or not bothering you then don’t. If the only way a car is right is it’s a 100 point concourse ready, this is not for you.

While I keep my cars really clean, they are not concourse clean, they are really really well maintained drivers. I enjoy them for what they are which is why my 911 sees mountain roads regularly and race tracks on occasion. It does have a few patina marks but by no means lots of chips ( PPF & Ceramic Coat).

Good luck and love my Airstream.

Ha! With PPF and Ceramic Coat you fit in the OCD group! I know because I did PPF on the Corvette and Ceramic Coat on the Jag. Life is a lot easier with just plain old wax/polish on my truck.
Larry

[Mollysdad]

Yes. I refuse to put a screw in the wall so if I sell, I can return it to pristine.

[kscherzi]

Buy it but don't tow it anywhere. Your tow vehicle will throw up small rocks that will chip and dent the front of the trailer, mainly the rock guards, but other parts as well. Don't used it because things break. Sometimes drawers fly open on the road and make a mess. Other times things just stop working, like the fridge, heater, water pump. Better yet don't open the trailer door, the door latches have been know to break and fall off trapping people inside or out. Lastly, park it permanently in a covered rainproof location, Airstream's can leak leading to horrible expensive dry rot in the floor.

Enough jest. Have fun and enjoy your new travel trailer. Know that this trailer isn't meant to be saved or to last. Its meant to be used and abused. Airstream's look special on the outside, but they're basically not on the inside. An analogy to cars might make it like a newer, say 2005 Ford Thunderbird. Fine to look at, better than a Ford Taurus underneath, but not by much.

[JonDNC]

Originally Posted by lsbrodsky

Ha! With PPF and Ceramic Coat you fit in the OCD group! I know because I did PPF on the Corvette and Ceramic Coat on the Jag. Life is a lot easier with just plain old wax/polish on my truck.

Larry

Guess I do, I also did ceramic coat on the truck, don’t have to wash it as often. [emoji41]

[kidjedi]

As with automobiles... sounds like you need two (one for driving, in for admiring)!


As long as your OCD can be part of the "fun" of owning an Airstream (the "project" of maintenance), then you should be alright. I actually advise getting a trailer that already has some bumps and bruises to aid in the acceptance of this inevitability and facilitate *using* the vehicle. Also, a custom trailer (rather than factory original) that has been built without the pitfalls of assembly lines and also *designed for maintenance* (vs. so many mechanicals being unaccessible, and other bits and pieces *not* made to be fixable) could be a better choice for someone like you (us). ;-) Not only that, but you can install Saarinen instead of Flexsteel to sate your obsessions. :-D

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by 914Next

My wife and I are contemplating the purchase of a newer but used airstream (globetrotter 27). We're both pretty aesthetically focused, perfectionists, and I'll admit I have a tendency to be a bit obsessive (although not unreasonably so in my view ). As an example my wife loves to tell the (exaggerated) stories of me having a modern chair obsession but then refusing to sit on them because I love to look at them...not wear them out. I also have been an old car enthusiast and I'm that guy who loves all original survivors and then drives them only rarely in order to keep them in pristine original condition. Ok, it sounds more anal than it is but....I'm not entirely innocent.

So....seriously I wonder whether airstreaming is just an OCD bout waiting to happen? Are the majority of you people fellow perfectionists who will worry about the potential hail storm, obsess about filiform corrosion, pack a chainsaw so that you can remove low hanging branches before you back the trailer into a spot (I'm joking....mostly), outfitting your wife with a reflective suit so that she can stand and direct you safely out and away from the gas pumps and contemplate selling the damn thing after the first dent? Is my mental health in jeopardy here?

I think I can let go....I think I can.....

And you?

In a word, yes! You will do just fine! Welcome to the OCD AS club!

Just remember to allocate half your income to your new hobby! LoL

[914Next]

Originally Posted by Dennis C

I’m a perfectionist, but I don’t think I’m quite to OCD levels. I’ve got a list of Airstream projects that doesn’t ever seem to get smaller. It includes repairs and modifications. What I find is that I obsess more over the Airstream when it’s in winter storage. That is the time when it’s clean, there’s nothing in it, and I can complete projects on my own schedule. During camping season, the Airstream is packed full of stuff, and there simply isn’t as much time to work on my list. Part of the fun of camping is the carefree attitude that allows you to relax. It’s important to embrace that. On another note, I don’t carry a chainsaw when camping, but I do carry a folding hacksaw.

Based on your user name, my assumption is that you’re into old Porsches. Correct?

Porsches, yes. Just have one remaining...a 1973 2.0 survivor. Need to consider selling as we are living in Mexico right now so it is in storage. If we buy an airstream it would stay in Texas for our US travels.

[914Next]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

In a word, yes! You will do just fine! Welcome to the OCD AS club!

Just remember to allocate half your income to your new hobby! LoL

Thanks. I think we will love it. And life is a process of letting go....for some more than others!

[914Next]

Originally Posted by kidjedi

As with automobiles... sounds like you need two (one for driving, in for admiring)!


As long as your OCD can be part of the "fun" of owning an Airstream (the "project" of maintenance), then you should be alright. I actually advise getting a trailer that already has some bumps and bruises to aid in the acceptance of this inevitability and facilitate *using* the vehicle. Also, a custom trailer (rather than factory original) that has been built without the pitfalls of assembly lines and also *designed for maintenance* (vs. so many mechanicals being unaccessible, and other bits and pieces *not* made to be fixable) could be a better choice for someone like you (us). ;-) Not only that, but you can install Saarinen instead of Flexsteel to sate your obsessions. :-D

Got a laugh out of your Saarinen vs flex steel! Now wait....is that really that far fetched???

[914Next]

Originally Posted by kscherzi

Buy it but don't tow it anywhere. Your tow vehicle will throw up small rocks that will chip and dent the front of the trailer, mainly the rock guards, but other parts as well. Don't used it because things break. Sometimes drawers fly open on the road and make a mess. Other times things just stop working, like the fridge, heater, water pump. Better yet don't open the trailer door, the door latches have been know to break and fall off trapping people inside or out. Lastly, park it permanently in a covered rainproof location, Airstream's can leak leading to horrible expensive dry rot in the floor.

Enough jest. Have fun and enjoy your new travel trailer. Know that this trailer isn't meant to be saved or to last. Its meant to be used and abused. Airstream's look special on the outside, but they're basically not on the inside. An analogy to cars might make it like a newer, say 2005 Ford Thunderbird. Fine to look at, better than a Ford Taurus underneath, but not by much.

lol....interesting comments. Or maybe like a high quality kit car. Looks sexy on the outside but it's still a Volkswagen underneath.