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Dennis C · 11-14-2022, 05:01 PM

I didn't expect to be making a post like this any time soon, but circumstances change. My wife and I have decided to sell our Airstream and move to something bigger. I just put a deposit down on a diesel pusher and we're going to do something different than we have for the last three camping seasons with the Airstream.

When we bought the Airstream, our intended use was recreational camping, mostly around Colorado. It has been fantastic for that purpose, and we have loved owning it. The 23FB is a great little unit and it easily fits into many small campgrounds. Ownership has been a pleasure.

Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to retire at a relatively early age. This has given us an opportunity to rethink how we use the Airstream, where we want to go, what we want to do, etc. We came to the conclusion that we want to take longer trips (6 - 8 weeks) and we want a bigger unit for that purpose. I think the 23 was absolutely perfect for the way we used it in the past, but again, things change.

We certainly thought about a bigger Airstream like a Classic. This would require us to purchase a larger tow vehicle, so that was factored into the decision. Ultimately we decided that the diesel pusher option made the most sense for us right now and gave us the most space and more of the features that we wanted.

I didn't purchase a new coach, but rather a lightly used coach. Diesel pushers tend to lose quite a bit of their value in the first few years, and I'd rather let somebody else take that depreciation hit. We purchased a very nice, one-owner Newmar Ventana 3715. It has all the goodies that you'd expect in a luxury motor coach. It's all electric with eight 6-volt batteries and a 2,800W inverter. It has the Oasis hydronic heating system and tankless water heater. It has the Shower Miser system to save water as the water heater comes to temperature. It has an 8 kW diesel generator. It has HUGE amounts of storage and it has a payload capacity of 8,300 lbs. No more worrying about cargo weight...

. The list goes on and on.

We're very excited about it, just as we were when we bought our Airstream. The diesel pusher has some things that we will like better than the Airstream, but I'm sure we will miss some things about the Airstream too. Every choice requires some compromises.

I want to thank everyone here for all the great information and discussion on Airstreams. It has made our ownership experience better and I really appreciate it. This is a great online community.

Who knows? Maybe we'll come back to Airstream sometime in the future, but for now our new path has been charted. Looking forward to the next adventure.

**Hans627** · 11-14-2022, 05:10 PM

Thanks for all your contributions to the forum. You will be missed.

Best wishes!

Bcc75 · 11-14-2022, 05:35 PM

Congrats Dennis!
You will definitely be missed. I Enjoyed your posts. You came up with some interesting thread topics outside of the usual boring stuff and I liked the way you focused on the positive, rather than negative. We need more of that around these forums!
Good luck with your new unit!

Dennis C · 11-14-2022, 05:48 PM

Thanks! This is the unit that we bought. It’s 37’10” in length, so it will still fit in many state and national parks. Staying under 40’ is the key. It’s on a Freightliner chassis with a Cummins 6.7L diesel that produces 360 HP and 800 lb/ft of torque.

**moosetags** · 11-14-2022, 05:52 PM

Congratulations and best wishes on your new RV path. Come back and show us some pictures of what those fancy "Motor Coach Only" resorts look like on the inside.

Brian

mayco · 11-14-2022, 05:53 PM

Beautiful Coach, HAPPY TRAVELS!

**Nelson428** · 11-14-2022, 06:05 PM

Nice…

Enjoy the new adventures

field & stream · 11-14-2022, 06:14 PM

Oooh …. I miss you already! You have been one of my favorite contributors on these forums. Very best wishes for many great new adventures.

P.S. maybe you need to add an even smaller Airstream for your little camping trips around the Rockies…….

dbj216 · 11-14-2022, 06:16 PM

Hello from a neighbor: Your decision process and retirement sounds well thought out. I've explored these big motorhomes and they are like luxury apartments on wheels. Very suitable for full time living. They are also very complex and typically have some issues needing addressed. Vintage Airstreams are known for their simplicity, but the late model ones have more complexity and maybe more problems.

I have a good friend here in Conifer who has a 40' diesel pusher. They have family in Florida and take long trips with it. I was surprised how well it drove and rode. He does say it is both hands on the wheel when there is a strong crosswinds.

So we hope you folks have many new adventures and meet many new friends. Your participation in these Airstream Forums has been great. Thanks.

David

DaveP · 11-14-2022, 06:24 PM

Dennis,

Congratulations and Best Wishes. With a pusher that size, I doubt that we will see you at Happy Meadows, but maybe at some other venue!

OrangeCrush · 11-14-2022, 06:28 PM

Dennis,
Congrats on the new rig and adventures to follow. I have always admired your posts and perspective and will miss you on the forum. Safe travels to you and yours!

**Janet H** · 11-14-2022, 06:44 PM

Hi Dennis - I'm sorry to see you move on but would like to suggest that you checkout our sister site www.iRV2.com. There is a freightliner chassis forum and a large contingent of Newmar owners. You can set up an account using the same login credentials you already have and should feel right at home

Lily&Me · 11-14-2022, 06:54 PM

That is a gorgeous motorhome, and should be a wonderful way to pursue your dreams.

All the best to you.

Maggie

Saluda372 · 11-14-2022, 07:34 PM

Congrats & enjoy.

JetstreamAS · 11-14-2022, 08:18 PM

Nice looking rig Dennis and congratulations!

Will you tow a vehicle behind it? That seems to be the go to move for many diesel pushers.

Dennis C · 11-14-2022, 10:39 PM

Thanks for the kind words everyone. I appreciate it. I’ve certainly enjoyed being here and getting to virtually know all of you.

We aren’t planning to pull a vehicle behind the rig, even though it’s capable of towing a vehicle. We have nice e-bikes with a ~65 mile range and we will bring those along. The rig has enough storage and fridge space that if we plan appropriately, we won’t need to run out to the store while camped. In areas that are closer to civilization, we will take a Uber/Lyft/taxis. If we choose to stay in one spot for an extended period of time, we might rent a car.

I will miss some of the really small campgrounds that allow rigs that are 25’ and under, but I’m sure we’ll find plenty of new adventures. My wife has already checked and we can fit in Grand Teton and Denali National Parks. We’ve already got reservations for Grand Teton next year. Many of the larger Colorado state parks also take rigs up to 40’. We’ll take it to COTA in 2023 for the F1 race, and that will be fantastic. When we went last year with the Airstream, my wife and I slept in the Airstream and my son and his wife slept in a tent. Next year, there will be a bed for everyone!

DogMomDeb · 11-15-2022, 03:38 AM

You were one of the first to welcome this newbie. I’ve looked to your knowledge (and others) on all things 23 feet. I will certainly miss your posts. Congratulations on the next chapter.

Verdecamp · 11-15-2022, 04:36 AM

She’s beautiful! Be safe as always and enjoy!

Cheers

kittmaster · 11-15-2022, 06:00 AM

Very nice...congrats and safe journeys!

GOUSC · 11-15-2022, 06:47 AM

Congratulations Dennis! I wish you many new happy adventures. Re: your e-bikes, make sure you get a bike rack that will support the weight. We encountered a couple that had one that was supposedly strong enough. Some bumpy roads caused the rack to fail with one of the bikes being dragged behind them for a long while. All of this is to say don’t skimp to save money on a bike rack that is on the edge of weight specs.

Just because you don’t have an airstream anymore doesn’t mean you can’t post. Keep in touch.