What's Your Story?

[Bcc75]

Someone asked me recently, "What made you want an Airstream? "

Interesting question really. I guess the answer could actually have many layers for different people. We all have different camping and travel styles and use our Airstreams in different ways. Some live in their Airstreams full-time. Some travel for extended trips and others are weekend warriors. Some like boon-docking, others prefer full-hookups. There are those who camp at State and National Parks and those who like the RV Resorts. Some are all of the above.
But regardless of how you use it, there had to be a moment in time where you decided that you were going to buy an Airstream as opposed to the many other options of RV's out there. Why?

For me, it was a process 25 years in the making.
I've always loved the outdoors. At 5 years old I had a fishing rod in my hand.
Camping later became a means to access areas to hunt and fish. From tent camping on the banks of trout streams in North Georgia to sleeping under a camper top in the back of a pickup during deer hunting season. I never really thought about, or had any real desire to camp in , or especially own an RV of any kind. That changed however, when I married my wife of now 26 years. Her Grandparents were two of the finest people I have ever known. To this day, I still strive to model my life after her Grandfather. I fall way short. Anyway, they owned an Airstream. Late 80's model Excella. They traveled all over country with it. I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. I knew nothing about RV's, especially Airstreams, before that. I started to get the RV bug. There was no way we could afford an Airstream but there were plenty of other options. It didn't take much convincing for my wife because she grew up camping with her Grandparents and loved it. So we bought a pop-up. The family grew and then we got a fifth wheel, and that became our means of family vacations for years. The kids then grew up and camping really wasn't their thing anymore so the fifth wheel just sat. You know what happens when Rv's just 'sit' so I eventually sold it and were RV-less for several years. My wife's beloved Grandparents eventually passed on. Their Airstream long since gone. But the bug was still there for me. The RV bug that is, but more particularly the Airstream bug. I had wanted one since the day I saw that Excella over 25 years ago. About 3 years ago I told my wife we should get another RV, and that it will be an Airstream, or nothing.
We then made that dream a reality. To honor her grandparents we incorporated their WBCCI Red numbers into our numbers. We also named our new trailer 'Buster'. That was her Grandfather's nickname. We drove 7 hours to a dealer out of state to pick it up and I think that was the proudest I had ever been on a purchase that I had made.
We are now on our 2nd Airstream(Buster II), but that's another story for another thread.

So that's my story, what's yours?

What got you into RV camping/travel and then what was your 'moment' when you decided that it just had to be an Airstream, and then describe that first moment of ownership(positives only please)

Have fun with this one!

[Ndcctrucks]

My adult family of four were planning on a month-long trip to Alaska and needed a travel trailer.

I’ve had unusual vehicles for years (1941 Dodge WC-43, 1968 Kaiser-Jeep M35A2, 1973 Dodge W200 crew cab, 1961 Dodge D100 fleet side short bed, 1969 VW bus), Airstream is iconic, and Airstreams retain a much higher resale value.

Too bad out 2004 International CCD 22’ had frame problems (repaired before the trip last August, though).

As bad, we just started camping in 2020.

[Boxite]

I’m an impulsive spendthrift.

DW is a frugal cogitator.

I didn’t think I could talk her into a travel trailer. So I decided If I was going to get her to go-along with one….. I’d have to get her feet wet with an inexpensive one…then maybe later-on, into a better camper.

I did some online shopping…some secret visitations to RV dealers, looked at new and used…. found a few SOBs not far from our home…an afternoon drive down to San Antonio and get her inside a few to see how she might feel about an activity we’d never really done before. (We’d camped in a tent once or twice at special events with other camping friends….but she’d never been a real camper. I was a Boy Scout and unintimidated.)

I found a small 3 yr old SOB for $11K and got her to step inside. She looked around at the nice little appliances and the wet-bath…sat on the bed…. gave me a “why do you want to do this?” -look.
We looked at another used one. It was clean and sprightly. No change in her attitude.

It was late in the day so I suggested Mexican Food at one of our favorite places in Fredericksburg for dinner on the way home. While eating I showed her an ad for an ‘08 22FB Safari Sport listed locally in Fredericksburg…but it was THREE TIMES the price of anything we’d looked at….so I knew she’d never go for that… but I figured it’d be a Great Way to show Miss Frugality that the SOBs we’d seen might be more attractive to her after-all…

So while we ate, called the local AS seller and tho’ it was getting dark, it being only a few blocks-away, he agreed to show it to us.

It was what I knew it would be…a 7-yr old Safari Sport that had been thru a couple owners who apparently didn’t like camping as much as they might have first thought.

The seller was terse, and refused to budge on what I knew was FAR above what Miss Penny-pincher would even consider spending…so after a while, I said to him (with the intent to simply have a courteous way of saying “thx, no thx, Good-nite”….

…What I actually said was “Well, Thanks for showing it to us, but unless my wife over-rules me …(me-thinking: fat chance of that)… We’ll be on our way.” I stood up to leave.

DW turned to him and said, “We’ll Take It!”

Me- stunned

[ROBERT CROSS]

Bo, our first Portuguese Water Dog demanded we get a better way to go to and enjoy his Water Trials...So we bought the "Frantic Banana" a '63 Safari.
That was 36 yrs ago...

Bob
🇺🇸

[Dingo Girl]

I've loved Airstreams since I was a kid.
Parents were both teachers so we traveled all over the USA every summer by car. The shiny campers were the coolest things on the road. Well I did love the chromed out choppers of the day as well. My love for things that shine know no boundaries.
Fast forward several decades and I was offered first chance on a 67 Caravel.
I snapped it up. Then wondered what to do with all the floor rot, split copper lines, bad wiring, leaks etc...
It sat a couple of years before I made a plan. (thanks to these very Forums)
In the 14 years or so that I've had it, the caravel is now rebuilt from the frame on up.
All new systems, floor, cushions. Anything that was old and icky is now new and very easy on the eyes.
It is one of my happiest accomplishments in this life.
I've since moved from Michigan to Colorado and brought the Caravel with me. We use it every summer and really have some great times boondocking with our dogs.
If any of you are ever passing through Oak Creek CO and want to speak vintage Airstream, I'm in!
Thank you Airforums members that helped me through a years long project

[field & stream]

For me, this started on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the Summer of 1955.

Me: What’s that ?!
Father: That’s an Airstream trailer — there’s a bed and a kitchen in there.
Me: Rare silence.

Have owned three since.

[xpcdoojk]

Originally Posted by Boxite

I’m an impulsive spendthrift.

DW is a frugal cogitator.

I didn’t think I could talk her into a travel trailer. So I decided If I was going to get her to go-along with one….. I’d have to get her feet wet with an inexpensive one…then maybe later-on, into a better camper.

I did some online shopping…some secret visitations to RV dealers, looked at new and used…. found a few SOBs not far from our home…an afternoon drive down to San Antonio and get her inside a few to see how she might feel about an activity we’d never really done before. (We’d camped in a tent once or twice at special events with other camping friends….but she’d never been a real camper. I was a Boy Scout and unintimidated.)

I found a small 3 yr old SOB for $11K and got her to step inside. She looked around at the nice little appliances and the wet-bath…sat on the bed…. gave me a “why do you want to do this?” -look.
We looked at another used one. It was clean and sprightly. No change in her attitude.

It was late in the day so I suggested Mexican Food at one of our favorite places in Fredericksburg for dinner on the way home. While eating I showed her an ad for an ‘08 22FB Safari Sport listed locally in Fredericksburg…but it was THREE TIMES the price of anything we’d looked at….so I knew she’d never go for that… but I figured it’d be a Great Way to show Miss Frugality that the SOBs we’d seen might be more attractive to her after-all…

So while we ate, called the local AS seller and tho’ it was getting dark, it being only a few blocks-away, he agreed to show it to us.

It was what I knew it would be…a 7-yr old Safari Sport that had been thru a couple owners who apparently didn’t like camping as much as they might have first thought.

The seller was terse, and refused to budge on what I knew was FAR above what Miss Penny-pincher would even consider spending…so after a while, I said to him (with the intent to simply have a courteous way of saying “thx, no thx, Good-nite”….

…What I actually said was “Well, Thanks for showing it to us, but unless my wife over-rules me …(me-thinking: fat chance of that)… We’ll be on our way.” I stood up to leave.

DW turned to him and said, “We’ll Take It!”

Me- stunned

Awesome story!!!! Now that is a nice surprise, she obviously, knew a bit more about trailers than you suspected.

JC

[Vantair]

Like many others, camped since a kid and a month backpacking trip summer after high school hitchhiking to Alaska. 1st car @17 was a few years old Volkswagen Westie factory Camper. Many surfing and mountain trips in that beauty. Performed most service on that gem.

Years later, marriage, (1st kid tent conceived in Yosemite) then then the two kids entering teen age, started thinking about a more comfortable travel solution.

Thought class A was the only way and for years, cruised the paper and RV lots. Ended up thinking a Prevost or high end bus was our destiny due to the sorry quality in most rigs we’ve seen.

One random Friday afternoon, was routine cruising local Craigs List for musical instruments, and by chance swung over to the RV section.

5 miles from us was a listing for a 25ft Intnl CCD. Never stepped into an Airstream before (nor towed). I asked DW “hey, wanna check out an Airstream in town today?”..

Well, we called the seller ans shortly arrived after and owner opened up the door…. Stepping inside, we BOTH immediately turned to one another and with complete confidence said “let’s do this !”

Next day, paying in full, owner said he had 15-20 more calls and some from out of state that were flying in to purchase. Taking that as a good omen, gifted them money, a bottle of wine, hugged each other farewell and for the given opportunity.

Asking a last favor, owner willingly towed it to our house and up our 250ft winding long driveway, unhitching it off in the far corner. There it sat for 2 months as we had no way to turn it around given the parking and a vehicle and AS combined length. (Pics day of purchase from owners and day of their delivery to our home).

Finally, Craigslist again to the rescue, found a used electric dolly, had a down tube bracket fabricated for the AS frame and was then able to attach the two a do the needed 180 reposition and store the new AS out of the way. Aiming Ready for a first trip.

It’s been 8 yrs since. 1000’s of miles later, and never looked back nor have considered the class A again…….
At least for now……..

[sbreech]

I've been camping my entire life. When I was a kid in the 70's, we would visit my grandparents in their motorhome, and we stayed in a tent. Through the 80's, I raced BMX, and we always stayed in our van. Mid 90's, I met my wife, and she had purchased her ex a small pop-up camper, to which I always razzed her with, "Oh, but you bough HIM a pop-up camper!"

She and I and our kiddo camped quite a bit in a tent, having a great time. As our kiddo got older, we started going on more adventures / vacations. Then Covid hit. We wanted to still travel, but the world seemed to stop, and hotels and amenities were shut down. We went and looked at a NuCamp Tab320 in July of 2020, right before the onslaught of camper sales. My wife thought it was too small, that I couldn't stand in the camper and it reminded her of Quasimodo. So, we looked at the Tab400. We signed the papers on it after we made the offer (a low-ball they accepted!). That day, that dealership sold every NuCamp they had on the lot.

We camped with (and loved) the Tab400 until early this year. In May, we decided to go a bit bigger, and NuCamp doesn't offer anything bigger than the Tab400 now. The only brand close in quality is Airstream. We looked at the Caravel 19 and, eh, liked it,...but the bed was smaller than the bed in our NuCamp. We looked at a Flying Cloud 25, but we didn't like how the bathroom is split up. They had a 23 on the lot that somebody had custom ordered, and for some reason couldn't get it, so we again made a low offer, and they accepted. A week later, we picked it up and brought it home. It is just the two of us now, and our dog. She is an English Bull Terrier, and is quite the spoiled brat, and she also speaks in a British accent. She looked at me, side-eyed, when we took her to the camper, and the look said, "Father! Where is my dang camper?!" She pouted our entire first trip, but now she loves it.

We are quite the odd balls out, as we love the tankless water heater. We were use to the tankless in the Tab400 (loved long showers on full hook-up), and it was one of the selling points for the FC20fbt that pulled us in.

We also love the iconic look. I've always been into eccentric cars, and being a little bit different than most. We don't see many Airstreams on the road. In fact, on Memorial Day weekend, there was only 1 other at the medium-large campground we stayed.

My wife and I had considered moving south in retirement, but we really love our house here in Ohio. Our thoughts are that this camper will take us south for the winters instead, and we don't have to deal with selling our home. Plus, if we want to go West, we can. North in the summer? Sure! Options....

[Fungus]

We pulled a pop-up for a while. Early on, we were dangerously pulling it with a Datsun sedan. Guardian angels kept us alive. I changed jobs resulting in the end of barely eking by, so we upgraded to a Land Cruiser, ditched the pop-up, and started tent camping so we could go places only a 4WD could go…over mountain passes, etc. We camped and backpacked in some pretty remote places and pulled our water out of streams.

Then, like others, kids grew out of enjoying that sort of thing so we stopped. DW said she would never camp again unless it is in an airstream.

Our travel switched to long flights. Then a health scare caused us to try the Big Island. After about four years of that with every increasing length of stays someone said we should move there. Health scare averted but about this time the kids started camping with their own kids and a son moved 1000 miles away. So we started casually looking at Airstreams. Nothing else would do. The DW had the AS bug pretty bad. I thought it would pass with time. Nearly ordered a BC. COVID hit so we thought we’d lost our chance. Then, while visiting our son in VA we stopped at the AS dealer just minutes away. By then we had a 23-er in mind. But a used 25 was on the lot. I mean practically never used. Two or three days later the dealer followed up. I was ready to kill the deal with a ridiculous lowball offer. But they accepted it. Oops. DW said that even if we change our minds we can probably get out with minimum loss. She wanted that AS in a bad way. Towed it 1500 miles home over three legs.

Since then we’ve done a bunch of short trips and a few 50-day trips. It has become our happy place. I’ve enjoyed spending far too much time with modifications/upgrades. It’s a fun hobby even when we’re not camping.

The Big Island of Hawaii is pretty great too.

[overlander64]

My camping started innocently enough when friends of my family were on their first trip in their brand new 1964 Airstream trailer. They were staying on our family farm for a few days, and asked me to spend the night in their trailer. As a five year old, it was such an adventure and I got to sleep in one of the hammock bunks. I am certain my parents wished that I hadn't seen that Airstream in the years to come as all I could think of was how much fun it would be if we were to get a trailer like the one our friends had.

The photo below is of the Overlander during a visit to our family farm in 1968.



That is me leading the pony at nine years old.

Four years later, my parents decided to test the RV waters by purchasing a new 1969 Chevrolet C20 pickup truck and a new 9-foot Sun Way slide in Truck Camper. The photo below is of the camper in front of our tract home in a suburban neighborhood near Chicago.



As it would turn out, RV life, at least in the truck camper, was not for my family. This was at a time when crew cabs were extremely rare and required ordering a C30 which my father was unwilling to do so it usually meant that the driver was alone in the cab of the truck. Three years taught us that our cabin tent wasn't so bad, and we went back to that method of camping until 1980. In 1980, we purchased a new, special light weight Nomad 18-foot travel trailer. This answered many of our earlier issues as we had a full bathroom, full kitchen facilities with a real refrigerator, an air conditioner, and a built-in furnace. Sadly, the trailer wasn't very well built and was beset with numerous problems including a manufacturing defect that caused a leaf spring and shackle to break and send the spring through the sidewall of the tire. It was a single axle trailer and the failed spring caused a blowout resulting in a 180 degree skid on a busy secondary highway where we were just missed by a loaded semi trailer truck. We limped the trailer into the nearest driveway and had it towed back to the dealership for repairs where the dealer informed us that the manufacturer would not admit to a manufacturing defect and at more than two years old it was well beyond the factory warranty. We took the repaired trailer home and made one more fairly local trip in it before deciding that the one accident was enough and it was time for it to go so it was sold and we went back to cabin tent camping.

I was busy from 1985 to 1995 getting my career underway so didn't do much camping, but I decided that it was time to get back into camping. This time there was not question in my mind, it would be an Airstream trailer with its large rear bathroom, luxurious front sofa, and center twin beds. Needless to say, I was severely disappointed when I arrived at the dealership to learn that my desired floor plan was no longer made. That floor plan was non-negotiable for me so I began looking at pre-owned Airstreams. I must have looked at every Airstream that was listed for sale within 300 miles, and kept broadening the age range that I considered. It seemed like if I found the floor plan that I wanted, it was in such poor condition that I would not consider the purchase. If the condition was right, the floor plan was out of the question. I finally expanded my search to include 1960s Airstreams, and made an appointment to look at a 1964 26-Airstream located about 200 miles from where I lived. When I drove up to the owners property, I was impressed at how nice its exterior was for a trailer that was 31 years old, and it even had a very nice awning that was open and offered a shady respite on a hot spring day. The owner invited me to take my time and get acquainted with the trailer, and to help myself to refreshments in the refrigerator. Everything that I tried worked as it should hot and cold water was available wherever it should be, the refrigerator/freezer was operating flawlessly, the air conditioner was purring and had the trailer comfortably cool, the range and oven were both clean and fully functional. Compared to everything else that I had looked at, this trailer was very reasonably priced so I made a down payment with arrangements to pick it up in two weeks when I could have my tow vehicle ready.

The Airstream when I brought it home.



The Airstream as it appears today.



With Vintage Airstreams, it seems like one often calls for a second to keep it company, and in 2002, I had an opportunity to purchase a 1978 Argosy Minuet 6.0 Metre from its original owner and I could not pass it up. It has been my weekend camper and one that I took on one long Western trip that included the 2008 International Rally in Wyoming.

This is the Minuet 6.0 Metre.

[Bcc75]

Great Stories!
Thanks for replies so far. Please keep them coming!

[moosetags]

Having grown up right outside of Downtown Miami, Florida, camping was never a thing in my youth. Later in life, my boys were involved in Boy Scouts and I was forced into doing a certain amount of tent camping with the boys. Quite honestly, I hated it, but had to grin and bear it.

The boys grew up and I never did any camping again. SuEllyn and I moved around some in our careers, and eventually ended up in the Florida Panhandle. We were able to retire at a fairly young age. SuEllyn punched out at 50 and I stayed until 53. We were both retired by 2002. Our pensions were generous and we never had to work again.

We messed around for a couple of years before deciding that we might want to try RVing. Neither one of us had ever RV camped before. We started researching RV's and RV camping. At the time we had a 3/4 ton Suburban and we decided that we would try a travel trailer. We first looked into to renting one for a month. It was going to cost about $10,000. At that point we decided that we we could buy one and sell it if we didn't care for it.

We started shopping travel trailers and decided that Airstreams were the only ones worth investing in. Airstreams seemed to be the only travel trailers that had any resale value. We visited our nearest Airstream Dealer, J.D. Sanders in Alachua, Florida. On may 16, 2006, we purchased a brand new 2005 Airstream Safari 25FB, and called her Lucy. She was last year's model that had not sold. Lucy was the first year of the 25FB which was not very popular. Lucy stickered fpr $48,517. We got her for $37,890 which included a Hensley Arrow Hitch System and a Prodigy Trailer Brake Controller installed.

We took to Airstreaming right away. By the time we had Lucy for a year, We had spent 115 nights in her and had towed her over 15,000 miles. We used Old Lucy for a total of 7 1/2 years. We had camped in her 1,325 nights and had towed her 114,000 miles.

In October of 2013, we were considering downsizing to a 23FB. We stopped at Foley Airstream in Gulfport, Mississippi to take a look. They had just taken a hardly used 2012 Flying Cloud 23FB in trade. They made us a deal we couldn't refuse and we traded Old Lucy in on Little Lucy. We traveled for the next year in Little Lucy, amassing 148 nights and covering 15,000 miles. While we were on a trip camped in Eugene, Oregon, we decided that Old Lucy's floor plan met our needs much better. We started shopping for a new 25FB. We found just what we wanted for the right price and trade at the Airstream dealer in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. We placed a deposit on our credit card.

A month or so later, We traded Little Lucy in on New Lucy, a 2015 Flying Cloud 25FB. New Lucy has been with us ever since. We have had her now for almost nine years. She has been just about everywhere including Alaska in 2019. We are now up to 697 nights and she has been towed 77,420 miles.

We have just returned from a three week trip to Illinois where we took Factory Delivery of a Rivian Electric Pick-up Truck. Lucy has now been tow by an electric truck. We will use the Rivian for her short trips, but plan to keep the Duramax for the long hauls.

Airstreaming has been the best part of our lives.


Brian

[Janet H]

Our first trailer was an Airstream. I was a tent (backpacker) person and frankly viewed camper owners as messy, loud, and obnoxious but I got older and the ground got hard. My clever DH gave me a copy of Travels With Charley as an introduction to RV travel and after reading, I was finally willing to consider giving up my tent. When it was time to get a camper we rented several varieties as trials.

• Tent camper = unhappy towing, rain soaks through sides, no toilet. All nuisance and little benefit.
• Slide-in for PU truck = small, heavy, storage problem when not in use.
• MH = expensive cost of ownership and terrible for boondocking.
• TT = possible; but UGLY and so uncool.

Having decided that a trailer was the only viable option we set out to find an acceptable one. That's where the trouble started.

We looked at dozens and dozens of square white box rigs, old and new. While walking through yet another dealer lot of new rigs with already leaking roofs, I noticed a lightly used Bambi that had been taken on trade. NICE (queue the angels singing music upon seeing my first Airstream) but spendy. The search was on for a less expensive used Airstream.

We found a 1977 Argosy Minuet (19 feet) in "great condition" and rapidly learned what that actually meant. Axles, systems, and soft goods were replaced and thousands of dollars later we had a great little rig.



We camped in that Minuet for a number of years and then took a 2-month trip with a border collie along for the ride. Time for a bigger trailer.

The next project was a 1964 Overlander (26 feet) and lots of work. The Overlander was spacious, comfortable, and happily analog. No plastic to get brittle with time, nothing that couldn't be fixed with some basic tools and determination. Once the overlander was road ready the Minuet was sold to a self-professed "Glamper" - a new sort of rver at the time. I felt bad for my little Argosy figuring she would never boondock again but otoh, she was just sitting in the drive going nowhere - that had to be worse.



As the years have passed I missed the small footprint of the Minuet and my DH camps less and less. A nasty car accident a few years ago has left him with chronic back pain and it's just not fun any longer. Time for a new project suitable for solo camping.

1964 Globetrotter (19 feet) - recently completed; it was a messy project. The trailer had been abandoned, in an accident at one point and needed a LOT of love. We purchased it 7 years ago but only recently has it been campable. Life changes, a move, and subsequent house reno and then covid all stalled the project.



While we initially choose Airstreams because they were "less horrible" rigs than others we found, but really it's the people that are the reason we stuck with the brand. Airstreamers have a taste for adventure and are uniquely interesting. I've met and made lifetime friends at rallies and had an incredible amount of fun. I've scuttled my narrow opinions of rvers. Airstreams are cool - Airstreamers are even cooler

I've also learned that a well-restored vintage Airstream is really no cost savings - you can buy new or pour money and/or labor into vintage; when the dust settles they are about the same cost. Still, I love the simplicity of the older rigs and of course, the grass singeing shine

[blickcd]

It was May of 2004. My girlfriend and I had been wanting an RV for a while. We had looked at used trailers, motorhomes, fifth wheels, but nothing really won us over. Well, there was a 1977 GMC motorhome that I found, but the short version of that story is that while it looked okay, it was a project in disguise.

Maybe you remember those boat and RV trader papers that you could pick up at convenient stores back in the day? We used to look through those all the time. One day I got home from work and my girlfriend had purchased one of those. She mentioned that an Airstream was in it.

Of course we were familiar with Airstream to some some extent. This particular one was a 31' International, center bath, with the rare original full sized bed in the rear bedroom. The interior was mostly original aside from drapes and floor coverings. Supposedly all systems were operational, and it was being used as a guest house on a small farm located about one hour away. Asking price was $7k.

We looked at it that weekend. It needed new tires but was otherwise ready for camping, so I whipped out my checkbook and offered the seller his full asking price, with the one condition that he deliver it since I didn't yet own a suitable tow vehicle.

He and his wife were surprised, but of course took my offer. Evidently there had been no lack of interest in the trailer, but none of the potential buyers had any money.

We still have it and have taken it almost from coast to coast. Used to be out at State Parks a few weekends a month and would take one or two week long trips every few years.

One of the most famous moments was in 2006 I proposed to my girlfriend in the Airstream's living room. We were married a few months later.

Attached is a photo from when we looked at the trailer in 2004. You know I have fixed a few things since then but it still pretty much looks the same, other than that Armstrong air conditioner which bit the dust in 2008 and was replaced with a Carrier AirV heat pump.

[Hittenstiehl]

We were both active in scouts. My family camped in beautiful large European tents. A favorite camping memory of mine is camping on the beach at the military campgrounds Camp Darby in Italy. Then we both camped in the military, so to speak. Together, we've backpacked, tent camped, and car camped.

The ground started getting low and hard for us also, so we considered our options. Giving up camping was not an option as we enjoy it too much.

We looked at pop-up campers and found an inexpensive used shorty with a one-sided pop out that we could easily pull. We did a few repairs and upgrades and took off into the hills. That small pop-up bounced around behind our truck horribly. First trip in the pop-up, and it was cold, rainy, and of course, the fabric sides leaked.

The second trip it rained again, and even though we had waterproofed the fabric, it still leaked. As we spread our little plastic bowls around to catch the rain leaks, we laughed and said we're already ready for an upgrade.

We looked at some small inexpensive trailers and weren't impressed with the appointments or build quality. We rented a 59 Tradewind 25 ft with a twin bed floorplan and took a 10 day trip and fell in love. We wished we could afford an Airstream. We wondered what older used Airstreams went for.

In 2012, I took my first look at Craigslist, and there was a vintage salvaged trailer not far from us. We went to look at the 65 Tradewind in mostly original condition and just missing the dinette. We were overwhelmed by its age, the dirty condition, and the amount of learning curve to get it all functioning. We left without it, but once we got home, we immediately said we should have bought it. We called the seller and told him we'd take it. He said if we came back in first thing in the morning before anyone else, it was ours. They had purchased it from an insurance salvage after it was backed into a patio roof. We dropped it off at a rv repair place on the way home to get the running lights, 7-way plug, and tongue worked on for towing safety.

Took a bunch of pictures when we left it at that repair shop so we could do some research. Got home and started googling vintage Airtream repair. So that's how we found AirForums and most of the answers and lots of friendly people.

We cleaned a lot, did some repairs, rehupholstered the double gaucho, and read AirForums a lot. As soon as we joined AirForums, our local WBCCI teached out and invited us to join and camp with them. They were/are so welcoming and encouraging as we continued to camp in our no amenities silver tent.

We boondock camped and loved our new old silver tent. Yes, it leaked, but for some reason, we didn't mind as much as when the pop-up leaked. I was never crazy about the double pull out gaucho, and it was not a very comfortable sleep. I also didn't like making the bed up every night. By then, I was fully enamored with AirForums and loved looking at the classifieds of the vintage trailers.

Then we happened onto a listing for a 62 Ambassador. It was empty inside, had a shell off, new electrical, axels, etc, and the seller had all the original interior pieces nicely labeled and in storage. We drove to CA for that one, and all of a sudden, we had two Airstreams.

The plan was to work on the Ambassador while still camping in the Tradewind. But now we had to figure out where to park two trailers. We were in a HOA, so we had been parking the Tradewind at a friend's house. So buy a new house with room for the trailers and no HOA was our solution. So we bought an older new house with plenty of driveway room. Now we had two project trailers, one project house and aging parents that needed help.

We continued to camp but didn't get much work done on the trailers between work, family, budget, and project paralysis.

Then, I happened on a listing for a small trailer for myself. I wanted a bit of a toy to do my own things to. I had always coveted a 61 Bambi, but they were never in my budget. So, a 62 original Globetrotter was as close as I could get. (But we still/already had two trailers). We drove to St. Louis for that one, and it was a good find and towed home on the ball. When we parked it at home in that large driveway, I took a picture of all three next to each other. For a fall party we parked all three in the backyard as a party backdrop.

So of course the purchase of the Globetrotter meant the Tradewind had to go. It found a new happy home with a new Airstream enthusiast.

Camping continued in the still empty Ambassador with camping and yard furniture. They're very large and spacious when they're empty. We spent lots of bucket time debating the best layout, appliances, tank placemets etc.

Then I happened on a listing for a 62 Overlander. (Yes there appears to be a recurring theme here). This one was in good condition, somewhat original, clean, being used, had working solar, working propane and water and the twin beds that we think is a good floorplan. This one we went to New Mexico for and it was a very good find. We slept in it on the way home in 13 degrees and were toasty warm with a wave heater.

But we were back to three trailers again so the Ambassador needed to go. We had not made the progress on the interior that we intended and it was a bit to long to fit into some of our favorite off-road boondock spots. It had served us so well for several years of silver tent camping. We found it a great new home with a young eager engineer with great ideas for its future.

We love the Overlander!
The twin bed layout is a great sleep and it's nice to have some functioning amenities. We put new axels on, gave it a lift, fixed any tow, tongue and safety issues. It fits into our favorite spots. Only thing missing is a working toilet and rv fridge. But with all trailers and especially vintage, there are always some areas that need improvement. This trailer had been used as a parked model for the last couple of years and some electrical and plumbing modifications were done that needed to be undone. When we went to work on the bathroom plumbing we discovered some significant floor damage. The interior wood was also delaminating badly in our excessive Arizona heat.

So we have done what we should have done with the 65 Tradewind years ago but we didnt know or have the money for. We took the Overlander to the renovators for a full monty, shell off, whole shebang, spend the big bucks.

We are camping in the Globetrotter, not sleeping as well in the front gaucho and not enjoying making the bed up every night. It's quite snug and despite its cute factor we can't justify keeping both. So upon the return of the Overlander the Globetrotter will be on its way to a new home.

In 13 years we've had 4 trailers, upgraded a bit each time and not losing money. We've worked on all of them, upgraded safety and water tightness in each of them and passed them on in better repair than when we bought them.

We've camped and rallied a good amount in our silver tents and had a blast despite their shortcomings. We've learned a lot. We've built a great community here at AirForums and in our WBCCI unit. All because we wanted a silver trailer.

P.S.
I still look at every classified and study the images of the vintage trailers. Always looking for that great layout, amazing design or interesting appliance. We most recently considered Janet's vintage trailers as we knew the amount of work that had gone into that trailer and it was our same model. And of course we have visited the "We Are Airstream" dealership in AZ and drooled at some of the new trailers. But I think we're going to remain hooked on vinatge trailers for now and we bought a beautiful vintage project car to tow with some day.

Camp on fellow Aluma nuts!

[Dodie]

Originally Posted by Bcc75

Someone asked me recently, "What made you want an Airstream? "

Interesting question really. I guess the answer could actually have many layers for different people. We all have different camping and travel styles and use our Airstreams in different ways. Some live in their Airstreams full-time. Some travel for extended trips and others are weekend warriors. Some like boon-docking, others prefer full-hookups. There are those who camp at State and National Parks and those who like the RV Resorts. Some are all of the above.
But regardless of how you use it, there had to be a moment in time where you decided that you were going to buy an Airstream as opposed to the many other options of RV's out there. Why?

For me, it was a process 25 years in the making.
I've always loved the outdoors. At 5 years old I had a fishing rod in my hand.
Camping later became a means to access areas to hunt and fish. From tent camping on the banks of trout streams in North Georgia to sleeping under a camper top in the back of a pickup during deer hunting season. I never really thought about, or had any real desire to camp in , or especially own an RV of any kind. That changed however, when I married my wife of now 26 years. Her Grandparents were two of the finest people I have ever known. To this day, I still strive to model my life after her Grandfather. I fall way short. Anyway, they owned an Airstream. Late 80's model Excella. They traveled all over country with it. I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. I knew nothing about RV's, especially Airstreams, before that. I started to get the RV bug. There was no way we could afford an Airstream but there were plenty of other options. It didn't take much convincing for my wife because she grew up camping with her Grandparents and loved it. So we bought a pop-up. The family grew and then we got a fifth wheel, and that became our means of family vacations for years. The kids then grew up and camping really wasn't their thing anymore so the fifth wheel just sat. You know what happens when Rv's just 'sit' so I eventually sold it and were RV-less for several years. My wife's beloved Grandparents eventually passed on. Their Airstream long since gone. But the bug was still there for me. The RV bug that is, but more particularly the Airstream bug. I had wanted one since the day I saw that Excella over 25 years ago. About 3 years ago I told my wife we should get another RV, and that it will be an Airstream, or nothing.
We then made that dream a reality. To honor her grandparents we incorporated their WBCCI Red numbers into our numbers. We also named our new trailer 'Buster'. That was her Grandfather's nickname. We drove 7 hours to a dealer out of state to pick it up and I think that was the proudest I had ever been on a purchase that I had made.
We are now on our 2nd Airstream(Buster II), but that's another story for another thread.

So that's my story, what's yours?

What got you into RV camping/travel and then what was your 'moment' when you decided that it just had to be an Airstream, and then describe that first moment of ownership(positives only please)

Have fun with this one!

We've been camping for over 20 years. We were tenters, graduated to a travel trailer, then on to two 5th wheels. We we were finding was, the 5th wheels seem to be built to live in first, and travel second. We have been seeking out a rig that is built to travel first, and live in second. We also wanted to get away from the height of a 5th wheel. Our rolling height with our 5th wheel was 13' 5 5/8". Super close to the 15' 6" bridge heights here in the northeast. So, we ordered our Airstream the last week of Dec, 2022 and took delivery May 24th, 2023. We are hoping to continue our travels and we plan on traveling a fair bit after I retire.

[Hermes]

Originally Posted by Bcc75

Someone asked me recently, "What made you want an Airstream? "

For me this photo I took tells it all... North Padre Island, Tx

[Mark of SJC]

While growing up, first in the mid west, then moving to CA in the late 60's my parents took us tent camping all over, then did the full Boy Scout backpacking thing for years with my dad. Did some amazing cross country trips all over the US & Canada and never forgot the rapture of how beautiful this country is, in so many diverse ways. I was always a bit envious of any type of RV (after leaky tents, hot, humid nights, etc)

Got married->kids->became road warrior->Indian Princess/Boy Scouts w/ kids->was fortunate to travel internationally. But everything was Go! Go! Go!

For well over a decade I was more than infatuated with high end 45' class A's. Like, scary well versed on model year difference in Country Coach Magnas https://www.themotorcoachstore.com/2...lide-mid-bath/, and knew specific Newell coaches down to floor plans and what options they had https://www.themotorcoachstore.com/2...well-p50-2023/, because as an engineer I was only interested in something very well engineered, and something that had a lot of BIG windows to enjoy both the passing scenery and the destination. Dreamed of taking leisurely trips to show my DW all the places I'd seen growing up, and discover new ones. I once got my wife to walk a Newell that was for sale not far from our house. While she agreed it was amazing, I got the "you've GOT to be kidding" look when I suggested purchasing it.

But I was persistent. Years later I convinced her to let me rent a 45' to take to Lake Havasu to join her cousins there. It was a brand new Winnebago Grand Tour....and while it was glammed up to the MAX (shiny black granite floors! All black exterior!), the underlying engineering was absolutely AWEFUL (slide wouldn't deploy, exterior color overtaxed ACs turning it into a sweat lodge, fridge had no way to lock so it vomited all contents on a windy road we probably should have been driving on...on that no-longer-shiny black granite floor...which guaranteed every egg and glass container broke.) Yeah...it didn't go well.

So my daydreams continued, endlessly window shopping RV trader during my free time.

Then, a commotion occurred in our neighborhood on a Thursday in late summer. Two doors over, a brand new 25' Airstream appeared in my neighbor's driveway. What? Mildly curious, I wandered over and he showed me around, since I knew ZERO about travel trailers at all! Loved the big windows. Construction looked very good and layout well thought out. But there was no way my 5' 10 wife and me at 6'1" were going to ever fit in that short corner bed! But for giggles, I invited my wife over and she had similar thoughts. Nice, but not for us. But she left the next day for a "Girls Weekend" and having a little free time, I decided to drive to the AS dealer "just to look around." This is just prior to Covid, so there was very little inventory anywhere. They didn't have anything new on the lot, just a 30' classic that was very dark, old and not well loved. They also had a 23' that was a definite "no go." But, like Goldilocks, right THERE - literally being hit by a ray of sunshine on an overcast day, was a Tommy Bahama FB27 - colorful awnings deployed, unique interior with a bar (!) I laughed and thought "Well, if I WAS going to buy an AS, this would be the one. But this is NEVER going to happen"

Sunday - wife returns late morning. I casually mention my AS dealership visit in passing. Oddly...she asked more questions. I show her this great overview view a FL dealer made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8QM...ofSouthFlorida

"OK, let's go see it" she said. Sure, why not. (Nothing is going to come of it, anyway)

She sees->She likes->She turns and says "Let's Buy It!" WHAT? (Mic Drop!) We have no truck!?! We have no place to park it!?! "OK!" Dealer screws around for 2 weeks with our 25% deposit, can't get some sort of rating for the 2017 year. Then demands an additional 25% deposit. Pissed off, I find a newer 2019 FB27 on RV Trader that posts 30 minutes earlier (pictures haven't even downloaded) - better shape, lower price, located just 30 min away. We go->We see->We like much better->We find out they'll sell the their truck too! (They're buying a 45' Class A!)

COVID hits. We travel in perfect isolation in Dec to NV, UT, AZ, OR, WA discovering that outdoor wine tasting is unaffected (rear seating area of truck becomes "wine locker") It's been three years, we've put almost 50k on the trailer. Done a ton of customization on the trailer last year after realizing this is the first and last coach we ever want to own, and reworked our yard so it has full hook ups and sits under a shade sail on our side yard, enabling it to also serve "Casita duty" (and some times Man Cave get away).

Just recently, we sat with the hatch open, glass of wine in-hand looking out over a breathtaking view...in a spot that would have never accommodated a 45' Class A. And we realized we got exactly what we needed (Tons of windows, great engineering, really wonderful amenities, the option to easily boon dock) but not what we thought we wanted (four slides, 10,000 sq ft of storage, sleeps 27, 650 HP engine).

Isn't Fate a kick at times?

[Bcc75]

Great Story!