Airstream Living?
 

Anyone else have experience living in an Airstream? I lived in one for part of the summer of 1997 and a few weeks in 1998. I enjoyed it a lot, and some of the best memories I have are from the experience. I was in a bookstore tonight, and found a book that was all about Airstream living, and brought back those memories. I know that there are people who live in them, full time, year round. I guess for one or two people that would not be that bad. It sort of got me thinking, should I buy an Airstream, and a few acres somewhere, and build up from there, as I get more money? I know that these trailers can be fixed up very nice, and do well in bad weather.

Depends what you mean by 'build up'.

How bout a van down by the river.

While I don't think I could ever divest myself enough to live in one fulltime (even if kids weren't in the equation), I could fully appreciate extended periods of travelling around in one. I've always loved Airstreams and do hope to buy one in the next couple years as a restoration project with the kids.

My father has just started semi-retirement and just took off today for 3 weeks of destinationless cruising (not with an Airstream but a new Forest River Flagstaff) along the east coast after he and my mother catch the Sprint Cup race in Martinsville next weekend.

If that's something you'd like to do and could handle living in that confined space, why not?

I could do it.

Some of the newer Airstream models are nicer than a lot of houses. I don't think it would be too bad. I'd like to fix up an airstream myself, or an offroadin' Unimog Camper.:cool:

http://www.airstream.com/products/index.html

Swamp,

Is the interior on your Dad's Forest River Flagstaff like this one?

It's nice but it's nowhere as big as that one, and no slide-outs. I don't know the model but it's in the 22-23 ft. range. It's got a queen forward with dinette and galley midway and full bath across the rear. It's the perfect size for he and my mom to tow behind their Tahoe with enough room for a grandkid or two for a weekend.

My father is a real busy body so he just sees it as a place to sleep and eat an ocassional meal, most of the time they're running around checking out the sights. He's planning on working half-years for a couple years starting next before retiring completely, something his father or grandfather never really did (technically yes but they were still here every day within a year of their death in their 80's/90's).

He's a big car racing fan, I think my mother started off humoring him but has gotten into it, and hopes to catch a couple different races every year and going through the circuit. A lot of his boating buddies have moved away in their retirement but also purchased trailers or RV's so they all try to meet up at different places across the country which is kind of neat.

Its probably like living on a boat, IE you have zero room and can only own a few cloths and books.

I think I might buy that Airstream book in the next few weeks, it was just such a neat book, and had some neat looking trailers. It might tempt me too much, and I would actually do such a thing.

Actually Airstreams don't do so well in winter wet weather! The Body seam around the trim at the bottom of the trailer has the underskin lipped over the top of the skin on the side so when it rains, the inside of the bottom fills up with water! This seam is heavily dependent on glue. I would recommend a Holiday Rambler instead! Seriously!

I had my trailer to the factory in the last few weeks to have some body repair. I toured the factory and had occasion to look at the details of how the upper part of the trailer attaches to the lower because I had some repair work in that area of my trailer and asked for pictures of the detail.

I got a detailed picture of the attachment between the upper and lower sections of the trailer. It is how they are currently built and how my '97 is built. At the joint between the upper and lower skin, there is a large aluminum extrusion which wraps the edge of the floor plywood. It also has two legs which turn up and pocket the wall "stud" aluminum ribs. There is one leg which turns down to attach the lower skin to. At the point where the upper skin meets the lower skin there is an offset of nearly 1/8", so it is impossible to lap the skins with the lower coming up over the top skin as you have suggested. Since there is a flange to attach both skins there is no reason for ever lapping them anyway.

It is possible that they were built differently at some point, but this is how they are made now and this type of attention to detail is very common in Airstream construction.

I have never experienced any water in the belly pan nor have I ever heard of it. Most travel trailers don't even have a belly pan so you can't get water in it because it just runs out on the ground!

This is not to say that a Holiday Rambler is not a good trailer. I have never owned one but I understand they do have aluminum ribs instead of wood. This seems like an important feature to me.

Tom W

I would think that living in an Airstream is all about streamlining - not building up. See how little you need to have from day to day and make the most of it.

I think that would be like living on a boat, fun for some, but definitely not for everybody.

I saw a brand new Airstream sitting on a white sand beach in Mexico under a little group of palm trees. I have a picture of it somewhere. It looked like something you might see on the cover of a rock album or something.

I would have to agree with you on that one...

Unless you just start adding on Airstreams in modules, kinda like the space station, or a Habitrail.