Choosing an Airstream.
Our new Airstream pulled by "Boss."
Once we had decided to go full-steam with purchasing an Airstream, we just needed to decide which Airstream to purchase. Just by looking on-line we were able to figure out that we needed a 1974-1985 for 3 reasons:
- Our budget only allowed for an older model
- The grey water tank was not added until 1974
- The interiors became really ugly in 1986
After looking at a few in person we decided:
- Bigger was going to be better. 27' was the bare minimum and would allow zero storage space by the time that we added bunks. Really, we needed a 31' or 34'
- Newer was going to be better. That 10 year window DOES make a difference. All those hinges don't age well. If we could get by with just doing cosmetic repairs and not replacing all the appliances, that would be best.
Once October hit, we had Airstream fever. We were stalking Craigslist and eBay hoping to get someone who did not want to winterize the unit and we could buy it and would have an extra couple of months to work on it. Even if we were able to find a unit in good condition (which would be rare in our price range) we were going to have to build new beds to accommodate a family of 7. Our hope is to get a clean coat of white paint on the inside and also find a living room configuration that will allow Michael to get some work done as well.
We were able to snag a 1984 Excella 34' Airstream on eBay. We just had to drive to Savannah GA to pick it up. Upon a quick walk-through, we signed the papers and headed home. Unfortunately we were a bit crunched for time, so we had to just park it at my mom's house and head home. We'll dig in deeper later.
