hey dude, good luck with your new airstream - hope you really enjoy. better nick me OHs truck (he's into american cars) and has a Ford F150 5.4L - that'd pull it. Seriously if you do change your car it's a super truck at a reasonable price.
Saw an airstream on site couple of weeks back - oldie completely renovated even oak floor! Looked very good.
------------- Come on if we leave now we can make it before it's dark. How many times have we heard that?
Wouldn't want fancy towing it with that much over the weight, I personally would look to change your car for something even heavier e.g. Bit Dodge ram or something and get the whole "american look" Good luck with the van tho! Well cool
------------- Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Saw a new twin axle airstream this weekend at Burford. It looked fab. Dark tinted windows crisp aluminium - did it look out of place - Yes, but in a good way it stood out as the best van on the site. It was incidentaly being towed by a big heap of truck. (Not navarna or L200!)
If you're lucky enough to own one like the Dude! Enjoy! But get a big enough tow car!
Quote: Originally posted by donneville on 25/10/2007
but in a good way it stood out as the best van on the site.
You would expect it to look the best - prices start at around £35,000 for a single axle don't they?
If you used it for say 50 nights in the first year of ownership, it would have cost you over £700 per night and that's before adding on all the other costs on top of simply buying it!! I think that would put it in the same league as staying at Claridge's.
donneville,
The one at Burford was not the European Airstream but the proper American "Classic" model; beautiful job with far better alloy work that the ones at the NEC. As well as beautifull she looked brand new but as I don't hold a suitable driving licence to tow it I tried to keep looking the other way!
Dude, I've brought over 30 Airstreams to EU/UK in the past 10 years, its a hobby, more than a pressured commercial venture. I try and explain my best to the folks who buy them, that the situation we have in the US with brakes, weight distribution hitches, and tow vehicles, is totally different. It all depends on how much and where you plan to tow it.
We use electric brakes- wonderful gadgets that are inexpensive, and stop not just the caravan, but the truck as well. We spring the load off our hotch with special hitches that even the weight. I'm using an F350 Crew Cab 4X4 Long Bed Powerstroke pick up truck- 7.3L TD. They use them to pull 50' boats, 4 car transport trailers- 19000Lb GVW. Nothing to even consider.
Your Navara will pull your 'Stream. If you use it on dry roads, not too much incline, you'll never have a problem with stopping it. If you try and get it doing 80MPH down a mountain in Spain while its raining- you're looking for trouble.
If you plan to pull it around UK on the weekends in summer, you should be fine, just by driving with some common sense. If you plan extended travel in southern Europe and fun things like crossing Andorra- get something heavier, something that weighs much more than the caravan.
I advise most of my clients to save their electric brakes- they're legal, if the papers are done right- and I have a company there who handles all that for a reasonable fee. Its easy to work into your car- a 50GBP part and 30 minutes if wiring and you have a system that will save you if your truck brakes ever fail.
Good luck with it- and be cautious on the hills. Philip
------------- Camping is the best activity for family unity- Vintage camping adds that special personality and touch of flair! Try it!
The "expensive Airstream" is not necessarily unreachable- there are 5 on ebay.co.uk, including a nice 1986 25 Sovereign, and down to older ones that need restoration- a really beautiful, polished 1953 Silver Streak Clipper.
These are all built better than the new ones, better alloy- true 2024 Alclad, which is a structural grade aluminum. See them and judge for yourself.
I am NOT the "classic-caravan" who is selling that one. Its a couple from UK who are doing some really nice work with Airstreams and other classic UK caravans.
------------- Camping is the best activity for family unity- Vintage camping adds that special personality and touch of flair! Try it!
Liked the look of them - until I saw the price and then went off them. No point in lusting after something you will never have. HOwever------- if I won the biggy on the lottery!
Liked the look of them - until I saw the price and then went off them. No point in lusting after something you will never have. HOwever------- if I won the biggy on the lottery!
Yes I agree must get a lotto ticket for Weds night
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Airstream Caravans
