Re: [A/S] 30' A/S for fulltiming

["cacijohnson" <cacijohnson@xxxxxxxxx>]

Terry's reply is succinct. I can't add much except to emphasize the $ 
spent.  It is VERY important not to sink a lot of $ in purchasing a 
unit at the beginning of fulltming.  Some people think they love the 
lifestyle but within a couple years want to get rid of a very 
de-valued rig and to buy another home.

I would start with the smaller inexpensive 30/31' Airstream.  If you 
like the life and find you cannot stand living in the Airstream 
then you could upgrade to a 5th wheel and slides.  I 'think' I would 
buy a puller that would handle either rig.  Maybe others can 
add pros and cons of that mindset...

We started right in on the lifestyle the week we retired.  Our friends 
and family asked 'when' were we leaving Maine.  Our reply was "the 
first dry road day after Christmas" and we were very fortunate we 
didn't need to wait a day longer for the right conditions - 12/26/99. 

We are quite content with our 31' A/S as long as we are not with our 
5th wheel friends who have slides!!  Then we begin to drool. 
However.... overall, Carl and I know we wouldn't go that route for 
several reasons: the tremendous size and weight of a 5th, the quality 
of our 30 yr old A/S, but especially that unique comradery of the 
Airstreamers.

I end now as we must be on our way to town to a retirement party for 
our newfound friend's cousin.  There will be mostly delicious Mexican 
foods made by our American Mexican National friend.  Estela and 
Richard are people we would never have met outside this wonderful 
lifestyle.  How else would we have met them if we hadn't gone to an RV 
repair place last winter in Yuma, AZ looking for a fix to our 30 yr 
old water pump?  And Richard found it wasn't the pump but instead crud 
in the kitchen faucet.

Another suggestion: join the Escapees RV club now (and the Airstream 
RV club called WBCCI), before you go fulltiming.  You won't regret it. 
  Both organizations are well worth it.
Adios Airstream Amigos,
Cindy & Carl Johnson