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In 2014, I bought a 2 month old used 16’ Airstream Bambi while I was sitting out a non compete between jobs. I proceeded to go on the road for a month with my young family. We had a blast covering 3,000 miles and 8 national parks. I had planned to sell it right after the trip, but fell in love with the thing and ended up adding solar and turning it into the family adventure trailer. We used it quite a bit up until last summer. The kids have gotten bigger, and life has gotten busier.
We did a final hurrah to Yellowstone this summer before putting it on the market. I could not believe the response! We had 7 calls in the first 24 hours.
Purchased in 2014 for $35K. Added 200 watts of solar and an extra marine battery. Sold in 2020 for $31K.
I sure miss that trailer already, but the family who bought it will enjoy the heck out of it I’m sure.
I think I’ll wait two years and buy something slightly used off of one of the many people jumping in the summer.
In 2014, I bought a 2 month old used 16’ Airstream Bambi while I was sitting out a non compete between jobs. I proceeded to go on the road for a month with my young family. We had a blast covering 3,000 miles and 8 national parks. I had planned to sell it right after the trip, but fell in love with the thing and ended up adding solar and turning it into the family adventure trailer. We used it quite a bit up until last summer. The kids have gotten bigger, and life has gotten busier.
We did a final hurrah to Yellowstone this summer before putting it on the market. I could not believe the response! We had 7 calls in the first 24 hours.
Purchased in 2014 for $35K. Added 200 watts of solar and an extra marine battery. Sold in 2020 for $31K.
I sure miss that trailer already, but the family who bought it will enjoy the heck out of it I’m sure.
I think I’ll wait two years and buy something slightly used off of one of the many people jumping in the summer.
I have a fiberglass 17 ft Casita and had been looking for a 19" AS but can't get myself to pay that much. Then also, I find that I camp in areas w/ bad weather (Hail) and could imagine the damage that can be done from hail on an AS. But they look solid and as you say, hold their value. Casitas do to. There are very few brands that I'd buy in the typical trailers other than Casita, AS - maybe an Oliver or Escape. Typical brands of trailers are boring, imo, leak, aren't durable, have other issues and don't necessarily hold their value.
I have a fiberglass 17 ft Casita and had been looking for a 19" AS but can't get myself to pay that much. Then also, I find that I camp in areas w/ bad weather (Hail) and could imagine the damage that can be done from hail on an AS. But they look solid and as you say, hold their value. Casitas do to. There are very few brands that I'd buy in the typical trailers other than Casita, AS - maybe an Oliver or Escape. Typical brands of trailers are boring, imo, leak, aren't durable, have other issues and don't necessarily hold their value.
We live in hail central. Definitely have some hail dings, but nothing terrible after 6 years. I always like the Casitas. That Oliver looks cool.
My goal is to get into a 4WD Sprinter van with a lift. We never go to campgrounds and access a lot of forest service roads in Colorado/Wyoming/Utah.
The camper market has gone insane because of the wuhan virus, you cant even find a small used cargo trailer to convert, within a few hour of popping up on craigslist they are sold for almost new prices.
The camper market has gone insane because of the wuhan virus, you cant even find a small used cargo trailer to convert, within a few hour of popping up on craigslist they are sold for almost new prices.
Mod cut.
To your point though, I am a buyer in two years when all these people who bought their first camper this summer decide it’s more effort than they thought it would be.
Last edited by PJSaturn; 07-19-2020 at 11:51 AM..
Reason: Off-topic political commentary.
Here in Tucson I ride my bicycle occasionally past a house where a guy restores classic aluminum travel trailers. He usually has two or three parked in the front yard (no HOA obviously!!) Presently he's got an Argosy and two Silver Streaks. The Argosy looks like an Airstream clone, but the Silver Streak looks like they took a WW2 era aircraft and turned it into a travel trailer - they are engineering works of art. The founder of Silver Streak had an aircraft engineering background, so that explains the look.
No telling what price these might fetch right now, but I would bet they sell fast when fully restored. The aluminum trailers survive well in the southwestern US because the sun does not bake and melt the exterior like most of the current mass market RVs.
I like those compact fiberglass trailers like Oliver, Escape, Casita. They would likely do fine here if you could store them under a covered parking place when not in use. One time I stopped at the Casita factory in TX about an hour or so south of Dallas and saw all the models that they make.
To your point though, I am a buyer in two years when all these people who bought their first camper this summer decide it’s more effort than they thought it would be.
Good idea - I've been thinking of selling my 2011 Casita and getting something else, maybe even smaller like an A-frame (A-liner). I stay at a lot of military campgrounds around the country and they all have very clean bathrooms, so I may give up that (bathroom) and go smaller, lighter.
Here in Tucson I ride my bicycle occasionally past a house where a guy restores classic aluminum travel trailers. He usually has two or three parked in the front yard (no HOA obviously!!) Presently he's got an Argosy and two Silver Streaks. The Argosy looks like an Airstream clone, but the Silver Streak looks like they took a WW2 era aircraft and turned it into a travel trailer - they are engineering works of art. The founder of Silver Streak had an aircraft engineering background, so that explains the look.
No telling what price these might fetch right now, but I would bet they sell fast when fully restored. The aluminum trailers survive well in the southwestern US because the sun does not bake and melt the exterior like most of the current mass market RVs.
I like those compact fiberglass trailers like Oliver, Escape, Casita. They would likely do fine here if you could store them under a covered parking place when not in use. One time I stopped at the Casita factory in TX about an hour or so south of Dallas and saw all the models that they make.
I have seen a few of those Silver Streaks. They are gorgeous!
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