Archives for 2020

Nov 03 2020

Say this over my grave

Take a moment to shut off your social media. Think about what really matters.

Try this exercise: go to news.google.com and type “Airstream obituary” into the search bar. Then take a few minutes to read the summarized stories of Airstreamers who have gone before us.

I did this and was surprised at the impact that it had on me. At the time I was having “one of those days” in which a steady stream of bad news had rained down on my head.

The day started at 6:00 a.m. with the realization we’d sent out an email to thousands of people with a bad link, and it just spiraled away from me after that. Bad news about an elderly relative, difficulties with the bank, unexpected interruptions, toner ran out in the printer in the middle of an important document, problems with staff and vendors, general uncertainty about this and that … You get the picture. It just wasn’t going to stop being a Monday.

And then, around 1:30, in the midst of a rapidly-growing funk, I spotted this in a random obituary that turned up in one of my Google searches:

… and suddenly things began to fall into perspective.

My mother died this year. My mother-in-law will likely die this year. I’m going to die someday (hopefully not soon). Nobody except Benjamin Button is getting younger. When I’m very old I will not care about the “Mondays” I’ve had. I want to be able to look back on a life of adventure and exploration, full of memories of people and places that taught me things.

When I die, I want people who knew me to be able to say something like what they said for Eva Richardson of Warrenton VA, or Frances Davidson of Charlottesville VA, and many other people I read about:

“He enjoyed traveling in his Airstream all over North America.”

Look at Peter and Doreen Clark of Rome NY. They got married when Doreen was 62 years old, and promptly took off for a cross-country trip in their Airstream, followed by many other travels for the next 13 years. I’ve never met them but I think they might be new heroes of mine.

I’ll let some of the others speak for themselves:

Here’s the one that really tugged at my heart, the dual obituaries of Art & Marvene Elliott:

Art died at age 99, on September 17, 2020. His wife Marvene died the very next day.

That’s a romantic story and I love it. We could all aspire to be in love for seven decades and travel in an Airstream. If we all aimed for goals like that instead of focusing on demonizing each other over politics, I’m convinced the world would be a better place.

Try it yourself. Just spend a few minutes reading about the Airstreamers who have gone before us. I don’t think there’s any way you can do that and not realize that whatever happens today, there are more important things for you to be thinking about.

I especially like this last one, about Sidney R Klein. He sounds like a guy who knew how to spend his life.

Way to go, Sidney.

Oct 22 2020

We bought an Airstream (again)

In my last blog entry I talked about how, in the final months of owning the 2005 Airstream Safari bunkhouse, I turned it into an Airbnb. And then I sold it.

Which temporarily put me in an awkward spot. I mean, the Publisher of Airstream Life magazine really should have an Airstream, right?

That was in early May. My first thought was to wait until late fall to replace the Airstream, but with the pandemic in full swing, I began to see inventory at Airstream dealerships all over the country disappearing astonishingly quickly. Suddenly I realized that if I didn’t buy an Airstream right now I wasn’t going to be able to buy one for a long time.

In addition, things were heating up in the Airstream Life Store. All those new Airstream buyers were eager for new products and information. Without an Airstream to travel in, take pictures from, and get inspiration, I felt somewhat crippled.

And to make it even more imperative, my fiancee Tothie (pronounced “TOE-thee”) had brought her 25 years experience from the corporate world to Airstream Life, but she didn’t have a clue about Airstreaming. We both wanted her to get up to speed as quickly as possible, so she could start to contribute more significantly to the business. There’s only one way to understand Airstreaming: you have to use one, a lot.

So we dashed out to the Arizona Airstream dealers and started walking through the quickly-disappearing trailers on their lots. Originally my thoughts were on the popular 25FB floorplan, but we kept going back to the smaller 23FB, and when we saw it in the Globetrotter decor, we fell in love.

It is by far the nicest Airstream I have ever purchased (and I’ve owned five, counting vintage and new). It’s obviously considerably smaller than the 30-foot Safari bunkhouse but the floor plan makes a lot more sense for the two of us and one small dog, so it feels almost as roomy as the old 30-footer without the added towing weight and bulk.

A few months earlier I had also sold the Mercedes GL350 diesel that I had used as a tow vehicle before, and downsized into a (brace yourself if you’re a Big Truck guy) 2019 Ford Ranger XLT Crew Cab. The Ranger is an astonishingly capable little truck with a 4-cylinder turbocharged (Ecoboost) engine.

In the old days towing with 4 cylinders was unheard-of, but it’s amazing what the engineers can squeeze out these days. It pulls the Airstream with as much power as the 6-cylinder Mercedes diesel without the GL’s constant threat of overheating, even on an 8% grade. The old saying, “There’s no replacement for displacement” seems very obsolete now.

*The 2019 Ford Ranger is nicely matched to the Airstream Globetrotter 23FB, at least in terms of pulling and braking power*

In the interest of completeness, I do have to say that the ride of the Ranger is incredibly inferior to the Mercedes GL. The Ranger has an old-school solid rear axle with leaf springs like many other trucks, and it lurches and stumbles over uneven roads like a dancing bear.

Moreover the handling is awful when towing, loaded with understeer that makes every tight bend result in a tight anal sphincter. I have been spoiled by the independent Airmatic suspension of the Mercedes, which stuck to the road and handled like a sports car even with a trailer in tow. I am hoping to cure some of the defects of the Ford’s dinosaur design with a Hellwig rear sway bar. (I’ll write a more detailed review of the Ranger as a tow vehicle in a future blog.)

We had some delays over the summer which prevented us from taking delivery of the Airstream until September. When we finally did have it, it was like I’d never had an Airstream before. I had to re-figure everything: where stuff goes, what to bring, what fits in the fridge, the entertainment system, hitch, brake controller … even stuff like how to make the beds and shut the curtains. It was all just a little bit different. We took a “shakedown trip” to nearby Patagonia AZ for two nights and discovered all the things that we needed to tweak, clean, repair, add and figure out.

It was humbling to realize that, despite my extensive experience in Airstreams, this new Globetrotter was capable of teaching me a few new things. I had to learn the best technique for using the power stabilizers on un-level ground, which windows to open for good ventilation, the un-documented potential “gotchas” of the 3-way refrigerator, and many other subtleties that in total can make the difference between a good trip and a frustrating one.

*Decor was chosen specifically to match the dog, of course*

The overall feel of the new Airstream is surprisingly different as well. Where the old Safari was always comfortable and homey, the new Globetrotter feels even more cozy with an air of sophistication.

Overall, while sticker shock over the price of the Globetrotter did give me a brief heart arrhythmia, I have to say I have never had an Airstream that I was so instantly and completely in love with. Every detail, such the Euro-style faucets and stove, the Spradling Hitch dinette, Infinity woven floor, fully pleated curtains, mattresses, etc., just exudes style and comfort, and it really does feel like it was worth every penny.

The sound system (a dismal blight in the Safari that I never used) is world-class in the Globetrotter—so beautifully balanced and clear that we always want to play quiet music while reading in bed in the evenings, and a bit of classical music during breakfast. The power awning is so easy to set up that we have it deployed all the time (in sunny Arizona).

The ducted air conditioning is a blessing in Arizona as well. No longer do we have to shout to be heard over the roar of the machine—but since we’ve been camping exclusively in high altitude places we haven’t had to run it except when the Airstream is parked at home in the driveway.

*Sunset view from the famed Granite Dells of Prescott AZ*

Our plan is to take the Airstream out for one trip every month, mostly for long weekends. We didn’t count the initial shakedown, so our first “real” trip in September was Silver City NM and our second was Prescott AZ in October. Both were selected with an eye toward escaping the relentless heat of Tucson by going to higher elevations, and both were great successes. Mickey the dog loves it too.

*Camped at Point of Rocks campground in Prescott AZ*

Our November trip will be to Borrego Springs CA, and in December we’ll be off to Tothie’s first rally in Pismo Beach CA. We’ve got plans for 2021 as well, and I’ll write about those later. It’s hard to plan far in advance these days, but it will be easy to keep our commitment to use the Airstream monthly because it’s a great break from work, a great education for Tothie, and Mickey insists that we go.

I’m still pleasantly surprised that after 16 years, Airstreaming has gained new dimensions for me and I’m in love with it … again. Let’s see where it leads us.

May 18 2020

AirBnb—was it a success?

I turned my Airstream into an AirBnb last November—and here’s what happened

First off, nothing awful happened. People came, they did their tourism or temporary work or visited relatives, and then they left. Nobody damaged the Airstream, nothing was stolen. People appreciated the opportunity to try life in an Airstream for a few days, and we got great reviews.

It was also mostly hassle-free, for me, because I had an arrangement with the property owner, Adam. He and his mother (who lived on property) took care of the daily chores like booking, cleaning, and site maintenance. I took care of Airstream-specific repairs and filling the propane tanks.

From November 2019 through April 2020, the only repairs I had do were to replace one LED light bulb and one cabinet latch. Things ran so smoothly that I didn’t even both to go look at the trailer more than about once a month.

Adam kept the cleaning fees and half of the net revenue. We split the utility costs (water, sewer, and electricity), and his bookkeeper tracked everything in a spreadsheet.

For the most part, the Airstream was booked. We had 80-90% occupancy each month, but that was actually a slight disappointment. Tucson has a very strong winter visitor season, particularly in February during the famous Gem Show, and I expected 100% occupancy with a waiting list.

At first we chalked it up to being relatively new to the AirBnb market. But the problem turned out to be more widespread. In the past year Tucson has been over-saturated with AirBnb offerings, and prices have collapsed. It became possible (and still is) to get entire condos for $40 per night, so a 200-square foot Airstream became a tougher sell at the same price. My dream of hiking up the price to $80-100 per night during peak season never became reality.

We knew that the season would end by April 1 so I was prepared to forgo revenue over the summer. Even given that, I figured it was still a better deal for me to leave the Airstream on site (free storage) than to pull it out, so that was the plan.

But in mid-March the pandemic struck, and all our bookings evaporated instantly. I began to think more about my long-term Airstream plans and the value of keeping the Airstream on simply to rent it. My net income was averaging just over $300 per month, plus a savings of about $150 per month from not having to store it. Was it worth it?

I had visions of roof leaks cropping up over the summer monsoon season, or things gradually decaying/ rusting/ seizing from lack of use and attention. I’ve always said that neglect kills Airstreams, while regular use keeps them in good shape. One un-noticed leak, or a good (accidental) dent to the aluminum, or wear & tear to the interior could wipe out all the income for months. I was planning to be gone for two months this summer and it didn’t feel good to leave the Airstream behind without someone experienced to keep an eye on it.

Beyond the financial considerations, there was simply the fact that I don’t need or want a 30-foot Airstream anymore. I’ve been looking forward to downsizing to a 25-footer for several years, just for easier handling (parking, maneuvering) and lighter weight. I won’t be out in the Airstream for months each summer as I have been in the past, and without a kid in the trailer there’s no need for a 2-bedroom floorplan.

I took few weeks to evaluate my options, but finally put the Airstream on the market on April 26. I had two interested buyers within 24 hours, and closed the deal in a few days. On May 6, a commercial driver came by and towed it away to new first-time owners in Virginia.

Over the five months of rental, the gross revenues were $5,761 or an average of about $38 per day. Expenses, such as cleaning, supplies, furnishings (blankets, sheets, towels, etc), propane, and utilities consumed a lot of that revenue, leaving just $3,416 to split with Adam. So my net earnings on the AirBnb were about $1,700, plus about $1,000 saved from not having to store it from October through April.

I didn’t make a ton of money on renting the Airstream but overall, I’m pleased with the experience and think it was worth the effort I had to put into it. Most of what I did to get it ready for AirBnb was the same work I would have eventually had to do to get it ready for sale anyway. For my situation (the last few months of ownership) it made sense.

I don’t plan to do it again with the next Airstream. After a 9-month hiatus from Airstream travel I’m gearing up for a fresh start this fall, with my partner Tothie (who you’ll see in the Airstream Life TV episodes) and Mickey the terrier. Our new Airstream will be in and out often enough that it won’t be practical to offer it as a rental between trips.

The real value in the Airstream was never the revenue potential anyway. Over 15 years of ownership it gave me a base for over 2,000 nights, in all the lower 48 states, Canada, and Mexico—and then I sold it for 61% of the original retail price. That amazing 2005 Airstream Safari was the best travel bargain I’ll ever have, and a little AirBnb revenue at the end was just icing on the cake.