Try To Buy From The Local Guy *Sigh*

“So when are you going to buy me an Airstream?” It’s funny that my wife thinks that a) this is hers, and b)this is hers. I hint that maybe we should save the money and buy one  of the vinyl box trailers, she responds with, “I’m not sleeping in one of those!” Just like a Sockeye she is hooked! So how do I get one, where do I get one, and which one do I get? Best to figure out which model/length with suit our needs and budget, then we’ll start at our local Airstream dealer.

Budget: Flexible to a point. (I’m not a bank, but may need to visit one.)

Criteria: Something that won’t be a beast to tow (we are new to this), and something I can keep forever. (I really don’t want to be doing this every couple years. I gotta try to get this right the first time.) Oh, and need windows. (No sport model with the little window, I need light.)

After much consideration, we decided on a 19 foot Bambi SE. We figured that for the the next few years, our girls could sleep on the fold down dinette, and graduate to a tent when they are older, if they felt like it and they were no boys around. :-)  It would be easy to tow and would fit us nicely when the kids are out of the house, and it would be less money than larger models. The bonus is it will fit in our driveway. (I found out shortly into the camping season I might need a second try at “getting this right the first time.”)

Ok, off to the local dealership to begin the process...

Like I mentioned in a previous post, our local dealer does not have much selection when it comes to Airstreams. (They have hundreds of “SOB’s”.) We pay them a visit and I tell them I’m serious about buying an Airstream, and I’m thinking the negotiating will begin. (I had found a website explaining what to expect when haggling for an AS.) Apparently the dealership is not really into selling Airstreams, or so it seems by their lack of willingness to negotiate. A couple grand off of a sell price of $59,000+ is not what I consider an deal closer. “Is that your best offer?” “Yes.” I proceeded to tell them that I was expecting at least a little more movement on price, and that I of course would prefer to support my local Canadian dealership rather than be forced to purchase in the States, but I work very hard for my money and I have to feel comfortable that I’m getting a fair price. The salesman got a bit snippy and retorted, “If you buy in the States we’ll never work on your trailer if there are any warranty issues!” “Really?”, I reply. “How do you think Airstream would feel if they heard that your company does not support them?” His reply was simply, “Ok, we would work on it, but we’d make you wait at least six months for an appointment.” Nice. This exchange made me briefly question the Airstream purchase. If this was the way I was to be treated by Airstream reps, I’m thinking maybe the “SOB” reps will at least have a bit more professionalism.

I get where they’re coming from, though. They are similar to the Dodge dealership. While they have a Viper in the showroom that brings ooh’s and ah’s, they make all their money on Neon’s and Mini-van’s. Same with these guys. The Airstreams bring people in, but they make all their money on the vinyl boxes. They know that eventually Airstream will offer to “help” them sell these in order to ship them new models, which again will sit on their lot for another year. As an Airstream dealer, I would think they would want to promote these trailers, but I guess, for whatever reason, they just aren’t that interested. Case and point: This dealer brought many trailers to the  largest RV show in our province, but not a single Airstream. Why? Wouldn’t you want to showcase these awesome trailers at a show like this? Thousands of people attend this show annually, and they don’t support Airstream by showcasing their product. If I was the owner of Airstream, I’d be choked and consider removing them as a dealer and find someone who is actually trying to sell the product.

(It should be noted that after purchasing my Airstream, I found I was not alone in my assessment of the local guys. I found many AS owners that travelled south to purchase rather than deal locally, a few that wish they had gone Stateside. Quite sad really. One theory suggested to me was by being the exclusive Airstream dealer, this company had effectively prevented healthy competition, or to put it differently, monopolized the market. It’s too bad they aren’t interested in actually selling them, though. I wonder if they realize just how many sales they have lost. Probably not, as most folks I talk to won’t even let them touch their Airstreams.They'd rather drive to the States than let these guys work on them.)

After calling a few Airstream owners that I recently met, they all suggested I look to the States. Sure, the Canadian dollar was a factor as the Loonie was close to parity with the Greenback, but it was more about the dealer’s willingness to make it work for me, the customer. (Something of which my local dealership failed to understand.) After a couple phone calls and a few emails, it was done. I had a signed agreement to purchase a 19 ft Bambi SE. It was a relatively painless experience, and truthfully I should been able to have the same experience here, but so be it. I was happy as I saved a bunch of money, was treated well, and I get to go on an adventure to pick it up.

So who should I bring.....

Airstreams are COOL!

Purchasing an Airstream can be a daunting task. Like I previously mentioned, they are expensive. So why spend double (or possibly triple) for Aluminum when you could save a bunch and get a relatively decent vinyl box? 

Here are some of my thoughts as to why....

Vinyl box trailers are disposable. Considering they are mostly wood construction, moving these ugly boxes around will eventually cause wood frames to loosen or separate, thus causing leaks to happen. I have had more than one salesman suggest an average lifespan of 10 years.

Airstreams are built with metal frames and covered inside and out with aluminum sheeting, all of which are riveted to the frame, sorta like a Boeing 737. Airstreams have been produced for over 75 years, and they estimate 70% or more are still in use today.

Airstreams give you better mileage. The aerodynamic shape of them result in a 15-30% better fuel economy that of the “SOB’s”. Take that, OPEC!

Airstreams have a higher resale value. This is one you can take to the bank. When I was researching this, Airstreams were the highest rated for holding their value, while the 19ft model was rated the highest of any make/model out there.

Airstreams have a few more perks. My friends had bought an “SOB” shortly after I bought my Airstream, and invited me over to check it out. No TV or CD/DVD player, no water filter for the kitchen faucet, mattress was lousy (you could feel the metal springs through the fabric), and no power jack, just to name a few. (The lack of a power jack bothered my buddy considerably.) 

Airstreams are cool! This was one of the main reasons I bought one. Sure, I like quality and dependability and better fuel economy and higher resale value and sleeping well, but I also like to be me, which is usually different than most of my friends, and occasionally perplexing to my wife. I’m a closet artist, and maybe should have developed this side of me a bit more than I have, but as such, I like certain design elements. Airstreams have this iconic style about them that is timeless. Some folks simply have no style, hence they do not find Airstreams attractive. I personally find them rather sexy, and so do others. If I mention to people that I have an Airstream, their reaction breakdown is something like this....

90% - “What’s an Airstream?” (Keep in mind I’m in Canada.)

8% - “Airstreams are ugly.”

2% - “Oh Dude, an Airstream!! Those things are wicked! I’ve wanted an Airstream forever. Can I come over and check it out? Awesome!”

I’m with the two percent......

....as is Matt....

Divine Intervention

Now that I was sure I had my wife on board with the Airstream thing, it was time to figure out how to actually get one. My idea was to find an older one and fix it up. I’m mechanically inclined and good with my hands, so I know that if I were to find a fixer-upper, it would be done right. The sad reality though is that I do not have much in the way of extra time once work and various family obligations are factored in. (In the past we have had nine soccer events per week!) It is likely that the fixer-upper would stay in that state of please repair for years, and we would continue to dream of what could be rather than experience what should be. Nope, the best solution is to buy the trailer that we can use now. So how do we get it? We do not come wealth, we have not won the lottery, and we are not even remotely related to anyone with the name “Buffet” or “Gates” or “Jobs”. (Although I think all three of these guys have some of MY money!) You don’t need to be a millionaire to own an Airstream, but a bit of extra cash is helpful. So my beautiful wife comes up with the solution. 

“Pray about it”, she says.

I reply with a “Huh?”

“I said pray about it. Ask God for an Airstream”.

“Uh, ok.”, I then proceed to utter these words... “Dear God, please give me an Airstream. Amen”.

She suggests to me that I should be more specific when I pray. I doubt it, after all, isn’t He omniscient?

Two days later a miracle happens and my prayer is answered. I get a phone call telling me to get my butt over to their house as they have something I’ve been looking for, and it’s free!

This is what was waiting for me....

While I’m grateful for not having to purchase a central vacuum system for our house, (we really did need this), I’m pretty sure I actually heard God laugh. Not mocking me, but more in a “Ha, I gotchya on that one!” sorta way. God definitely has a sense of humour.

It was now my wife’s turn to hear those three little words every wife longs to hear from her husband....”You were *cough* right”. I’ll be more specific when I pray.

"Please Honey, Just Humour Me?"

So it begins...

A beautiful sunny morning in BC and my sister has offered to take the kids for a beach day with a sleep over! WHOO HOO! This means a date with my wife! We drive over to her place at noon to drop off the girls. As we drive away from the house I look over to my wife and say, “Honey, for the next hour can you do me a favour and humour me?”. She reluctantly agreed, so I proceeded to drive the 10 minutes to Hazelmere RV park where the BC Airstream club (WBCCI) were having a weekend camping event. As we pull into the park my wife looks at me and says, “Is this an Airstream thing?”. I gently remind her that she agreed to humour me, so rather than answer the question, I just smile. As we near the back of the property we soon see about 30 aluminum trailers in different lengths, years, models, and of course, gloss level. We park and introduce ourselves to the first person we see with name tag, a very nice gentleman named Gene. “ Hi Gene, my name is Moses and I’m thinking about purchasing an Airstream, so I was hoping that by coming here today, some of my questions will get answered by the experts assembled here.”

Five minutes later I’m sitting in Nick an Joanie’s 2005 19 ft Bambi. Joanie is kindly offering us Scotch or coffee. Nick gives my wife the “up and down” once-over and I assume he likes what he is seeing.......”Hey there little lady! Why don’t ya come right on over here and sit on ‘ol Uncle Nicky’s lap!” . Funny guy, and pretty spry for a fella’ in his eighties.  

After narrowly escaping Nicky’s advances, Gene graciously rescues us and spends an hour as our tour guide while taking us through various Airstreams, going through pro’s and con’s of each (mostly pro’s), and inserting tidbits of Airstream history along the way. 

He was such an amazing host and very passionate about Airstreams, but all his passion and question answering still did not convince my wife that the expense was worth the quality. I could sense she was warming up to the idea of camping in a silver egg, but still needed a bit more of push.... and I new just place.

We hop in the truck, thank Gene for time and exchange phone numbers. I then drive to Langley to our local Airstream dealership. This not like an American dealership that will have 20-80 units on the lot, they unfortunately had only 3. A 16ft Bambi, a 19ft Bambi, and a 25 ft International. my wife suggested that we do our “do diligence” by “keeping an open mind and checking out the other kinds of trailers”. (There is really no point but I love her and will humour her, but I will not be purchasing a vinyl box.) We enter one of the “other” trailers and her first comment is “This is nice”. I smile and nod. Her next comment was “This doesn’t feel like it will last. Look, this is made with particle board.” Again, I respond with another smile. We go into  a few more non-Airstream trailers and, judging by her comments, she is trying to convince herself that she’s ok with an “SOB” trailer, but her facial expressions betray her. (Note:”SOB” stands for “Some Other Brand” in the Airstream community.) I know deep down that she is not ok with an “SOB” trailer because she herself is an “SNOB”. No fancy acronym here, just a snob, plain and simple. Always has been, always will be. (Ok, “snob” might be a bit harsh, let’s just say she like the finer things in life.) I feel she is getting closer to becoming a believer, maybe 95% now. I’m on the one yard line.

We make our way from the “SOB’s” to the 16ft Bambi. Her first comment is “This is nice.” (Getting closer.) “Oh, the toilet is actually in the shower. Yuck. This trailer is too small.” (One step backwards.) We head over to the 19ft Bambi. It’s locked, so I seek out the salesman and he let’s us in. “Oh, this one is really nice”, she says. “And look Honey, the toilet and shower are separate”. (Whew. Back on track, she likes it.) The salesman then proceeds to tell her about Airstream, how they have made trailers since the thirties and approx. 60-70% are still on the road; how Airstream trailers result in 30% less gas consumption due to the aerodynamic design, etc, etc. (I see her eyes widen, I am almost there!) “So tell me...” she asks, “Just what IS the comparison between the SOB’s and an Airstream?” He looks at her with a blank, cold stare and simply replies, “There is none.” (BAZINGA! I have achieved lift-off!) I can tell by the look in her eyes that her mind is trying to compute “There is no comparing and Airstream to any other trailer????” I cannot conceal my smile and can barely suppress my laughter. 

We thank the salesman and exchange contact info and agree to be in touch. We get back in the truck and we’re not even out of the parking lot before I hear my wife say those three little words every man wants to hear from his spouse....... “You were right.” 

Looks like I’m getting me an Airstream!

She Wants a Trailer???

“Honey, I think we should get a trailer.” When I heard these words escape from my wife’s lips, the first thought that came to mind was “I am not trailer trash”. My dream has always been to own a cabin on the lake. I want to sit on the deck and watch the fish jump, hear the loons call one another, and occasionally get caught skinny-dipping by friends that just happened to leave town a few hours earlier than expected. (“I think it’s great you came early......can you please pass me the towel?.....well, um, actually the water is quite cold, but thanks for asking.”) But a trailer? Is that really me? 

When I think of trailers I picture being stuck in a campsite with a bunch of emotionally detached parents that let their kids run loose with loaded firearms and half empty bottles of tequila. Considering I’m the proud father of several pretty darn pretty girls, the thought of spending my vacation time in a constant state of “To Serve and Protect” doesn’t sound overly appealing. The cabin thing, on the other hand, is something I can sink my teeth into. I have wonderful childhood memories of spending a week every summer at our friends cabin in the Caribou region of BC. It is an incredibly beautiful area of our province, and remains to this day relatively wild and untouched. (Bear sightings were an almost daily occurrence.) When I was a child my father did not make what I would consider a decent income. As a father of four, he would have made more on welfare as he did as a branch manager for a large Canadian financial institution. (His income was such that a reporter for the Vancouver Sun was tipped off and approached my dad wanting to do a story on him. I’m not sure if it was fear of reprisal, pride, or embarrassment that kept my dad from meeting with the reporter, but it never went to print.) So if it were not for the kindness from our friend with the cabin, I doubt I would have these deliciously fond memories. 

Another large part of the dream of the cabin is so that I can “pay it forward” as well, and offer my cabin to those who simply need some grace. So while I believe the cabin is attainable in my lifetime, it likely wouldn’t happen while my kids are still young. I am a firm believer of creating memories with and for your children. After all, once we are old and grey, all we really have is our memories, and hopefully a tooth or two. It was this fact that started me to rethink the trailer thing. If I had a trailer, I could have a cabin on any lake I chose. We could go down to the Grand Canyon, sleep on the beach on the Oregon coast, go see Yogi and Boo-Boo at Jellystone National Park, and of course camp with our friends. The reality is I simply could not see myself in the typical trailer with its’ fake mahogany wood grain and tacky orange seat cushions and, *barf*, vinyl siding. I have always done things just a little differently than everyone else; it is what makes me me. I told my beautiful little wife the only way I would consider getting a trailer is if it’s an Airstream. “Are you serious, the big silver looking thing?” And so begins the negotiation. She wants to camp with friends, I want style, comfort, and quality. (Ok, maybe a bit of flash as well.) I once heard a great definition for marriage...”Marriage is a negotiation, a constant, never-ending, give & take, sacrificing negotiation.” It’s true. Certainly love, respect, laughter, faithfulness, compassion and more make up a marriage, but for it to be successful, both participants have to learn when to bend. I’m not the greatest negotiator, she’s definitely going to need some convincing.....