Finding Our Perfect Match: A Journey to the Ideal Airstream Setup
2022 Airstream Globetrotter
We purchased a 2022 Airstream Globetrotter 27FB and are pulling it with a 2017 F250 Diesel. So far, the setup is absolutely perfect for our needs. Couldn’t be happier. But this is not where we started looking.
But it’s not where we started….
Exploring RV Options: The Quest for the Right Fit
Initially, I wanted to get a Class C RV. I did all the research possible (Reddit, Facebook, Youtube) and was sold on the Winnebago Minnie Winnie 25B. I like the size, the layout, engine, everything, but I had not seen one in person.
That was until I actually went and looked at Class C’s and realized that this set up would not work for us. Having a Class C would require us to pull an additional vehicle, so that we could explore whatever location we are staying at. I did not want to maintain multiple vehicles, while on the road.
Then we looked at Sprinter Vans. They are awesome, but I’m too tall and we would kill each other living in one full time. There is not enough space to “get away”. I think a van would be perfect for a solo traveler, a couple significantly smaller than Katelyn and I, or short trips, where you spend your entire day hiking/biking/skiing . . .
But, people make it work, and more power to them.
We then looked at travel trailers and 5th wheels. The 5th wheels were just too big for the two of us and I did not want a trailer with a slideout. I felt that a slideout could add an additional fail point, plus we wanted to be able to move and setup quick.
We liked the idea of a pull behind travel trailer, because of the “basecamp” function. We would be able to drop our home and explore in our truck. Plus, the pull behind travel trailer would allow us to utilize the entire truck bed as storage.
A Photogenic Marvel That Stole Our Hearts
While speaking with a salesman about specific travel trailers, Katelyn saw a poster for an Airstream. She’s a photographer, it was a great photo, there was no convincing her to get something else.
The salesman told us that we would have to get on a 12-18 month waitlist (Fall 2022), which made me happy to know there was such a demand.
So then we started hunting for the right used Airstream. I knew that I wanted something with the bed in the front (since we would spend most of our time at the table in the back, where the views are), decently new (to reduce the amount of wear and tear by the previous owner), and as many luxury upgrades as possible (since we will be living and working full-time, I knew that there were certain things I would have to do to fit our needs).
I decided the 27FB was the right floor plan. I began searching all over the country for one that fit our needs. I reached out to individuals in Vermont and Tampa (due to the limited used inventory, I knew we would have to travel). At the same time, I was looking for a vehicle to tow it.
Towing with Power: Selecting the Ideal Truck for Our Airstream
Based on all of my research, I wanted a ¾ or 1 ton diesel. Although diesel is absurdly expensive right now, I wanted to have more than enough power/torque to handle the mountains.
We found a 2004 Airstream in Birmingham, but it looked a little beat down, was the wrong floor plan, and did not have any technology upgrades. It did confirm that we were on the right track. After a month of looking, I found a 2022 20 mins from my house, that would have been the perfect trailer.
It had every upgrade I could imagine adding (solar, lithium, startlink, safest hitch on the market, . . . ). Anything we would need had already been added. So we went and toured it for 2hrs, deciding what we liked and didn’t like. I wanted to use this trailer as a reference, so that I knew what to look for with the one we purchased.
Unexpectedly, when we got back in the car, Katelyn said “that’s the one”. It was well above our original budget, we did not have a truck yet, but something felt right about it. After really getting to know the guy that owned it, I started feeling really good about it.
He told me that he had as much fun researching and adding the accessories as actually using it. After negotiating, we both felt good about the number, so we pulled the trigger. I saved tens of thousands in upgrades, but even more time in research and the stress of finding the right person to do the work for me.
Now, we had a trailer, expecting to pick it up from him on a Monday, and did not have a way to get it to my house. I’ve never owned a truck, but it was time to change that. I spent the next two nights researching and decided on the F250.
I had test drove the Dodge, GMC, and Ford, and I liked the cabin of the Fords the best. Found a few to test drive in Nashville, drove up on a saturday, traded in my Lexus GS F-Sport (really loved that car), and came home with a new-to-me 2017 F250.
The Unveiling: Our Airstream Adventure Setup and Its Perfection
So that’s the journey on the setup. Once we decided that we were going to dive headfirst into this lifestyle, the next 3 months were stressful. Tons of research, calls made, lining up sales people, changing our mind . . . My fear is that we would spend a fortune and dislike the decisions that I made. That is not the case at all. The truck is my favorite vehicle I’ve ever owned. The trailer is perfect. And I mean perfect. I love the styling, it's photogenic, it's large enough that we both can have a “space”, we have enough room to entertain 2-3 adults (and even have them, stay with us for a short time), and it pulls like a dream.
Airstream sold me when I found out how well they hold their value and how large the online community is. I’m not saying that I wouldn’t have been happy with something else, this one just really worked well for the two of us. I will say, you never stop looking at other rigs (Airstream 30ft bunk if we have kids and custom built F550 overland rig if we don’t), but I ALWAYS look back at ours when we are leaving it.
