I grew up camping in tents. Why would I choose an Airstream?

I have to admit that it wasn’t a long, thought-out process. I didn’t spend hours and hours researching online. There were a few knowns that probably guided the decision unknowingly:

1. Airstreams last forever. I’ve seen countless photos of Airstreams restored and got the general idea that they’re built pretty solidly. How many tents have I gone through in my lifetime? I wanted a product that I knew would last … even if it looks a bit utilitarian.
2. Airstreams are airtight. My childhood has been marred with memories of sleepless nights in a soggy tent. “Seam sealer” is a joke. I knew Airstreams wouldn’t leak.`Nuff said.
3. Airstreams are iconic. My vanity came in to play here. Airstreams have a bit of glamour and iconicity that I wanted to be a part of.

In high school my parents upgraded us to a pop-up camper and then after I moved out they got a TrailLite for the two of them and their Weimaraner. In the seven years that Frank and I had been married we’d camped at least once a year in our tent with my parents or friends. After this amount of time we felt pretty committed to the cause. We camped well together. We wanted to take it to the next level. Check out the About page on my philosophy on what spurred us to make the purchase.

How we acquired Bambi

Frank found the Airstream posted on Craigslist one Saturday morning and woke me up with the news. I immediately messaged the owner on Craigslist, but in typical Gen-Y fashion felt that I needed an immediate response. Frank recognized that the photo was taken in the parking lot of the place where he gets his oil changed. Like stalkers we drove to that place and luckily the attendant remembered that the Airstream was there a week earlier to be detailed. The detailer wasn’t yet at his post so I left a message for his associate. The detailer called me an hour or so later and I asked him to pass along my name and number to the Airstream owner. The owner and I eventually connected later that day and went to see the Airstream.

Curiously the 16′ trailer was called “Bambi” in the posting. The owner told us that the smaller models are referred to as Bambi. How adorable.
We learned that the owner also had the trailer listed on eBay and had others interested. Our negotiations at the time were fruitless.

Dear husband encouraged me to wait until the eBay auction ended in half a week and then we’d get back in touch with the owner. I feared that we’d lose Bambi. And how convenient that she lived in the same town?! I proceeded to turn in to an unbearable nutcase annoying both Frank and my parents with my unwarranted fears and outrage.

The auction ended and Bambi was still available a week later. We negotiated for a little less and on October 9th, 2013 Bambi found  a new home.

Looking back I realize we were probably a little too enamored and wide-eyed in our purchase. We didn’t test ANYTHING – we didn’t hook up to water or power to make sure everything worked. The owner seemed like a nice enough guy, telling us that he bought her and then got sick and wasn’t able to even use her once! There had only been one owner before him. She was only four years old. Seemed legit.

When we got her home Frank ran an extension cord to the microwave power outlet in the kitchen to get her fired up. I heated a frozen pizza and popped a bottle of bubbly to celebrate at Bambi’s table inside.