Greetings, Jim.
I, too have a great deal of respect for full-timers. I lived in a '70 Safari 23'
for about eight or nine months a few years back; my only experience with
full-timing. I did, however trailer with my folks when I was young, and have had
a number of trailers and travelled extensively since. My grandmother lived in a
28' early '50s something all through my preteen and teen years. When we visited,
we all stayed and slept on the couch and floor. I have fond memories of growing
up trailering, and I hope my children will as well.
Trailering in general and 'Airstreaming' in particular aren't about taking it all
with you, it's about adventure. The trailer allows you to take enough of 'home'
to be comfortable during your adventure, but it's not about taking 'home' around
the countryside. For that most of us need a moving van.
Full timers have found a way to balance taking 'stuff' with the desire to seek
adventure. That can be a difficult task of itself. For me, it's not too tough.
I'm not terribly attached to my 'stuff'. I'd rather experience life. But for
others, their 'stuff' is their life. Leaving it is traumatic.
Although it would seem that most of the subscribers to this list are taken with
their trailers (it's certainly true for me...), it's not the trailer itself that
holds the significance; it's that the trailer fits our vision of freedom to
experience life and seek out adventure. It's another piece of gear that helps
keep us comfortable in our quests. What we have in common is the love of
adventure, and a fondness for things unique.
It really doesn't matter a whole lot whether your trailer is a showpiece from the
'40s completely restored, or a gutted shell with a cot and a sterno stove. The
wonder of Airstreams is that they enable you to go and experience places that
others may only dream of. I don't get to travel as much as I'd like right now,
but just knowing that my A/S is there and ready to go gives me solace and is an
escape from the day-to-day drudgery.
Roger
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> I often wonder how anyone can live full time in a little bity A.S. trailerMy
> 24 ft Silver Albatross could not hold my library to say nothing of my
> personal possesions. Just taking a long trip in it can be a royal pain in the
> lower part of my torso. It has taken a full size woodworking shop jest to do
> the necessary interior maintaince to keep it looking half way decent inside I
> have spent some time replaceing the plumingto the kitchen sink which broke on
> our last trip(tubes sweated to the fawcet) I had to teare out the cabnet top
> to get at it .I was dismaied at the horrable workmanship in the cabnet. had
> to fabricate a new fiberglassand epoxy interior for it.While I was at it I
> hah to make a new top and stove crover the 1960s formaca looked like hell so
> I chose rosewood for the top.It will be done shortly I re inspected the floor
> and found a couple of imperfections so it will be necessary to re glass it.
> Next it will be necessary to replace the terrable overhead compartment doors
> with raised pannel walnut doors and to scribe the frames to the contour of
> the trailer .
> If I were a full timer I could not possably do any of this work. I dont think
> any othis work will add any value to the Silver Albatross.I keep seeing where
> people on this list are buying similar vintage trailers for less than I paid
> for this one. I dont know what I will do when I finish it. I can travel a lot
> cheeper and with less work with out it.
> Jim Smith
