Serendipity

So here we were with a large truck, a small trailer, and a big idea. What next?

The next big decision was which Airstream would we want to live in for months at a stretch? Some choices were made for us. Touring coaches were out. If we were going to get a motorized chassis, we would have gotten a vehicle that could be towed, not one to do the towing. Also out were older models and queen beds. Remember my height problem with the Basecamp? Sometime around 2016 Airstream introduced ducted air conditioning, giving more interior clearance. Prior to that, a/c units protruded down into the cabin, reducing headroom. In the older, pre-ducted trailers I’d have to duck under the air conditioner. Not good. Airstream queen beds are truncated as well – a few inches shorter than I am – so we had to settle for twin.

Weight was no problem. As I mentioned before, Tiny could tow any Airstream trailer. Length then? Airstream makes models from 16 feet all the way up to 33 feet. I think the trick is to select the shortest trailer you figure you’d be comfortable in given your planned usage. The shorter your RV, the easier it is to maneuver and tow, the better your fuel economy, the more campsites you can fit, and so on. Some considerations for us: closet space, bathroom size, bed size, kitchen counter area and sink size, space for a cat (or 2 or 3, as it turned out) and a litter box. Looking at the Airstream line, we selected 27 feet as a minimum size.

Now, which model and floor plan? As you go up the line, you generally get better appointments (higher-end finishes), more amenities (like motorized dinettes, awnings and stabilizers), and more conveniences (such as an app for remote monitoring and system control). We settled on the Globetrotter 27FB Twin in Dark Walnut with Copenhagen Cream interior¹. This not only had options and finishes we liked, but was also very likely to fit our projected budget after we sold our house. Our top choice was a Classic 30RB Twin in Comfort White with Earl Grey Ultraleather¹ but the moon and stars would have to align for that one. New ones cost more than we were willing to spend, even if the house we were going to sell fetched a good enough price, and used ones were very rare since the Comfort White option was only just introduced in 2020.

No matter which trailer we pursued, there was also the matter of raging demand.

How did things turn out? Back in my Origins post, I said there was a story behind the trailer name. If I haven’t made it obvious enough, you’ve probably already guessed that, serendipitously, the moon and stars did align.

We visited our Airstream dealer to inquire about some warranty work we needed on Robin and, well, to see what we could see. The receptionist said it would be a minute before someone could help us and that we could browse their inventory while we waited. A few steps into the rather empty showroom ... Could it be? Looks to be about 30 feet! Isn't that the Classic nameplate? It is! And it's Comfort White inside! OK, it's Café Latte Ultraleather. We’ll take our good fortune and not curse the style gods. And it's used – only 3 months old and spot-on our budget. Of course we took it. How could we not? And so begins the tale of our new trailer, naturally named Serendipity.

Ready to hit the road!

¹Links show current models, but you'll get the idea.