The Bambi is arguably the most widely admired Airstream model ever built.
From a design standpoint, it secured its claim to fame by becoming a featured display in New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). It’s sleek, it’s round, it’s pleasing to the eye. It’s just so darn … cute.
Do RVs get any more cute?
From a camping standpoint, the Bambi’s pluses and minuses all relate to its size.
On the plus side, you can probably tow a Bambi with a bicycle. They are the lightest trailers that Airstream makes, so you needn’t worry about buying a gargantuan big rig truck to enjoy the thing. And they include just about every crucial amenity an RV’er needs.
Europe's Bambi 422: Somehow, they squeeze an entire house into about 10 square feet.
The down side? Hey, it’s a pretty small space. You probably wouldn’t want to fulltime in a Bambi. But for weekend trips, tailgating, and all around fun, the Bambi is tough to beat!
When Kristy and I first began RV shopping, we considered picking up a vintage Bambi. At the time, we were looking at RVs for the purpose of simple weekend trips. Of course, we eventualy chose something larger to accomodate our more ambitious plans, but I can appreciate the appeal of the Bambi.
Airstream has launched a new Bambi model in Europe, the Bambi 422 (apparently Europeans like numbers). Airstream makes special models for European use, to best navigate the more narrow roads of the Continent. The Euro models are also lighter in weight, to better accomodate those cute little European tow vehicles.
Who knows, perhaps one day Kristy and I will hit the European highways towing one of those sleek European Airstreams. It would be a fun and natural extension of our overseas camping adventures.
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I’m happy to report that our return from Argentina went without a hitch. It took me several days to bounce back (I must be getting old!), but I’m now rested and ready to work on TheLongLongHoneymoon.com. Stay tuned for fresh video of a distinctly Argentine flavor.
The compact small, short not too long honeymoon. Just think the EU’s can pack in 6 kids 2 dogs and the family duck all while pulling it with the vespa. Then again where did the kids come from? go figure… grin…. With this thing… your honeymoon RV days are numbered (Europeans like numbers) Now just think what they could do with a 25 footer… does farrari make a trailer hitch ?
LOL GMAs, they actually say you can tow this Bambi with a VW Golf! It’s pretty amazing to me that they cram all of the amenities in so small a space.
That said, I’m still a little unsure about the toilet situation. I know it has a fresh water tank, but I’m not sure about the black. In fact, I think it may lack that feature. If so, that’s a pretty big downside.
Our camper van in Argentina lacked a black water tank, so the toilet was a plastic portable thingy. Let’s just say that the phrases “Monetzuma’s Revenge” and “portable toilet” really should not go together… 😉
No more like… whats that smell…indicator when its full… LOL… the EU’s use a little portable dolly tank that sets on the ground under the RV.. for the black water… (they charge for the dumping of it too) In Some campground the things come with the rental space…as they don’t have sewer hookups… instead use it later.. saved in tanks for farm nitrogen…
A lot of the more parks over their now seem to have the same as ours. But, the power is 220 volt only… no 120… so make sure you get a stepdown transformer for your goodies… otherwise your elect shaver will have a mind of its own… and Kristies hair turbo dryer might doubble as a blow torch… (what gray hair!!!) least for a short while… Try looking for fam camps…they are all over the place.. some right downtown… grin…
Ya you think this is small.. try camping in a VW pop top bus for a month… by the time your done.. you know where every crack and seam is in the thing… grin… now that is small… every time you want to do something.. you have to have a chineese fire drill… and convert… no waisted space… Heck you even can rent out the gas tank as a basement condo complex… with pool… for the dog… so he walks a little funny in the morning from all them gas fumes… he’ll get over it… but, don’t give him any of the tap water.. or you will be sorry… big time…
From one world traveler to a newbie… only drink beer or bottled stuff.. that has not been opend… the exception is wine and hard drinks… their the alc takes care of the bacteria… never.. ever ever drink the water…unless its been boiled and bottled… your body is not akin to it.. however, if you do …after a while.. it would be… but, that makes sitting down a problem for about a week or two…
If you have to drink the water.. use the pills, boil it for 15 min…or one of them little pump thingiees… and event then… you could be effected…
Shower, shave and .. well you know…. using their water.. but, again… put a warning sign on the faucet… not drinkable… (red circle with a slash bar through a glass) besides. gives you a good excuse to get that tall neck out of the refrig… (beer is about 80% water you know)
If you head off to spain or italy …. others.. you will notice they always drink osso (sp) not water… but don’t tell Kristie..its good… or she will hord it all…and you will never get to leave…. Also I found that women over their drink flavored schnapps … really good stuff… or wine…(their wine they keep is not bad) again don’t tell kristie… about it… she will be putting it in her mint juleps from then on… grin… and you’ll be sorry… nothing like a buzzed woman on your hands…to make life …. ahhh interesting… (ouch thats going to leave a mark…)
Happy trails… G.M>
Thanks G.M., that is really interesting about the portable dolly tank. That must be what Airstream is using for the Euro Bambi.
With regard to drinking the water, I know, I know… Where I have a problem isn’t at lunch and dinner…it’s in these situations:
Brushing my teeth (I know…use bottled water!)
Taking a shower (gotta keep any stray droplets of water out of your mouth)
Drinking coffee (I guess it just shouldn’t be done)
We decided that my condition was probably caused by drinking coffee in restaurants. Apparently it takes several minutes of boiling to kill the illness-causing microbes, and most coffee makers do not do the job. When I made my own coffee, I used bottled water. But I also had coffee in restaurants.
In the future, whenever we head “south of the border” I am packing some antibiotics. I’m always careful, but seem to get affected anyway!
Coffee… ya depends on how its made.. most new brewers don’t hardly boil the water… but your right… not long enough at public places. If in doubt.. boil it for 15 min.. and then put it in the coffee brewer… and let it do its magic. However, I usually rense mine out first with the boiled water.. to insure no bug are still attached so to speak… Yes its in the water.. most food is cooked long enough (except for greens and salids which is rensed in tap water most of the time) to kill the bugs… If not BBQ till it turns a little… grin…
As to the bottled water… we found that some places already have the seal broken… ahhh wrong.. we tell the server.. please do not break the seal… if it is we won’t take it… we actually found that some take the bottle back and fill it from the tap… then sell it as bottled water…to you again… ahhhhh nope…
So just a few things to watch out for traveling outside the US.. actually even in the US now a days too…
it gest worse as you get older… beer is the best bet.
Hey on another note did you see AS is making a new box trailer called the scout.. or something… like the bambi for EU.
We are see’n a lot of people looking at the new toy haulers due to the fraims having problems in the AS. Here is a typical adventure that is interesting to read… note his trailer falling apart…
http://hamnqvist.org/vacations/alaska06/index.htm
Yet we are seeing others go to smaller rather than larger now also. Seems they can pull a teardrop and have about as much fun… of course taking a shower outside is a real adventure also…but, hey its camping… We already have a heat exchanger we built for the hot water coming off the engine… use a elect pump and 5 gal water tank.. old water saver shower head… works good… but we also now have it plumbed back to the trailer… so that while were going down the road.. we get hot water going through a heater core.. thus when you get into the trailer after going down the road… the thing is already warm and nice… all water is seperate from the coolant system.. so if it leaks.. no big deal..
speaking of downsizing.. we also are seeing a lot of people going back to the camper on the back of the PU… about 60 inches high from the bed of the truck… they use them for weekenders and travel away from the trailer… Vans are also making a comeback as a tow vehicle.. from what were seeing.. they have a more multi use-ability… as people downsize due to economy… they are consolidating the vehicles into two only… one for town one for fun…n play…
things are a changing.. and I think AS knows that … and thus why they are coming out with smaller units again… .
GMAs, good tip on the coffee.
And I think you are absolutely right about the bottled water! At least once we ordered bottled and when it was brought to the table the seal was already broken. I should have sent it back.
Often when we are overseas I order mineral water “with gas” because to my knowledge they can’t get that stuff out of a tap.
But as a general rule, I will commit to drinking more beer. It’s a good policy, regardless of where we may find ourselves.
Yes, the Airstream Scout is really interesting. In fact, I think it merits a new blog post! When we were at a big Pennsylvania RV show last year, we saw a few vintage style campers that were similar. It certainly makes sense for Airstream to get a share of this business.
The Alaska trip you reference looks really interesting. We would like to make that journey someday. Who knows, maybe later this year! Stranger things have happened.
I have a friend who took a pickup truck camper to the Arctic Circle and back (starting in Alabama). What’s really funny is that he was driving a BRAND NEW truck. He put like 25,000 miles on the truck in the first month! Along the way, the A/C failed, the windshield cracked, and he needed to replace the gas tank. 🙂
Yep its AK’s 50th state this year… so lots of happenings up their.. might want to see about making some plans … if you can still get in.. the AK inland water marine highway ferry boats are booking fast.
We are going to do the drive, boat, drive, train, drive, boat…. home. (and in record time of 2 weeks too..) Putting the AS and truck on the AK ferry is the only way to go when your exhausted from driving… Take the Ferry and Plan Your Own Alaskan Adventure… well that being said… driving and camping is also a adventuer of its own.. so you get camping, driving, fantastic views/pictures, train ride, aircraft sightseeing and a cruse on the boat to boot… not bad for a first time adventuer hitting all the transportation modes…
Ahhh well if not Beer… then ask ’em for a bottle of low cal diet water still sealed when delivered… (have Kristie jump in and say… make that two… I’ll have one also…) but make sure you do it with a somber face… LOLLLL They will know your from hollyweard for sure…