Although Airstream specializes in building towable travel trailers, the company also makes a van conversion model called the Interstate. This type of RV is typically called a “Class B” motorhome.
If you’re new to the wonderful world of RV travel, all of these different RV classes can be confusing. Especially since Class C rigs are quite often larger than Class B (but rarely are they larger than Class A). I guess that’s a side benefit to buying an old-fashioned travel trailer — not only are there no “classes” to contend with, but most people can’t tell whether it’s 3 months old or 30 years old. It is what it is. But I digress…
I’ve often said that there’s no right or wrong with regard to RV size. It’s all a matter of what YOU want. The Interstate is for people who value maneuverability over living space and amenities. That’s not to say it’s not loaded — it’s crammed full of the good stuff — but it’s a relatively small package, just about as small as a motorized RV can be. The Interstate is van-sized, so you can park it just about anywhere.
Our truck-and-trailer rig, by contrast, is quite a handful. The trailer itself is 25-feet long, while the diesel truck SEEMORE clocks in at 19-feet. Add a few feet of hitching apparatus in between, and we have a rig that stretches well over 45-feet in length. Try maneuvering that through your favorite Taco Bell drive-thru!
Sometimes we have to hunt for an appropriate parking space. But as a rule of thumb, we just look to the most remote (think Siberia) outskirts of any parking lot. Usually there’s a decent patch of abandoned asphalt that suits us just fine.
Which leads us back (finally) to the Airstream Interstate. These things aren’t cheap, with an MSRP of $112,500. For their intended target market, they fit the bill perfectly, delivering a comfortable RV experience in a highly mobile 17 MPG package. But for people like Kristy and me, the traditional trailer and tow vehicle was the more attractive option.
Anyway, you can read the Wired review here:
We, too, prefer the trailer/tow vehicle combination. I guess I just have a problem needing to maintain another ‘vehicle’ that I would not drive that often. My truck is my daily driver and it also tows the trailer. It is also nice to have the truck for exploration after reaching any destination. You can use a toad with a motorhome but now you have 2! to maintain.
Just my 2 cents.
Now that we have a pickup truck, I wonder how we managed without one! We use it all the time (for example, when fetching Christmas trees…)
Also, I reached the same conclusion when comparing a towable RV vis-a-vis a Class A motorhome. I think the original idea of motorhomes was to eliminate the necessity for towing. But since Class A’s have grown in size, you now need a toad just to maneuver around town. So either way, you end up towing something. We decided to go the towable Airstream route and have no complaints.