IMO they are too small inside and have almost no storage. It would be hard to take a month long trip with a 25-28'. For 60-70,000 you get this, http://www.suttonrv.com/2012-airstream-i........erenity-28-new-travel-trailer-or-i452648
For around 31,000 you can get this AF. http://www.nelsonsrvs.com/rv/boise+id/no........veltrailer/2614/northwood+arctic+fox+25p
If you finace it then the Airstream would be apr 443.00 for 180 mths with a total of apx 80,000 total paid over the life of the loan.
The AF would be 244.00 a mth for 120 mths for a total of 35,000 paid over the 12 years. APR on both was 3.99%. I'm sure there are variables in all this. But how much will the AS be worth after 15 yrs. 20,000 in interest as opposed to 8,000 for the AF I'll take the more user freindly cheaper rig. Not sure it's worth the extra 200.00 a month. Basicaly you could buy 2 AF's for one AS.
I used an AF because they areone of the best bulit 4 season units out there.
I think you are missing the point or perhaps are really proving the opposite position. Folks that want Airstreams or Harleys or airplanes or expensive sailboats don't pencil the purchase out. Of course there are less expensive boats, motorcycles and RV's than Harleys, Hinkleys or Airstreams. But, that is not the point. If you want an Airstream you want an Airstream, not a Jayco or Northwood product. For the money the Arctic Fox is a lot of value. But that is not the issue here. A Honda is a lot of value for a motorcycle, too, but it is not a Harley. If you want a diesel pickup buy one; don't pencil it out as it relates to gassers. If you want an RV of any kind, it most likely does not pencil out especially since the Recreational Vehicle Industry Assn that maintains RV usage provides data that indicates that most RV's are not used twenty nights a year. For most (except perhaps full timers), the
pencil it out program would give way better value to purchasing a VW diesel Jetta or a Prius and staying in motels/hotels. But, that is not what RVing is all about and we all know that. So we spend money for what we want. And at the end of the day you will likely have to purchase three or four Foxes to get to the end of the life of one Airstream so in a way you proved the opposite point you tried to make. And in ten, twenty or forty years the new Foxes will cost more (if Northwood is still around), need to finance more dollars, pay more interest, new loans, new registration, new insurance, etc. One Airsteam is less expensive than three or four Foxes. In your own way-- you just proved that!
Northwood has been around 20 years, Airstream 80 years. And now to your math, take the $244 a month and multiply that times three (or four) AF units and the math actually works against the AF as it becomes over $732 in payments for 12 years or $244 for 36 years (three new loans for three AF units) instead of one AS payment of $443 for 15 years. Pretty simple, really. And I know there would be some value at the end of the AF's life, but not much since they depreciate to about half of new in five years. After 15 or 20 years they are not worth a whole heck of a lot. The AS could even be worth more than paid for new in forty or fifty years; not at all an uncommon occurance for a well cared for coach.
Hans Solo once said "never tell me the odds". RVers need to say "never pencil out the real costs". Why ruin a good thing?
