LiamO86
New member
Hey everyone,
In search of the ideal travel mobile for our small family (Myself, wife, 17 month old daughter and our dog), I was racking my brain trying to figure out if we wanted to do the trailer route, rooftop tent, canvas tent, etc. All have pros and cons. I have a 2005 DC Tundra that I have been able to get to some really great places but didn't really fit the bill for a family rig. Then I came across this 1989 Ford E-350 Airstream / Okanagan with 58k miles. I couldn't pass it up and I think it will do us well on the somewhat maintained Forest Service Roads and lightly used campgrounds. It's a thirsty 460, 3 speed automatic but overall runs great. Aside from taking care of some plumbing stuff and basic maintenance, we'll have her out on her maiden voyage this weekend. I was happy to find that all appliances work minus the leaky toilet and shower which isn't a deal breaker, I'll get around to replacing when I can. The main thing for us was warm and dry shelter and looks like we've found it for the time being.
Ideally, I would like to upgrade the suspension components to have a minor lift to keep the rear hitch rack from dragging and better overall load support. 4x4 is a dream that wouldn't come to fruition anytime soon, so I was thinking something like a rear locker or tru-trac might be a good alternative. Honestly, true overlanding in this beast is probably not going to happen, but being able to get through some slick forest access roads and minor snow if needed would put me at ease. Anyways, just wanted to check in and see what everybody else is up to in here. Look forward to exploring!
In search of the ideal travel mobile for our small family (Myself, wife, 17 month old daughter and our dog), I was racking my brain trying to figure out if we wanted to do the trailer route, rooftop tent, canvas tent, etc. All have pros and cons. I have a 2005 DC Tundra that I have been able to get to some really great places but didn't really fit the bill for a family rig. Then I came across this 1989 Ford E-350 Airstream / Okanagan with 58k miles. I couldn't pass it up and I think it will do us well on the somewhat maintained Forest Service Roads and lightly used campgrounds. It's a thirsty 460, 3 speed automatic but overall runs great. Aside from taking care of some plumbing stuff and basic maintenance, we'll have her out on her maiden voyage this weekend. I was happy to find that all appliances work minus the leaky toilet and shower which isn't a deal breaker, I'll get around to replacing when I can. The main thing for us was warm and dry shelter and looks like we've found it for the time being.
Ideally, I would like to upgrade the suspension components to have a minor lift to keep the rear hitch rack from dragging and better overall load support. 4x4 is a dream that wouldn't come to fruition anytime soon, so I was thinking something like a rear locker or tru-trac might be a good alternative. Honestly, true overlanding in this beast is probably not going to happen, but being able to get through some slick forest access roads and minor snow if needed would put me at ease. Anyways, just wanted to check in and see what everybody else is up to in here. Look forward to exploring!
