Lifting the Airstream

We've only had the Airstream on the road once, and we're already modifying it. Sounds a little drastic doesn't it?

Well, that one time we took the Airstream out, it scraped on the ground EVERY time we were in town. Gas stations, driveways, and parking lots caused it to scrape. We're not even 100% sure where it was scraping. Sometimes it was the blue ox equalizer bars, other times it was the rear skids. Something had to be done...

Before someone lifts their trailer, they need to evaluate the pros and cons, because there are definitely some downsides to raising your trailer.

We've got friends who have dented, or worse, ripped their steps entirely off when boondocking. While we don't plan on tackling any jeep trails with the Airstream, part of our long-term plan definitely involves boondocking and dirt roads. Some of our favorite camping spots are at the end of bumpy, pothole-filled roads, and we want to be prepared. Plus, with a 30 foot trailer, it doesn't take much to bottom it out on the ground.

Lifting the Airstream

If you've seen our van, you know we're not afraid of doing our own work, or of lifted vehicles. Dexter sells a 3" lift block for about $235 shipped. It came with all the hardware and instructions to install it. Click the video below to watch the install process.

So.. how do we like it?

Right after we installed it, we took it for a 50 mile spin to the CAT scales to get it weighed. Interestingly enough, the trailer only weighed 6600 lbs empty, which is less than we had expected. The trailer towed just fine. It was slightly more prone to wind, or it could have just been a gusty day.

To be honest, we haven't towed enough to have enough of a baseline to know how it compares. It still tows like a big, long, expensive trailer behind you, but there were no white-knucle moments. There were, however, plenty of times I didn't have to flinch when entering a gas station, that would have been problems before the lift. We're really happy with the outcome, and we will keep you posted on how we like it over time.