The Short Version

Our experience buying a new 2024 Airstream Flying Cloud 30FB Office from Airstream of Colorado was flat-out exemplary. Every single staff member we interacted with was jovial, professional, responsive, eager to please, and so extraordinarily helpful that it was slightly shocking. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being our idea of what buying an Airstream should be like, this dealership easily scored an 11. I know that will sound like an exaggerated claim, as though I was paid to write it, but it’s completely true and totally justified. This post was neither sponsored nor solicited by Airstream of Colorado. Furthermore, as I’ll elaborate on below, our experience wasn’t 100% perfect either. Of course, nothing in life is “perfect” and we had no illusions that this transaction would meet such an impossible standard. However, in a world where most Airstream dealerships have reputations that seem to range from mediocre to poor, it’s an understatement to say our experience at Airstream of Colorado was refreshing. If you’re in the market for a new Airstream, we highly recommend working with the folks at Airstream of Colorado—even if you’re nowhere near Denver, Colorado.

The Upgrade We Never Wanted

On September 24, 2023, just as we were lying down to go to sleep, we were assaulted by a monster hailstorm that torpedoed us with ice rocks as large as three inches in diameter. After nearly an hour of watching hail stones rain down like cruise missiles, we knew there was no way our 2022 Airstream Flying Cloud 30FB Office would escape serious damage. Sure enough, a few weeks later, we got word from our insurance provider that our cherished camper—only 19 months old at the time—was a total loss.

We were floored. Sure, the exterior had some pretty serious dings, but totaled? That didn’t seem even remotely possible. Now, instead of taking our Airstream out for another adventure on the road, it would soon be headed for the scrapyard or the auction block. There was a silver lining, however. In the event of a total loss, our insurance policy entitled us to a brand new RV of a similar make and model. That meant we’d be getting a brand new Airstream Flying Cloud Office, like we had before, except this one would be a 2024 model year. It would be the “free” upgrade we never wanted or expected.

Immediately after receiving this news we started scouring the internet, hunting for an Airstream dealership that had a 2024 Flying Cloud 30FB Office in stock that checked all our boxes. It needed to have the queen bed, solar package, awning package, convection oven upgrade, and the Seattle Mist interior. It didn’t take long to find two dealerships that satisfied our requirements. One was a mere 200 miles away. The other was closer to 1,000. The first had an awful reputation. The latter had better reviews. We called both to ask some initial questions. The guy at the first dealer launched into a misguided sales pitch without asking us a single question, blathering on about features of the trailer that were irrelevant to us. (“It sleeps up to six people!!”) The guy at the second dealer, Andre Gates at Airstream of Colorado, talked to us like fellow human beings. He was friendly, easygoing, and knowledgeable. Any question we asked, he had the answer at the ready.

We never contacted the first dealer again.

Locking It In

Eager to ward off any other potential buyers who might swoop in and steal “our” Airstream, we were ready to put down a deposit shortly after that initial conversation with Andre. Unfortunately, we couldn’t. At that point we still didn’t have a clear idea of how the sales process would work given our insurance situation. We knew only that we were entitled to a new RV of the same make and model, provided that its price tag didn’t exceed 120% of what we paid for our now-totaled trailer. Without more information, we were stuck in a holding pattern. We had no choice but to squirm in our chairs and wait. What are the odds, we asked ourselves, of someone spontaneously buying this particular trailer at this particular time? Who in their right mind buys a new RV at the outset of winter in Colorado? No one, right? We were candid with Andre about our situation and for all he knew, he was wasting his time on us. But if the precariousness of our potential sale concerned him, he didn’t let on. Instead, he hopped on a FaceTime call and walked us through the trailer inside and out, always promptly returned our phone calls to answer our endless questions, and never pressured us about anything.

After an anxious few days, we finally got the scoop on how the insurance process would work. Our insurance provider required two quotes from two separate dealerships for the same make and model RV. The lower of the two quotes would be the final price that insurance would pay us. Beyond that, we faced zero additional restrictions. We could make a purchase from any dealer we wanted and we could add any additional options we wanted at our own expense. This freedom was a huge relief for us. Buying a new RV isn’t exactly like picking up a new pair of jeans at Target. We wanted to work with a dealership that would treat us well—especially given the extra complexities surrounding our insurance payout. We also wanted to add a few aftermarket options that weren’t on our original trailer: a three-inch lift kit, a Victron smart shunt, and Battle Born lithium batteries. At this point, our potential transaction with Airstream of Colorado hinged on only one singular factor: the price.

Our insurance rep obtained the first quote for us. He called a dealership close to our home that had a 2024 Flying Cloud Office in stock. It wasn’t an exact match—it had twin beds, not a queen, and the interior color was wrong—but it didn’t matter. As long as Airstream of Colorado could match that price, we’d be cleared to put down a deposit and proceed with the purchase. We texted Andre and waited, bracing for disappointment. The answer came back within a couple of hours. They could do it. The Airstream was ours! Andre immediately put us in touch with their finance manager who secured our pending transaction with a deposit.

Pre-Delivery Inspection

The day before our scheduled delivery date, as we approached Denver on the I-25 freeway, we gave the dealer a call and asked if we could swing by and check out our new toy. Come on by, they told us! Finally, we could meet in person everyone who we’d been working with for the past several weeks! We could also informally inspect the trailer without the pressure of a looming delivery. This was just one example among many where Airstream of Colorado truly stood out for their eager willingness to be accommodating.

When we arrived in the parking lot, we were struck by the building’s spectacularly boring facade. If it weren’t for the legions of Airstreams parked neatly in rows behind a gate and a makeshift vinyl banner emblazoned with their name, you’d never recognize the place as an Airstream dealer. This will most certainly change over time—the facility is brand new to them, after all—but at first we weren’t certain we had the right place.

We walked inside and asked for the finance manager, Charlie, who had become our primary point of contact. (Probably a situation unique to us since we started this process when Windish and Airstream of Colorado were more or less the same business.) We made our introductions with hugs and celebratory cheers for a few brief moments before Charlie eagerly led us over to their huge indoor showroom like Willy Wonka taking us through the gates of his Chocolate Factory. Along the way we met Dave, the store’s general manager, and Mike, the service manager. The trailer wasn’t fully prepped just yet, they cautioned, but we were free to step inside and check everything out.

This impromptu pre-delivery inspection proved auspicious. While all the major things were as expected—queen bed, awning package, solar package, convection oven, gray interior, three-inch lift, smart shunt—at the last minute I opened the battery box to confirm that lithium batteries were installed. But instead of “Battle Born”, I was greeted with the comparatively mundane term “Lifeline”. Confused, I asked about it. Somehow in all the commotion of our remote purchase and their move to a new facility, one line item in our purchase order got missed. They’d fix it, no problem, but they asked if we could delay our delivery appointment tomorrow by three hours so they had enough time to make the change. That meant we’d be getting started at 1:00 pm, giving us only about four hours to complete our walkthrough, sign all the paperwork, and then drive to our destination before all the day’s light was gone. Not ideal, but we agreed. If we didn’t take delivery on Saturday, we’d have to wait until the following Tuesday because they’re closed on Sundays and Mondays. That wouldn’t leave much time for a thorough shakedown trip before we had to head back home to Texas.

Somewhere in the midst of all this, we realized that FedEx was supposed to have delivered the insurance check to Airstream of Colorado by the close of business today. It was already nearly 5:00 pm, so time was running out. Jill checked the tracking information and our stomachs clenched when she read the latest status update out loud. It claimed that FedEx had attempted delivery but no one was available, so delivery was rescheduled for the following business day—next Tuesday. We all stared at each other blankly. The doors to the building were unlocked. Several employees were milling about, right near the main entrance. It seemed impossible that a delivery driver had honestly made any attempt to deliver the envelope containing this crucial component of our pending transaction.

What happened next was the first of two moments where Airstream of Colorado truly went above and beyond for us. Charlie immediately got on the phone with FedEx customer service to track down the whereabouts of our check. She learned that it was at a FedEx facility several miles away and could be picked up anytime before they closed. However, since it was addressed to Charlie, only she was authorized to retrieve it. Your standard, run-of-the-mill RV dealership would have simply shrugged and said “I guess we’ll be postponing your delivery date!” Not here. Charlie, lighthearted as ever, casually said she’d swing by the FedEx building on her way home, collect the envelope, and have it ready for us when we arrived at the dealer the following afternoon. We could have hugged her. (Jill probably did.)

Delivery Day

By the time we got back to our hotel, Charlie had already texted to let us know she had successfully retrieved our check from the local FedEx office. With nothing left that could potentially sabotage our delivery, we fell asleep with our minds clear. The next day we arrived at Airstream of Colorado about half an hour early, hoping to get a head start on the proceedings. The earlier we started, the more daylight we’d have for the drive home. Fortunately, they were ready for us. Mike, the service manager, gave us a thorough walk-through that spanned perhaps two hours, answering all our questions and curiosities as we went. Now that our Battle Born batteries were installed, everything was pretty much good to go. A few very minor issues would be addressed before we completed our paperwork. The only item that would take a bit longer was the office floor mat, which was warped beyond redemption due to the way it was packaged for transport. They’d have to order a new one for us and have it shipped to our home.

After the walkthrough, we moseyed back over to Charlie’s office to sign our names at least 827 times on approximately 459 different documents. (Only a mild exaggeration.) By this time I was sneaking glances at the clock on my phone every few minutes. I had wanted at least a solid hour of pre-sunset daylight to make the 45-minute trek to the RV park. Although Charlie did her very best to move us briskly through the endless stream of papers, it increasingly looked like I would not get my wish.

When our last signature was finally in place, we collected our keys and headed to the parking lot where our sparking new Airstream awaited us. We snapped a few quick pictures with the Airstream of Colorado crew, thanked them profusely for everything, hitched up, and hit the road.

The Shake Down Trip

We pulled into the Yogi Bear Jellystone park in Larkspur eight minutes after the sun had dropped below the horizon. Luckily for us, the park was sparsely populated and our spot was spacious with few obstacles. We managed to back into our spot and unhitch the truck before darkness consumed the area, but only barely. The remainder of our setup was done by the light of a headlamp as the temperature neared freezing. But we had made it! We spent the following few days installing our ProPride hitch and playing with every feature, function, and gadget on the trailer, looking for anything that might need attention from the dealer before we headed back to Texas. After a few days, we had a list ready.

• One entire side of the trailer, including one of the curved solar rock guards, was marred with fine scratches. It looked like someone had used one of those green scotch-brite scrub sponges to clean it.
• One stabilizer jack was so wobbly that it was nearly impossible to operate with a power drill.
• The drapes in the bedroom were stained with dark and very prominent streaks of dirt. Vacuuming and scrubbing with a damp cloth didn’t help.
• The foam insulation that sits in between the fridge and its enclosure was bulging like pieces of bologna protruding out from between two pieces of bread.

Mostly small stuff. And while the scratches were only clearly visible when the sun hit the exterior just right, we were disappointed and made an appointment to return to Airstream of Colorado the following Wednesday morning. They then replaced the stabilizer jack, cleaned the drapes, replaced the scratched solar guard, fixed the bulging insulation around the fridge, and then demonstrated to us the small miracle known as Walbernize. I had long since dismissed this famous wax despite the devout loyalty it has earned from legions of Airstreamers. But as soon as I saw those scratches disappear from our aluminum exterior with the application of a few dabs of that bright pink ointment, I became an instant convert. It made a huge improvement.

While this work was being done, Charlie did us another totally unexpected favor, forever appreciated, and far beyond the kind of help you’d get from most dealerships. It was so unusual and unique to our situation that it’s not worth elaborating on the details. Suffice it to say that “above and beyond” is an understatement. When we headed back to Larkspur that afternoon, we were a little sad that we wouldn’t see any of these kind folks again for quite some time. They were all an absolute joy to work with.

Was it worth the 2,000-mile round trip?

We are convinced that the dealer close to our home would never have treated us as magnificently as Airstream of Colorado did. So yes, the long drive to Denver and back was absolutely worth it to us. When making a purchase of this size—especially for an RV that will inevitably have unexpected problems—we think it’s imperative to work with a business that places a high premium on customer satisfaction. So many dealerships, Airstream included, seem hopelessly and depressingly transactional. You spend six figures on a luxury toy and as soon as your check clears, they can barely remember your name let alone return a phone call when you need follow-up service. That was our experience after buying our first Airstream and I constantly see similar complaints online from other owners. We were committed to avoiding a situation like that ever again, and we’re extremely pleased to have discovered Airstream of Colorado.

We wholeheartedly recommend Airstream of Colorado, even if Denver isn’t exactly right around the corner from you. We only wish every Airstream dealer was this good.