First She Had to Take a Ride on a Boat | 1957

[Hittenstiehl]

Pbearsailor/Steve

Nice to see you posting. I actually went onto your blog and also checked the forums to make sure you had been heard of in a while. That concern from a stranger, seemed almost a bit unusual, but your story postings touched a lot of lives. How did your awning turn out and are you still in Why.

Take Care

[pbearsailor]

Originally Posted by Hittenstiehl

Pbearsailor/Steve

Nice to see you posting. I actually went onto your blog and also checked the forums to make sure you had been heard of in a while. That concern from a stranger, seemed almost a bit unusual, but your story postings touched a lot of lives. How did your awning turn out and are you still in Why.

Take Care

Thanks.

I've been a slacker on both this thread and the blog lately--no excuses.

Just finishing the second year camp hosting in Port Hadlock and just a little over two years living full time in this old trailer. Brissy the cat and I will start wandering slowly south in about a month to escape the Pacific Northwet for the cold months. No plans and we are sticking to them.

Trailer has been fabulous. Everything (well, almost everything) has worked the way I wanted it to and nothing has broken. Pulls easily with the Tundra and fits in any campsite. Does need extra time budgeted when we stop for gas and the like as there are usually questions.

Oh, the awning has been great! It's been up 24 hours a day all summer except for a couple of blows. Handles the wind well and is easy to setup by myself. Makes the trailer a lot bigger.

cheers,
steve

[John&Vicki]

I'm a newcomer to the Airstream world. I read this entire thread today and just wanted you know that I have great respect for you - on many levels. Thanks very much for sharing.

Poppy

[Chillpoints]

It was great to see your thread pop up this morning in my feed. Glad to see you are doing well. I for one would love to see your continuing story again. Some folks anxiously await the next book from their favorite author. Some of us look forward to the next post from our favorite sailor/restorer. You have inspired many of us along the way. Thanks...... we hope you keep posting now that you rediscovered the keyboard.

[Air-Texas]

Originally Posted by Chillpoints

It was great to see your thread pop up this morning in my feed. Glad to see you are doing well. I for one would love to see your continuing story again. Some folks anxiously await the next book from their favorite author. Some of us look forward to the next post from our favorite sailor/restorer. You have inspired many of us along the way. Thanks...... we hope you keep posting now that you rediscovered the keyboard.

Pbearsailor, Ditto to all of the above!

[Morgan guy]

Steve,
Just finished reading your entire story. You are an inspiration to more than you know. I hope life is settling down to a good routine. I have enjoyed the story of Island Girl's restoration and admired your work. I as well as many of the members were saddened by your loss of Pam. Thanks for sharing it with all of us.
Ron

[pbearsailor]

Letting my old thread slide again. But a thousand nights in a row in this old trailer is pretty good isn't it? Brissy the cat and I have now done one difficult winter in Washington state and two much easier winters traveling as far south as Organ Pipe National Monument on the Mexican border. We've probably put something like 5000 miles on it each winter. For the summers, I'm just started the third one as a campground host at Oak Bay, a small county park south of Port Townsend.

Full timing in a 22' fifty seven year old trailer has been just fine. All the systems work the way I had hoped they would and most importantly Island Girl has been just about totally reliable. I had a pressure water pump fail, but it was already a few years old being sourced from my boat. A couple of months ago I saw one of my door side windows flapping in the wind going down the road. The crank arm, one of the originals, had broken and was a five minute fix with a spare onboard. One Bal jack screw has stripped out and I haven't come up with a good and easy fix for that. Good I can see how to do, but easy is proving harder. I also replaced the HepvO valve in the galley with a conventional P trap and air admittance valve. Special mention for being absolute crap is the plastic latch for the RM2510 fridge which is now up to three spring failures.

Solar. I liked solar a lot on the boat and I like it even more on the trailer. I started with two panels taken from the boat with a 110 watts total and I was OK for the first two years, but I had to be careful. Last fall I stopped at AM Solar and replaced my panels with two 100 watt panels. I already used their mounts with the 3M tape. I had plenty of power all winter and only had electrical hookups for maybe three nights. I am careful with use, have all LED lights and don't run any high power items. I do rotate the panels into the sun with the AM Solar arms if parked for a few days, but I do fine even with them flat.

I did buy a Honda eu2000i generator. This winter it was used exclusively to run the microwave and the all important espresso machine. The generator is great, starts on the first pull always, and is quiet. Even though I do not depend on it, I'd never consider buying a cheaper generator. The campground host in me hates to see anything other than Hondas and Yamahas.

The Dickinson Newport heater. I had the diesel version on the boat, but always envied the folks that had the clean and easy to light propane model. Now that I have the propane version on the trailer, it's been as good as I'd hoped. There's no ducting like a furnace, so I do have to be a little careful with my tanks below the floor, but it's been fine in temperatures down to 20 degrees or so. It is colder back by the bed and warmer up front but that works fine. It usually gets turned off at night unless it's below freezing and then it runs all night. The 12 volt power draw is extremely small which is a big reason solar works so well (no furnace blower to run).

Internet is with Millenicom with a MiFi running through an external antenna. Millenicom just had a price increase making it not quite the great deal it was, but I still like the ability to have internect without a contract. About the only place I haven't had coverage in my wanderings has been Joshua Tree. It's probably good for me to be forced off the internet a couple of weeks a year when I'm in there.

The awning has been great--makes the trailer bigger. It has an aluminum tube in it along the long edge that is used to roll the awning for storage in a bag mounted on the awning rail. It takes maybe a minute to roll it up when the wind gets too strong and that was the goal when we made it. It gets used if it's easy to setup and storing it on the trailer means I don't have to find a place to store it.

Appreciate those of you who have posted in this thread. Apologies to those recent ones I haven't responded to.

cheers,
steve

[Melody Ranch]

You The Man! I follow you all the time (when you check in) and hope to meet you on the road someday. Those photos are the best.

[SteveSueMac]

Gorgeous pics!!

[Jammer]

Steve,

Glad to hear you're doing well and that your trailer is working to your satisfaction. Your comments on the specifics of your solar and furnace installation are insightful. So often we hear of these installations and have no idea how they work in the long run. Enjoyed the photos also.

[nmbosa]

Steve, what a great update and amazing photos. Glad to hear things are going well on your travels. Are you back in the Northwest yet this year?

Norm

[pbearsailor]

Originally Posted by nmbosa

Steve, what a great update and amazing photos. Glad to hear things are going well on your travels. Are you back in the Northwest yet this year?

Norm

Yes, Norm, been here about a month. Only one fifth wheel in the campground tonight, nice and quiet here looking out over the water across the sound towards Edmonds. Come on up when you can.

Cheers,
steve

[Hittenstiehl]

Steve, so nice to see a post an update and glad to hear how you and Brissy are doing. Your pictures are beautiful. We had just talked about you at the Vintage Trailer Academy while discussing various heaters.

May we ask why you took out your Hep-Vo filter, as we just installed two of them.

Take care.

[pbearsailor]

Originally Posted by Hittenstiehl

May we ask why you took out your Hep-Vo filter, as we just installed two of them.

Mine was in the galley and it was difficult to keep clean over time. It was fine for the first year or so, but then it started draining slowly and the sink drain had that gray tank smell. Maybe just me as there are a lot of them in use.

Cheers,
Steve

[Hittenstiehl]

Thanks for the response. We just learned from a restorer at VTA that the Hep-Vo works best horizontal which is how the shower was installed and seems the second one is not in yet. Although the packaging shows both horizontal and vertical installation and say' s venting is no longer needed maybe venting is still needed.

Thanks for your input.We will keep this all in mind when/if we install the second one.

Safe travels and if you are in Arizona this coming winter the 4CU unit has several rally's during the season.

[m.hony]

Attack cat?
I'm shakin' in my shoes!

[pbearsailor]

Originally Posted by m.hony

Attack cat?
I'm shakin' in my shoes!

I could tell you stories, but she'd kill me.

[Rrroberts40]

Hello Steve, been on the site for a while but never came across your story until today...I read thru it from the beginning and while it has been some time for you It has all happened for me in one day...I am so sorry for your loss and just wish to tell you that the rebuilding of your trailer is just plain inspiring...My wife and I are heading up to Brinnon Dosewallips campground on Tuesday and thought we would swing thru Oak Bay and see you & your wonderful trailer if time allows...I see there is a upper and lower area there so which would you be staying in? Your story over that 4+ year period was great and perhaps a book could be in your future? Anyway if we can we will swing thru and say hello...thanks for the truly great share!
Russ & Leslie Roberts

[pbearsailor]

Originally Posted by Rrroberts40

My wife and I are heading up to Brinnon Dosewallips campground on Tuesday and thought we would swing thru Oak Bay and see you & your wonderful trailer if time allows...I see there is a upper and lower area there so which would you be staying in?

Absolutely Russ, come on by. I'm in the upper and you'll see us as you come in the entrance. Weather looks good for next week so Dosewallips should be nice.

Thanks for your nice words. This forum was a big part of my support network during that time. 'Tis a very good group around here

steve

[tallytwo1994]

Originally Posted by pbearsailor

Letting my old thread slide again. But a thousand nights in a row in this old trailer is pretty good isn't it? Brissy the cat and I have now done one difficult winter in Washington state and two much easier winters traveling as far south as Organ Pipe National Monument on the Mexican border. We've probably put something like 5000 miles on it each winter. For the summers, I'm just started the third one as a campground host at Oak Bay, a small county park south of Port Townsend.

Full timing in a 22' fifty seven year old trailer has been just fine. All the systems work the way I had hoped they would and most importantly Island Girl has been just about totally reliable. I had a pressure water pump fail, but it was already a few years old being sourced from my boat. A couple of months ago I saw one of my door side windows flapping in the wind going down the road. The crank arm, one of the originals, had broken and was a five minute fix with a spare onboard. One Bal jack screw has stripped out and I haven't come up with a good and easy fix for that. Good I can see how to do, but easy is proving harder. I also replaced the HepvO valve in the galley with a conventional P trap and air admittance valve. Special mention for being absolute crap is the plastic latch for the RM2510 fridge which is now up to three spring failures.

Solar. I liked solar a lot on the boat and I like it even more on the trailer. I started with two panels taken from the boat with a 110 watts total and I was OK for the first two years, but I had to be careful. Last fall I stopped at AM Solar and replaced my panels with two 100 watt panels. I already used their mounts with the 3M tape. I had plenty of power all winter and only had electrical hookups for maybe three nights. I am careful with use, have all LED lights and don't run any high power items. I do rotate the panels into the sun with the AM Solar arms if parked for a few days, but I do fine even with them flat.

I did buy a Honda eu2000i generator. This winter it was used exclusively to run the microwave and the all important espresso machine. The generator is great, starts on the first pull always, and is quiet. Even though I do not depend on it, I'd never consider buying a cheaper generator. The campground host in me hates to see anything other than Hondas and Yamahas.

The Dickinson Newport heater. I had the diesel version on the boat, but always envied the folks that had the clean and easy to light propane model. Now that I have the propane version on the trailer, it's been as good as I'd hoped. There's no ducting like a furnace, so I do have to be a little careful with my tanks below the floor, but it's been fine in temperatures down to 20 degrees or so. It is colder back by the bed and warmer up front but that works fine. It usually gets turned off at night unless it's below freezing and then it runs all night. The 12 volt power draw is extremely small which is a big reason solar works so well (no furnace blower to run).

Internet is with Millenicom with a MiFi running through an external antenna. Millenicom just had a price increase making it not quite the great deal it was, but I still like the ability to have internect without a contract. About the only place I haven't had coverage in my wanderings has been Joshua Tree. It's probably good for me to be forced off the internet a couple of weeks a year when I'm in there.

The awning has been great--makes the trailer bigger. It has an aluminum tube in it along the long edge that is used to roll the awning for storage in a bag mounted on the awning rail. It takes maybe a minute to roll it up when the wind gets too strong and that was the goal when we made it. It gets used if it's easy to setup and storing it on the trailer means I don't have to find a place to store it.

Appreciate those of you who have posted in this thread. Apologies to those recent ones I haven't responded to.

cheers,
steve

I was so happy to see an update on this thread in my inbox. Been missing you. So good to hear how you've been doing, and every now and then I can just picture myself traveling your way to see your sweet Island Girl in person. BTW, I agree with Robin that those photos are the best. Thanks, Steve.

Carol