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Usnroberts · 05-31-2016, 12:12 PM

I am looking to purchase an Airstream and am having some reservations. I'd love any input from the community.

Main question: IS the Airstream tolerant to direct sun and heat in Florida and Louisiana? The park I'm going to for about 6 months at a time is not shaded but has all hookups in south Louisiana. Will it be an oven!?

Background: I just got new orders and will be moving to a new base. I spend about 2 years per place and already have a Florida home and looking to simplify life.

For perspective purposes I'm looking at a sport 22 or FC 20 or Safari 20 ect. The biggest bambis. It's just me.

SeaLevel · 05-31-2016, 12:18 PM

We camped this past weekend in FL, and it was pretty hot out. Our AS did fine at keeping the temperature at 75. We have the full awning package, which probably helped.

J. Morgan · 05-31-2016, 12:36 PM

I cant answer totally within context because the inside of my trailer is not stock but covered by wood and IMO better at holding off heat.

I have a 31 foot trailer with a 40+ year old 11,500 btu air conditioner. In the New Mexico sun at 100+ degrees it will keep my trailer livable (about 80 degrees or less in the heat of the day)

IF;

I pretty much leave the cooler turned on 24/7 via thermostat.

I cover the windows with the foil bubble wrap stuff.

When it gets REALLY HOT I shut the door and abandon the bathroom to the heat till evening.

Example. It is 94 outside right now. I had forgotten to turn the AC back on after switching it off this AM. (About 5 hours ago). I remembered my error while typing this post. It was 86 inside.

I have the windows facing west blocked with the bubble wrap stuff, but not the three facing east or the front or back. As it gets hotter I will block them too.

About 5 min of AC run time it is down to 81..... (Bath closed off)

Superat stultitia.

Alcoa Roller · 05-31-2016, 12:40 PM

I lived in mine for 2 years while on a project in Auburn Al. Similar heat but the park did have trees. You should be fine. Especially if you are at work during the day anyway.

I have a 63 Overlander that is 26'. I would suggest that for full time living you look at the largest unit you can afford. I found the 26' adequate for one but would not have been happy with anything smaller. I dont think you will be happy sitting at a dinette if you are living in it full time. You will want a comfortable sofa at least or better yet a very comfortable chair.

Good luck with your decision and thank you for your service.

J. Morgan · 05-31-2016, 01:06 PM

Update;

The trailer is now now 70 degrees.

Full sun 91 outside.

(I just opened up the bath room, I can cool it no problem today)

Superat stultitia.

**moosetags** · 05-31-2016, 01:44 PM

Welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us.

As to your question, you will probably do quite well with a 19' Bambi in the environs that you have mentioned.

We have been Airstreaming for ten years now, and have spent many summer nights in the the deep south in high temperatures with very high humidity. We have a 25FB, and have found a few tricks for summer camping. We line the skylight, Fantastic Fans, and windows with flexible silver foil insulation during the day. This helps considerably to keep heat out.

It sounds like your Aiestream will be stationary most of the time. This will also help as you will not be moving the trailer every day without air conditioning.

Brian

Foiled Again · 05-31-2016, 01:59 PM

I fulltimed in a 22 in 2005 - got too small after a year. There are lots of gently used 25 foot trailers. That's your sweet spot and you CAN save a lot of money by getting something 3-5 years old. I'd personally recommend something with replaced skylights - with "maxims" and a full awning package for the south. Moostags recommended foil covers inside. If you can cover the fantastic fans outside with anything reflective (like a big foil bubble shower cap) you'll max out the invasion of the sun. You can also save SOME thermal gain by placing your trailer so that no long side faces south. Either end facing south will get sun all day long but only one side will face directly into the sun in the morning and the other side will face it in the afternoon. A strategically placed sun room can block some of the sun's rays too.

And if you're staying for quite a while and the manager doesn't have a hissy - you can always put up a cloths line, drop some strings and raise morning glory's, sweet peas or any climbing vine to block the sun. (Or just leave laundry hanging out until it disintegrates.

happy trails, Paula

Ray Eklund · 05-31-2016, 02:33 PM

Call some RV Parks in your area and ask if any Airstreams are parked. Ask if the RV staff could pass your telephone number to the owners of any Airstreams. Explain what you are trying to discover on your own.

If you are not paying for electricity, that is a plus.
If you are not paying for electricity, but the monthly full hookups is high, crunch numbers.

Usnroberts · 06-01-2016, 09:18 AM

Thank you all so much for the kind words and advice. I was a ship sailor for a long time so the space of a 20' AS beats the heck out of most of my experiences (though of course I want the largest I can afford).

I feel better about the heat. I will put the tricks to work for sure and reach out to people in the area.

cazual6 · 06-01-2016, 11:15 AM

I live in S. Cali, LA, Northridge area. During the summer, it can get up to 100+. I was advised not to cover my AS. So it is parked in my driveway. I have someone come wash it whenever it gets dirty. So far no problems except for the plastic kitchen vent, the paint is peeling, but I was planning to replace it with a metal piece anyways.

Sherrybear · 06-01-2016, 11:42 AM

We live in Florida Panhandle and use our airstream as a quest house. It sits in full sun with no shade and does fine keeping its cool. We have painted top white and have full awnings.. Both makes a difference.

eggman · 06-01-2016, 02:39 PM

Full-timed in DFW metroplex from 2005-08 without any problems in a 25' international. Blinds closed and skylight covered, ran AC a lot. There's a window that engineers can explain for cooling places in hot summers ( I can't) in which you use more power to cool down a building if AC is turned off and then back on when needed as opposed to leaving it on all the time. A unit with a thermostat would be nice esp if you could program it .
I also think that your ability to withstand heat ( or cold ) depends on what you're used to . Lots of folks on these forums think that airstreaming when temp is above 80 or below 40 just isn't worth it.

m.hony · 06-01-2016, 03:11 PM

I have a 50 amp Airstream with 2 a/c units, but it is still sometimes too hot to camp.
Not that the interior of the trailer can't be maintained at a comfortable temperature, but that if it is so hot you won't go outside I'll just stay home.
Camping is an outdoors activity.
No point in dragging the trailer to a campground just to sit inside the trailer and watch movies. I can do that at home.
I want to stay outside- walk, watch deer, birds, squirrels, and other critters, build a fire, cook on the grill-
You can't do those things in 95 degrees and 95% humidity in Mississippi.
Some summers are more moderate than others.
A couple of years ago I woke up on the 4th of July to 60 degrees.
Then there are summers too hot to camp.
2010 was the last too hot to camp summer I remember, but I think summer '16 is going to be a hot one.

sdavis2616 · 06-01-2016, 03:20 PM

I was a Geo Bachelor in Avondale for three years and stayed in a motorhome on base. It cooled during the summer with one AC unit just fine. I had to move from the Naval Station in New Orleans and the Air Station at Belle Chase every thirty days. Belle Chase has big shade trees so I preferred to stay there. I got my Airstream a few years ago and it cools just fine in Southeast Texas heat.

Usnroberts · 06-01-2016, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdavis2616

I was a Geo Bachelor in Avondale for three years and stayed in a motorhome on base. It cooled during the summer with one AC unit just fine. I had to move from the Naval Station in New Orleans and the Air Station at Belle Chase every thirty days. Belle Chase has big shade trees so I preferred to stay there. I got my Airstream a few years ago and it cools just fine in Southeast Texas heat.

Belle Chase apparently has a lot of new housing and a new long term rv park. Have you been lately? And what size trailer did you have as a geo bachelor?

jonnie3 · 06-01-2016, 09:16 PM

I'm staying at Miramar Beach by Destin Florida right now in my 25 foot flying cloud. It's definitely been hot and humid, however my Dometic 15,000 BTU AC has been working great! You shouldn't have a problem.

InterBlog · 06-02-2016, 06:53 AM

I don't know how the a/c noise levels are in the trailers, but it's an issue that bothers many of us in the Airstream Interstate motorhomes. Our Dometic a/c cools our Interstate fairly well even in 90+ degree weather and sky high humidity, especially if we use Reflectix on the windows, but there's no way I could listen to that racket 24/7. This came up recently on a Sprinter and B Van thread and so I measured our noise levels with a semi-professional sound meter. Even with the a/c on the lowest setting, it was between 60 and 70 decibels depending on where one was sitting / standing / laying. That's loud enough to have to raise your voice over. One Interstate owner amused the rest of us recently by describing how he has to lock himself in his broiling hot wet bath just to be able to talk on his cell phone when his a/c is running. His wife re-named their wet bath as "the phone booth".

Anyway, I don't know what the various trailers would measure, decibel-wise, but if someone is concerned about the potential for noise fatigue, this might be something to investigate before making a hot-weather full-timing decision.

Tampatomgirl · 06-02-2016, 07:48 AM

I recently purchased a 34' Excella to renovate. I'm living in it full time to do the work. My rig has two A/Cs, but so far, I've been fine with just one running during the day. From 10a til around 7. It's original with no roof coating yet. I'm in full sun with just the front awning. I plan to add the roofcoat this month & tint the windows to cut down on Energy cost. I'm in Tampa, Fl.Enjoy!
Tampatomgirl

Usnroberts · 06-02-2016, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tampatomgirl

I recently purchased a 34' Excella to renovate. I'm living in it full time to do the work. My rig has two A/Cs, but so far, I've been fine with just one running during the day. From 10a til around 7. It's original with no roof coating yet. I'm in full sun with just the front awning. I plan to add the roofcoat this month & tint the windows to cut down on Energy cost. I'm in Tampa, Fl.Enjoy!
Tampatomgirl

Keep me posted on those changes. I'd enjoy hearing about the changes and how it worked before vs after!

dayner · 06-02-2016, 08:46 AM

We have a 2010 28ft Flying Cloud in Slidell, La. It is definitely NOT a comfortable trailer between May1 and Oct 15. 15000 BTU will keep inside about 10 degrees below outside temp in sun but humidity soars...in shade about 15 degrees cooler but humidity still high....most of the AC capacity is consumed by latent cooling, not sensible.