Visit our Popular Forums

crazylev · 03-02-2004, 08:01 AM

Stephen & Miriam.

Thank you. We are now at the next phase awaiting the VIN and build date of our TT.

Deb.

Congratulations. Maybe ours will be built at around the same time. I have heard that AS builds a series of the same model trailers and then another series of another model.

Jonathan

Big Dee · 03-02-2004, 10:42 AM

As soon as you get the VIN send an email to Mitch Bailey at tech@airstream.com. Tell him I sent you. If he has time, he might get pics of your unit on the line, especially since the factory watches this forum closely. It is an awesome experience to get updates from him, it makes the wait bearable. Enjoy!

Since you are not getting the bigger AC, I would strongly recommend the Fantastic fan. I love them on my new Classic and they will pull air through the widows to cool the coach.

crazylev · 03-02-2004, 10:59 AM

Big Dee.

Thanks for the referal. I'll definately contact Mitch at AS. Noit only does the Bambi come with a Fantastic fan, but we also ordered a second one to be put where the regular vent is in the bedroom.

Thanks.

Jonathan

Rickk48 · 03-02-2004, 12:41 PM

Deb

I am in Anaheim Hills. We have a 19' 2001 Bambi, and use the Honda EU2000. When we go to the local mountains late fall, early spring, I fire up the generator for about 3-4 hours in the early evening. This tops off the battery (I have only one) and runs all electrical while preparing and having dinner. Then use the heater all night to stay nicely warm and cozy. Feel free to email me if you have any questions. rickk48@aol.com

Babyblueyes · 03-03-2004, 09:50 PM

Thank you all for your wonderful information and links to the generators and opinions from your experiences. Where else can you get access to instant knowledge than on this forum.
I'm looking forward to one day meeting you in person.
What a community!
Debs

mswartz · 03-08-2004, 12:53 PM

Crazylev:

Does your new Bambi CCD come with the bellypan? I have a 2001 19' Bambi with the pan, and thought they all did until visiting a dealer where I saw a CCD and a 22' Safari without one.

It seems to me that a bellypan is a "must" and I'm surprised that this was an option on at least some post 2001 model Bambis and Safaris. Almost as much of a "must" as a spare tire.

I would recommend having the bellypan if you plan any cool/cold weather use.

crazylev · 03-08-2004, 01:00 PM

mswartz.

If by belly pan you mean the bottom of the trailer has sheets of aluminum that protect the guts, I am pretty sure the answer is yes, as AS TT's are supposed to be all season campers. I will however double check this. I am also pretty sure that asdide from the cosmetic features, this trailer is the same as a regular Safari Bambi.

Hey Silvertwinkie:

Did your Bambi have the Aluminum belly pans?

Jonathan

mswartz · 03-08-2004, 01:13 PM

Johnathan,
Yes, I did mean the underbody skin. It surprised me that several 2002 units I casually looked at did not have this, including the CCD. I was told this was an option.

With no bellypan, there is no insulation, only the aluminum clad flooring.

Anyway, I'd recommend that you confirm that your new unit does have that.

Marshall

Silvertwinkie · 03-08-2004, 01:13 PM

Our 19' Bambi sure did.

I thought that the 22' units were the only ones for some reason that did not get it. I also thought that this was changed and that new 22' units now also have the underside enclosed.

The 25' also has an enclosed underside.

Eric

67caravel · 03-08-2004, 05:39 PM

My dealer reports that the '04 22' CCD has an enclosed belly whereas the '03's did not except as an option.

dtbw · 03-08-2004, 06:58 PM

In the beginning, the CCD was a SINGLE model of trailer. It was a test to see if the concept would sell. A/S initially did NOT plan the CCD to have an underbelly. When the first models of the 22' were delivered and people started raising hell about the lack of a heated underbelly, A/S did an about face and once again, ALL A/S now have underbellys. On the 22CCD, A/S could not figure out a good way to heat the holding tanks with the gas furnace, so they included a heated pad that runs off 12V). As far as I know the 22' units were the only A/S delivered without the underbelly and that was just for the initial year of production.

david

crazylev · 03-09-2004, 08:50 AM

David.

This is my understanding as well. I think the Bambi's underside gets a little heat from the furnace via some sort of opening/duct to the underside. I am glad about this because if we do any cold weather camping I'd hate to bring bales of hay to pack around the borttom of the trailer for insulation. I don't think my Home depot in Chicago even carries hay....

Jonathan

dtbw · 03-09-2004, 12:57 PM

Jonathan,
There is a duct that runs from the heater to just under the lavatory area where it enters the underbelly. The heated air circulates around both tanks and reenters the trailer thru the lavatory cabinet area by exhausting around a gap on the sides of the black tank that sits partially above and partially below the flooring level. As a side effect, it warms the shower floor as well. Of course this does NOT heat the tanks when the heatpump is in use, but once the outside temp drop below 35, the gas heater kicks in anyway. I have been thinking about putting a small grill in the front of the raised platform that the toilet sits on as that would allow the heat to enter the bathroom, which lacks direct heating or any kind. I know there is room, in fact, there is room to install a thin 12V fan to force the circulation into the bath area. Oh the continued wish list of things to add.....

david

Silvertwinkie · 03-09-2004, 01:07 PM

I knew that there was a heat pipe going to the tanks, but I didn't know it came back in the coach.

My issue with that is the fiberglass that is inside the belly. Couldn't that enter the coach?

Eric

dtbw · 03-09-2004, 01:36 PM

Eric,
I could see quite a bit of the area around the black tank as well as where the heating duct entered the underbelly and there was no loose insulation to be seen. In addition, loose insulation would not be good in the holding tank area as the air from the gas furnace has to circulate to heat the holding tanks. I suspect that A/S must be using some other type of insulating material that ensures air can circulate (ie styrofoam maybe?). Since the air from the furnace is under pressure, if there was any loose fiberglass type insulation, I think I would have seen some of it when I was exploring.

As your 25SS is pretty much the same layout in the rear as the Bambi, I suspect the exact same setup in your new rig.

david

luckydc · 03-09-2004, 01:49 PM

I may have gotten in late on this discussion, but I have been reading the owners manual for the 2004 Safari line today (downloaded it). Ok, I don't get my Bambi until late April, but I'll be prepared!

Anyway, the manual says the black water tank in the Bambi is NOT heated or insulated. In freezing conditions, RV anti-freeze is required.

luckydc · 03-09-2004, 02:08 PM

follow-up - manual says all Safari modeels except teh 22' and Bambi have ducted to tanks. 22' has 12v volt heat pads. Bambi - feash water above fllor, grey has 2" duct, black not heated.

dtbw · 03-09-2004, 02:13 PM

I can't say if A/S changed the design, but I CAN say that in 2002, the Bambi HAD heated gray and black holding tanks. There was a HUGE discussion on this back with the 22CCD was discovered to not even have an underbelly. I personally inspected our Bambi and found the heating duct going into the underbelly near the gray and black tanks and tested the air flow with a smoke stick to find that the air pushed into the area returned to the interior space of the Bambi around the black tank which straddles the floorlevel (tank goes from under toilet to almost back of trailer on roadside).

I DO know that even with the newer 22CCDs that there is NO heated air directed to the underbelly. A/S just installed a 12V heating pad under the tanks.

Even if A/S has stopped heating the tanks, the furnace is made to support remote ducts so it could be retrofitted with the same flex duct tube that my unit has. A/S just drilled a hole in the floor under the lavatory and fixed the duct to that hole. Like I said the return was via the cutout area in the floor where the black tank is situated.

david

dtbw · 03-09-2004, 02:28 PM

luckydc,
I am curious, what size holding tank is A/S listing for the 04 19'Bambi. The reason I ask is that prior to my specific Bambi, they only had 8 gallon tanks that were totally above the floorline. Then when the 25SS was designed (has the same layout in the bed/bath as the Bambi), A/S designed a new holding tank that held 18 gallons, but had to straddle the floorline, partways above and partways below. Starting with my Bambi, they went to the common black tank layout between the 25CC and the 19' Bambi as everything else was already common in the bath area. If your info is showing that the gray tank is still heated with a 2" duct, then the airflow should still circulated over and out around the black tank as in my Bambi.

Maybe A/S is being very specific that a dedicated duct to the black tank does not exist, but the hot air duct is actually only inches from the black tank but it is directed at the gray tank which sets in an enclosure that actually extends below the underbelly as well as inside the underbelly. Any air that flows around the gray tank has to exit and at least in the 02 Bambi that return is around the black tank and then back into the A/S via the lavatory cabinet area.

david