Recent Bambi owners wanted!

[dtbw]

A.E.,
Thanks for taking the time to investigate the heated holding tank issue on the Bambi. At least for the 2002 model, what you found confirms what A/S told me. I do know from looking at the furnace installation manual, that the location you indicate showing a 1.5-2" tube exiting is exactly where such a duct would exit on the particular furnace used in the Bambi. Also the size of the duct and the fact it is insulated all agree with it being a heater duct. I had planned to do the same exercise the next time I brought my Bambi home from covered storage as I really wanted to know. I still may drop the enclosure on the gray water tank and add a holding tank heating pad. The advantage would be that such a heating pad could run off of 110VAC and offer additional protection for the gray tank given its more exterior location. As you mentioned the black water tank is mostly above floor level so is better protected than the grey tank as long as the interior is heated. One fear that I have had is the fact that we run the heat pump rather than the furnace( when connected to AC). This keeps the inside toasty and should the outside temp drop below freezing, the thermostat auto switches from heat pump to the gas furnace, but by that time the grey holding tank would already be near freezing temp when the gas furnace kicked in. Adding the heating pad would solve this issue and if I am running the heat pump I obviously would have 110VAC, so running the heating pad would be possible. With no 110VAC, I would be on the gas furnace anyway, so the problem would not exist.

Thanks again. If I do decide on adding the heating pad, I will post the process.

david
02 Bambi LS

[WayWard Wind]

I revisited your photo's tonight, as I wanted to see where & how you attached your TV bracket. Couldn't really see as the flowers where in the way. We are putting in a 13" combo & I'm wondering if that wall is solid enough to hold the TV bracket, when the roads gets rough. Where you able to attach to something solid inside the wall? Also, since I'm supposed to be a blacksmith, I'm thinking of making a folding arm, with a bracket that would slide over the top of the bath door & would fold out against the door jam towards the sink area. We would put a curtain over the arm & when we need more room for drying off, etc, we could just swing the arm out & the area would become square. When not in use it would lay flat against the back of the bath door. Someone had posted about installing another door, which would do the same thing, but then I would have to buy another door & put holes in it, to attach a bracket. I'll have to make one to see how it works. Really like the looks of your outfit.
Best,

[Silvertwinkie]

Got my Bambi in Feb. Camped in the drive during some real cold snowy nights.
It is kind of chilly, but not cold. Keep in mind the windows are not thermopanes.

I just got back from a trip down south. The camper had myself, my girlfriend and her niece and nephew (9 and 5 years old) in the camper at the same time. We got the bed and they took the dinette fold down bed. Very comfortable and plenty of room. Had we had to take a bunch of clothes and stuff for the kids, it might have been a bit tight, but it could have been done and for the one night they spent with us, there were no space issues whatsoever.

As for my comments on the Bambi, I bought it because I really didn't need anything larger right now (or in the not too distant future either). Also, I did not feel that I should go over my tow vehicles max tow rating of 5,000lbs.

There are some fit and finish issues but nothing that I would really be upset about, except the main door latches really funky and I have noticed that there is some flex in the floor by the bathroom.

Speaking of bathroom, I'm 5'7 and it is still a bit tight at times, but I'm out roughing it. The fact that I even have it is a fair plus, it is workable and is still better than tenting. Since the black tank capacity has been increased, to me it's an even bigger plus.

Storage is a bit tight, but not unmanageable. All tanks are very properly sized and the Bambi is very comfortable. I liked the LED lights, but didn't get them. The only two extras I wish I had were the Fantastic fan (which I'm gonna add to it) and the black tank flush.

Also, I did not get the CD player because I have an iPod (MP3 player). I can take up to 5,000 songs and use a tape player device to play my iPod songs right through my stereo. Can you imagine the space that the CDs or tapes would take to play 5,000 songs??? I also have a cig lighter charging cable so I could charge it right off the Bambi 12v system. In the end, if you have a computer, you should have an MP3 player and begin to abandon your CD, tape and record collections from traveling with you. The iPod takes a smaller footprint than a CD case and it's only about an inch thick.

The trailer does hold it's value better than any other box on the road so if I need bigger later, I should be able to get a fair price or trade for it later.

On the subject of heating the holding tanks, I have noticed a pipe going from the heater somewhere, but I can only assume it has something to do with the tank heat. I will say that since heat rises, the odds of the tanks getting heat from the cabin are fairly slim. Not totally impossible, but I do not believe enough to stop the liquids in them freezing in a very cold snap.

In 2003, it appears that the Bambi had an upgrade availible for a dual 12 volt battery system. Check out the photos on my album and you can see the factory installed system.

Eric

[WayWard Wind]

Check my recent post regarding heating the grey water tank. Take the front off of your heater and with a flashlight look to your upper right side. You should see a grey insulated tubing going to the back. I followed it as best I could along the back side wall & it appears to go to the belly bottom, where the grey water tank is located. The black water tank I think is heated by the interior heat. A/S has told me several times ( I didn't believe them ) that the tanks were heated. Really the only item I wish we had was a black water flush,then it would be great. Might think about having one installed during A/S winter specials. Our home town is only 50 miles North of Jackson Center, so I could probably hang around till it was completed. We ( the wife, myself & Mr. Turbo ) haven't been able to get in a long trip, so we were wondering how it would fare size wise for storage, etc. Seems you folks had little or no problems. Glad to hear.
Best,

[rluhr]

Well, I can't help but notice that just about everyone posting to this list is from a place well west of me. I'm not surprised -- you hardly ever see Airstreams, Argosy's, Casitas, Scamps etc., in this region except during rallies. There are no Airstream dealers in Vermont. Both of these factors make buying a used unit a real challenge.

But -- should one of you venture to my region (northern Vermont) someday with your Bambi, feel free to drop by! There's a free water/electric hookup waiting here for you and all the scenery you can handle. We live on the south side of small mountain (or a big hill, depending on your viewpoint). Otherwise, hope to catch up with some of you at the international rally in Burlington VT in July...

Eric, love the iPod idea. I use my laptop for the same purpose -- with Windows Media Player handling the jukebox functions. If anyone has a laptop that they bring along, they already probably have what they need to play music through a boombox or any portable stereo unit with an input jack. Also, a laptop with a DVD player built in makes a great TV replacement: runs on batteries, highly portable and lightweight, LCD screen built-in!

-- Rich

[Silvertwinkie]

Rich,

My next trick is to get work to get me a 17" Powerbook w/ the superdrive..of course for work purposes, but maybe I could find some additional uses as well.....

So for those rainy days, I can stay in and watch DVDs and keep the laptop charged with the 12v adapter while out in the national forests!

I know it kind of cheats the purpose of roughing it, but hey, what are you gonna do? When you get lemons, make some lemonade and when you get your hands on some toys, use 'em!

Eric

[dtbw]

A.E.,
The mount you see in the pic is a commercial LCD/Plasma articulating mount (uses gas struts). The unit would not be up to the task of a heavy CRT unit, but works fantastic with the LCD TV we used. Both my TV and the Mount were from Australian companies (with US representatives). The mount was not cheap costing almost $300, but it has a quick release (with locking key) that allows me to easily remove the LCD TV (the tv was setup to accept standard VESA mounting hardware) before traveling (I simply don't want to take the chance of an accident). The mount required me to partially slid the refrig out a ways to that I could drill a 1/2' hole thru in the corner as the mount has a bolt that goes all the way thru with a flat washer and nut underneath. There was plenty of room for the installation and the most difficult part was the partial slid out of the refrig. If you want I will take some close up pics next time I pull the rig home (in a couple of weeks). Also if you are interested in the details of what I purchased let me know. I just ordered the exact same setup for some A/S friends that had a fit over ours. BTW, we also added a 12V DVD player to the rig. Really makes roughing it a challenge.

[dtbw]

A.E,
Go for it. It was part of our Safari upgrade package and makes cleanout a cake walk. Also, if you have not heard about the Sewer Solution product, check it out at www.sewersolution.com. This product is great. It really DOES work. No more ugly, stinkly 3" hose, just a hose a bit larger than a 3/4" water hose. It not only breaks up black tank contents, it can pump them a distance of 60 on level ground. It has NO moving parts and works on a small, high pressure jet of water. Now emptying the black tank is a simple matter connected a water line to the Sewer Solution, turn it on, turn the jet assemble to pump and open the black water valve. When it is all done, just turn the jet assembly to clean and it will rinse out the lines from the black tank. As I have the Black tank flush, I then close the black tank valve and connect the water line to the Black flush connection (btw, I have a separate PURPLE hose, with an approved vacuum breaker that I use for the connections to the sewer solution and the black tank flush. I added a quick connect to the black tank flush connection as the Sewer Solution already used such and it made switching the connection much easier). I use the tank level monitor inside the A/S to make sure that I fill the black tank completely and then I reconnect the water hose to the sewer solution and repeat the pump process. I have found that I sometimes have to repeat the flush process a second time to totally clean the tank.

I also have been using a chlorine dioxide product in my holding tank that works better than products that attempt to mask odors with strong perfumes. The product is called ODOR-CON and was originally sold for use in marine installations. It works by not only breaking up the solids, but the chlorine in is only released by the acids that cause odors and only enough to breakdown those odors. The only by-products of the process are salts. It is safe for all the seals and we have NO odor or strong perfume odors. Another plus is that it clings to the side walls of the holding tank to continue the process of destroying odor causing agents after flushing) I purchased mine along with a sister product for sanitizing the water system directly from the manufacturer www.billydump.com/3r/3rhome.htm). I was amazed at how much better it worked than AquaKem. Check it out. Costs about $20 per quart, but all you add is 1 oz per after you dump and flush the tank, so it really is not expensive compared to AquaKem.

david

[Shauno]

OK I am new to all this...what can I expect to pay for a new Bambi vs. one that is a couple of years old? Thanks.

[Silvertwinkie]

$25k and some change is about average for a Bambi new as of the '03 model year. Older units (2002 and older) hold their value very well, but expect to pay a bit less than the $25k for each year older new depending on condition and mods that have been done. For example, dtbw (I think) has a 2002 and I would consider with his fantastic mods it might command a higher price, but that is just my opinion.

Eric

[campcollector]

I have had my 2003 Bambi for 6 months now and have had a few problems.

The Potable water fill tube leaked and saturated the carpet, the aquajet pump wiring came undone while I was in the shower, the pantry and closet door latches broke. The Refrigertor venting compartment has an annoying little electric fan that runs non stop at temps above 75 F while the fridge is running and I have been vacuming up and sweeping out aluminum and sawdust shavings since I brought it home.

I do like the double battery compartment I have yet to run out of power, the shower is great for a big guy, and the trailer is nice and warm in freezing weather. I have the optional black tank flush and would highly recommend it.

Overall its a very nice little trailer but I wish some of the details of interior finish and door latch choices were better.

[yargseth]

Just purchased a 19 ft 2000 bambi, been RVing for years but my first airstream. Looking forward to future travels and reading many interesting topics about Bambi.

[dtbw]

yargseth,
Let be among the first to say welcome. There are lots of us Bambi owners with models spanning the years of production. As you will find, we may whine about things that we think A/S could do better and some of us proceed to correct and improve even our brand new models, but we all know that we have the best overall constructed RV available. With the large membership of this forum, there is virtually no problem that someone has not already encountered, so feel free to ask questions. Again, welcome to the group

[Silvertwinkie]

I agree with David, although I do feel camp collectors pain!

One thing that is sorely missed is the bunk bed on the Bambi. 2002 seems to be the last year it was avail. I'm going down to the homecoming and I am going to see if it is even possible to retrofit the 2002 bunk in an 2003 and what the cost might be.

Eric

[vajeep]

Eric and David,
I am having a hard time trying to look at your photos..
I go to your profile section and then to the photo link and then I get a message that the page is expired...
What am I doing wrong...
Thanks,
Vajeep

[dtbw]

Vajeep,
The photo section of this forum is down for the count. There were server issues awhile back and things are still being rebuilt. I have some of my pics posted over on the yahoo Airstreamlist forum, in the photo section listed under 02 Bambi.

[vajeep]

Thanks David,

Really do enjoy your posts. My wife and I are looking for a Bambi. Her! idea More because we are limited with our jeep on what we can tow. We like the idea of boondocking type of get aways. Should be plenty of places in VA...
Just missed a used bambi hear in Richmond Va by 2 days An 02 that sold for 22,500...(not sure what options)
Would like to get the new $ price with our wish list of options just to be better informed when we look at used... But we are not opposed at looking at new.
A couple of questions if you don't mind...
Did you ever tow w/o your HH?
What are the best options that you picked?
We are about an hour away from the A/S dealer and wanted to get the options list before we went to look.
Any questions that you could think of that we should ask the dealer?
Thanks,
"Abe" Lincoln aka vajeep

[dtbw]

Abe,
Well the list price on an '04 Safari 19' Bambi is just over $33K. The new 19' CCD lists for just under $38K. It does not appear that A/S has made any previous options standard, so that price represents about a $5K increase in the base price since our '02. This is a list of the options that came as a package on my unit, the Safari upgrade (again, not sure if such exists in '04, but it did in previous years). This package included the electric front hitch, Corian countertops, upgraded A/C from 11K BTU to a 13,500BTU AC/Heatpump, a Fantastic Fan, spare tire and bracket(yea there is NO spare tire std), a black tank flushing system, upgrade on water pump to an Aquajet (a much better pump that provides variable flow control and virtually no pulsation), upgraded faucets throughout, upgrade tail lamp assemblies and finally the screen door guard (will really save the screen door over time as it protects the screen and provides significant strenghening of the frame. This package added $2718 to the list. A/S also offers each separately. Another option that is available is a front couch vs the dinette. We have the couch and really like it, but it is purely a personal preference. We did not like the interior color choices from A/S so we did a makeover immediately. If you would like to see pics, I could zip them up and send them over email. It gives you an idea of just want new drapes, floor, bedspread and leather/fabrics can do.

Which options would I get regardless, spare tire for sure, upgraded AC if you intend to be in hot climates, power front jack, and black tank flush. Next priority would be the AquaJet water pump, screen door guard, and Fantastic Fan. Finally the appearance items of the Corian, upgrade faucets and upgrade tail lamps are purely personal as to priority. BTW, I would put the Hensley hitch at the top of the list, and with that segway...

This tends to get into religion whenever brought up. Here is the bottom line. ANY trailer can fall victim to sway. A/Ss are among the best designed and balanced, but in our local unit, I know of 3 rigs that were totaled as a result of massive induced sway that finally flipped the rig as the result of an 18 wheelers passing at high speed. None of these had Hensley hitches, but all three did have either friction or Reese dual cam sway control. Have I towed the Bambi without the Hensley, NO. When growing up, I did towed my parents Airstream many a mile and while never faced with uncontrollable sway, I did have a few white knuckled moments (Reese dual cam). After studying the Hensley design and being an engineer, I clearly saw how it worked and realized that their claim that sway in IMPOSSIBLE with a Hensley is totally valid. Is the Hensley overkill, especially on a Bambi? Well that is a matter of opinion. The way I looked at it was that the Hensley was less than 5% of the cost of the A/S plus the tow vehicle and if it saved my butt even once it was cheap insurance. As for the improvement in towing ease, I can tell you that the Hensley really is impressive when 18 wheelers are passing either directions. I have been on narrow two lane roads at high combined speeds and never felt ANYTHING. Would I give it up, NEVER!

As for questions to ask a dealer...FIRST AND FOREMOST, check into the service dept. Go take a look. Talk to the technicians. Ask if they are A/S trained and certified. Ask the dealer if he is willing to provide any references of recent A/S buyers. Contact your local AS unit and drop in on their next rally. Talk to them and see what war stories regarding local dealers you can find. A/S has not been very good at creating a uniform and quality focused dealer network. The RV meltdown of the 80s almost ruined the whole industry and so there are some less than desirable dealers out there. If the dealer is offended, then turn and RUN away. A good dealer has nothing to hide and wants a happy customer.

Good luck and feel free to ask me and others on this forum questions.

[dtbw]

Abe,
You mentioned that you plan on towing with a Jeep. Even though the Jeep may be rated to tow the weight of the Bambi, it is the wheelbase of the Jeep that is the problem. Our Explorer Sport Trac has a 127" wheelbase (and studies indicate that is safe to about a 25' or so RV). We met a lovely single lady towing a 34' Classic limited with a Tahoe (this was her 5th A/S, but first really long one). She indicated that the first few trips were a nightmare of white knuckled driving. She then had the Hensley installed, and the result was amazing. Gone was the white knuckled experience. NOW, I am not about to advocate pulling a 34' with a Tahoe as a good idea, but with the Hensley, it did make the rig workable.

[vajeep]

David,

Thanks. The only A/S dealer in VA is a little under one hour from us. Just haven't had the time to visit yet. Your advice have given us some new ideas for our first visit. I think I understand the options. It seems that the best bet is to combine the options together for the best $. It seems that A/S is working to improve the workmanship issues. We are looking forward to the RV shows that will be in Richmond this winter. Hopefully A/S will be well represented!
Thanks for your HH imput. I really enjoy the HH debates that I have read... For me I feel that it is the best insurance that one can buy. If you can please send the photos to my wife's e-mail :mlincoln@infionline.net we would love to see what you have done! She is very good with window treatments and such. Me otoh am in charge of towing & mechanical...
Hey ,if your travels ever take you near Richmond VA you are welcome to stop by! We are just off of I95 and I64.
Abe