New Interstate Grand Tour

[UKDUDE]

Just returned from having my Interstate serviced down in Phoenix and had the opportunity to look around a new (2015) Interstate Grand Tour. Particularly interesting since Airstream don’t appear to have published anything on it yet.
Had to brave the 107 degree heat so I didn’t hang around too long, but here are some things I noted:

1) All the tall furniture is on one side behind the driver, and includes a big fridge with separate freezer door - great.
2) The bathroom is larger because the toilet end is now squared off. Makes it look more useable. However, the sink end is still tapered to the half-size wardrobe behind it, so the sink is still the silly corner one. Pity they didn’t square off this end too, so they could have used a more useable centralized sink with overhead bathroom cabinet instead of the shaving mirror.
3) Forward of the fridge is another wardrobe with a couple of removable shelves at the top, and three (I think) sliding drawer below. So it's a flexible layout. But the sliding drawers felt very rough to the touch. A poor impression.
4) On the other side is a long low-level unit. There is no third passenger seat. The microwave is installed at the rear. However, the microwave is very fancy - it slides out, and the controls are in a row at the top, so no bending down to use it!
4) Sitting on the sofa at the rear felt much more spacious than my EXT/Wardrobe. Not boxed in at the rear on both sides; there’s a view out the windows on the passenger side and to the front. It felt good!
5) The biggest surprise for me was the space under the sofa: all the electrics (including inverter and batteries) appear to have been stuffed under the extreme left side of the sofa, so the rest is completely empty. Amazing! The electrics were covered with a carpet, so I couldn’t see how easy it was to get to the inverter or batteries. But lots of room under there.
6) On the outside, the only thing new I spotted was the twin hot air vents forward of the water fillers. I’m guessing this means the fridge is now gas/electric - boo!
7) The salesman told me the factory is working on a sliding screen for the sliding door, and it should be available for after-sales fitting by the dealer.
8) It all looks very nice, but to my dismay the same old technology is still there relying on limited battery capacity, 100W solar panel and generator. I’m waiting for a major advance with lots of solar panels and batteries, and no propane!

[Ron_CA]

Nice write up. Haven't seen one in person yet but Airstream has had the info out since the middle of May.

Word on the street for the last few months (since Early April)[ is that they are working on a sliding screen door but all I keep getting is to check back in a month.

[avanti]

Interesting. One by one, it seems that all of the manufacturers are inching toward this layout, with the "high stuff" on the driver's side so as not to block the view of the campsite. Makes sense. It is remarkably similar to our new GWV Legend. Still no tri-fold bed or screen door (yet), though. Great West pioneered this layout years ago, and it was cloned by Advanced RV. I bet in a few years all of the manufacturers will offer this layout. It really does make sense for a lot of people.

As usual, the Airstream-designed interior is very stylish.

You are right about the systems. In this day and age, I would have expected a compressor fridge and diesel heat/water, especially at this price point.

[pattonsr]

The Interstate has always come with a small Nova Kool compressor fridge. Then Airstream uses a non-compressor fridge instead of a larger Nova Kool like avanti has in his Great West Vans Legend.

[UKDUDE]

Originally Posted by Ron_CA

Haven't seen one in person yet but Airstream has had the info out since the middle of May.

Do you have a link/url to the info?

[Ron_CA]

Look in the Recent Discussions part of the main Motorhomes page. I just popped it to the top for you. 2015 Airstream model year updates.

[MotorCity57]

I've been watching the Colonial Airstream site for the new Grand Tour (seems like they post info before Airstream does!). In their inventory they list some "Grand Tour 7" models incoming. Does anybody have any info on the Grand Tour 7? I'm guessing it's a configuration with 7 seat belts?
John

[UKDUDE]

The Grand Tour 7 will be the same thing except that both sideways facing rear seats will be usable and will have belts. So the rear half wardrobe will be deleted.
It also makes for a very cosy U-shaped seating arrangement.

[toskeysam]

Google it and you will see one in New Jersey


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[gmillerok1]

I guess the CS Roadtrek and others may be taking a toll on sales as this is an attempt to make a similar design. It's a shame it is so poorly done. They didn't utilize the extra space the extended van gives them to increase the galley and bath living space. Instead, they just stick a couple of pillows in the back of the extended van. Even the very cheaply made ERA added a larger bath and pushed the bed to the rear. Airstream just builds them like the other models and the extra space is not really much use (yes, it adds a bit of storage, but not much. In addition, there is no way to keep things from falling when the bed reclines as far as I can tell).

As someone who actually uses the thing, the bath design is the same and is very poorly designed in my opinion. Why they haven't changed it since 2008 is beyond me because it would take very little to improve it. Water will get trapped behind the toilet and not drain unless you park extremely nose high. Then the shower pan won't drain. They fixed my shower drain issue with brute force, jamming a 1/4" piece of plywood under the pan on the curbside. It works better, but still not as it should. And water pools even more now around the rear of the toilet, making cleanup a real chore.

I looked at several shower/baths in various Class B's and Airstream's design is the absolute worst. All the others I saw clearly were designed to drain from around the toilet and shower pan. Roadtrek has probably the best design of all, utilizing the space in a way that only intrudes into the area outside the shower when it is actually being used, making the living area seem much larger and less cramped. And it actually drains completely.

It's not that hard to design a Class B. I guess, though, it's a bit harder to do it right. It's a shame it appears they didn't even really try to improve it other than swap the sides where the bath and galley go, and add a larger fridge and a couple of pillows in the back. Other than that, there's really very little difference in the other models that are configured in a similar way.

Sorry, but I am not impressed.

[73shark]

I couldn't really tell what they did w/ the space vacated by the second row seats. Is it also an extended model or did they just move everything forward to get that space behind the bed?

[UKDUDE]

Originally Posted by 73shark

I couldn't really tell what they did w/ the space vacated by the second row seats. Is it also an extended model or did they just move everything forward to get that space behind the bed?

It is an extended model. The low furniture unit on the passenger side extends from the side-facing seat at the rear up to the beginning of the step well; so it does cover a part of the sliding doorway.

[Boxster1971]

Personally I like the fact that Airstream leaves the back space on their extended models for storage. We use every inch of that space to carry lots of stuff including a folding tandem bicycle. Each to their own likes and dislikes.


- - Mike
2013 AS Interstate on 2012 MB Sprinter

[gmillerok1]

What happens when you put the seat flat to make the bed? Just curious how that works if that space is filled up with things.

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

Personally I like the fact that Airstream leaves the back space on their extended models for storage. We use every inch of that space to carry lots of stuff including a folding tandem bicycle. Each to their own likes and dislikes.


- - Mike
2013 AS Interstate on 2012 MB Sprinter

[Bikerbill]

We just visited the Roadtrek factory on Tuesday and were informed that they have now a 2nd shift running to meet demand. And that they don't have any inventory uncommitted from dealers. And they have a backlog on dealer orders. Sold/committed dealer orders, like our new RT get priority but still run some 10-12 weeks for production.

As far as storage in the back of our prior Airstream on the extended version, we built a plywood bulkhead wall and shelf and found it was a tremendous amount of area to fill. In fact last fall when we compared the RT to the AI, the AI with the extended body won out. I wanted the RT but when we saw the increased storage, AI won. Now that RT HAS perfected the E-trek and offers the extended body, goodbye AI hello RT.

Yes the AI bath leaves a lot to be desired especially that stupid partial door that should be part of a normal, 2 door system. I never got the idea of what real purpose it served and I even had planned to make it a 2 door system prior to trading it off. Yes, AI has a nicer shower hose, big deal but offers only now a 100 watt solar, ours was 50, and only a 1000 watt-2 battery system. RT offers now standard a 3000 watt inverter and options out multiple batteries leading up to the E-trek. In fact you can order a RT with the engine generator without the full E-trek package. And with the regular RT you get a 5 year limited warranty and with the E-trek its a full 6 year complete warranty on everything, yes everything, except the Mercedes chassis itself. Yes, our batteries will have 6 years along with the macerator, water pump, AC, roof fan, TV, fridge, etc. And on their Facebook page you would be surprised how many times per day that the President of RT gets on to solve someones problem including telling them to get it fixed (5 & 6 year old units) and send him the bill. Once I decided to switch and learned about RT's Facebook page and watched and learned, it was a clear decision to switch.

And when we tried to join in the Wally club we were kinda looked upon as not really fitting in since we did not have a travel trailer. With the RT club, we are already members and have a warm regard with local members just waiting for us to join in rallies.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by gmillerok1

What happens when you put the seat flat to make the bed? Just curious how that works if that space is filled up with things.

The extended vans have same bed as regular lounge. It then has these fold down bed extensions on each side that make bed longer like a King size. Here is photo of our back end stuff an still allowing full use of normal lounge bed.




- - Mike
2013 AS Interstate on 2012 MB Sprinter

[toskeysam]

Gotta agree Mike.....the extra empty space in the rear is what pushed us to the EXT instead of a Roadtrek Etrek at that time. We have a few issues, but every motorhome has some. None of them are serious, just "gee I wish" type of things.

I do hope they are installing the battery temp probe. I did notice they are still using the bottom of the line Magnum remote, so that means no battery monitor without a modification.....and the power panel appears too crowded to accept the upgraded remote required.

I really like the larger refrigerator, and especially like the fact that I would no longer have to get on my knees to set the microwave.

Time will tell how well the new model does, but it sure looks like a step in the right direction to me.


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[UKDUDE]

Originally Posted by UKDUDE

6) On the outside, the only thing new I spotted was the twin hot air vents forward of the water fillers. I’m guessing this means the fridge is now gas/electric - boo!

I need to correct my assumption here: I don't know why these heats vents appear as twin vents, but the fridge is NOT gas/electric, it's all electric - hooray!

The model I was looking at had an msrp of 152K.

[pattonsr]

Who makes the all electric fridge?

[UKDUDE]

Didn't see a name on the fridge, but I did notice the handles and locking catch were the same as the Nova Kool in my Interstate. So I think it's a Nova Kool.


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