Living in a 2015 Airstream Interstate Grand Tour EXT

[epicdetour]

I've posted this on my blog but thought anyone considering living in an Airstream Interstate would appreciate a first hand look at Airstream van life

--We've had a fair amount of curiosity about how things are going with van living. Like really going. Not the fluffy report on how awesome our van is, but what its really been like to go from a spacious Airstream trailer to a tight quartered Airstream van. *Since we've been at it for a while, I thought I'd put out a report.

But first, the required backstory for our unacquainted readers: Doug, Redd and I went full time fall of 2015. We planned for over a year and carefully chose a 2010 Airstream International 27fb trailer as our house towed by a high roof Nissan NV. A year later, we changed to a van. Why? Read this:*http://www.epicdetour.com/why-we-sold-our-airstream/

I think the van life community would argue we aren't true van dwellers. We live in a newer luxury van converted by Airstream for pete's sake. So this post isn't about what its like to live in a DIY late model VW van conversion (don't misread me- there are amazing livable DIY vans out there). *Its about the change from a fully functional trailer to a like-equipped van, what's better and what's worse.

Do we feel cramped? Only when we are both moving around at the same time. We can't pass each other in the galley without some serious bodily contact, which is sometimes fun and sometimes really annoying. We've become good at staying out of each other's way. One of us takes the dog for a walk while the other gets the bed ready at night, or when cooking or cleaning, or making coffee, or whatever. Otherwise, it feels almost spacious at times.

Where do we*hang out?*Our front seats swivel around to function as lounge chairs, and they are really plush and comfy. *We can also lay or sit on one of the twin beds. Or, more often, we are outside or bumming around whatever town we are in.

Does the wet bath suck?*Kind of. Its small and a bit of a challenge to shower in. But, the handheld shower nozzle is great, and once you get the hang of showering sitting down with your head forward, its pretty breezy. And, hot water....you are clean afterwards.... what more do you need? Beats some of the nasty campground showers we have seen.

How is cooking/meal prep in a*tiny van?*One of the main reasons we chose this van is the kitchen layout. We have a surprising amount of counter space and drawer storage which makes cooking easy. We have 6cuft of refrigerator/freezer. We do miss having an oven and don't use our microwave much. We grill more than we used to.

Are we really more mobile than we were with the trailer?*We are! This is our favorite aspect of van life. We don't have to plan nearly as much, we can usually park on the street somewhere in a pinch and nobody bothers us, and we don't worry about our routes. We don't have to satellite image parking lots, we don't worry much about wrong turns. We unhook our toad when we need to be even more mobile. It rocks!

Do we miss our Airstream trailer?*Of course, we loved that thing. We think we will have another Airstream trailer in the future. But for now, our van is allowing us to live the travel life that we covet, and it works well for us.

Do we really need to tow a big SUV?* We do, only because we still travel with 5 bicycles, a paddle board, and all our fly fishing gear, as well as tools and bulky gear. We have a back up 26 gallon water tank inside, and plan to add a roof-top water containment system for outside showers. Plus we love having a daily driver that has 4 wheel drive. Its simple and takes about 3 minutes to hook up and unhook.

What's our favorite feature of the van?*Aside from *the above, we love the screen doors. We leave the sliding and rear doors open all the time without getting eaten alive by mosquitos. The interior stays cool for the most part. And for some reason Redd respects the barriers and hasn't busted through one yet.

What do we dislike about our van?*Probably our number 1 beef has been power consumption by the refrigerator. Due to ventilation issues, most vans use only AC/DC powered units which means you drag 3-6 amps of power per hour*from your batteries around the clock. We just upgraded and moved our batteries which has greatly extended our time off grid, and we have 300 watts of solar to recharge. We just went 10 days without plugging in but had cloud-free days the entire time. We also have a generator for back up power but my god its loud. We miss having a propane refrigerator.

[mayco]

Interesting read, thanks for your taking time to post. Ive often wondered about the functionality of long term living in an interstate. My wife and I love our 310Turbo Diesel and travel often. Sometimes for a couple months at a time. Ive not spent much time in an Interstate so my knowledge is gathered from what I read and looking at design and floor plans. Ive always got the feeling that the Interstate was a very expensive vehicle with a bit of an identity crisis.....is it a motorhome? Is it a tricked out day tripper? Can it really function as a comfortable living space for two on extended travel? I know that it "can be done" but that's not what Ive wondered. More like can it be done "comfortably" without constant compromise on daily living tasks. It has always appeared to do a "lot" of things fairly well rather than "few" things REALLY well. Plus the technology and constant problems with it scares me to no end. I know there are some very bright folks here on the forum that understand all the technology of the new interstates but for the average person not so much.
Our 310TD is 31.5' long which creates obvious challenges when maneuvering in town but when we are on the road we spend as little time as possible in town. The comfort of the living space though is just incredible. We love it more and more with each trip. But, it's not a multipurpose vehicle, it is what it is, a motorhome. We use it as intended. It performs that function extremely well.

So it's nice to see a report on the functionality of the Interstate for extended road travel.....ESPECIALLY since you have experienced both the AS trailer and the Interstate.
Nice of you to take the time to share your experience!

Mike

[Lily&Me]

Doug and I traveled up to 4 months at a time in our 22' Interstate...I agree with all the space issues, but it is eminently doable and we loved it.

Could we do it full time, without our small sticks&bricks?...wouldn't want to.


Maggie

[epicdetour]

Thanks for your reply, Mike!! It's true, the big sacrifice is space with this van. The one thing it does really well for being so small- kitchen storage. We have literally more drawer and cabinet storage in the van than we did in the trailer. It's super functional,, definitely a selling factor for us.
Also true: they're pricey. We bought used, which helped. And frankly, the other B vans out there may be 10-20k less but they totally suck in comparison (in my humble opinion, lol). If we weren't living in it, we may have chosen a cheaper option.
We love exploring little bitty towns and big cities alike, so the maneuverability of the van is a big plus. If we were content with country life out in the boondocks and didn't move every 2-3 days, we'd stilll have an airstream trailer. Loved LOVED that trailer!
Again, thanks for taking time to write.

[epicdetour]

I hear you, Maggie! Reality for us is we spend time with family over the holidays which gets us some "house time". And ultimately spending time with friends who have homes helps as well. For now, enjoying not paying a mortgage!

[Fredjacob]

Hi Epic,
Thanks for your informative post on moving from an AS trailer to AS Interstate.
I am in the process of retiring and drooling over the idea of owning an Interstate GT soon.
Have you compared the feature upgrades in the 2018 specs with your 2015 and do feel as though the feature changes would improve your experience or convenience? Some great ones to note are that the screens are standard now, the generator has a resonator on it, the water heater is now on-demand and the systems controls are via a multiplexer which has panels by the sliding door, rear couch and over the driver's seat.
Also, were there times when you wished your AS was the 4WD version?

Any insight you might be able to provide is greatly appreciated.

Thank you do much.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by epicdetour

I think the van life community would argue we aren't true van dwellers. We live in a newer luxury van converted by Airstream for pete's sake. ...

Yeah, well, some of us are trying to change the community's narrow and exclusive perception. Some of us are doing what we can to widen the #vanlife construct away from tiny, grossly-overloaded Westies occupied by naked wood nymphs and those suffering from #vanorexia, to a more encompassing idea that includes workampers, retirees, independents, and other serious enthusiasts, regardless of lifestyle or socioeconomic bracket.

I mean, think of it... if you lived in a house that was more expensive than average, would anyone try to argue that you aren't true house dwellers because of that?!

There was a crowdfunding effort for a #vanlife documentary recently. They met their funding goal, but I didn't donate because I was afraid that it would be too one-sided and thus would perpetuate a restrictive stereotype. I raised that issue with the would-be producers, so at least my concern got heard. I don't know whether it will be heeded, but it was heard.

[epicdetour]

Originally Posted by Fredjacob

Hi Epic,
Thanks for your informative post on moving from an AS trailer to AS Interstate.
I am in the process of retiring and drooling over the idea of owning an Interstate GT soon.
Have you compared the feature upgrades in the 2018 specs with your 2015 and do feel as though the feature changes would improve your experience or convenience? Some great ones to note are that the screens are standard now, the generator has a resonator on it, the water heater is now on-demand and the systems controls are via a multiplexer which has panels by the sliding door, rear couch and over the driver's seat.
Also, were there times when you wished your AS was the 4WD version?

Any insight you might be able to provide is greatly appreciated.

Thank you do much.

Hi Fred! We haven't looked at 2018 AI's, but those features all sound amazing. We are going to have to add the resonator, and it needs it. The screens are imperative. I suppose additional access to the controls would be cool. And we love the idea of 4x4 but don't really go off road much. The boondocking we do is pretty tame. One option we would pay $$$$ for would be the air suspension. We've heard it makes a huge difference. And the ride quality is already good! You can't go wrong in my opinion. This is the nicest van out there.

[epicdetour]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Yeah, well, some of us are trying to change the community's narrow and exclusive perception. Some of us are doing what we can to widen the #vanlife construct away from tiny, grossly-overloaded Westies occupied by naked wood nymphs and those suffering from #vanorexia, to a more encompassing idea that includes workampers, retirees, independents, and other serious enthusiasts, regardless of lifestyle or socioeconomic bracket.

I mean, think of it... if you lived in a house that was more expensive than average, would anyone try to argue that you aren't true house dwellers because of that?!

There was a crowdfunding effort for a #vanlife documentary recently. They met their funding goal, but I didn't donate because I was afraid that it would be too one-sided and thus would perpetuate a restrictive stereotype. I raised that issue with the would-be producers, so at least my concern got heard. I don't know whether it will be heeded, but it was heard.

Thanks for sticking up for us luxury van dwellers!!!

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by epicdetour

Thanks for sticking up for us luxury van dwellers!!!

You're welcome, but at the heart of it, it's more a question of diversity than cost - we just happen to be at the higher-cost end of that diversity spectrum. Which really isn't saying all that much given the number of young starving artist surfer dudes who are attracted to vanlife. It doesn't have to get very expensive in that realm before it starts looking much more expensive than average.

[Fredjacob]

Originally Posted by epicdetour

Hi Fred! We haven't looked at 2018 AI's, but those features all sound amazing. We are going to have to add the resonator, and it needs it. The screens are imperative. I suppose additional access to the controls would be cool. And we love the idea of 4x4 but don't really go off road much. The boondocking we do is pretty tame. One option we would pay $$$$ for would be the air suspension. We've heard it makes a huge difference. And the ride quality is already good! You can't go wrong in my opinion. This is the nicest van out there.

It would be so nice if Airstream offered the Air suspension AND the 4x4 on the same chassis. Having to choose one or the other is a true dilemma for me. While my home base will be in Oregon, I expect to occasionally get caught in changing seasons moving about the country, where the 4x4 would give me confidence to get out of bad weather. But my maiden voyage will be taking a group of friends from France on an extended road trip. The Air suspension would be greatly appreciated then. I can see myself using the Air suspension every day; and the 4x4 would only be used part-time. But those times it is needed it would be great to have.

One final thought, there are areas of mountains that restrict travel without chains; and 4x4's do not meet that requirement; you would still need to put on chains on a 4x4 to travel through those areas. Thus, perhaps getting Air suspension and carrying chains might be the best compromise I can come up with for my needs. My AS dealer tells me putting on chains with dually wheels is relatively easy by driving the inner tire up on a small ramp (like the type used for raising one wheel on tandem axles.)

[epicdetour]

Using a ramp is great when conditions are dry and warm and your chain up zone is flat and not full of snow or ice. Tell that to your Airstream dealer!! LOL
My husband was a city bus (dually) driver from Carson City up to Tahoe and back one winter when he was young. I asked him his thoughts on your dilemma. He chained the wheels every time he went up and says he never used a ramp, it's doable but it sucks. However you woundnt likely be doing it often. He says he would take the air suspension over 4x4 for the same reasons you have listed.
But another thought- we met the owner of Outside Vans who swears the 4x4 has amazing suspension as well as wind stabilization which we don't think is available in non-4x4 chassis.. So there's that!!

[Fredjacob]

Originally Posted by epicdetour

Using a ramp is great when conditions are dry and warm and your chain up zone is flat and not full of snow or ice. Tell that to your Airstream dealer!! LOL
My husband was a city bus (dually) driver from Carson City up to Tahoe and back one winter when he was young. I asked him his thoughts on your dilemma. He chained the wheels every time he went up and says he never used a ramp, it's doable but it sucks. However you woundnt likely be doing it often. He says he would take the air suspension over 4x4 for the same reasons you have listed.
But another thought- we met the owner of Outside Vans who swears the 4x4 has amazing suspension as well as wind stabilization which we don't think is available in non-4x4 chassis.. So there's that!!

Again Thanks, Epicdetour.
I'm glad I have a few more months of waiting (have to sell the primary house in the spring before the AS can become a reality) before I need to make my final decision. I know the both the Air Suspension or 4x4 chassis options have become more popular. So, it will be interesting to get additional road handling data from ASI 4x4 owners over next few months.

To throw more into the fray; the Sprinter is up for a model update; they are tooling the factories for a January roll-out of the new chassis. I will be keenly interested in what changes are done to the drivetrain and suspension, as I suspect the ASI 2019 model will be retrofitted to the new Sprinter chassis. But, I am only speculating; don't have any inside info on that!
Fred

[wachuko]

Not sure if we will get to the point of full time living in ours. Who knows. Too much “stuff” we will have to get rid off, but that might be a good thing.

But once retired, we do plan long trips to visit family, friends, and interesting sites.

It was great reading this thread. Thank you for sharing.