whos permanently parked and living in A/S?

[nyairdream]

are you parked and living in ur airstream?? how long? what were the mods u had to perform to do this?

[Excellaphant]

I will be starting tonight, I plan on staying 5-7 nights a week and plan on
doing it for the next year or so.

I have a perfectly stock vehicle right now, I do plan on a few modifications
though to make it a bit more livable for extended periods of time.

Things like:

An LCD TV that moves out of the way. On an arm/ wall bracket.

A Computer based Entertainment System (HTPC) since I won't have
too much space for CD/DVD storage.

Some kind of nice speaker installation, since I want to use my record
player and have decent speakers. (record storage is another problem)

The shower could use some modifications, I'd like to install some
better fixtures. I don't like the shower head on a hose deal.

That's just some ideas. I really don't know how feasable they are
from a mechanical aspect since I want to keep my Airstream as
stock as possible.

I'll post when something gets done though.

[nyairdream]

hey whats up cool that ur doing this and info on this will be great to know? my bigest concern is toilet and waste water issues cuz my a/s is in NY so i guess i csn only stay in summer cuz in the winter the whole works will get fozen up! frozen poop is not a fun idea for me!! i was in niceville a few years ago for a wedding it was at a militery base in ft walton. lots of fun cool beaches !! are you ok after hurricanes ? we had 2 here in west palm beach and are not back to normal completly yet! ok hope to hear and see more from u ! john

[Excellaphant]

That Hurricane treated me fine, unfortunately it wrecked Pensacola
and the surrounding area. But Niceville and the beaches around
Destin were spared serious damage.

I can't help you on the frozen sewage issue, that's a little out of
my area of experience. There was a tread that was talking about
all kinds of cold weather precautions, like surrounding the base of
the trailer with hay bales and using light bulbs to keep compartments
warm. I am sure someone has invented some holding tank heaters.
If it gets that cold though, you might want to think about the propane
bills and a heater to keep the sewage warm before it makes its' way
into the tank.

Day one was cake. The airstream is nicer than most appartments/dorms
I have had the pleasure of inhabiting.

I'll keep some threads going on long term issues. I think the first one is
going to be a timer for the hot water heater.

take care,

[bhsl8]

So y'all if I might piggy back here a bit. I may have a need to winter in my AS in northwestern Wisconsin. Has any one actually done such a thing in this or a similar part of the country and if so would they share the gorey details on what would be required in terms of equipment and investment? I will have to deal with this pretty quickly I am afraid. Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by Excellaphant

That Hurricane treated me fine, unfortunately it undefinedwrecked Pensacola
and the surrounding area. But Niceville and the beaches around
Destin were spared serious damage.

I can't help you on the frozen sewage issue, that's a little out of
my area of experience. There was a tread that was talking about
all kinds of cold weather precautions, like surrounding the base of
the trailer with hay bales and using light bulbs to keep compartments
warm. I am sure someone has invented some holding tank heaters.
If it gets that cold though, you might want to think about the propane
bills and a heater to keep the sewage warm before it makes its' way
into the tank.

Day one was cake. The airstream is nicer than most appartments/dorms
I have had the pleasure of inhabiting.

I'll keep some threads going on long term issues. I think the first one is
going to be a timer for the hot water heater.

take care,

[gardener]

There was an Airstream in Idaho recently advertised on eBay. Couple had lived in it as permanent home for several years. Here's the link if you want to ask them questions about mods for winter use. He's probably busy right now, since he'll be in process of moving, but he's a real nice guy to talk with.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...496878411&rd=1

[nyairdream]

i think this gets confuseing . we need to have a term for what were talking about here! sum people might think were talking about full-timeing . but were noy full-timeing is when u travel continusly and we are talking about permenent parked and living in our airstreams. so we need to name it and start our own forum on this site like the full-timmers have! i think perminent palaces, parked place, dwellers, home sweet trailer, airstreamers with roots, parked place,
livin in alluminium, imobile majority, all the timmers, motion sikness,
movin on in, any ideas????? lets figure this ok guys!! john

[Trailerbunny]

Hey! In just about a week I will be living in my "pastured" 24 ft doublebed '78 Argosy.It's finally in Northern Calif and registered here.I already have a deck and a fenced yard for my border collie and have started cleaning out an old drafty barn in back for my dog to stay in and to store a few things..

I have to be out of my house by Dec first when my tenants move in...Nothing has been turned on yet...

It's kind of exciting getting started...I don't know the first thing about trailers...and now this is my new home for awhile...I'll have to get used to showering with the six gal H2O heater...and regular runs to the septic with the little blue wheelie thing...I'm have my owner's manuel and this forum to refer to if I get in a bind...and I expect I will...I have the phone # of a RV repairmain who knows AS's and makes housecalls.
I called Pac bell to come out and hook me up ...mainly for my laptop which will be my entertanment for awhile ( I just ordered one from Dell with a DVD player.)

I think it would be great to share stories( and photos) of our experiences with our interesting choice of living.

[85MH325]

There are a number of threads that deal with full-time cold-weather living in an Airstream. I lived in a 1970 Safari 23' for about eight months in 1987-88 in the foothills of SoCal.

We had nights in the low '20s and I can tell you from first hand experience that rigging utilities for an Airstream to live in full time in below-freezing temps is going to be a tough time. You will need to skirt it and have the utilities buried undergound to code immediately under the trailer so the access is behind the skirting. This includes the sewer system. You'll also need a way of heating the pipes that go from the underground utilities to the trailer inlets, a very difficult task since they're exposed on the streetside of most Airstreams rather than under the coach as in park model trailers.

Further, while the furnace(s) may be up to the task of keeping the plumbing and tanks from freezing, you'll need to leave cabinet doors open in critical areas to help with warm air circulation. You'll also need a HUGE, non-stop supply of LP as your furnaces won't stop running since Airstreams aren't all that well insulated (compared to residential installations) and have single-pane windows. If you DO run out of LP and your furnaces stop heating, particularly in sub-zero weather, the game is over as your plumbing will freeze and burst.

Electric auxillary heat can be used in the cabin, but remember that it will NOT reach the plumbing or tanks as does the ducted air from the furnace(s). It also tends to keep the furnaces from running as much as they need to for keeping your plumbing and tanks from freezing.

You'll also need to be able to deal with condensation which means that you have vents and windows open. That also exacerbates your heating issues, as now you're heating the outside too.

Obviously those living in Airstreams in more temperate climes, such as Petaluma, don't have to worry about this. Those of you in sub-freezing zones need to be well advised of what you're undertaking and prepare accordingly.

Roger

[rceptex]

Originally Posted by nyairdream

are you parked and living in ur airstream?? how long? what were the mods u had to perform to do this?

I've lived in my 84 34' L-Lounge since 1996. In the winter I heat tape the water line, the pipe and faucet coming out of the ground and in water inlet going into the unit. The only other mods to the unit was an installation of a dog door in the screen, and the purchase of a couple of electric heaters to supplement the furnace and the installation of a large propane tank in the yard so I don't have to go fill the tanks every few days in the winter...as far as sew problems never had any. I live in the Four Corners area of New Mexico and while the winters are not usually severly cold the temp does drop into the single digits and below 0 occasionally. I leave both dump valves open full time and periodically use a pressure clean out hooked to the shower hose to clean out the black water tank. After nine years in the Airstream I have no desire to move back into anything else. Good luck...Ross

[dmadam]

I plan on living in my A/S by the end of Jan. '05. If it as cold as in the above posts I outa there! After all it does have wheels. I'm a photographer and plan on roaming at least half the year but plan on staying ahead of the cold and behind the heat. The cold is too tough on both the A/S and myself!

[Tarheel]

Just a couple of things. I like my conviences such as satellite TV, phone, and my computer. When we stay in Melborne, FL these are all available. Washing and drying clothes can be a headache. Some have a small shed to put the washer and dryer in as well as a small workbench. The trailer itself is the least of your concerns, how well you hold up in a confined space is another issue. We have a 34' and space enough so that one of us can watch tv while the other reads. After 6-8 weeks I'm ready to come back to the house and stretch out.

[Trailerbunny]

That's for sure...
I just moved into my 24 ft Argosy '78 last week during the coldest week in Northern Calif. (GOT INTO THE MID 20'S) No water ...had to bring it in from outside to flush toilet ...had to crack the ice on the surface of dog's dish ...washcloth was frozen to sink...I covered outside hose with foam insulation and brought in a space heater ( turned off the fridg...to avoid overloading the circuits...and didn't need it anyway.) I set the space heater in front of the kitchen water pipes and ran a trickle of water during the night to make sure it would still run in the AM. I scrounged insulation from the county dump for under the trailer. Turn on my elect blanket with lots of quilts on top of it before I turn on the sp heater.

I still can't get the water heater to light...used up an entire butane lighter and have dents in my thumb to proove that I tried...I don't see smell or hear propane when I do this..and the stove burners all light up w/o a hitch...I read everything on this forum about water heater failer and tried it all...Lots of great advice...I kept thinking that I was trying to light up the wrong thing down there...and will refrain from taking things apart that I don't understand.
The itinerant RV fixit guy won't be able to come put until next week...and I won't have to explain to him why there are parts dangling that i couldn't figure out how to put back together....

Wish me luck....i plan to stick this out for the next 2 years...come hell or frozen water....

I'm so glad that the weather has warmed a bit...Kate

[bake315]

Originally Posted by Trailerbunny

Wish me luck....i plan to stick this out for the next 2 years...come hell or frozen water....

Sounds like you've already seen one of these - we all hope you don't see the other!

[gadgetat]

Originally Posted by Excellaphant

I will be starting tonight, I plan on staying 5-7 nights a week and plan on
doing it for the next year or so.

I have a perfectly stock vehicle right now, I do plan on a few modifications
though to make it a bit more livable for extended periods of time.

Things like:

An LCD TV that moves out of the way. On an arm/ wall bracket.

A Computer based Entertainment System (HTPC) since I won't have
too much space for CD/DVD storage.

Some kind of nice speaker installation, since I want to use my record
player and have decent speakers. (record storage is another problem)

The shower could use some modifications, I'd like to install some
better fixtures. I don't like the shower head on a hose deal.

That's just some ideas. I really don't know how feasable they are
from a mechanical aspect since I want to keep my Airstream as
stock as possible.

I'll post when something gets done though.

Excellaphant---

How has your setup for the Airstream progressed? Your idea about a computer based entertainment system really caught my attention!

While we are not full timing (would love to though) we use an Apple IBook on all of our trips. This summer while contracting in WV I lived out of the Airstream for a month +. I purchased an Elgato Eye TV USB box for the Mac. That basically made the Mac capable of viewing and recording TV just like a Tivo.

Additionally with my ITunes I carried more than 200 CD's worth of music along with me. We have a USB powered FM transmitter that connects to the Mac and broadcasts to our radio in the Airstream. Instant surround sound. In the space of less than my sink the Mac is a DVD player, TV, Video Recorder, and music center.

The latest IMacs have really caught our attention. Look at a flat panel TV, then look at an IMac......many possibilites there! Just need to figure out how to mount the IMac base on a swing out stand!

Thought I'd toss in $.02! My wife & I are tech junkies. Drop a note if you'd like, as I know this has gone slightly off topic.

Rich Charpentier

[nyairdream]

i havnt been on here much but just thought id write a line to say hi

[Druupy]

Stillvering = non-moving aluminum abode.

[njoysrvin]

We live full-time in our as. For winter we used heat tape and bubble wrap in the areas in direct elements. We did fine . We also had the local gas company to fill larger propane canisters and used quick connects. Inside we put up a flat screen tv and installed central vac.We are still working on storage ...we'll get there!!!!

[jimmieanna]

Hi everyone,
I have been living full time in my AS since November of 2005. I have never been happier in my life. I have a few friends who wonder about me out here in this little aluminum cocoon, but to me it is heaven. I have moved it twice since November, but right now I am in the coolest place ever. I live about 10 miles outside of Eureka Springs. AR about 1 mile from the White River and 3 miles to Beaver Dam. It is gorgous here, the winter was rough, but I made it without any broken pipes. I had one weekend I got snowed in town and could not drive the curvy icey road to my AS, I was really worried about the freezing temps, esp me gone and heat turned down, but things were fine, I put some thin insulation around the bottom that was silver like the AS, and it looks so cool. Color matched perfect and that kept the pipes from freezing, plus I did all the heat wrap everyone is talking about as well. I put carpet down in the kitchen and bathroom and that helped with the floor, it got really cold before I did that. Still I guess that the biggest problem is that in winter it did not hold heat well and at night it got coolllldddd. But this weather here right now is making up for it and I live in such a nice place, I have one other person for a neighbor who has (of all things) another AS, but he is only here on some weekends. So for the most part I am living out here in this nice open space by myself. (Oh did I mention my little Shar-Pei, Peaches?) Well she loves it here too! Jimmieanna