Full Time Newbies!

[silverpeanut]

Hello everyone. My boyfriend and I recently purchased our first AS. We used to drive an '83 VW Vanagon and we camped in that (one time for 6 solid months on the road) for about three years. As you can imagine our brand new 25' Safari feels like a palace in comparison.

We are full timing from here on out. We are both landscape painters and are traveling the US to paint on location for the next few years. We sell our work online and hope we can keep gas in the truck's tank and food on the dinette table for many years to come in this way! So far so good! We are currently in the South (SC) and are working our way slowly up the coast into Summer.

We have had some trouble with our water system (the system monitor is wacked and it seems like there is random leakage into the gray water tank while on city water hook up.) Other than that we have put close to 1500 miles (since early March) on the trailer and have had no other real problems yet. We are totally happy with the trailer so far.

I look forward to getting to know some folks through this forum and I am sure we can learn a lot from y'all!

Bethany & Billy

[azflycaster]

Welcome to the forums. The system monitor may need to be calibrated. Use the search function and look for details.

Random leak into the grey tank? That is odd. The only thing I could think of is a Reverse Osmosis system that might cause such a thing. That is only a guess.

[moosetags]

Welcome to the Forums. We are glad to have you with us. Keep us posted on your adventures.

[silverpeanut]

Hi Richard...thanks for the mention of calibrating the system monitor. I think that is exactly what we need to do. We assumed that it had already been done and it would seem that it has not.

We had someone look at the grey tank situation and they thought maybe there was a small piece of debris caught in the pump that was allowing water to leak through from the fresh water hook ups into the grey tank. It could also just be that the system needs to be calibrated. Lol. Until we do that there is no way to tell for sure!

Thanks for the greetings and if anyone is interested in reading our travel blog it is at Full Hook Ups

[fr8tshaker]

I had the same problem with the gray tank filling when hooked to city water. Took it back to dealer (AS of Arkansas- Bill is the best) and had the water pump replaced. No further problems. 'shaker

[lewster]

Originally Posted by silverpeanut

Hi Richard...thanks for the mention of calibrating the system monitor. I think that is exactly what we need to do. We assumed that it had already been done and it would seem that it has not.

We had someone look at the grey tank situation and they thought maybe there was a small piece of debris caught in the pump that was allowing water to leak through from the fresh water hook ups into the grey tank. It could also just be that the system needs to be calibrated. Lol. Until we do that there is no way to tell for sure!

Thanks for the greetings and if anyone is interested in reading our travel blog it is at Full Hook Ups

You might have a bad check valve. If the pump doesn't have one integrated into it, you should have one added to alleviate the situation.

[silverpeanut]

Thanks for the further advice on that water leak guys. It seems to not be doing it anymore??! Maybe there was a piece of small debris in the pump that eventually got washed out or something? If it acts up again we are taking it into a dealership and getting the pump replaced.

Happy trails everyone!

[mandolindave]

Could it have anything to do with very high (can be up to 100 psi ) water pressure asscociated with city water? Inline water pressure reducers are available.

[Foureagles]

Welcome Bethany!

I'm full-timing in SC (near Pumpkintown) too at the moment -- hoping to drag the ol' trailer home to my beloved Colorado High Country soon.

[ArtStream]

Originally Posted by silverpeanut

We are full timing from here on out. We are both landscape painters and are traveling the US to paint on location for the next few years. We sell our work online and hope we can keep gas in the truck's tank and food on the dinette table for many years to come in this way! So far so good! We are currently in the South (SC) and are working our way slowly up the coast into Summer.

Bethany & Billy

Hi Bethany & Billy, and welcome to the forum!

I have been full-timing and painting my way around the U.S. for the past 7 years. I'm in OK at the moment, than down to TX.

Most any AS questions you might have can be answered by the many sage forum members here.

Hope we can hook-up at some point

Art/living questions, just give me a shout!

Michael

[silverpeanut]

I have been full-timing and painting my way around the U.S. for the past 7 years. I'm in OK at the moment, than down to TX.

Most any AS questions you might have can be answered by the many sage forum members here.

Hope we can hook-up at some point

Art/living questions, just give me a shout!

Hi Michael! Thanks for letting us know we are not alone on the road with paint brushes in hand! Hopefully we will cross paths at some point. We are headed up North to New England for the Summer but after that the road is a wide open with a big fat question mark. Give a shout if you ever see we are headed your way. We would love some recommendations on where to paint in Texas. Are you a landscape painter?

Hello to Four Eagles too....thanks for the warm wlecome!

[Stefrobrts]

Hey, I checked out your blog - love it! Even the pics of the fridge! I'm enough of an Airstream geek I was going - hey, that's a nice big fridge (compared to mine). But I am now insanely jealous. Travelling the country taking pictures and painting. <sigh> Maybe someday... Keep posting for those of us tied down at home

[ArtStream]

Originally Posted by silverpeanut

Hi Michael! Thanks for letting us know we are not alone on the road with paint brushes in hand! Hopefully we will cross paths at some point. We are headed up North to New England for the Summer but after that the road is a wide open with a big fat question mark. Give a shout if you ever see we are headed your way. We would love some recommendations on where to paint in Texas. Are you a landscape painter?

Hello to Four Eagles too....thanks for the warm wlecome!

No competition here, abstract/contemporary.
Texas is wonderful; let me know when you get out that way.

Have fun and be safe.

Michael

[silverpeanut]

Hi Stephanie! Thanks for reading the blog! It is so rewarding to get new people interested...it makes sitting down to post every day a lot more inspiring if I know there are people out there pickin' up what I am puttin' down.

Michael...no worries about competition! We love to meet other painters no matter what their medium/subject matter is. Thanks again for saying "Hello."

Have a great weekend everyone. Hope the sun is shining wherever you are!

[Kintscher]

I've been reading your blog too. I agre with Stephanie, it's nice to live vicariously via someone else's travels.

[Foiled Again]

Livin' the dream eh? My business keeps me fairly rooted now, but I'm also fulltiming. Without kids who needs the upkeep of a house?

I live and work in Virginia Beach and full time in my 25 FB SE. If you're coming up the coast, post me (though I will be on the road for the Summer Solstice (June 19-23, and am going to Arizona next month, May 12-19).

If you decide to go up the mountains, definitely do some serious time on the skyline drive - if you want some mountain scapes to paint. Also there's an Airstream only park, Virginia Highland Haven that's wonderful to visit. It's about 20 miles north of Floyd VA (home of the world's best fabric shop).

Paula Ford

[silverpeanut]

Thanks Paula...I IM'ed you for more advice on Virginia Beach. Thanks to everyone checking out the blog. Has anyone else here seen the Angel Oak tree I posted about today? If not make sure you look it up when traveling through the Charleston, SC area. It is a tremendous thing to see. It's worth a side trip to Johns Island for sure.