Hello from Amarillo, TX!!

[txairdream]

Hi All!

I have been pouring over these forums for a couple of weeks to soak up as much AS info as I could ever since laying eyes on one at our local dealership. Well, we bought that beautiful thing today!

2013 Flying Cloud 30' Bunkhouse

Picking it up in a couple of days so the dealer can prep it. Soooo excited. This may seem a little weird, but it was between this and a 15k Minnie Winnie. Not so similar, I know. We wanted something to have the room for our growing family. Right now we have a 7, 5, and 2 year old, hoping to have more.

I own and operate a Chick-fil-A here in Amarillo so my job gives me some flexibility to take the family camping. We tent camp several times a year but inevitably end up soaked in the rain! We are excited to have our little home on wheels. My company has a bit of a cult following so it's excited to be part of another loyal fan base for an admired brand.

Any tips for this first time AS - heck, any! - buyer?

Thanks for all your help and look forward to seeing you out there!

[moosetags]

Welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us. All questions are welcome here. Ask away. Airstreaming does have a learning curve, but it's not launching rockets.

[txairdream]

Thanks, moose tags! First question: what is boon docking? I've seen it several times on the forums.

[Silver Goose]

Boondocking = Off the grid... In most RV parks and established campgrounds, you will have electric and water hookups, and sewer connections are common. Some even offer cable TV and Wi-Fi internet! If you stay on private or Bureau of Land Management lands, you will be relying on your batteries, what water you you brought and your holding tanks to carry out what you used. Your fridge will run off your supply of LPG. Your Airstream as is will allow you to boondock for several days with very conservative use of lights and water. Tote a generator and a way to replenish your fresh water and a way to legally dispose of your waste water and you can extend you stay. Welcome to the club!

Boondocking allows you to go where most never venture. In an age where conservation is forefront, boondocking is a good way to show youngsters that they can't leave the faucet running or expect when they flip the switch the lights will also come on. It can also promote family activities, away from all of our electronic distractions.

[cwf]

Welcome aboard! I do love Chick-fil-a! You are with a great team there!

We, too, are a team of sorts...

You will never stop learning and I will loan you my "dummy" hat whenever you need it... My motto, "Lose the LUMPS, not the LESSON"

You will have your own lumpy moments..it's ok and makes for good fireside chatter when no one was hurt

For starters, rent -find-purchase "The Long Long Trailer" starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez. Watch, laugh, cry..laugh.

[Goal15]

Congratulations. You are gonna love your AS almost as much as I love Chick-fil-A. Welcome to Air Forums as well.

[jump]

Welcome!!! We are in Lubbock and picked up our '13 International Signature in March ... Would like to invite ya'll to check out the WBCCI group ...

Look forward to seeing ya'll on the road and in the parks.

[txairdream]

Wonderful! Thanks for the replies! Would love to boondock after I get a hang of this trailer. Should I keep the freshwater tank full pretty well as much as I can, or does it weigh down and affect gas mileage?

Who here has been to Palo Duro Canyon state park here in my backyard in the Texas Panhandle? I've been going all my life but when I think if pulling a 30' trailer down that road or heck any mountain road it makes me a but queasy!

[cwf]

Never been there... But worry about pulling our 34' there for sure... Like some if the roads out between Kerrville and Utopia...and a few others. They are called "the twisted sisters"..

[Silver Goose]

Originally Posted by txairdream

... Who here has been to Palo Duro Canyon state park here in my backyard in the Texas Panhandle? I've been going all my life but when I think if pulling a 30' trailer down that road or heck any mountain road it makes me a but queasy!

I took a 27' into the canyon several years ago. What I remember was a 10% grade for about a mile. You may feel better about it after you've found your comfort zone that comes with some time and familiarity of your equipment. There is a designated trailer campground in the park that is only accessible via that route. You will learn that your transmission is your friend. Selecting 2nd or even 1st gear for the descent will assist in limiting your speed without having to ride the brakes. For the ascent back up, the automatic should find the right gear for you but resist the urge to give it full throttle. If you fell the need, you can always select a lower gear but some transmissions won't automatically downshift to 1st if 2nd is selected, so be prepared to select 1st manually if it feels like bogging down in 2nd. My dad had very simple advice that has proven to be both safe and beneficial for the mechanics of things. Easy, does it.

[desertair27]

Originally Posted by txairdream

Wonderful! Thanks for the replies! Would love to boondock after I get a hang of this trailer. Should I keep the freshwater tank full pretty well as much as I can, or does it weigh down and affect gas mileage? Who here has been to Palo Duro Canyon state park here in my backyard in the Texas Panhandle? I've been going all my life but when I think if pulling a 30' trailer down that road or heck any mountain road it makes me a but queasy!

We visited Palo Duro canyon last Sept and loved it there. No problems with our 31footer.

[mefly2]

I have a chick-Aimeeee sitting right next to me. She is delicious, too!
Great picture, Desert ...

[wxbuoy]

Congrats and welcome to the forums!!

Start slow and work your way up. We hit a local RV park the first time out in ours (after the drive home from the purchase). The reason being it was a short ride home to get any thing we absolutely needed. It was also a no stress way to learn all the systems...

We had a legal pad on the counter that we just kept adding items we needed and projects we needed to do. Worked great.

As far as water we only traveled with 1/4 tank if we were going to a park with water hook ups. Enough to use the bathroom. It cut down on the weight considerably (8.35lbs per gallon) So instead of 417lbs we were hauling 104lbs.

We also always traveled with empty black and grey tanks when possible.

Bu the best advice is join a group or unit that you can learn from!

I wouldn't have gone down Palo Duro canyon when I first got my airstream (first RV ever) but after a year I would have had no problem. Give it time, You well gain comfort and confidence in your towing ability.

Never rush, always take your time. Get out walk around and then think about how you are going to do it. When you rush, you make mistakes.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by wxbuoy

Start slow and work your way up. We hit a local RV park the first time out in ours (after the drive home from the purchase). The reason being it was a short ride home to get any thing we absolutely needed. It was also a no stress way to learn all the systems...

For the same reason, your first trip should ideally be to a campground that has sewer hookups, so you can learn the ropes on dumping your waste tanks without making other people wait in line at the dump station. Remember that scene from the movie "RV".

Not to mention, if you've got sewer hookups on your first trip, if you end up using more water than expected and fill your gray tank before you're ready to depart, you don't have to break camp to visit the dump station, just to return to your site and set up again. You'll be able to dump your holding tanks on-site. I'm assuming here that as new campers you won't have a blue Thetford tote yet.

Though I expect, as experienced tent campers, you're pretty frugal on water usage.

[Silver Goose]

Originally Posted by wxbuoy

... Never rush, always take your time. Get out walk around and then think about how you are going to do it. When you rush, you make mistakes.

To expand on this a bit. Some find it helpful to develop a checklist for hitching/unhitching to make sure everything is done and in a sequence that make sense. For example once your trailer is level side to side and the front to rear to your satisfaction, then deploy the stabilizer legs. (I purposely do no call them jacks as using them as such is not good). Once they are down, don't mess with the tongue jack and with youngsters around, they have to know not to be playing with the jack switch. When preparing for departure, always retract the stabilizers before raising the tongue. This is an example of things that should be done in a particular order. As wxbouy says, never rush. We learned early on it was best for mom to take the kids for a walk while dad dealt with the hitching/unhitching. Even after 30+ years of doing this, mom knows not to distract dad until all is done.

It is also a really good idea for mom to learn the ropes also. The ordered checklist is really handy here. When mom is ready, let her do the steps. Those wide open roads around Amarillo are the perfect spot for mom to learn how do drive with with that aluminum beauty in tow. You never know when dad might get bit by a snake in the canyon and mom needs the confidence to get dad and the kids home.

Someone else mentioned joining a local RV club. Many with Airstreams think 1st of a WBCCI chapter, but there are other choices if one is not nearby. The Good Sam club has 5 local chapters in the panhandle area. They typically camp once a month and the chapter's activities vary by chapter. While one may go exclusively to RV parks where they can play cards and dominos, another chapter may like the lakes and state parks and enjoy campfires and outdoor cooking. The essential thing is they have been doing this for a while and can pass along their secrets of successful RV living. The styling and construction is what makes an Airstream different from other RVs. The systems and how they work are pretty much common in the industry, so the folks with the Minnie Winnie can certainly help you understand the correct way to use and dump your holding tanks.

[m.hony]

I always stress the point to my wife that things have to be done in a certain order- not randomly-
1. tongue jack up
2. torsion bars off
3. tongue jack down
4. release coupler
5. tongue jack up
6. pull truck forward
7. tongue jack down to level
6. electricity
7. a/c on
8. water
9. water heater on
10. sewer
12. wheel chocks
13. stabilizers
14. awnings
15. chairs
16. campfire
electricity, water, and sewer before stabilizers so she can go ahead inside and start cleaning/straightening/whatever to get out of my way!

[txairdream]

WOW thanks so much for the info! VERY helpful. I'm a bit overwhelmed, can't wait to dig in.

Desertair - great pic! I love the canyon so much!

[tvketchum]

Good Sam is a good group for general camping knowledge and tips. WBCCI local chapter will be a database of nearby, helpful AS owners who can answer just about any questions specific to our aluminum beauties. I tins the WBCCI dues for national and local chapter a bargain. Chick Fil A is one of my favorite on the road stops for Monday through Saturday travel, but Sundays it's Wendy's. Apologize to the cows for me....

[rbr]

We were in Palo Duro a couple years ago, the road was no problem at all, but then we have towed some roads that make some of the "10 scariest" lists and not felt too clammy at the end... like all descents, gear way down, save your brakes, and at the bottom you'll wonder why you worried. My son lives in Lubbock, so I'm sure we'll be back through sooner rather than later. You will be glad to start now, life is for Streaming.

[SeeMore]

Originally Posted by m.hony

I always stress the point to my wife that things have to be done in a certain order- not randomly-
1. tongue jack up
2. torsion bars off
3. tongue jack down
4. release coupler
5. tongue jack up
6. pull truck forward
7. tongue jack down to level
6. electricity
7. a/c on
8. water
9. water heater on
10. sewer
12. wheel chocks
13. stabilizers
14. awnings
15. chairs
16. campfire
electricity, water, and sewer before stabilizers so she can go ahead inside and start cleaning/straightening/whatever to get out of my way!

The list is fairly complete but I NEVER unhitch (step 5 above) before putting wheel chocks in place (step 12). If it rolled for any reason, I doubt I could stop it by hand!