Hello From Colorado!

[Kickythekick]

Hey everyone!
My name is Matthew. My wife and I have been dreaming about owning an AS for some time now and we finally found the AS of our dreams locally. I have always admired the Bambi trailers and have been green with envy of anyone lucky enough to own one . We now have a son and have decided to go a little bigger than the Bambi. After looking through all the options we fell in love with a 2015 27fb International Signature. We have put a deposit down on it and will be picking it up this week, woohoo!!!

Here's some of the topics I'm currently wanting to learn more about:

1. What to know for our first overnight trip. Both of our parents are well versed in towing and camping in RV's. Us, not so much. I plan to watch some YouTube videos but would be grateful for any guidance/links.

2. Solar vs Generator- From the looks of things, you can get a solar setup for less than $3k. With a generator costing around $1k we are considering just going all out and getting solar. We plan on having this home for the foreseeable future and believe the cost will break even in a few years. Feedback is welcome!

3. Accessories! All of the necessities (and not so necessary) things for our Airstream. We are wanting to make this our vacation home, personalizing it to fit our style but also making sure we have what we need to survive a night boondocking.

4. Winterizing in Colorado... Is it possible to not fully winterize so we can use the Airstream once a month when the weather is good? If not, how much time does it take to winterize and do some owners winterize multiple times throughout winter?

5. I need an Airstream hat!

6. We need to decide on a name for her.


We are so very excited to be a part of this diverse and loyal community. I typically become quite active on forums but I have a lot to learn before I'm able to truly contribute. I hope you all can be patient with my dumb questions

Can't wait to get to know you all,

Matthew

[moosetags]

Welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us. Congratulations on your new baby. May you have many great Airstream Adventures with her.

As to your concerns and questions, hang in and they will be answered here. Remember that there is a learning curve to this RVing thing, but it is not launching rockets.

As far as solar vs. generator, the correct choice will depend on your camping style. Get your Airstream and use it. The choice will become clear.

Brian

[Kickythekick]

Thanks Brian!
Yeah, I know I will only truly learn from firsthand experience.

Part of me wants to go all out with solar now because I think it is what I'll eventually want to do anyways, and I could skip buying the generator. Although, I realize on a cloudy day I might be in trouble. haha

[star kitty]

Yup....definitely winterize your camper. No harm is de-winterizing it as long as temperatures at night stay reasonable and you re-winterize when you get home. If it were me, I'd leave it winterized and carry water in jugs. Last thing you want is water in those lines during a Colorado winter.

My vote is solar...much more peaceful.

Good luck and have fun!

[Steamy1]

Welcome!

You will find the Forum a lot of help. Try using the search function in the upper right corner of the Home page for subjects you would like information on. It is very helpful and you will find topics you have not even thought of yet.

Have fun!

[Kickythekick]

This forum has already been such a great help to me! I may or may not have lurked for awhile .

I'm glad to see other CO folks on the forum... I'm picking up the beauty on Wednesday, wish me luck that I don't miss anything in the inspection!

[Troutboy]

Hey Matthew, I'm in Colorado as well, we ordered a AS, it arrives in December. I am assuming they will winterize it and had the same questions, regarding taking it out in winter and having to winterize each time. I have a small air compressor and was told USING that is easy and could be done each time.... not sure I will risk it.

Solar, I'm goi g all I'm. Great info here on the boondocking thread in the forums, check it out. Also go to amsolar.com, they have a great learning section on all things solar, others here have directed me there. We like camping off grid, not plugged in and solar is the way for me.

Thx


Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

[centennialman]

Welcome Matthew....there are lots of us Airstream folks in Colorado.

I winterize mine and then carry water with me if I camp in the winter. Bought a folding solar panel for the batteries and used it all summer when boondocking and did just fine.

Keep posting your questions and have lots of fun with your new Airstream!

[64airstream]

We also winterize the trailers and carry gallon bottles for drinking water and a couple of gallon jugs of windshield washer fluid for manually flushing the toilet. The washer fluid won't freeze in the black tank, making the dump on departure more likely to be effective.

With respect to towing, take your time as you get more comfortable. Make sure you understand the hook up steps as your dealer explains them. For backing, place your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand in the direction you want the rear of the trailer to go. Go slow and try not to crash into things (a spotter or frequently getting out to check will help).

Accessories and hats will just happen, the challenge for us is trying not to over do it.

One of the slickest solar setups I've seen, was solar cells on a removable mount on the pickup truck cap. The owners can park the A/S in the shade and the solar cells in the full sun. If desired they can remove and position the cells anywhere they choose and use the TV. It also allows them to use it with any of their trailers. All that said, we use a generator. Our setup is documented on the following, if you're interested: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f394...er-155180.html

The name is completely up to you and you can always change it. We're still trying to decide on the name for our '68. "Nectar" for the Hummingbird theme or "Serendipity" because that's how we like to travel.

Most important, welcome to the forums and enjoy your new trailer and the many adventures and new friends that it will bring.

Roy and Marie

[Kickythekick]

Originally Posted by Troutboy

Hey Matthew, I'm in Colorado as well, we ordered a AS, it arrives in December. I am assuming they will winterize it and had the same questions, regarding taking it out in winter and having to winterize each time. I have a small air compressor and was told USING that is easy and could be done each time.... not sure I will risk it.

Solar, I'm goi g all I'm. Great info here on the boondocking thread in the forums, check it out. Also go to amsolar.com, they have a great learning section on all things solar, others here have directed me there. We like camping off grid, not plugged in and solar is the way for me.

Thx


Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

Awesome! I will check out that site. I don't see myself doing as much boondocking as some BUT I love the idea of freedom from a generator. When I've gone RV'ing in the past with family, I've felt very self conscious of running the generator and using electricity. If I know it's pouring out of the sky for free I might feel different. I haven't been able to find a succinct (recent) article that says "this is what you need, heres the links to buy it, and here's a step by step tutorial for how to install it". Have you run into anything like this? I'd like to also explore portable, non-mounted options.

And congrats ahead of time on your December due date

Did you buy from Windish?

Originally Posted by centennialman

Welcome Matthew....there are lots of us Airstream folks in Colorado.

I winterize mine and then carry water with me if I camp in the winter. Bought a folding solar panel for the batteries and used it all summer when boondocking and did just fine.

Keep posting your questions and have lots of fun with your new Airstream!

Thanks! So you can still use the toilet without having to re-winterize? Just pour water in the bowl and flush?

Are all you CO folks in a local club?

Originally Posted by 64airstream

We also winterize the trailers and carry gallon bottles for drinking water and a couple of gallon jugs of windshield washer fluid for manually flushing the toilet. The washer fluid won't freeze in the black tank, making the dump on departure more likely to be effective.

With respect to towing, take your time as you get more comfortable. Make sure you understand the hook up steps as your dealer explains them. For backing, place your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand in the direction you want the rear of the trailer to go. Go slow and try not to crash into things (a spotter or frequently getting out to check will help).

Accessories and hats will just happen, the challenge for us is trying not to over do it.

One of the slickest solar setups I've seen, was solar cells on a removable mount on the pickup truck cap. The owners can park the A/S in the shade and the solar cells in the full sun. If desired they can remove and position the cells anywhere they choose and use the TV. It also allows them to use it with any of their trailers. All that said, we use a generator. Our setup is documented on the following, if you're interested: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f394...er-155180.html

The name is completely up to you and you can always change it. We're still trying to decide on the name for our '68. "Nectar" for the Hummingbird theme or "Serendipity" because that's how we like to travel.

Most important, welcome to the forums and enjoy your new trailer and the many adventures and new friends that it will bring.

Roy and Marie

Hi Roy and Marie,
Thanks for sharing an inside peek at your Airstream, what a beauty! I love the idea of having a 60's Airstream with history. I'm just not handy enough to do intensive repairs or upgrades so I figured I should start with a newer one... Maybe in the future!

[Troutboy]

Matthew,

Yes we bought from Windish.

I knew nothing about solar power for RV when in bought the AS. In fact, I asked the sales guy about the AS option and he said don't do it, you can Do better on your own.

I started researching on the internet. It's actually pretty basic concept, then depends on how handy you are.

I'm handy, and feel I can do this myself. If you are not, understanding the basics and what you want is important. And then picking the right service provider. That's what I have learned So far.

From the tech side. Depending on what you want to power off grid dictates your system size. Know one thing the AS seems Robbertz built with shore power camping emphasized.

If you want to dry camp or boondock, you will have to make some modifications. The stock batteries, and electric system needs to be upgraded. And of course you need solar panels.

I would be happy to tell you more of what I learned. Just give me a PM. Also note, I am not a professional, I'm still learning, and my advice is free, so take it what it's worth.

Also, find the boondocking thread on these forums. If you search for solar install many folks have asked questions and have install info posted. I will do a photo documentary on my install. I am finalizing my components now, but need to actually have the AS to get more detailed on locations etc.



Thx.

[SSquared]

Originally Posted by Kickythekick

Are all you CO folks in a local club?

Welcome to the world of Airstreams.

Colorado has a local chapter of the international Airstream club. It's called the "DenCo" Unit (the international club goes by the initials WBCCI). Check out the web page at http://denco.wbcci.net/ to learn more about the local club. We've been members for three years and have enjoyed the people and the activities.

The next meeting is a luncheon on Saturday November 12 in Aurora. Check out the web page for contact info.

And yes, you do need to winterize. If you want to use the trailer in the winter, you can leave it winterized and use it as an aluminum tent (with furnace). There are a few folks who have an annual Airstream get-together in the mountains for New Year! I think they all keep their rigs winterized for the event.

If you want to de-winterize and use the trailer as normal in the winter, you can do that when it gets into the 20s at night. Colder than that is problematic.

By the way, we have 435 watts of solar on our trailer. The parts came from AM Solar. We had an independent solar expert install them.

[Kickythekick]

Originally Posted by Troutboy

Matthew,

Yes we bought from Windish.

I knew nothing about solar power for RV when in bought the AS. In fact, I asked the sales guy about the AS option and he said don't do it, you can Do better on your own.

I started researching on the internet. It's actually pretty basic concept, then depends on how handy you are.

I'm handy, and feel I can do this myself. If you are not, understanding the basics and what you want is important. And then picking the right service provider. That's what I have learned So far.

From the tech side. Depending on what you want to power off grid dictates your system size. Know one thing the AS seems Robbertz built with shore power camping emphasized.

If you want to dry camp or boondock, you will have to make some modifications. The stock batteries, and electric system needs to be upgraded. And of course you need solar panels.

I would be happy to tell you more of what I learned. Just give me a PM. Also note, I am not a professional, I'm still learning, and my advice is free, so take it what it's worth.

Also, find the boondocking thread on these forums. If you search for solar install many folks have asked questions and have install info posted. I will do a photo documentary on my install. I am finalizing my components now, but need to actually have the AS to get more detailed on locations etc.



Thx.

Thanks for the info! I am going to the boondocks thread as soon as I hit submit on this post!

Originally Posted by SSquared

Welcome to the world of Airstreams.

Colorado has a local chapter of the international Airstream club. It's called the "DenCo" Unit (the international club goes by the initials WBCCI). Check out the web page at http://denco.wbcci.net/ to learn more about the local club. We've been members for three years and have enjoyed the people and the activities.

The next meeting is a luncheon on Saturday November 12 in Aurora. Check out the web page for contact info.

And yes, you do need to winterize. If you want to use the trailer in the winter, you can leave it winterized and use it as an aluminum tent (with furnace). There are a few folks who have an annual Airstream get-together in the mountains for New Year! I think they all keep their rigs winterized for the event.

If you want to de-winterize and use the trailer as normal in the winter, you can do that when it gets into the 20s at night. Colder than that is problematic.

By the way, we have 435 watts of solar on our trailer. The parts came from AM Solar. We had an independent solar expert install them.

435 watts!

Do you ever wish you had more? I am planning on around 200 but also don't want to regret not starting off on the right foot!

I see you're in Longmont... I'm up north by you!

[Kickythekick]

We are planning to do a night or two this weekend. Any Colorado folks have a good suggestion for a newbie that wants a scenic RV site (within an hour or two of Denver) with hookups for the maiden voyage?

[2012FB]

Hi Matthew, Congratulations! We travel in and out of Golden CO several times during the winter. I fill a 5 gallon soft pail with RV antifreeze each time we leave and use that to re-winterize when heading back to CO from warmer climates. We never boondock so no help there. I have not put water in the fresh water tank yet so I never need to change the winterize/fresh water valve. This valve/kit does not come standard so have the dealer install and instruct you how to use it. It only takes me about 3 minutes to winterize. If needed for emergencies on the road we use the anti-freeze to manually flush. If possible I would suggest covered parking in the winter. Between the intense sun and alternating snow/cold it is hard on the roof and clear coat at our altitude. Enjoy your new trailer.

[centennialman]

Boyd Lake State Park is up in your neck of the woods. They have electricity and water hook ups. There is a dump station on site and it's easy to use. Might be a good option for your first outing. You would be right down the road from camping world and Windish has an outlet nearby as well. Just in case you need something.

[SSquared]

Originally Posted by Kickythekick

Thanks for the info! I am going to the boondocks thread as soon as I hit submit on this post!



435 watts!

Do you ever wish you had more? I am planning on around 200 but also don't want to regret not starting off on the right foot!

I see you're in Longmont... I'm up north by you!

435 is overkill for most situations. We find we only need a couple of hours of midday sun to recharge from a normal day & night's usage. But if you camp where you are in the shade 100% of the time, you might not keep up. Around Colorado, I've never seen a site that was totally shaded. But in the forests of Washington and Oregon, I have seen such places.

Solar overkill is also good insurance for days that are completely cloudy. And for the off season--we really noticed the difference between July and late September.

My wife says to tell you that she is glad we went with 435 watts of solar.

We could squeeze one more panel onto our roof, but I don't think we will.

[dbj216]

Greetings from another Colorado resident. There is ample interest in Airstreams here in the state. I think you will find these Air Forums very informative as you learn all about using your Airstream. We have had ours for a little over 10 years and I'm still learning new things.

We like long trips around this beautiful country of ours. Colorado ranks maybe tops as far as beautiful states to visit. So someday you might be able to take a couple of weeks and head out in your Airstream. Last spring we explored New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. This fall we explored Colorado, Wyoming, and Idaho. We've been to Galveston, Oregon, and Maine. Moosetags above ventures out and really explores the area while traveling. Read a couple of his travel threads. That's real Airstreaming. You will get good at it too.

I would use your trailer before I decided on auxiliary power supplies. With the intense Colorado high altitude sun, you might fine the AC a fine luxury. Our Airstreams are outfitted with power using appliances. But others like to be "one with nature" and sleeping on the ground in a tent is just fine. We can boondock three nights in our trailer okay, but there is no way to charge up our devices.

David