New Member - and Thanks!

[EddieO]

Hi all,

Around a month ago we made the decision to live on the road. A couple days ago we ended up buying a 2016 30' Flying Cloud, and have until the end of January to dispense with anything that won't fit in it... then me, my lovely wife, and my dog will take to the road full-time.

Some things I learned in the last month:

1) Entering "site:airforums.com" along with the rest of a google search became a habit.

2) I don't want to learn anything more about tow vehicles or payload. The tow vehicle part of my brain is full.

3) What a Moosetag is. Which took longer than expected to run across.

4) That the more I analyze pros/cons of any given decision, the bigger and more expensive things get. I started thinking of a 23 or 25... struggled with the pros/cons of 27FB vs. 28... then bought a 30 at the last minute.

5) That no matter what the question was, someone (or many someones) had already figured out the options and discussed (or argued) them. How to establish a domicile and deal with mail, options for boosting cell or wi-fi signals, to plan my cross-country route to go past Jackson Center so I can have the 5 to 25 items wrong with my trailer fixed... etc. The info was out there, I just had to take it.

I just wanted to say thanks to all you folks that took the time to put your thoughts on this forum. I'm still figuring things out, but wouldn't have gotten this far without you all.

[Arcticfox]

Welcome aboard!
Sounds to me like you about to depart on an adventure you will not soon forget.
So where is your first planned adventure?

Oh and pictures of your rig and adventure stops are always popular.....lol

Travel safe

Doug


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[FreshAirStmr]

We too have until the end of January to dispense with whatever won't fit in our trailer. I'm amazed that you made the decision only a month ago. We've been planning for 4 years, and still I'm a frazzled mess right now. SO. MUCH. TO. DO. Plus we'll be away for the next 8 days between Canopener and a driving course.

So, have you RV'ed before? For us, not having RV'ed before, I think towing, backing up, and figuring out how to care for our rig are the most intimidating aspects of this whole thing. In comparison, giving up almost everything we own is a piece of cake.

I definitely agree with you on #4!

[moosetags]

Welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us. It sounds like you are prepared as one can be to make this life change.

May you have many great Airstream Adventures, and a wonderful journey.

[dznf0g]

Well, there's one guy who figured out how to use the search function before asking the same questions over and over! Congratulations, welcome, and bets of fortune in your new lifestyle!

[Berberman]

Welcome to club.
I hope you have many enjoyable miles pass under the axels of your trailer.
I have now had my 684 since 2008 and travelled thousands of miles in and around Europe and I love it.
Take care, happy streaming.
Bill.
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
England.

[cwf]

Welcome aboard! and congrats on the decision!

As you can see, there are some of us here who currently live nearby and have or are considering the same decision...

If interested, Ping with a PM anytime.. perhaps we can discuss

[tvketchum]

You will soon find the 30 was an excellent choice. We have a 2008 30' Classic, live full time on the road, and never looked back. Dealt with the house, sold, contents, which went to family first, leftovers were garage sale, and after that, remains were donated to Goodwill. Look at www.escapees.com for a great support network regarding domicile issues, mail forwarding services, and information on inexpensive to free places to stay a night. Also, a great network of friends, fun, travel and memories await at the Airstream Owners Club. Check out www.wbcci.org for more. 5809 will be looking for you out there!


Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

Tom
TVKetchum

[Mrjkq]

Welcome, I enjoyed your comments as they were spot on.

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from AZ. . . Great, another Texan !, Seriously, welcome to our world. You have already learned more than some I could mention who've been here a while. If you / no when you find yourself in the Southwest, look up a 4CU of the 'club' rally & come on by. We'd enjoy having you & I think you'd find it fun. . . .Regards, Craig

[dbj216]

Welcome and congratulations on taking the plunge. You won't regret that 30 footer one bit. Now you can chase after good weather, and have many wonderful adventures in this great country of ours.

Maybe we will meet someday. I like to flash my headlights when I see another Airstream on the road.

Take a look at these beautiful photos of a new Airstream in Colorado during the aspen fall season. I think they are special.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...do-145225.html

David

[EddieO]

Originally Posted by Arcticfox

So where is your first planned adventure?

We're going to go west from Austin for a bit, over to Marfa and down to Big Bend -- maybe take a jaunt into New Mexico in between the two. Then we're heading east - and will be hitting family, friends, new spots, and old favorites. I know I'll be in York, SC in May -- Geneva, OH in July -- near Boston, MA in August -- and in Maine in September. Other than that, the rest is sketched in pencil. I don't really have a clue whether we'll want to move a lot or if we'll hang in places for a longer periods of time.

Originally Posted by FreshAirStmr

So, have you RV'ed before? For us, not having RV'ed before, I think towing, backing up, and figuring out how to care for our rig are the most intimidating aspects of this whole thing.

Not really. I have some memories as a kid of going near Pymatuning Lake, Ohio with family where we had a small trailer (which blew away in a tornado one year - though without us in it). I haven't driven anything with a trailer in 20 or so years, not since I had worked in landscaping/lawn-care and drove fairly big truck/trailer combos - 25' enclosed trailers behind dump trucks - around the same total length of my newest purchases but with totally different weight characteristics. We'll see if it is like riding a bike, or like falling off one.

Originally Posted by RamblinManGa

Hi from AZ. . . Great, another Texan !

To be fair to Texans, I haven't been here long -- the last year living full-time, and then a year before that commuting to/from Washington, DC. I grew up near the PA/Ohio border and lived most of my adult life in DC. Though I'll have an address in Livingston, TX for the foreseeable future... so maybe I'll finally buy some cowboy boots so I match the license plate. But I doubt it... ;-)

[cwf]

You can get some silver boots made to match the AS! There are places in Austin that make 'em.. to fit!

[Seinbelld]

Originally Posted by EddieO

I grew up near the PA/Ohio border

Congratulations!! We actually just ordered a new 30' Serenity and are set to take delivery in April. I work from home and have two little ones, one who's in kindergarten. We are semi considering homeschooling and taking our circus on the road once we get comfortable

Actually.. the real reason I responded is that I also grew up near the PA/OH border in a small town, Grove City (PA). You made it a lot further away than I did... we live in a suburb of Pittsburgh. Where did you grow up? Probably not far from GC if you spent time at Pymatuning!

Eric

[EddieO]

Originally Posted by Seinbelld

Congratulations!! We actually just ordered a new 30' Serenity and are set to take delivery in April. I work from home and have two little ones, one who's in kindergarten. We are semi considering homeschooling and taking our circus on the road once we get comfortable

Actually.. the real reason I responded is that I also grew up near the PA/OH border in a small town, Grove City (PA). You made it a lot further away than I did... we live in a suburb of Pittsburgh. Where did you grow up? Probably not far from GC if you spent time at Pymatuning!

Eric

Congratulations to you too!

Grew up in New Castle, specifically Union Township.

Since this is Western PA, where the main entertainment of my youth was to drive anywhere else (anything to change scenery), I remember Grove City well.

[FCloud9]

Welcome EddieO!!!
You are in for an adventure of a lifetime. We enjoyed Big Bend NP last year even with ice glazed cactus!
Noticed your plan to be in Maine this September....highly recommend the new Schoodic Woods National Park CG
which opened last September. Amazing scenery just north of Acadia and thus far is our favorite campground "ever".
Check my review for more info...... https://www.campendium.com/schoodic-woods-campground
Enjoy your journey,
FCloud9

[Ag47Classic]

Hello EddieO,
We are Newbees as well; signed our Paper Paperwork in Dec15 on a 30' Classic.

I was hoping you wouldn't mind sharing what you found out on boosting your WiFi signal?

[EddieO]

Originally Posted by Ag47Classic

Hello EddieO,
We are Newbees as well; signed our Paper Paperwork in Dec15 on a 30' Classic.

I was hoping you wouldn't mind sharing what you found out on boosting your WiFi signal?

Congrats!

We're still preparing to get on the road (leave in a little over a week) - so my wifi setup is really just a cobbled together experiment spread across my office and balcony using old parts. Just having fun before I determine the real-world starter configuration - though all the misc. stuff seems to be doing ok.

I already owned the following: an Asus RF-AC66U router (with DD-WRT installed), a 2.4GBz parabolic antenna, and an inline signal booster. Right now my focus is on the router configuration, just want to make sure it repeats another network and the tether to my Verizon mifi is stable. I also want to see how the router responds/performs with disparate types of antennas connected to the 3 ports.

I'm planning on adding one of the WeBoost boosters for the LTE side of the equation. I'm going to try out the Mobile Mark antenna for cell and wifi as the default antenna (low profile and clean in terms of permanent install) - but run an extra cable in case I want to connect to a yagi or an omni high up (which I'm thinking of mounting to a 20' telescoping flagpole off of the tongue).


Here's a random question for anyone lurking: is it ok/respectful to have a yagi on the top of a flagpole with the US flag hanging (just below)? I see nothing in the flag code indicating it isn't, and ship equipment masts often have RF/misc. above the flags - but wondered what folks thought?

[EddieO]

We took possession of the Airstream on the 30th - and were on the road the next day. It took longer to get all our stuff out from the rental house and into the trailer, we had more junk than we realized (don't we all?) - and at some point, we stopped carefully organizing everything and just started piling it in with the plan to sort through later. A couple weeks ago our landlord offered to buy all our furniture and electronics (to be able to rent out the place as a furnished house) - and if that deal had not fallen from the sky - the move would have been a LOT more painful (realistically, Goodwill would have had a great day).

We headed over to Inks Lake State Park - which took around two hours from our old place in East Austin. The rangers' station had closed already - but the system for after-hours self-service was new to me (the idea of a self-service honor system is entirely new to me), but easy enough. Backing into our spot in the dark took 20-30 minutes - first time backing up the trailer and first time realizing it is darker here than I'm used to (city boy, I guess).

We made a day-trip back to the storage unit (discarding a full pickup truck load of junk) - and another to the Container Store for junk to organize our remaining junk. I'm happy we bought the 30' unit, not for the storage (like I thought) - but for the counter space to make a good meal and for the separate dinette and couch to have some personal space.

The fresh water hose was frozen this morning and we had no water from our hookup - created a small panic in my brain before I realized it had sunk to the high 20's last night - down from the low 70's yesterday. The pump and water tank worked fine, and so tea was made and the dog's bowl was filled. My lovely wife is setup at her "desk" (the dinette) and working remotely - I feel no urge to ever work again as of yet. Late today we'll pack up continue west for a bit, towards Marfa Texas - with our first attempt to dry-camp along the way.

[Hittenstiehl]

EddieO

Welcome, Congratulations, sounds like its turning out well.

Likely any hiccups you have can be answered here by someone who already went thru the same thing so don't hesitate to ask.

Dry camping, boondocking is fun and very independent feeling. It's just camping with a very nice shell.

I think sometimes people equate dry camping / boondocking to dirty, hungry, transient etc. Not at all. Its all in the perception and creativity of the camper.

Have lots of fun!