Tips for first timers

[eikel1we]

Welcome mountaincat,
What an interesting conection you have with A/S. You have come to the best place for advise on "pampering" your A/S. I hope you have the opportunites to make more happy memories ..... in your own Airstream.

suz

[Dave28C]

Greetings: I tried to click the New Thread button, and nothing happened. So, I clicked Reply instead.

After 13 years with a Holiday Rambler Navigator, we're thinking of getting an Airstream instead. We're not looking for anything much larger than 24 feet, and we'd have to also get a new tow vehicle. Some years ago, I recall reading in Wired magazine a story about a modern design for the interior of an Airstream model. Does anyone recall the name and year of that model AS?

Dave C
http://home.earthlink.net/~dc1999/

[Condoluminum]

Dave-

Welcome and good luck in your search. Several years ago, Airstream got together with Christopher C Dean, an interior designer in northern Calif, and created the CCD line of International trailers. Very modern, light floors, wood stained black, bare anodized metal interior walls and bright colors. You can see several in the classified sections. Any trailer later than about 2003 labeled an International or CCD will have new style interiors. The other trim levels are Safari (lighter, less elegant) and Classic (Heavier wood furnishings, more ornate fabric interiors and heavy countertops, etc.).

As you will discover by searching, you can find modern interiors in old Airstreams, and many variations of interior design and floorplan and style with prices ranging from "nearly free" to "a lot..."

John McG

[debbythesea]

I've been 'lusting' over the Bambi QS, ever since seeing it online then going to the Denver dealership & seeing in the scrumptious 'flesh'
I have a gazillion questions, but the most pressing ones are these:
1. What recommendations for vehicle to tow? Dealers have told me range of 4500 - 7000 #'s... I'd rather have an SUV, not truck.
2. I'll be traveling alone... hoping to explore the Eastern, Southern & Western seashores... leaving from Colorado. I have not begun looking at campgrounds in books yet, so any recommended ones along the coasts would be greatly appreciated.
3. Is it too difficult -backing- into the campground spaces, without a 'buddy' to help guide me?

I am getting so excited about this next journey.. I have raised my 6 kiddos..They are happy & healthy & doing their 'things'.. So it's my time now to get crackin
I love photography and journaling, so plan to send my kids, friends & grandkids LOTS of postcards 'from the edge'... I'm so happy my son, who is an avid kayaker & surfer found this site for me today, as he was reading the mountain buzz forums!

[overlander64]

Greetings debbythesea!

Welcome to the Forums!

Originally Posted by debbythesea

I've been 'lusting' over the Bambi QS, ever since seeing it online then going to the Denver dealership & seeing in the scrumptious 'flesh'
I have a gazillion questions, but the most pressing ones are these:
1. What recommendations for vehicle to tow? Dealers have told me range of 4500 - 7000 #'s... I'd rather have an SUV, not truck.
2. I'll be traveling alone... hoping to explore the Eastern, Southern & Western seashores... leaving from Colorado. I have not begun looking at campgrounds in books yet, so any recommended ones along the coasts would be greatly appreciated.
3. Is it too difficult -backing- into the campground spaces, without a 'buddy' to help guide me?

I am getting so excited about this next journey.. I have raised my 6 kiddos..They are happy & healthy & doing their 'things'.. So it's my time now to get crackin
I love photography and journaling, so plan to send my kids, friends & grandkids LOTS of postcards 'from the edge'... I'm so happy my son, who is an avid kayaker & surfer found this site for me today, as he was reading the mountain buzz forums!

Tow Vehicle Selection -- my suggestion would be to obtain the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) for the Bambi Quick Silver -- then look for a tow vehicle that has a trailer tow rating of 120% or more of that figure -- the extra 20% will allow reserve for passengers, surplus luggage, etc. There are a number of SUVs that would be capable of towing a Bambi Quick Silver -- I share a dislike of pickups and after two disasterous experiences with pickus, I splurged on a Suburban and have been a very happy camper for more than 163,000 miles (I need the heavier Suburban for towing my Overlander in the Rocky Mountains).

Solo Towing of Trailer -- there are numerous Airstreamers who travel solo -- in fact, there is an Intra-Club within the WBCCI (Wally Byam Caravan Club International) for those who travel solo known as the Free Wheelers. There are a number of hitch "helper" devices that significantly ease the process -- I utilize a large, convex mirror mounted on a metal pole with a large magnetic base; this device is so useful that several of my acquaintances who travel with a companion choose to use one of these mirrors rather than the more traditional live assistant. Backing the coach takes practice, and it is highly advisable to find a lrage, open parking lot to practice maneuvering your coach prior to the first camping excursion. The small, single axle coaches react more quickly to tow vehicle inputs than the larger tandem axle coaches meaning that it may take more practice to develop the smooth, easy motions necessary to back the single axle coach.

Good luck with your investigation!

Kevin

[sburgess]

My husband and I own 2 airstreams the first being a 1969 31' - which we use when we go hunting. The other being a 1971 29' - which we wanted to use for the beach - how ever - the previous owners did not take very good care of it and I have started gutting it. This my 2 or 3 (maybe 4) year project. I have removed everything except the wall between the bunks and bathroom. I have started taking the floor out. It appears the windows are leaking (thats why the floor is rotten) and I will have to take the inside panels off to fix I think (thats what I have been told). My hubands stays out and tells me good luck and to call if I need any help!!. My biggest problem is the floor... but I will deal with that once I get it all out. I look forward to getting everyone's input and help and support... Thanks

[Lone Rangerette]

I have recently joined "Sisters on the Fly" and have now purchased my first trailer, a 1969 Caravel, 18'. I see a lot of history on the older Bambies, like number of them manufactured, how many still on the road, etc., and wonder if anyone has the stats on the Caravel...what years manufactured?, #made?, etc.

[Chuckles]

Originally Posted by Condoluminum

The rivets indicate how many posts you've made (not read...)

Originally Posted by Condoluminum

You can track progress from New Member to first rivet quickly, Rivet Master indicates several hundred posts...

Welcome, and keep posting to earn more rivets...

John McG

I too have been curious about how One acquires the rivet membership, is there a set criteria - number of posts or new threads per rivet?

Moreover, those little red warning squares had me worried too. I made a faux pas when I copied my say from Word (to make sure it was all spelt correctly you understand!) and didn’t realise the text ended up coloured! I thought these warning squares were with me for life!

Out of interest, on the subject of strange (to me that is) terminology... what is a Blog?

Chuck
Dorset UK

[sprosty]

Hi,
A little about us and ours. We live in Utah and have 2 children left at home out of 6. My first grandchild is due tomorrow and we have reports of contractions.

We own a Sovergn and I am a little confused about the year because the title says an '83' but I couldn't find one when I registered so I just put '84'. We have had it for just a couple of months. We aquired it from my parents who just bought a brand spanking new airstream motor home and they have been traveling all over the country doing rallies. When our youngest moves away from home we may join my parents and the fun.

I love to embroider and would like to make some fun things with a picture of my airstream on them. I am a little lazy though and would like it if I could find where someone else has done the digitizing so I don't have to. So if any one knows where to find airstream embroidery designs I would really appreciate if you could share in the knowledge.

Our airstream has carpet in it and twin beds. Those are the first things we are going to change. We are installing wood floors and a queen bed so we can sleep together (I still like my husband even though he is almost a grandpa). With 6 kids and who knows how many grands will come, we feel the wood floor will be a great improvement for cleaning.

We have had a little problem with the electric trailer lift. It worked great when we got it but just quit one day. My husband is really great at fixing things so he checked it out and determined that probably the motor was bad. We ordered a new motor and it is still not working. If anyone has any suggestions we would love to hear about them also.

Thanks for reading and for the great site. I plan to visit often as become empty nesters I am sure this site will prove invaluable.

Cindy

[damienp]

Originally Posted by sburgess

My husband and I own 2 airstreams the first being a 1969 31' - which we use when we go hunting. The other being a 1971 29' - which we wanted to use for the beach - how ever - the previous owners did not take very good care of it and I have started gutting it. This my 2 or 3 (maybe 4) year project. I have removed everything except the wall between the bunks and bathroom. I have started taking the floor out. It appears the windows are leaking (thats why the floor is rotten) and I will have to take the inside panels off to fix I think (thats what I have been told). My hubands stays out and tells me good luck and to call if I need any help!!. My biggest problem is the floor... but I will deal with that once I get it all out. I look forward to getting everyone's input and help and support... Thanks

Sue, it will all go faster if hubby helps, but it sounds like you have a good handle on it!

I live in Australia. Have RV'd Europe, and would like to do some more.
Need a partner to do it with though. Would help if she's easy on the eye, can tune diesel and petrol motors, and perhaps give the house a bit of a paint too.

[Bob J. Mariano]

Hello my name is Bob Mariano.......I am thinking about buying an Airstream trailer............was wondering if you or anyone you know has ever heard of someone custome installing a washer / dryer in one? Please let me know.....and if I can contact that person concerning the installation? Also if anyone has installed more than one solar panel? Thanks.....
My e-mail is bobjmariano@msn.com

[acrane]

HI,

Alice and Spencer here. We just got our Airstream (1980, excellent condition) and we are in LOVE! looking forward to talking to all of you. We are from Stonewall, MS and hope to start traveling soon.

Alice

[CanoeStream]

Originally Posted by Bob J. Mariano

Hello my name is Bob Mariano.......I am thinking about buying an Airstream trailer............was wondering if you or anyone you know has ever heard of someone custome installing a washer / dryer in one? Please let me know.....and if I can contact that person concerning the installation? Also if anyone has installed more than one solar panel? Thanks.....

Hello and welcome to the Forums Bob,

Washer/dryer - doubt many have done this. You'd almost have to be at a commercial campground with a water & sewer hookup at the campsite to handle the fresh and grey water needs. Your onboard tanks sure wouldn't be up to handling this and other water uses too. Draining grey water on the ground is a no-no in about all 50 states. I see and hear about the bus size motorhomes with washer/dryers. Many commercial campgrounds might have coin-op washers on site or nearby.

Solar is much more effective without trees shading at different parts of the day, so are more effective in the southwest. It has potential for keeping your batteries topped off during storage. Even small panels to mount inside a window have been touted for this. Airstream rooftops tend to be interrupted by many obstacles to install a large collector. Another handicap is limited onboard weight capacity for storage batteries. Cost is very high for the power obtained but may be worth it for a hardened boondocker. Regardless of battery storage no amount of solar will run air conditioning or microwave. Inexpensive by comparison, small quiet generators are a fair alternative but may not have the amperage to run your A/C; eg, you need two Honda eu2000i generators wired in parallel to do that -- I'm just talking about the generators that can readily be lifted in and out of a pickup bed or SUV. There are countless Forum threads that compare these alternatives. You'd find them by using dual search words, like 'solar' and 'Honda' (or eu2000i).

I camp a lot in state parks and usually am able to reserve a site with just the electric hookup. I can stretch my fresh water to 3-4 days or more without being too fanatical if I shower in their facility. I'm usually ready to move on before then, so filling up the tank fits right into that schedule. I like boondocking too and have a one Honda eu2000i -- up here we run the A/C very little, even when there is electric.

[borisnovas]

Hello,
I too, have a major renovation job to do on our 29' 1973 airstream and if your not too tired after working so hard, could you help me with your first hand knowledge? I am attempting to replace the rusted out steel black water tank that is mounted inboard and a/s of Ohio says "no way"- No one will fabricate a tank and I'm getting ready to forget this project and junk this money pit if this keeps up-Did yours have a steel inboard mountrd black water tank? thanx-dan