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Old 07-11-2016, 03:33 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by duncans View Post
The word "mistake" can convey such a negative connotation. I tried to raise my kids with mistakes are simply "opportunities to learn".
I'm gonna steal that idea.

OP, one more thing to learn, NEVER remove the wheel chock until you have your rig secured to your TV.
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Old 07-11-2016, 04:12 PM   #22
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I have had my 25' FC for a year and this is our first trip. After driving for an hour or so, I stopped and checked on things. When I went inside, the kitchen faucet was gurgling. I had left the water pump on and the trailer vibration caused the kitchen sink faucet to turn on. Fresh water went from 100% to 0% and grey water went to 100%. First lesson booked.

Towards the end of the drive, thought I could make it to the next exit before the fuel alarm light came on. Didn't make it. I pulled over on the side of I59 and got my 5 gallon spare container of diesel out and poured it in. Not sure what happens to a Duramax if you run out of diesel (probably not good). I was not interested in trying to purge the air out of a diesel on the side of I59.

We are camped out in Fort Payne,AL and headed to Nova Scotia via Wilkes Barre,PA, Norwitch, CT (King Arthur Flour),and Freeport,ME (LLBean 24-7). Expect to be in Marion,VA tonight.

Joel and Jane
You were lucky, I forgot to turn the water pump off. Somehow, with the road bounce the sink faucet arm turn on, the lid was on top of the sink. When I stopped for my 2 hr. break, I noticed water coming out from the front of the trailer. Opened the door and there was a steady drip coming out of the faucet, water was all over the front of the trailer. No damage. Your right, we learn from our oversights...
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Old 07-11-2016, 04:37 PM   #23
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Smart Duramax owners carry a spare fuel filter, filter wrench and special wrench for water indicator. They also replace the cheap plastic bleeder screw with a brass one. They also learn how to change the filter and prime the system. It's easy to do and will save time and money when you have fuel problems. Get the strap type filter wrench and you can change your filter without removing the inner fender by going over the fender. Learn at home, not on the side of the road. You were smart in having extra fuel with you.
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Old 07-11-2016, 04:42 PM   #24
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At one of my very first rallies, a guy named Earl (who I think of as the Mayor - he knows everyone by first name and is the friendliest person on the planet!) was congratulating me on the new trailer and telling me one of the most important things to remember is to shut the pump off when traveling.

Seems everyone has a story about this. Even me after Earl's warning. Oddly enough, I've heard people talk about learning from the school of hard knocks on someone else's tuition - but it doesn't always work that way. I left the pump on and we must have hit a bumpy road that nudged the kitchen faucet to a slow "on" position. Thankfully, when we pulled over for a stop, it was only dripping slowly. There was some water on the floor as it rolled off the sink cover/cutting board. A few towels and a few colorful phrases and all was well. 😀

Good luck.
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Old 07-11-2016, 04:57 PM   #25
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First time just pulling the trailer out of the driveway we forgot about the wheel chock on one side and gave 'er the gas and ran over it, breaking it but nothing about the trailer. First overnight trip we removed the chocks but forgot the tongue was still jacked down although hitched to TV. A friend yelled at us in the nick of time, saving a small disaster.
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Old 07-11-2016, 05:00 PM   #26
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Birddog, we did that trip last year from Alabama to NS, let me know if you need us to share any info from our trip. A few quickies:

1. Some of the tunnels around NY City do not allow propane, and note that many of the parkways in Connecticut do not allow trailers. These mistakes resulted in two police escorts 2 hours apart....

2. The back roads in Maine are really rough...

3. Acadia National Park is really nice (stay at Blackwoods CG if you can go without hookups a few days).

5. State Parks in New Hampshire are really nice.

6. Cape Breton is near the top of my list of all time favorite spots.

7. If you get tired of driving when you begin to head home, take the 12 hr ferry from Yarmouth, NS to Portland, ME for a nice break in total luxury ($600 price tag though).

Have fun!
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Old 07-11-2016, 05:36 PM   #27
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Rubber bands over the faucet handle and spigot is very cheap insurance. Don't ask me how I know as you already know......


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Old 07-11-2016, 09:03 PM   #28
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Originally Posted by overlander63 View Post
At least you didn't accidentally connect the city water hose to the black water flush connection.
I did this during my first month of ownership. Fortunately, I thought to check on things after a few minutes and realized something was amiss when I saw the water level an inch below the toilet rim! You've never seen anyone sprint so fast to the shutoff valve.
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Old 07-11-2016, 10:05 PM   #29
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We just got back from our fourth trip in the first year we have owned our 25 ft FB. First trailer we have owned. It was an incredible, wonderful trip ... filled with lots of little problem solving stuff. No damage, no one hurt, but things not always perfect. The stories are those of all newbies. I have concluded that "rving", even when "Airstreaming", means problem solving. This was the trip where my wife and I looked at each other and for a moment wondered if it was all worth it. The answer for us was unequivocally yes. Good luck and keep going!
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Old 07-11-2016, 10:33 PM   #30
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Black Water Flush Connection

I have seen a lot of folks responding that they have connected the city water to the black water flush connection. At first I assumed this was people with new AS units since I have never noticed anything that looked like a black water flush connection on my Airstream.

Then I started noting older rigs were listed on poster's info as well.

So where is this connection? I have always flushed the black water by making sure the grey water connection was closed and running the black garden hose I carry from the flush station water supply to the clear plastic connector window with flush valve hooked to the tank drain connection. If the pressure is good enough, when I turn off the water I get a pretty healthy flow of paper etc for the first times I do this and then ultimately I seem to get it all. If the end of the season I can use a water thief and connect to a flushing hose in the trailer and spray the tank through the open toilet to reach areas the back flush might not get to.

If I have any other black tank flushing connection, I should find it before I get it wrong too. I have a 2004 22foot Safari.
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Old 07-12-2016, 07:38 AM   #31
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Silver.Sanctuary -
The black tank flush inlet is just below the city water inlet on my 2016 FC 27 (thank you, Airstream, for that) - There is a caution sticker that says be sure to have the "fullway termination valve" in the open position - I believe that means have the black tank valve open.......

The labels on both inlets are hard to read.
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Old 07-12-2016, 08:52 AM   #32
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If going to Meat Cove leave your AS at camp - no easy turaround there. You can drive onto the beach across a small wooden bridge, though. Look for the old rusted motorcycle frame.

Cheticamp has a good camp at the NP.

Have a great trip! Canada is magical and the people are terrific. Oh, yes, do not try to enter Canada if you have EVER a DUI infraction. They are very strict and turn people away at the border.
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Old 07-12-2016, 09:01 AM   #33
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We learned the hard way to leave the cutting boards off the sink and stow them while underway. On bumby roads ours come off the sink and bounce around the trailer. AS could have installed latches for them, but that's another thread.
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Old 07-12-2016, 09:38 AM   #34
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I have had the sink covers lift and move over a little, but the covers have never fallen off the counter onto the floor...
I thought US Hwy 82 and 49 and I-20 were rough...
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Old 07-12-2016, 10:10 AM   #35
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It wouldn't hurt to have a checklist for every phase of the trip - planning, preparing the trailer, things to check during rest stops, setting up, preparing to depart, upon safe arrival home. You can also have mini-checklists for various things like dumping your tanks. You might also consider thinking through what you need to do in case of an emergency and write those steps down. I might sound like I'm over doing it, but a 27 year flying career taught me the value of checklists. You can make them as detailed as you like, laminate them, put them in a binder, and use a grease pencil to check-off the items as you go through them. Happy traveling!
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Old 07-12-2016, 10:54 AM   #36
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It wouldn't hurt to have a checklist for every phase of the trip - planning, preparing the trailer, things to check during rest stops, setting up, preparing to depart, upon safe arrival home. You can also have mini-checklists for various things like dumping your tanks. You might also consider thinking through what you need to do in case of an emergency and write those steps down. I might sound like I'm over doing it, but a 27 year flying career taught me the value of checklists. You can make them as detailed as you like, laminate them, put them in a binder, and use a grease pencil to check-off the items as you go through them. Happy traveling!
Great idea regarding checklists. I also really like the idea of laminating it and using a grease pencil.

Kind of related, does anyone have checklists they have used that they would be willing to share?
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Old 07-12-2016, 05:44 PM   #37
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Thanks for all the advice and recommendations!
We stayed at the Hungry Mother SP last night - very nice campground with pull throughs. Tonight we are in Chambersburg,PA at twin Bridges Campground. Tomorrow, we head towards Norwich,VT.

I am definitively looking for diesel at 1/2 tank. I will investigate the fuel filter and tools when I get back home. Check lists that I can carry in my pocket are definitively in my future. I am going to make some temporary ones tonight for checking the inside of the trailer and one for the outside. I have come close to driving off with the steps down more than once. (Better half caught it both times).

The AC vent in the bathroom came loose first stop after Marion and fell on the floor. I had fixed all the others with a Dremel tool but forgot about the one in the bathroom. The hole in the ceiling for the vent has a tab and the vent does not have a matching space so I made one with the Dremel tool.

Really look forward to Cape Breton.
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Old 07-12-2016, 06:08 PM   #38
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At 1/2 tank of fuel, begin looking and using Gas Buddy to see if it is less expensive at the next exit.


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Old 07-12-2016, 06:22 PM   #39
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Originally Posted by m.hony View Post
I have had the sink covers lift and move over a little, but the covers have never fallen off the counter onto the floor...
I thought US Hwy 82 and 49 and I-20 were rough...

Hmmmmm. Every time I drive over a curb my sink cover ends up on the floor!

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Old 07-12-2016, 06:35 PM   #40
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On our first trip out it was raining and I left the jack down after hitching up. After pulling forward and hearing a strange scraping noise, I had to use a sledge hammer ti remove the shaft of the jack (I have a friend who says you can fix anything with duct tape or a big sledge hammer). Later I had to purchase a saws all to remove the remains of the jack in order to install the new jack. The only thing that made me feel better was to be told that I was not the first one to have this happen. I have not done this again (so far).
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