The things I get myself into!

[Totlh]

OK, here I set in the northern part of the keys outside of the Airstream trailer I have owned now for a little over a month drinking some wine. This is when I do my best writing. Nothing was injured during the writing of this post. So, for those of you who cannot resist giving safety advice (You know who you are) it is not necessary at this time.

Before the wine, I took the time today and went ahead and registered the Airstream at the local Tax Office and obtained Temp Florida plates. I was a bit tired of playing the game with the police seeing if they would notice me driving around with no plates on the back of the Airstream (none of them noticed, despite me passing by several of them). BTW, I’ll still have expired temps before leaving Florida, because they are only good for 30 days. I guess I’ll have to take my chances. I’m not dragging this trailer though the snow and ice just so I can get it to PA before the temp registration expires. Sometimes I feel like Smokey and the Bandit.
Bottom line, all they really care about is that the taxes get paid. I did that today.

Before the wine I attempted to address a concern of my wife’s with the trailer. It was with the water heater. The water comes out scalding hot. After looking inside the cover on the outside and reading about how I should not adjust the temp setting because it could lead to a scalding injury, I figured all I had to do was find the adjustment knob and turn it down a bit. After looking for a while, I decided to consult the all-knowing internet.
Turns out that there is no adjustment! Why then the misleading “Danger Label” inside the water heater cover? Time for another drink of wine.

Man, the Airstream looks nice, but I digress.

I suppose I should come clean and state that I originally started this trip with my 2017 Model 1985 Lance trailer. We love our Lance but wanted a trailer without a slide. Sooo, not only do I have to transport my Airstream with expired temps to PA, I must come back for my Lance trailer and get it ready to sell.

Well enough abut my problems, anyone have an interesting story to tell about when you bought you Airstream? You story does not have to involve wine. But if it does, all the better.

Jerry

[rmkrum]

Hm. Our Airstream acquisition story is a bit more complicated. Our youngest son bought it from a dealer in Oregon. The previous owners bought it, went on one trip, and decided it was too small for them.

Son used it to camp a lot all over the Left Coast, and when he got transferred to Hawaii, we ended up with it parked in our front yard. A few 'family situations' meant that we inherited the Airstream and a Toyota Tacoma to tow it with. So the entire rig stayed in the family. He's still the only other member of the family that this Airstream will get loaned to to use...

Since I'm the designated electrician, plumber, woodworker, electronics fiddler, and general semi-expert repairman in the family, I have lots of little improvement projects to work on while we are between trips.

BTW, the over-hot water problem may be the mixing valve on the BACK side of the water heater. Some Atwood water heaters are thermostatically regulated by the controls to a real high temperature, and a thermostatically-controlled valve mounted on the back inside the coach adds some cold water to the hot water it makes to extend the hot water water supply. Look for a mixing valve and see if it needs adjusting. It should not be scalding hot all the time.

We eliminated the Atwood and its 42 pounds of water stored in its tank for a PrecisionTemp 500 series tankless water heater that heats tons of water on demand, and for as long as DW wants to shower. Priceless, and it fits into the same space.

[Totlh]

Is part of my water heater research, I found the info about the mixing valve. I opted for manually controlling mixing of the water via the indivual faucet controls instead of fixing a bad design.

Great story though. I also am the "fix it" person.

[rmkrum]

Yup, when you have four kids, and a busy family, it's far cheaper to buy the tools and do the work yourself...

Wife designs stuff, and I build it. Her biggest project was a three-story house on the side of a hill in Alabama. She designed all of it, and I did a full set of drawings in Autocad. We had a contractor build most of it, but did our own tile, massive amounts of wood trim, and floor finish work throughout. The guy that bought it loves it...

She also understands the need for the occasional new tool to accomplish her projects.

[Totlh]

I am also of the school that every new project requires at LEAST one or more new tools.

[AlinCal]

There is some value in having the tempering valve, It allows for stored water at a higher temp than might be safe for young ones to handle thus giving you more hot water storage in the end.
If that does not make sense don't worry just have another glass of wine.

[Totlh]

No kids. No problem.

[Piggy Bank]

You mean, no shirt, no shoes, no problem right?

[AlinCal]

I used the word kids but could also be impaired adults.

[Special-Ed]

I dont have a great story but got ourselves into this mess too. When we had our son 2 years ago my wife refused to dirt camp anymore. We then bought a well used popup trailer (1991 in damn near mint condition) to see if we liked it and we did. The last few years I dragged it everywhere. We have never camped with hookups and are always in the back country off roading and plinking. This last trip to Calico we finally decided to upgrade to a new popup with a real toilet and better shower and wanted a new one. I sold our old trailer in 2 days and made 500$ over what I paid for it.

We had ventured into the Airstream dealer a few times over the years (they are down the street) and on a whim decided to go look at the small ones. We spent a day exploring the inventory and deciding what we liked and didnt and then left. We really liked the 19fb. After a week of researching we went back and totally changed our mind when we got there. Ended up walking out with our 23fb. We got a good deal getting a 3 month old trade in. Guess the original purchaser decided to upgrade right away. It already had solar, AGMs, bike rack and full awnings added to it.

Being a mechanic I have already taken to a few upgrades of my own trying to personalize it. We are planning a trip around the country coming up in a few months and cant wait to really get on the road.

[tjdonahoe]

Originally Posted by Totlh

OK, here I set in the northern part of the keys outside of the Airstream trailer I have owned now for a little over a month drinking some wine. This is when I do my best writing. Nothing was injured during the writing of this post. So, for those of you who cannot resist giving safety advice (You know who you are) it is not necessary at this time.

Before the wine, I took the time today and went ahead and registered the Airstream at the local Tax Office and obtained Temp Florida plates. I was a bit tired of playing the game with the police seeing if they would notice me driving around with no plates on the back of the Airstream (none of them noticed, despite me passing by several of them). BTW, I’ll still have expired temps before leaving Florida, because they are only good for 30 days. I guess I’ll have to take my chances. I’m not dragging this trailer though the snow and ice just so I can get it to PA before the temp registration expires. Sometimes I feel like Smokey and the Bandit.
Bottom line, all they really care about is that the taxes get paid. I did that today.

Before the wine I attempted to address a concern of my wife’s with the trailer. It was with the water heater. The water comes out scalding hot. After looking inside the cover on the outside and reading about how I should not adjust the temp setting because it could lead to a scalding injury, I figured all I had to do was find the adjustment knob and turn it down a bit. After looking for a while, I decided to consult the all-knowing internet.
Turns out that there is no adjustment! Why then the misleading “Danger Label” inside the water heater cover? Time for another drink of wine.

Man, the Airstream looks nice, but I digress.

I suppose I should come clean and state that I originally started this trip with my 2017 Model 1985 Lance trailer. We love our Lance but wanted a trailer without a slide. Sooo, not only do I have to transport my Airstream with expired temps to PA, I must come back for my Lance trailer and get it ready to sell.

Well enough abut my problems, anyone have an interesting story to tell about when you bought you Airstream? You story does not have to involve wine. But if it does, all the better.

Jerry

. We sit the water heater down after it gets hot..no reason to leave it run..

[Overstreet]

Originally Posted by tjdonahoe

. We sit the water heater down after it gets hot..no reason to leave it run..

Yes, a water heater is much better sitting down rather than running around.

[Totlh]

Originally Posted by Overstreet

Yes, a water heater is much better sitting down rather than running around.

Maybe that is why my mixing/tempering valve is not working. It has just gotten lazy. Maybe when I get home, I'll whip it into shape.

[Natomb]

My brother-in-law bought an Airstream in Colorado and put his previous yraiker’s plates on it to drive back to AZ. No problems. You could use Lance plates to get to PA and then take plates back to Florida to sell or move Lance. Just a suggestion. Police usually don’t give a thought to a trailer if any plates are on it.

[kposey]

We live in Tennessee where you are not required to have a tag on trailers (and some folks don't believe in lights either!) We were traveling through Virginia, a state that believes everything HAS to have a tag, one summer. Passed by a state trooper who didn't fall in behind us and pulled in to a rest area to clean the britches out. Whew!

A few minutes later, the state trooper pulled up and we thought, "not so lucky afterall!" Low and behold, he just wanted to look at the Airstream. Of course, we offered the grand tour and a cold bottle of water to go with.

[Totlh]

You know, I thought about doing that. But, on the outside chance they did run my plates, I didn’t want it to look like I was trying to hide something. I may swap plates when my temps run out in 30 days.

There really should be a simple and legal way to do what I’m doing.

[garry]

Wife noticed an Airstream that had been setting in someones yard for a few years and never moved one day she said pull into their yard. She went up to the house knocked on the door and asked if they wanted to sell.


Guess what!

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by garry

Wife noticed an Airstream that had been setting in someones yard for a few years and never moved one day she said pull into their yard. She went up to the house knocked on the door and asked if they wanted to sell.


Guess what!

More details! Pictures! Sounds like a celebration is in order!!

[emelaich]

We bought an Atwood (does that name say 'quality or what?) adjustable thermostat that takes about 10 min. to install. This replaces the stock thermostat that's designed to power off the gas/electric once the water reaches a low boil point.

Haven't had too much chance to fully test it but initial use seems promising. Will advise!

[Toldfield]

I am in an organization that goes camping and celebrates California history. After years of sleeping in a tent I decided it was time to upgrade. A local doctor had a 17' Caravel for sale that he wanted a rather princely sum for. On the morning I was heading to the credit union to get the cash one of my cowokers pulled in towing a 17' Caravel. He said he was going to sell it because his family had outgrown it and hoped to get $1500 for it. He put it in my parking spot and I didn't need to go to the credit union. Thirty years later and it is parked in our driveway ready to hit the road.