It's gonna be a sad, sad day.....

[Steve & Susan]

Saturday, will be a sad, sad day for our bauxite beauty and more expecially for us. We'll be winterizing her and probably not be using her until the spring (which is April in these parts).

We decided when we bought it two years ago not to winter camp because pulling our AS in the winter around here means salted roads and we just DON'T want to deal with that.

We didn't get to use our AS as much as we wanted to this summer (painted the house, some LOUSY weather, and a few other commitments), but we already have a list of places to go next year! We'll spend the winter researching more weekend trips and maybe a week long one too!

Will also spend some time this winter reading posts here to learn more about preventive maintenance, bearing re-greasing, and other useful tips.

We hope everyone has a good winter (especially those of you who live in warmer climes and will be able to be streamin' all winter long ).

[overlander63]

Y'all COULD join a few million of your closest friends and retirees and come to Florida or Arizona for the winter--you could even use your trailer to live in while doing so.

[Steve & Susan]

That is in the plans for when we retire - we still have a mortgage (not to mention a 28' AS) to pay for, or we'd take you up on that!

[bobandcarla]

We are in the same boat. Camping this weekend but then it's time to winterize. We plan on taking a trip to Florida in March with the trailer so I'll be using it early next year and I can't wait!!!

[yukionna]

Originally Posted by szy8xj

We decided when we bought it two years ago not to winter camp because pulling our AS in the winter around here means salted roads and we just DON'T want to deal with that.

Living in New England, we deal with all the same road conditions that you do and we also felt the same way. This year, though, we have decided to try more winter camping so will be planning on taking our Airstream out of hibernation multiple times after October. We have a year-round local car wash (with stalls large enough for buses) so we plan on washing/rinsing after each trip to minimize the salt damage.

I leave everyone with a few Carpe Diem quotes that are meaningful for me...

As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do. ~Zachary Scott

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. ~Abraham Lincoln

For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way. Something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. ~Fr. Alfred D'Souza

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read and all the friends I want to see. ~John Burroughs

[hiker]

We're taking our last trip of the season this weekend and will winterize after that. Can't believe our first season is coming to a close. The prospect having to wait until next April has us considering spending New Year's eve at local campground, but we share your concerns about towing in winter.

[juel]

Well talk about sad. It was 90 Monday and now we're looking at our first freeze next Thursday. This is really early for Oklahoma. I'm not ready either technically or emotionally. I was expecting some cool Fall camping down at the lake. Now I'm faced with bringing the Argosy home and putting some heat in it and then towing it back when I want to spend the week-end down there. Don't like the idea of leaving a heater on in it when I'm not down there. Will certainly be watching the weather reports around here. I always felt bad for you notherners, now I'm seeing just how sad it is up there.

[hiker]

Originally Posted by yukionna

Living in New England, we deal with all the same road conditions that you do and we also felt the same way. This year, though, we have decided to try more winter camping so will be planning on taking our Airstream out of hibernation multiple times after October. We have a year-round local car wash (with stalls large enough for buses) so we plan on washing/rinsing after each trip to minimize the salt damage.

I leave everyone with a few Carpe Diem quotes that are meaningful for me...

As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do. ~Zachary Scott

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. ~Abraham Lincoln

For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way. Something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. ~Fr. Alfred D'Souza

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read and all the friends I want to see. ~John Burroughs

Yukionna, wise advice! Now, if you could provide similar advice on how to balance work and play ...

[dieterdog]

Hi All,, yes,,, tis so sad,,, think i too have only one more trip before it is time to winterize,,, Montana winters are very long,,, thinking about an early spring trip ,,,, meanwhile,, can still go out and turn on the furnace and dry camp in the driveway,, will be ok. addictions are difficult to control,,, donna

[jcanavera]

Yep, were on the verge of ending the season also. Way to much work this year with not enough open slots to get out so we are also under quota. One more trip for us and then lights out for the winter.

We've kicked around taking some type of winter vacation but I just would hate to get stuck in some nasty weather going or coming from a warmer climate venue. One of the members who wintered over in Texas had to come back sooner than expected and was given a highway salt bath on the way home. I never saw a trailer frame with so much rust that came so fast. It was like every spot where the paint had chipped or was thin turned to rust in a week.

Jack

[rebfa]

Originally Posted by jcanavera

... It was like every spot where the paint had chipped or was thin turned to rust in a week.

POR-15!

[Jim Clark]

Originally Posted by szy8xj

Saturday, will be a sad, sad day for our bauxite beauty and more expecially for us. We'll be winterizing her and probably not be using her until the spring (which is April in these parts).

We decided when we bought it two years ago not to winter camp because pulling our AS in the winter around here means salted roads and we just DON'T want to deal with that.

We didn't get to use our AS as much as we wanted to this summer (painted the house, some LOUSY weather, and a few other commitments), but we already have a list of places to go next year! We'll spend the winter researching more weekend trips and maybe a week long one too!

Will also spend some time this winter reading posts here to learn more about preventive maintenance, bearing re-greasing, and other useful tips.

We hope everyone has a good winter (especially those of you who live in warmer climes and will be able to be streamin' all winter long ).

Winterizing! I don’t do no stinking winterizing
this is the time of the year the good camping and sailing starts.


Jim

[streamer23]

Originally Posted by Jim Clark

Winterizing! I don’t do no stinking winterizing
this is the time of the year the good camping and sailing starts.


Jim

Count your blessings.You are a lucky man.

[Foiled Again]

Find a campground with a good storage lot in the south. Move your baby down here, then come and visit her for weekends, short vacations, etc. Turkey is cooked under Aluminum... just think "Two Layers", the foil and the Airstream!

Virginia Beach, VA and all points south!

[Minnie's Mate]

Not sure how much winterizing I need to do. I know I need to drain and blow out the water lines, and drain the fresh water tank, but what else would I need to do in the Atlanta area? We get temps in the teens for short periods between temps in the 30's-40's at night. Rarely below upper teens, though.

[dbradhstream]

Things are just starting to get good down here - might even be able to have a few outings where we can open the windows and turn off the A/C soon!

For us, "winterizing" = "don't pack bathing suits".

[rebfa]

Originally Posted by streamer23

Count your blessings.You are a lucky man.

Depends on your perspective. I would never trade New England for Florida (i.e., insects, heat, hurricanes).

[bhayden]

I plan to take the Aluminum Townhouse up to the ski areas this winter. Only antifreeze I'll be adding is peppermint schnapps


An hints on how to deal with excess humidity (besides a trip to Little Cottonwood Canyon ).

-Bernie

[AZstreamin]

Without sounding like I'm rubbing it in...... this make me feel very fortunate that we can use our tin cabin year-round... I do a fair amount of complaining about how hot it is here in the summer, but cool is only 2 hours away. Having grown up in the Midwest, it makes me appreciate my current location more. This has been our first season with our AS and I'm now looking forward to doing some desert camping this winter.... Keep your eye on the forum we'll post some AZ rally opportunities for those of you that want to escape the frozen tundra....

[TinShack]

We feel very fortunate too...living in CA. It's off to Yosemite for 4 days over Thanksgiving before the snow really starts (didn't the Donner Party say that?). Then we'll stick to the coast until late spring when we can hit the Sierra Nevada mountains again. Winter camping on the coast here is the best because it's not crowded like the summer. No snow... only rain.

I lived in the Adirondacks in New York for 3 years, so I can feel for you North Country Airstreamers.