Words of Wisdom ... Please

[Crusty]

Don't leave the city water hose connected to the trailer water inlet turned on all the time. Only use the city water to refill your freshwater tank because high pressure from the city water system can cause plumbing to start leaking in places that you may not notice until your floor is ruined.

Use about 1mL/gallon of bleach to keep your freshwater tank free of living things.

Let your black tank fill up, empty it and then close the dump valve. Leaving the dump valve open will result in the dreaded Black Hills problem in your tank. A reed fragrance diffuser in the bathroom makes life more pleasant.

As was said before use electric space heaters instead of burning propane for heat.

Try to arrange some shade in the summertime because it makes the trailer tolerable instead of a sweatbox.

Memory foam beds are terrible IMHO. Get sleep number type beds and latex pillows.

Buy a small clip on fan to blow on the fridge coils. Otherwise your fridge will be just barely cool in the summer time.

Be nice to each other.

[TG Twinkie]

You can leave the city water hose connected if you use a pressure regulator. There are several sources to purchase a regulator which attaches to the hose connection. The recommended pressure is 40#.

[Bk Yd Safari]

Everything that's been said, and be sure to keep your "sense of humor" close at hand!

[zigzagguzzi]

I think all newer ASs have built in pressure regs,,No? jim

[norbert]

Originally Posted by bean2005

I am new to not only the forum, but also to Airstreams! My husband and I met at work 2 years ago (he is a firefighter and I am a paramedic - both in Austin), got married at the beginning of October 2011, and we decided to dive right in to our first major adventure as husband and wife...we rented out our downtown condo, bought a 2012 27' International FB and moved into an RV park in downtown Austin as fulltimers.

We are so excited, and learning so much - but I have heard over and over again that the best advice and wisdom comes from the forums. I just thought that I would introduce myself and ask:

If you were limited to the top 3 things you wish you knew when you were a beginner, what would they be?

Thanks a ton!

hiya...
1.have as much fun as you can.
2.if you have problems, the info is here...
3. i wont say any thing bad to you...some day you may have to pound my chest...

[Pecos]

Originally Posted by ASwifey

Get a good mattress! We have a 12" memory foam mattress from Costco. Easy to cut to size and is wonderfully comfortable!

We also use a ceramic disc heater for cold nights. Why use our propane when we can use the campgrounds electricity right?

Have fun! Sounds like you're off to a great start.

Which model works best for you?
Pecos

[stowaways]

1. In winter, fill your fresh tank and disconnect hose! If you accidentally leave it connected, it freezes, you open faucet, forget to close it, line thaws, you flood your trailer. Oops! Lol

2. Do not lose your sense of humor! See no 1.

3. Keep your fridge under tree or in shade if possible. Helps a lot.

4. Cover your tires. Sun kills.

5. When you buy something new, take something out. (donation stations!)

6. When you hit the road, check that sun guards, rock guards AND screen in hot water tank are secure. See no 2!

7. Get ahead of the heat early in the day. If you wait to cool off Airstream after work, you're toast. In 100+ degree days, close off bedroom and the front of Airstream will actually get below 80 degrees. Won't hurt AC. We're on year five in the Texas heat!

8. Bathe your Airstream regularly. It's good for the soul and let's you keep an eye on any spots that need Vulkem!

9. Remember you chose to live on wheels for a reason! They're made to move. Enjoy it at every opportunity!!!

Best of luck. Look forward to reading about your adventures! You guys should consider the Rally in June in San Marcos. We're thinking about heading that way...

[stowaways]

Wait you said three!!! Oops! Lol

[elfirebob]

Great question, fantastic anwers...all three were "the best advice"...don't forget See More, Do More, Live More!
Welcome the the forums...you two stay safe our there.

[LawChick]

Might want to put the antennae down and be sure to lock the awning. We know people who have forgotten and lost aforementioned. Remember #2 above! LOL

[dukester]

My wife and I are on the same track. We decided to change gears in life back in '09. We got rid of a house on the West coast, bought an Airstream, and decided to try full timing. We moved to Austin for two years while we did some exploring to figure out where we wanted to settle. Not sure where you are staying, but we based ourselves at Oak Forest and really liked the folks there. Also became seriously addicted to Salt Lick. We still miss the BBQ.

The three things that I would recommend would be to travel, travel, and then do some more traveling. I am a firm believer that while these trailers look great in the backyard as a guest house, they were really intended to be road homes. We spent some time at the factory and were moved by Wally's obsession of testing his product with caravans all over the globe. Nothing compares with the ability to bring your own personal hotel along with you while you explore some destination for a few weeks or longer if deemed necessary. We spent a summer in the Canadian Maritimes where the Airstream was put to the test in all sorts of crazy experiences. It came through without a hitch (thank god). Even dragged it up the Alcan from Montana.

Anyway now we are in Alaska and still full timing it (winters too). These are great rigs. You and your husband have some good times ahead.