Words of Wisdom ... Please

[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!

[ROBERT CROSS]

Although we had been streaming for 18 Seasons, I consider the purchase of the new Classic in 2004 the start of the beginner status...

1) The Forum's

2) The Forum's

3) Spend more time shopping for gently used...

Bob

[casa3805]

Welcome to a new world of fun!
1 - lock the door. Having it blow open on the road is not fun.
2 - awnings get damaged in high wind, and collateral damage to the trailer is bad. Take them down if you think it can get bad.
3- constantly check for leaks. Fix as soon as you find it.

Sounds like you bought a beautiful trailer and the perfect size, although opinions do vary. :-) oh...it is a forum rule to post lots of pics! (-:

[withidl]

Welcome, here are my three:

• Always set the rear awning arm one notch below the front arm to cause a slope which allows for water drainage; otherwise water can accumulate in the "sag" of the awning at 8.3 #/gal. and overstress the awning.
• Monitor the batteries to prevent over charging as the OEM converters tend to "fry" them (fully charged batteries will be in the range of 12.6 to 13.0 volts).
• Put an air filter element in the outside refrigerator vent door to prevent wind buffeting while enroute from blowing out the gas flame (I never remove mine).

[GetOutDoors]

As has already been said: Welcome.

1) Try before you buy - it's the best way to determine what you really want or need.
2) Buy what you want, even if it means delaying a purchase a few years, because modifications are way more expensive; especially rebuilding.
3) Don't let the size of your current tow rig determine the size of your Airstream.

[urban71]

Welcome!

1. Make it yours - add some flair that will make you smile even when things are not going so well.
2. You will only use 1/2 of what you take with you. There is always places along the way to get more.
3. Share your excitement! Spend time talking about your AS and tell your story, over a beer usually works best.

Have a great time! If you need someone to rent it our during the F1 race next year. Keep me in mind!

Happy Holidays

[dkottum]

1) Pay for the Airstream as soon as possible. Debt will limit your enjoyment of life and threaten your future.

2) Don't give up any precious living space to storage. Get by with as little "stuff" as possible, bring home nothing unless there is a place to store it.

3) Inspect and maintain your Airstream relentlessly. Water leaks are inevitable and cause serious damage quickly.

doug k

[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.

[Florida 55]

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.

How did you cut the mattress? What did you do with the mattress cover?

[eubank]

Originally Posted by Florida 55

How did you cut the mattress? What did you do with the mattress cover?

We're thinking about new foam for our 67 (beds and couches), so I did a little research online about cutting. The best suggestion I saw was to use an electric knife. (We'll use the mattress covers we've got since Maria went through the trouble of building them.)


Lynn

[ASwifey]

Yep, an electric kitchen knife works great. Just unzip the cover, and roll it back. After your done the cover just fits a little loose, but doesn't cause any problems, especially if you put that end up against the wall.

[Bluebird]

Bean2005:

Welcome to the forums and Airstream living. In addition to all the other great suggestions, mine are:

1) Always do a thorough walk around the Airstream and tow vehicle before pulling out of a camp site with the Airstream attached. You can never be too thorough. I have started to leave with the tongue jack down. I have towed without inserting pins in my Hensley; they were still on top of the hitch when I arrived at our destination; and this is after owning an Airstream for five years. Make sure all awnings are securely locked, etc.

2) Block your trailer wheels before unhitching. I had a friend who forgot to do this with the Airstream on a hill with a slope toward the front. Scary situation but ended up ok.

3) Be prepared and know how to change your spare tire.

Also know that everything can be fixed.

Enjoy your Airstream.

[exthemius]

Everything that's been said plus:

1. Make sure you both know how to hitch/unhitch and drive
2. Make sure you resolve discussions/arguments ASAP, as there's not enough room to "stew"
3. Have fun!

My wife also put together her list of lessons learned from our first 6 months of full-timing (although our situation is somewhat different than yours), but perhaps you can get something out of it: Lesson Learned | Airstreaming Dreaming

[HiHoAgRV]

Originally Posted by bean2005

I am new to not only the forum,...

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!

Pull the trailer onto blocks for the left/right leveling then make sure the hookups reach

Don't arrive after dark

Slow down and relax, rushing to arrive raises the stress level - it's supposed to be FUN!