Airstream utility system accessories?

[tvketchum]

Originally Posted by KYAirstream

The heated hose is great, but it won't do much for the spigot or attachment point on your trailer (on mine there is about 8 inches of exposed pipe). A better alternative to the heated hose, although more space is needed for storage, is to purchase heater tape at Lowes http://www.frostking.com/automatic-e...at-cable-kits/ and Valterra's Ebonyline http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003VA...BFL&ref=plSrch in the length you need. Buy the heat tape a little longer so it covers the spigot and attachment point at your trailer. I had bad luck with Amazon sending me the wrong heat tape twice (a version that didn't kick on until 0 degrees) so I ended up purchasing locally at Lowes.

Wrap aluminum foil around the ebonyline and then secure the heater tape by spiraling electrical tape around the hose for the entire length. Follow this with lengths of foam pipe wrap to enclose the entire hose, and tape and wrap the excess heater tape in foam wherever needed.

Many times, the thermostats need to be in direct contact with metal, as metal conducts cold faster than air. Taping a piece of scrap angle iron, or even a table knife (not from the China cabinet; go to Goodwill or Dollar Tree!) to the thermostat improves performance of heated hoses and heat tapes.

Unless you are doing cold weather camping, heated hose is a bulky item to store. You should wait until you have the trailer, and have used it a few times on short, nearby trips, or even in the driveway, before going on a shopping spree. You will find that storage areas fill quickly, so you just want only what you really need and will use on nearly every outing.


Tom
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[tvketchum]

Originally Posted by tvketchum

Many times, the thermostats need to be in direct contact with metal, as metal conducts cold faster than air. Taping a piece of scrap angle iron, or even a table knife (not from the China cabinet; go to Goodwill or Dollar Tree!) to the thermostat improves performance of heated hoses and heat tapes.

Unless you are doing cold weather camping, heated hose is a bulky item to store. You should wait until you have the trailer, and have used it a few times on short, nearby trips, or even in the driveway, before going on a shopping spree. You will find that storage areas fill quickly, so you just want only what you really need and will use on nearly every outing.


Tom
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After reading the whole thread, you will need heated hose. If in campgrounds, with protected water supply, you won't need 50'. I have a 12' heated hose which did fine in weather down to single digits. The weak spot was inside the AS where my 08 Classic made the connection from the hose. This was in a cabinet under the belly, and the heated hose needed a short nonheated hose to make the connection, as the heated was too rigid for the bend. A 100 watt light bulb in the compartment helped, with extra weather strip, but, the brass fittings still froze, and, the pipe coming from the city connection to inside the bath and heated interior space was also subject to some freezing. Best solution is to fill your fresh tank and use that, until the weather warms and you can get the water flowing again.

Frozen waste tank valves will happen. You can leave the gray tank open, but not the black, unless you want to see Mt Crapmore. You can add rock salt through the toilet, to aid in keeping the black valve from freezing. If the gray freezes, pour boiling water down the slinky from the sewer end, held up, and slosh it against the valve. You may have to repeat, but the valve will loosen enough to pull.


Tom
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['55 Airlight]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Stainless steel in contact with aluminum will still cause galvanic corrosion

<<Stainless steel fasteners in aluminium plates or sheets are normally considered safe, whereas aluminium rivets or bolts holding stainless steel parts together is an unwise combination, as there is a practical risk of corrosion.

An example of the safe use of stainless steel and aluminium together is where stainless steel fasteners and hold down bolts are used to secure aluminium roadway or bridge parapet guards.
Even with no insulation between the metals, there should be little risk of corrosion.>>
<http://www.bssa.org.uk/topics.php?article=89>

Michael

[Zybane]

Mike, good info.

What do you guys think of the Sewer Solution?

http://www.amazon.com/Valterra-SS01-...ct_top?ie=UTF8

[extiger]

You may want to consider having Airstream add a flag box to your rig. I find the extra storage useful. Also I think this 15 to 50 amp plug will be more useful than the one your originally listed. I have one of these and I plug an extension cord in in when in storage. Easy to hook up with no extra connectors.

Conntek 14222 RV 1.5-Foot Pigtail Adapter Power Cord 15 Amp Male Plug To 50 Amp 125/250 Volt Locking Female Connector available at Amazon.

[Zybane]

Flag box? Unfamiliar with that term.

[rmkrum]

Originally Posted by Zybane

Mike, good info.

What do you guys think of the Sewer Solution?

http://www.amazon.com/Valterra-SS01-...ct_top?ie=UTF8

One of my favorites. I carry a slinky in the storage tube, but sewer solution is my favorite. Easy to use, pumps uphill if I need to, and is self cleaning. I needed to add a clear straight sewer extension to make it easier to connect between my dump valves, they are very close together on my AS.


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[Zybane]

I wonder how the Sewer Solution would play out in below freezing conditions.

[rmkrum]

We had ours connected with gray tank valve open in freezing weather. There was no water standing in the clear part of the sewer solution connector or the extension. The hose was sloped to drain fully. I did have tank heaters on as a precaution. No issues, but looking back it would have been better to disconnect and drain. Keep tank dump valves shut and heaters on. My International has exposed dump valves so that is a concern. We went down to 26 Fahrenheit on that trip most nights. Ran on full fresh water tank to avoid freezing up fresh water supply hose.


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[Zybane]

Ya, I wouldn't want to leave any tanks open below freezing. Perfect conduit for cold temps to freeze the inside of the tanks.

[rmkrum]

True that, but gray tank was totally empty, and the sewer solution kinda kept cold air out of it. The only real surprise on the trip was a frozen supply hose that recovered when the sun came out. I pulled the Camco water filter inside, but stupidly left the hose outside. This was a late season trip to family in Northern Alabama, and the freezing weather was a bonus.....


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