lot of newbie stuff !

[accordionman]

We're continuing to prepare for the arrival of our Classic and I'm continuing to power the economy with buying all sorts of stuff. I fear that's not going to end soon.

The dealer is giving us a starter kit, which by itself I think is almost worthless.
5 ft of waste hose, 10 ft of water hose, a dog bone and some tank chemicals.

I need to buy more water hose. Another 25 ft for a total of 35 ft enough ?

Waste hose - I'm going to get a rhino flex 45 degree and was thinking of either 15 or 20 ft in addn to what they've included. The 20 ft rhino comes in 2-10ft lengths.

Cable tv cable - 25 ft or 50 ft

Utility hose for black tank flush and other utility things: 25 ft enough ?

Utility electrical extension 50 ft, enough ?

your help is appreciated.

Ed

[A W Warn]

Wheel chocks, leveling pads, extension cord for the trailer's power supply, bottle jack, tire ramp, lug wrench

Go camp a few times, then buy stuff you know you need. Otherwise the storage compartments will overflow

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by accordionman

We're continuing to prepare for the arrival of our Classic and I'm continuing to power the economy with buying all sorts of stuff. I fear that's not going to end soon.

The dealer is giving us a starter kit, which by itself I think is almost worthless.
5 ft of waste hose, 10 ft of water hose, a dog bone and some tank chemicals.

I need to buy more water hose. Another 25 ft for a total of 35 ft enough ?

Waste hose - I'm going to get a rhino flex 45 degree and was thinking of either 15 or 20 ft in addn to what they've included. The 20 ft rhino comes in 2-10ft lengths.

Cable tv cable - 25 ft or 50 ft

Utility hose for black tank flush and other utility things: 25 ft enough ?

Utility electrical extension 50 ft, enough ?

your help is appreciated.

Ed

Hi Ed, and Welcome!

Some campgrounds have shared water spigots. Several times I have had to use both of my 25' hoses and once I had to move the trailer a few feet to close the gap, even with 50' of hose. It's not a bad idea to have one 25' hose readily accessible and another in case you need it.

I have two of the 10' Rhino hoses. One was a hose kit with the fitting for the trailer and the other was called an extension. I often use them both. 5' is practically worthless, as you usually want to optimize the parking spot on something other than the sewer connection.

Your other guesses are about right.

As AWWarn suggests, something for leveling the trailer side-to-side will come in handy. I have been using blocks I made out of PT 2x8s, but I'm lusting after the Anderson Camper Levelers, a leveling and chocking combination, and will probably get a set soon. No guess work, just drive up on them until the trailer is level and then set the chock part.

If you have a tandem axle trailer, a Trailer Aid tire changing block is handy and is a lot easier to use than a jack. You may be able to get the same function with one of the Anderson Levelers, but I don't know that for sure.

I carry a Harbor Freight 12V air compressor. It comes in handy if you have to air up the rolling tires or the spare. When I had a flat due to road debris my spare was low. I also use it if I need to add air while on the road, but have only had to do that once when I left without airing up at home.

I second AWWarn's suggestion - get out there and learn what you need. Take your first trip close to home, or if you can't do that, near the dealer where you pick it up in case you don't have something you absolutely can't do without. Also, keep two lists - one for the things that you needed or wanted and didn't have, and one for the things you didn't use. If a non-emergency item shows up on didn't use list repeatedly, don't carry it next trip.

Al

[Gsmblue]

We are nearly 3 years into our Airstream adventure, still purchasing "essentials"! Check out the "what did you get for your trailer today" thread, lots of great posts.

[cazual6]

Here is a thread I started.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f48/...ed-144940.html

[m.hony]

Sounds to me like you've already figured it out.
I have a 100' piece of RG6 TV cable.
It will never end.
I am 7 years in and it hasn't stopped.
I tent camped for 40 years before buying a trailer and was always buying accessories or "upgrades" even then.
Just the same as buying a Harley is really just buying a platform for $10,000 more worth of chrome and accessories.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Disposable rubber gloves are a good thing to have. So is "septic" (or RV) toilet paper. Both are dirt cheap. I would vote for two shorter hoses over one long hose for any of the hose runs. There is a custom locker on the 30' Classic for the normal plastic leveling blocks and chocks. It's low to the ground so it may (or may not) be easy to get to.

Hopefully you will get a water filter cartridge with the trailer. It filters the cold water into the sink in the kitchen. A lot of people seem to go for an additional filter on the water going into the entire trailer.

Check the level of fluid / anti-freeze in your Aldi system at delivery. After they top it up, buy a "spare" bottle of fluid.

There is room in the pantry for added racks. Take a look at it when you are at the dealer. We put in three more on ours. That results in pulling one rack to get to another on the bottom couple racks. It's fine (with us) for less often used "stuff".

The lug nuts on the trailer are likely different than what you have on your truck. There is a fancy "no mar" socket you can use to pull them. You will need a breaker bar to go with it. If you are going to go a bit nuts about torque spec's you will need a torque wrench that will get to 150 ft-lb as well.

You get a 50A "extension cord" with the trailer. A 50A to 30A adapter is a must have. A 30A to 15A adapter is a good thing to have. A surge suppressor / disconnect is certainly worth considering. The run into the $300 to $400 range for the good ones.

The list just goes on and on ....

As others have mentioned, you can go insane trying to anticipate things. What matters to me and how I do things may well not matter to you and how you do things. Go out and play with your new toy a few times and see what you need.

Have Fun !!!!

Bob

[PKI]

There are different designs for the waste line support. We often do not use as the dump is just prior to departure, but for longer stays and parks that require supported waste drains, you will need one. A better and more rugged configuration is suggested. The Rino kit may have such. We are still using the free one from the kit and looking for better.

The TV cable will always be 2 ft too short until you have one that is always 20 ft too long. A pair of 25 ft with male-male unions to convert sex is advised to start.

The water pressure regulator on some units is prone to failure. An external adjustable regulator is one method of addressing the issue. A conversation with your service tech at delivery walk through is worth the time. The standard method of leak correction is to pull it outside and tighten the assembly with a short phillips bit and vice grip pliers, before replacing the assembly until it can be replaced at convenience. The permanent corrective modification is a bulkhead fitting for the city wter inlet and an adjustable pressure regulator mounted with an accumulator tank inside the coach. Hopefully AS has seen the error of the design and material spec and has a permanent solution on your model.

The water filter that is often installed internally adds to the number of potential leak points. The externals filter all and annual replacement is simple. Suggest a rigid 90 degree elbow to relieve the strain on the water connection.

Get a supply of hose washers to replace the ones you lose and the ones you wear out. Replacement fuses are a good idea as well.

A supply of nitrile gloves is a good way to keep hands clean. Harbor Freight sells heavy weight ones that are good enough to use as work gloves when required.

Good luck with your new adventures. Pat

[NWRVR]

What everyone already said, but I will emphasize the extra length of tv coax, two ten foot sewer hoses (coupled together they will fit in the tube storage) a 25' and 50' potable water hose and the 30A to 50A dogbone. On various occasions we have purposely parked on the opposite side of the hookups in a pull through for the view and stayed at friends where we didn't want to use their rubber water hose to reach our trailer. On this trip we have had to hookup to a 30A connection twice. Congratulations and enjoy camping in your AS!

[PKI]

Do not buy waste chemicals with formaldehyde. Some parks will not let you dump if you are using those chems. Not hard to find formaldehyde free chems.

Get the cell phone number of your sales person and service tech. You will have questions. Take notes and run the controls at the direction of the tech. They can be confusing, so do not assume you will just figure it out. You will, but it's more fun to be enjoying the adventure.

Pat

[GeocamperAS]

Originally Posted by PKI

Do not buy waste chemicals with formaldehyde. Some parks will not let you dump if you are using those chems. Not hard to find formaldehyde free chems.

Do they ask you? Do you ask them? Do they post a sign?

[PKI]

Have been told at check-in. Have seen the requirement in the park rules. Pat

[Gneiss Guy]

I would make that 45 degree or 30 degree waste fitting clear, so you can see if you have rinsed the tank enough. I find the 30 more useful, since the AS is lower than most trailers.

Richard

[UnklJoe]

I agree with m.hony. Buying an Airstream is like buying a Harley-Davidson--you're just making a down payment on the accessories. It just doesn't end.

I don't feel too bad, because I try to buy things which were (hopefully) invented in the US, if they're not manufactured here. American ingenuity for American products.

The Anderson Levelers are great time-savers. On our first camping trip, I wished I'd had a longer fresh water hose, and the 25-footer I did have was too long for all but one campground. I used an old hose from around the house for the black-water tank clean-out (the wife liked getting a new hose for her gardening!).

I also bought the leveling jack "socket" that fits into a cordless drill--also a huge convenience not having to bend over while cranking that manual handle.

Amazingly enough, the wife liked the paper towel holder I installed as much as anything else. (It's truly the little things!)

Our trailer came with a Trailer Aid-type device (two actually???). I can't imaging trying to jack up an Airstream axle on the side of the road somewhere; I consider this a must-have "emergency" item.

Get some dry silicone spray for hinges, and screwing the electrical "umbilical" cable/cord into the socket on the side of the trailer, and for the awning arms. Ours stuck horribly at first.

I also find the HitchGrip Hitch Couping Tool to be a back-saver and toe-saver, especially since my tow vehicle has a 2.5-inch receiver, making the hitch heavy--and with the grease on the ball it is the messiest part of camping putting the hitch receiver in and taking it out. The HitchGrip makes that a LOT easier and less messy. (Carry handwipes to clean your hands, and also watch out for your clothes--that hitch grease with metal shavings from the coupler can permanently stain your clothes!)

Some kind of rug in front of the door/steps can really help with keeping the trailer floor clean (especially if you have a pet (we have three Standard poodles--so it's a necessity for us). And, a small broom and upright dustpan are also a necessity. We also have carpet runners to help protect the floor from our shoes and the pet paws.

And, get some spare 30A fuses for the electric tongue jack from the dealer when you pick up the trailer--at least one! Don't ask how I know...

Finally, we found the two Airstream "newbie" books (available on Amazon), to be very helpful. 'Airstream Life's (Nearly) Complete Guide to Airstream Maintenance' and 'Newbie's Guide to Airstreaming' Don't let the titles fool you, there is good information in both for the newbie and novice, alike. (The Airstream "manual" can be very lacking in some areas, and these books are both well-written and informative. They are not trailer-specific, and some people are turned off by that.)

Get out and enjoy! As many people say here, "Your mileage may vary!" and that's not a bad thing. We're all different and that's what makes life interesting. You will learn a LOT from your new-found campground and Airstream friends.

One more thing--you need a small spriral, bound notebook for all your lists. DO make a check-list for hitching-up, for setting up at a campground, and for getting ready to tow out of the campground. These are extremely helpful for the first few times you tow and camp--eventually, it all becomes obvious, but not at first. And, you will need to make a list of the things you forgot, things you'd like to have, things you need for emergencies, and things you carry which you find you didn't need to carry. Lists. Lots of lists--so the notebook becomes a necessity!

[demijac]

Our favorite accessory by far. We got the kind with dual controllers that hook up to the head of the mattress near our wall sockets. Best Airstream money we ever spent.

[pegjust]

I agree with the air compressor. What a life saver after getting a nail in out tv tire!

[utahredrock]

I highly recommend Rich Luhr's The Newbies Guide to Airstreaming. You can buy it at his website airstreamlife.com.

Rich is the publisher of Airstream Life. I recommend subscribing to that too!

His guide covers tons of basics and is filled with great info. He has a companion book too The Nearly Complete Guide to Airstream Maintenance.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Most important accessory:

.... comfortable chair you can set up next to the AS under the awning and enjoy the terrific view and cool breeze !!!

Second most important accessory:

... a cool beverage to consume while sitting in the chair.

It's not all crazy stuff. Remember some of the stuff that adds enjoyment as well.

Bob

[MAJORJDB]

Greetings, everyone has given you some great info... I have some to add, lol!! I carry my sewer line (25') and attachments coiled in a 5 gal. covered bucket... It makes it alot easier to handle after rinsing and protects it as well... I also have a separate tool box for the AS, it's kept in the TV and keeps the rummaging through the storage compartment to a minimum. My unit is older, a 1989 Excella and most likely more user friendly to repair in the "field", but a set of wrenches, screwdrivers, duct and electrical tape, hose clamps, etc. may get you through a camping trip or help a fellow camper in an emergency... I also keep several fire extinguishers strategically placed in both the TV and AS, just in case... good luck and safe travels!!!

[MAJORJDB]

A couple of additional items include: road triangles/road flares, a safety vest/glasses, an old piece of carpet to knee or lay on if you have to change a tire, etc... Finally, my partner and I have used small walkie-talkies and cone colored flashlights when maneuvering in non pull through sites and during night time positioning exercises... Again, good luck and safe travels!!