Questions after 1 week rental

[PatLee]

All these posts about how freedom is affected by what you tow has me now wondering if I should take a second look at the Interstates. Has anyone owned both an Interstate and an Airstream (not necessarily at the same time).

I was a serious tent camper and one year, with my 7 year old son, we were traveling around Germany, camping every night. I remember one evening as we were doing the tedious setting up of tent and camp stove, rolling out bags, getting water, etc., this German couple rolled into a spot next to us. It was a VW camper van and within minutes, they were seated in their chairs enjoying a glass of wine and I could smell their dinner cooking on the stove. I felt like the scales had fallen from my eyes at realizing there were alternatives to how we were touring. That memory has resurfaced with this discussion. Would appreciate hearing about the pros and cons of Interstates. I see that the Interstate Grand Tour is geared toward 2 people on long road trips. Specifically, I'm wondering if the space felt really small to you after a certain amount of time on the road? And how did it feel if you were pinned down with rainy weather? I've been looking at the brochure and Airstream site to see exactly what the toilet/shower arrangement is and can't see anything. Thanks for any insights.

[Rich Jenkins]

^^^ PatLee - FWIW:

We sold our SOB 22' Sprinter RV for an AS (27' FC FB, then a 30' FC Queen).

We spent 4 months in the Sprinter traveling out West. We are still married, but it was close.

Pro: The Sprinter is tall, but narrow. It was about the footprint of a 2500 truck, so we could get into almost any parking space.

Con: It was small, and hot. "We used the microwave for storage" small. Hot, because the MBZ AC can't really keep the steel box Rear cool on a drive. Arriving at camp, the RV AC worked fine, but is was VERY LOUD and blew directly onto you.

We also got really tired of hooking/unhooking daily to go literally ANYWHERE; WalMart, Sightseeing, anywhere at all.
While in concept having 'everything in one' sounds good, for how WE traveled it had some drawbacks.

We find the TT+TV concept work MUCH better for us; of course, YMMV.

Rich

[McDave]

We considered an Interstate before we bought the trailer. A new Interstate would cost about the same as a new 23' plus TV. An Interstate would be easier to drive and park than a trailer and TV. A TV is easier to drive around and explore with than an Interstate. A trailer has better living accommodations than an Interstate, particularly in the bathroom/shower area. A TV can double as a family car when not towing, particularly if you don't drive that much so fuel costs aren't that significant. I can't imagine using the Interstate as a family car.

Anyway, those were our main points of comparison, and came out in favor of the trailer/TV combo, given our priorities. YMMV, of course.

[Woosch]

As you gain more experience much of your towing anxiety will diminish but no entirely go away. I think it is a healthy thing to not be overconfident. If we don't see a route out of an entrance to something we will circle back for another look or move an to another place.
When we are dry camping we will use the shower but at an RV park will tend to use their facilities. I can't stand up in our 27FB so its a little constrictive for me.
When I'm "preflighting" before departure, I run a mental checklist preparing for those unexpected things such as a blowout, emergency manuevering, etc.
Expect the unexpected...

[Ruffn It]

1. & 2. I know exactly what you mean about the "freedom" question. We had that same feeling at first ... wondering if we'd made a big mistake because we were all of a sudden totally focused on the little things you *can't* do while towing a trailer. Funny how your perception changes once you've made the commitment.

We had wanted a camper for 10 years before we actually did it but it was still a big change in how we travel. Some things we'd imagined just didn't align with the reality of traveling with a TT, and those go in the negative column. Some things we'd never imagined are totally awesome and those go in the positive column. 5 years later and the positives keep growing and the negatives keep diminishing. Most of the negatives have been overcome simply by getting the requisite experiences under our belt. The more you do it the better you'll get at it.

You're already taking advantage of an amazing resource (so many great people on these forums with lots of experience). Definitely try a Rally or two!

3. The "push" might be trailer brake adjustment related or it might be that you have a heavy trailer hooked to a light truck. Get all the advice you can on making load/hitch/brake etc. adjustments. Keep an open mind about getting a beefier tow vehicle. (better yet - try it!- for actual comparison). We have a 1/2 ton truck and have towed a 25FB flying cloud for 5 years. Please make sure you are aware of your payload capacity / restrictions etc. There's more to it than just engine power.

4. The thing that will make you the most comfortable is taking a deep breath and getting some experience. No matter how many cameras you have you still have to develop a feel for things. And one day that camera won't work. just sayin'. hypothetically of course.

5. Not sure about your shower issue. Part of the reason my better half wanted a camper in the first place was to Avoid using campground showers. I mean you won't be taking just-kinda-standing-in-the-hot-water-meditating showers in your trailer but we've never felt constrained either. (boon docking is another story, obvs) Sometimes one of us is showering in the camper and one of us is using the campground facilities. Sometimes the shower stall is extra storage. You'll try a few things and figure it out.

Best of luck to you. Safe travels.

[LBOskiBear]

I'm about two years into the AS experience - first a 19' and now a 27'. A number of your points are familiar to me and this is just my experience:

1. On our first trip out, we actually pulled into a tight McDonald's. Don't know how we made it in and out!. However, we've just now developed a "sixth sense" for finding wide-open areas. Big box shopping centers are the best - you can typically find lots of space towards the outlying areas of the parking lot. Gas stations are similar - if you scout for the large, open ones, fueling shouldn't be too much of an issue. We have an F150 with the 36-gallon tank, so fueling is really a minimal issue. I always gas up before a trip and have only once on a 400-mi trip actually gassed up during the journey.

I've given up on the idea of the rear-camera. I like to just jump out and have a good view/gauge of it with my own eyes. I don't even trust my spotter all that much. It's taken a little while, but not too long. In fact, the longer, 27' AS has been much easier to back than the short, 19' trailer. I've gotten to be a pro at tight turns and narrow spots, but I'm a mess at backing in a straight line!

For me, the most important thing was having my own toilet & shower. I don't find it to be a compromise, but we live in southern California so have short, quick showers drilled into us at birth. In fact, on the last day at camp, I have to remember to take a longer shower to fill the tank for dumping.

[gunner]

There are usually two adjustments on a brake controller. One is how soon the trailer brakes come on, normally you want the trailer brakes to come on a little before the vehicle brakes to eliminate push and in slick conditions jackknifing. Second is the voltage to the brakes or intensity to not lock up the brakes when emergency braking.

[andreasduess]

I've been a sailor for far longer than I've been an Airstream owner, so route and resources planning (weather/water/fuel/food) has always been second nature to me. In today's world, thanks to google maps and accurate satellite views, route planning is easier than ever.

We own a 34' triple axle and it's amazing where we have fitted that trailer. Plan ahead, if in doubt pull over and invest five minutes into checking the area you're about to enter. That's the best way to avoid calamities.

[phil1ben]

Again, I want to thank everyone for their insights. Waiting for the 2018s to arrive to make a decision. The decision is whether to just rent an AS for perhaps 2-3 weeks per year (at about $320-350/night using our own TV with limited rental options) or to buy one. For us, we have determined that we would need to use it more than 30 camping days per year for the buying decision to make sense. We have a beach house where our summers are already spoken for (June 15-Labor Day) so the AS would be used in the spring, fall and winter.

What we are considering is the ability to store the AS and our F-150 in different locations. We live in eastern PA not far from Philadelphia in beautiful Bucks County. What we are researching is leaving (in a secure facility) the AS/TV in say Denver or Montana (or some other indoor location in those areas) for a year and then flying back and forth to camp for perhaps two-three weeks at a time. We want to explore Montana. ND, SD, Oregon, WA and CA. We could also leave the AS in say St. Augustine FL and spend time in the keys in the winter. It does not seem to make sense for us to store the AS in PA (when we won't use it in the summer) and then have to drive 2500 or more miles to get where we want to camp.

Decisions, decisions......All wonderful problems to have and we are very thankful. Just retired in January so many things to figure out. Again thank you all.

[SeaLevel]

Originally Posted by phil1ben

It does not seem to make sense for us to store the AS in PA (when we won't use it in the summer) and then have to drive 2500 or more miles to get where we want to camp.

That's certainly one way to look at it. We're personally looking forward to exploring everything in between where we live and the destination. You know what they say - "The journey is the destination".

[KellyAndersson]

Originally Posted by Tomhenritze

1. ... Hitched up, drove to an empty parking lot, and practiced for hours to learn how to back it into my driveway.
   
2. Spent weekends driving to local campgrounds, taking navy showers, learning about 12v electricity ...
   
3. I pull into a rest stop and eat my own food in my own house. Pull into a town, look for a place to stay for awhile and explore.

Now I am selling my house, and getting ready to travel full time.

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT.
Perhaps the best summary advice on this thread.
Parking lot backing practice (plus cornering and just figuring out how big you are and where you can fit) is priority stuff. You will FOR SURE get used to it and develop confidence with practice. Do it. Checking out nearby campgrounds, plus 8 more points. Practicing a sink bath, plus 7.
I learned back in the '70s to tow a 16-footer and then 19-footer and then a 23-footer (with a '72 Ford LTD!) on mountain roads in the winter. You'll FOR SURE get over the corner/braking/backing timidity.
At the same time in those years, I learned to bake daily bread and cook for 5 people in a little squirty SOB trailer. AND take a thorough total bath with 3 quarts of hot water. And I was pregnant at the time.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by phil1ben

Again, I want to thank everyone for their insights. Waiting for the 2018s to arrive to make a decision. The decision is whether to just rent an AS for perhaps 2-3 weeks per year (at about $320-350/night using our own TV with limited rental options) or to buy one. For us, we have determined that we would need to use it more than 30 camping days per year for the buying decision to make sense. We have a beach house where our summers are already spoken for (June 15-Labor Day) so the AS would be used in the spring, fall and winter.

What we are considering is the ability to store the AS and our F-150 in different locations. We live in eastern PA not far from Philadelphia in beautiful Bucks County. What we are researching is leaving (in a secure facility) the AS/TV in say Denver or Montana (or some other indoor location in those areas) for a year and then flying back and forth to camp for perhaps two-three weeks at a time. We want to explore Montana. ND, SD, Oregon, WA and CA. We could also leave the AS in say St. Augustine FL and spend time in the keys in the winter. It does not seem to make sense for us to store the AS in PA (when we won't use it in the summer) and then have to drive 2500 or more miles to get where we want to camp.

Decisions, decisions......All wonderful problems to have and we are very thankful. Just retired in January so many things to figure out. Again thank you all.

All good choices. First world dilemma.