Stupid Airstream Tricks

[Forrest]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

I'm trying to understand the concept. Like - it funneled black tank goop to contact the exhaust manifold for burning????

How did it work?

From some time ago there was a thread on this and the best explanations were these:

"Thermasan was a system manufactured until 1980 by Thetford Industries that utilized a motorhome RV's exhaust to incinerate waste from the sanitation system's holding tank. Various Thermasan systems were once available both as factory-installed optional equipment from many RV manufacturers such as GMC, Winnebago and Executive, and also as aftermarket kits."


**********************************

From a buyer:

"As I wound up with BOTH of the unopened ThermaSan units, I thought I would weigh in on this thread (the seller only put one up for bid, but there were two..the second unit will be for spares as Thetford has no parts left). The units were the model designed for trailers drawing from a black water tank only. The seller found them at an estate sale of a former Airstream repairman. As was advertised, the units were absolutely new, never been opened (everything still in original plastic bags, packaging)."

"The technology was rock solid, very conservative and the units have FULL certification by the National Sanitation Foundation ... each component carries a serialized certification seal. The units do NOT add any EPA controlled emissions to the exhaust stream and other than an simple injector tube located after all the cats and sensors, there is no change to the tow vehicle. The original speed sensor will NOT work on modern transmissions as new vehicle transmissions send electronic signals to the speedometer while the old trannys had a cable going to the speedometer (which the ThermaSan used), but everything else will install and function on a modern vehicle. I am a EE, so creating a substitute for the speed sensor will not be all that difficult especially since all it did was make a connection to the vehicle 12volt ground at speeds above 30 MPH. Despite the ad claims about the "solid state controller" there are NO electronics in the system other than in the tank level sensor and that is very low tech by todays standards (and that sensor is just to let the driver know that the tank is empty as the pump is designed to run dry indefinately). The control unit logic is based on simple 12v relays. The pump motor is actually a robust windshield wiper unit (recognized it immediately from my youth)."

"The pump itself is very low speed design and works off of the same principal as medical pumps (just looking at the pump makes me believe that Thetford simply modified a medical pump). I remember these units from my late teen years as my parents were Airstreamers at the time and this was the gadget to have (no they did not have one...too expensive). The real killer for the ThermaSan was cost and the general death of RVs as a result of the "gas crisis of the 70s". They ran about $700 + installation back in their day. They were very popular on the GMC motorcoach as GM installed them from the factory. The injection point is AFTER all the cats and sensors...only the muffler exists beyond the injection point. The system only pumps liquid, no paper or solids as there is a fine mesh stainless filter at the extraction point in the blackwater tank. As for rust, modern exhaust systems are now stainless steel (at least on all my vehicles) so this is basically a non issue."

"It should be noted that running 60MPH @ 12MPG you create roughly 25 gallons per hour of water vapor (basic chemistry). The ThermaSan adds 2 gallons per hour to that, so the added amount is trivial. The ThermaSan only injects after the exhaust temps reach normal and the vehicle is above 35-40 MPH. Exhaust temperature just after the cats is incredibly hot (remember the early days when grass underneath cars would catch fire from the heat of the cats...better insulation prevents that today even though the temps are even higher in the modern cats). The ThermaSans were designed to take advantage of the the fact that temps just after the cats is high (yes, they specifically discuss installations in catalytic convertor equipped vehicles). The temps present are far in excess of what is needed to not only vaporize the liquid, but to crack the molecules and destroy all bacteria and such that might be in the stream. I have full intentions of installing the unit on my 2002 Bambi LS and it's tow vehicle, a 2002 Ford Sport Trac. While there are many that would be scared sh*#less (pardon the pun) to install one of these, as an engineer and someone how understood the technology and the fact that these things really worked, I jumped at the opportunity to get a couple of brand new units and add this capability to our rig."

"dtbw"

[glh101282]

I have owned a number of Airstreams and have always wondered why they put small holding tanks in the trailer verses the competition. One improvement is to increase the size of the grey water holding tank. The volume going into the grey tank is 3-4 times the volume into the black tank considering showers, dishwashing, etc. You could even decrease the size of a black tank to make room. I have noticed a number of "brand X" trailers have larger grey than black tanks.

As an option I have been thinking of putting a pump connecting the grey and black tanks. When the grey tank is near full I would pump some of the contents into the black tank. Would save having to break camp for a trip to a dump station when not connected to a sewer.

[Spizzlepop]

Sport '16 has a window in the bathroom! Why on earth would you do that and not have one instead in the door? And BTW, guess what obstructs the 'view from the loo' when open?

[camperkev]

Who hasn't balanced the bathroom mirror on their head while getting something out of the cabinet?

We have a 2015 FC FB Twin. My top suggestions after 70 nights out in it:

1. Electrical outlets in the undersink cabinet storage for charging & in the exterior storage compartments
2. There should be an inverter plug in the kitchen next to the 120v plug
3. upgraded converter option, there are new lithium battery converter options as well
4. Grey tank rinse
5. A better way to lock/secure the bumper storage compartment. My rig was outside my house and some a-hole stole all of my hoses one night. I now have locks on the spring clips.
6. Move the outdoor shower to the entrance side, would be used much more often than the back side
7. Standard storage kill switch that eliminates parasitic draw from the battery
8. Upgraded solar wiring
9. Battery monitor that actually monitors battery usage
10. Exterior inverter plug
11. Cushion snaps on all of the couch/dinette cushions....the velcro doesn't quite keep them in place.
12. Center post dinette table leg, like the new one they offer in the tommy bahama.

Despite the above, we absolutely love our Silvia. We had a white box prior and the quality of the airstream throughout is sooooo much better.

[Lata de amor]

We have a 2009 16 ft International that we have traveled over 60000 miles with, for two year long periods of time. We have made many improvements. Some of our favorite things we’ve done include: Tap plastics built us plexiglass shelves for our dishes and glassware that follow the curve and keep everything from flying around! They also made us a custom medicine cabinet using the same mirror off the old one. How nice to be able to put in what I want and nothing falls out when I open it. I used a magnetic cupboard latch...works great! We removed the hanging bar in the closet and put in shelves with plexiglass compartments....SO nice. New mattress...a must do! If anyone would like pictures I’ll see what I can do.

[joanbob27]

In my opinion, over the years, and especially since Thor Ind. took over, it seems the Airstream philosophy has changed from quality to quantity. Most folks at Jackson Center and in service centers around the country seem to try to do there best, but can't always perform their jobs the way they'd like due to work loads, labor costs, impatient clients, etc. It's all driven by the world we live in, today. This isn't 1940 folks. If you're unhappy about how your Airstream is put together, go try one of those white box trailers, or a 5th wheel. You'd be surprised how good we have it !

[joanbob27]

We found that those cheap plastic lights cause corrosion just like the metal ones do. We've been full timers for 6 1/2 years, and have also found that after 4 years all our running lights had to be replaced, because they were burning out. The good news is: those lights are available on Amazon. The bad news is: since we replaced ours, the price has gone up. I hope Airstream has a solution to this dilemma !

[Commish]

My "Punch List" for our 2018 28' Flying Cloud":
- 12 volt plugs in several locations inside.
- Power outlet(s) in the Galley on the wall, not overhead.
- Powered awning option at the factory.
- Fresh water tank fill via the shore water connect; add a simple 90 degree valve and done.
- Clear window in the door.
- Flooring that won't discolor from rubber backed rugs.
- Heavier duty skylights (too many reports of breakouts and blowouts).
Just my thoughts. I agree with many of the previous posts as well.

I am very safety conscious, so have added a fire extinguisher, fire gloves, window breaking tool, and a fire blanket to our twin bed area. Unless the Galley is fully engulfed in flames, I think we have a better chance of getting out via the door than the Emergency Exit window.

Just my thoughts,

[wdcgator]

I uploaded the picture but no pic. I’ll try again.???

[Lata de amor]

Can someone tell me how to upload a photo? Never done this before. Thanks

[alreardon]

I can’t believe AS has never considered watching TV in bed! The reading lights above the bed are on the passenger side behind the closet.

If lights were moved to other side of the bed, there would be a direct line of sight to the TV.

AS 2019 still has this wrong!

2 solutions:
1) Put reading lights on both sides;
2) put reading lights on the crib side.

Also, those round sinks may be attractive. But, I love my double sink in the 20’ FC.

[Manning G]

WDCGATOR,
The rack looks great.
I'm having trouble visualizing what "sawing the hitch tongue off" looks like.
Could you show that? Is that the battery box behind the tanks?
Manning

[NWRVR]

Overall we are happy with the quality and layout of our 2015 Classic 30 twin....but, as already mentioned, location of thermostat is poor choice as heat from television completely screws up the function of the thermostat. The one other peeve I have is there is no use of wood glue in construction of drawers. If you are going to use nails you have to use glue to have any durability. Basic, common sense in wood furniture construction.

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by glh101282

I have owned a number of Airstreams and have always wondered why they put small holding tanks in the trailer verses the competition. One improvement is to increase the size of the grey water holding tank. The volume going into the grey tank is 3-4 times the volume into the black tank considering showers, dishwashing, etc. You could even decrease the size of a black tank to make room. I have noticed a number of "brand X" trailers have larger grey than black tanks.

As an option I have been thinking of putting a pump connecting the grey and black tanks. When the grey tank is near full I would pump some of the contents into the black tank. Would save having to break camp for a trip to a dump station when not connected to a sewer.

No hookups? EZ way to manage gray usage. A pump between tanks seems like overkill. Backflow protection would be a must, and drilling another access hole into a tank?
It is no big deal to bail water from the kitchen sink or shower into the toilet. I use one of those large plastic drinking cups to get most of the water out of the sink or shower and into a plastic waste basket, then dump it down the toilet. It dilutes the black waste and gets double usage from gray. And the toilet bowl is cleaner. I considered getting a siphon with a built in hand pump, but it would be just one extra "thing" to store and haul around. Multi-functional stuff is best, especially for things that are seldom needed.

The first time I boondocked, I really underestimated how fast I was filling the gray tank. Heard the shower puke up 2 inches of dirty dish water and said "unprintable". What you DON'T want to do is try to drain the gray tank into a drywall bucket, stop the valve quickly enoigh, and then carry the 40 lb thing inside and slowly, carefully dump it down the oval office while holding the flush valve open with one foot.

[Silver Otter]

Originally Posted by NWRVR

[snip] The one other peeve I have is there is no use of wood glue in construction of drawers. If you are going to use nails you have to use glue to have any durability. Basic, common sense in wood furniture construction.

SOo true, agrees the Old Woodworker! I've added construction high-thread, low-root screws to each corner of the drawers on the current 2011. I actually replaced all the drawers in the 1999 Classic with solid poplar ones on Blum soft close slides.

[Silver Otter]

Yes, that's the way to go. We do dishes in plastic tubs and drain it all in the toilet. It makes No Hook camping a dream, AND keeps things clean, as you say. Knowing it's overkill, we also carry a small sump pump and short length of hose. We shower with the drain plug in place, and then quickly and cleanly pump the shower pan to the toilet when done. ~GH

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

No hookups? EZ way to manage gray usage. A pump between tanks seems like overkill. Backflow protection would be a must, and drilling another access hole into a tank?
It is no big deal to bail water from the kitchen sink or shower into the toilet. I use one of those large plastic drinking cups to get most of the water out of the sink or shower and into a plastic waste basket, then dump it down the toilet. It dilutes the black waste and gets double usage from gray. And the toilet bowl is cleaner. I considered getting a siphon with a built in hand pump, but it would be just one extra "thing" to store and haul around. Multi-functional stuff is best, especially for things that are seldom needed.

The first time I boondocked, I really underestimated how fast I was filling the gray tank. Heard the shower puke up 2 inches of dirty dish water and said "unprintable". What you DON'T want to do is try to drain the gray tank into a drywall bucket, stop the valve quickly enoigh, and then carry the 40 lb thing inside and slowly, carefully dump it down the oval office while holding the flush valve open with one foot.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I got a kink in my neck.

[xisme2]

I think this is a great idea, but good luck getting a company the size of Thor to listen to any of us--particularly after we have already purchased our units. But hope springs eternal, and it can be a place where we trade ideas about stuff we can do.

[xisme2]

When I ordered my 18 Globetrotter, there was no menyof 16" wheels.. I wish I'd known I could have easily have specified alternative size.

[mojoe7009]

Originally Posted by Lata de amor

Can someone tell me how to upload a photo? Never done this before. Thanks

At the bottom of the screen where you are typing your post there is an icon that looks like a camera, that one allows you take a picture from your phone or tablet. There is another icon that looks like a paper clip, that one allows you to attach a picture from your existing photo library.