EB 27FB Full-timing starting 9/1

[jasperkins]

We didn't quite expect to be full-timing so soon, but sometimes life just go along as planned. My job assignment might be ending within the next few weeks, so we are placing our home furniture into a 10x30 storage, as we weren't prepared to give up all of our stuff.

Now I will say- the EB 27FB is perhaps not my first choice for full-timing due to space. Wife, 2 Chessies (retrievers), and myself... we might go mad. Luckily for the first few months we are staying on a large piece of land with hookups. Maybe for the winter we will visit family in Florida.

The hardest thing right now is figuring out what to take for clothes. We have a new TV (Ram 3500 with topper), which will be used to carry gennies, gas, dogs, tools, etc.

A few mods / purchases that I have already made which we are using:
- Dyson Hot / cold fan
- Surgegaurd with box
- Dyson animal vac mounted in rear bedroom below tv
- memory foam topper for bed (maybe need a new mattress)
- flipjack
- shower head oxygenics
- magnetic spice canisters
- universal remote
- dc converters from Target ($30) to power TV, laptop, charge phones, etc
- 5' ladder that folds to 3.5" depth stored in bumper
- Nespresso
- storage bins

Well if anyone has a more tips for packing the EB, send them my way. I am jealous of the folks with the FB and full dressers. Yet I do like our windows. Also I am finding the EB rear cargo door to be a great benefit. great for storage access, cross draft, and letting the outdoors in.

I will be setting up a website over the next few days to document our Airstream Adventures!

Jason

[Foiled Again]

Carefully evaluate all clothing and shoes. Most of us don't need more than 5 pairs of shoes - one pair of dress shoes, two sneakers or jogging, and two sandals. Again one dress-up suit or skirt and blouse, and multfunction sport clothing. Dry clean only? Ditch it. Look for things that can be layered, a light coat is usually enough if you have a heavy sweater or sweatshirt. A raincoat with zip out lining is good, too. Anything that can do double or triple duty is good. If you'll have to lose more than 5 pounds to fit in it - get rid of it.

You can store 4 totes of clothing, bedding, etc. under the bed. So at the most, have one tote of out of season clothing. Space bags are good for winter bedding. You need only one spare set of sheets and towels. (I do carry LOTS of washcloths - they get mildewy fast in summer.)

I've also tossed a LOT of cleaning products. I carry Barkeepers Friend and Clorox cleanser and Dawn Detergent. I used to have half a dozen different ones. Don't buy anything at Sam's Club or Costco - unless you're splitting with a couple of friends.

Get nesting pots and pans if you can, and store them under the side couch in a basket if there's no room in the kitchen cupboard.

If you don't know you'll use it frequently - leave it behind (you can always buy something later if you find you can't live without it.)

Paula

[CDONA]

I'm working on a similar problem, downsizing from a ten years on the road fulltimer 40' 5er toyhouse. What tools & toys I can take along, and that stuff which makes a home.
My best plan is to acquire an enclosed cargo trailer for storage, so as to be mobile for access for the wintering months, & fast 'n light for the summer adventures.

Hatchbacks rule, , ,

[Foiled Again]

I have a 25 EB - after a 25 Safari. Single female, so I like the long hanging closet.

In terms of storage your 27's gain another foot of long hanging closet. Some have put shelves in, but let me suggest that you look at the BACK of that space for more storage. Clothing leaves about six inches of void behind it at he bottom of the closet, and the top shelf - room enough to make two stacks of T-shirts - except getting to the ones in the back is a PITA. Unfortunately some organizers USE as much space as they purport to save. I put a few rings up, and stretched bungee cords from the top to bottom of the closet. I store out of season clothing in vacuum bags behind the bungees. (Space Bags - OK, but ordinary kitchen bags can be vacuum closed, twisted and taped down, too.) Alternatively this would be good space for towels, sheets, etc.

The space under the closet contains the water pump - and a furnace air vent, but can be used to store small stuff like a household toolbox.

I have the crossways Queen which is more of a pain in the neck to make, and harder to get stored stuff in and out of, but that's where the out of season clothing goes, as well as everything related to the Hensley hitch, power jack,

The over the bed cabinet would be more user friendly with a 27, consequently if I need it every day, it doesn't go in there.

Just keep working on it. Paula

[switz]

In our current 25FB, that cross frame queen can be a real challenge for two people every night and some days trying to access stuff in the overhead compartment. I think the dents are just in the top of my head from sitting up in bed because they do not show in the formica....

Thus our transition to the 27FB model with twin beds to resolve storage and access issues.

[jasperkins]

That for all the responses! I write this from the Airstream sitting in the driveway before turning the keys back in to the rental company. Over the last few months, we have sold and liquidated a good amount of stuff. Heck I am hooping to get a $$$ write-off from all the Goodwill receipts :-) The rest of the sentimental things we were able to store in a 10x30 storage facility. Yea I know we really still have a lot of material objects. However there are old family things, and possessions that we were not ready yet to sell. Plus the Airstreams just are loaded with extra space :-)

Anyways, thanks to Paula's recommendations I have went through my clothes a 3rd time, and wow- I fit everything in the bedroom. Now if I could only get my wife to give you her juicer machine which takes up the whole shelf below the microwave (LOL). I am sure I still have to many cloths, but overtime I will start cutting back.

Animals. We have 2 Chessies (80lb dogs) and a cat. Surprising, it still feels very spacious as I write this. The pups have taken over the single bench (not the table bench's) as their 'place', which is fine as they are not under foot. The cat found the space between the bed and the nightstand to call his own. Speaking of the cat, does anyone have recommendations for a litterbox and location? At this stage we are considering letting my sister watch him. However if I can find a place to put a litter box (maybe under the benches?), we might keep him :-)

Wednesday night we leave from Colorado Springs to Charlotte NC. My wife is celebrating her 40th birthday Thursday- so I told her the present is the "adventure". OK- I'll pick her up something good too :-)

[jasperkins]

Well- it has been nearly 1 month since my wife, 2 retrievers, cat, and myself have relocated to the Airstream for full-timing. Surprisingly- we are really loving it. The deletion of monthly home bills is fun.

Its the little things we are learning.
1. Replace the mattress with Sleep Number - NICE!!
2. Sewer Solution - sold at Camping World. No more stinky slinky.
3. Wall mounted shower shampoo, conditioner, soap dispenser
4. LED 40' lights for awning
5. Hardwired the trailer hitch footer, as the fuse kept blowing!
6. Upgraded shower head to Oxygenics - NICE!

Things I "think" I wish we had...
1. 50amp with 2 AC units.
2. Solar / Inverter
3. Still looking for a TV / Internet solution. We put our DirecTV contract on hold, so maybe Dish? I want my HDTV, and there is not an inexpensive RV mobile solution for DirecTV. Maybe internet based TV, but again not a good solution for unlimited mobile internet.

[Lily&Me]

Yep, you'll find lots of little things that make daily life a bit more organized and, therefore, easier.

And, ain't it grand!

Enjoy and travel safe,


Maggie

[CDONA]

My fix for Direct HDTV is just the slimline dish on a tripod. I "shoot" satellites with an installer grade signal meter (Channel master 1004IFD) @ $80. and 30 minutes time.

[jasperkins]

I love our fantastic fans. They can create a cross breeze, and then close when its raining. However my wife works nights and sleeps during the day. So when the fantastic fan vent opens (its a smoked vent), the sun come blaring into the bedroom. How to easily block the block the sun?

WalMart to the rescue again. In the potting section, they sold a 11.5" lightweight Pot Filler (a 3M screen product, that is ~1.5" thick and circular, with dark tint).

This is basically a round 11.5" screen that is thick enough to block out 80% of the sun, yet let air breath. Basically its creates a air filter effect with the fantastic fans. A little piece of adhesive Velcro or double sided tape and bing- you have yourself a professional looking fantastic fan vent shade, which allows air to circulate, and that fits perfectly over the screen on sunny days. If you don't want to use tape, the suction from the fantastic fan holds it in place.

Product:
Garden Genius - Lightweight Pot Filler

[jasperkins]

At Lowes we found 2 18' white LED White strips, that can hang on our awning. Now me being a techie, I wanted to turn on the lights from inside the AS. So I found this little device also at Lowes for $16. I mounted the switch with double sides tape under the upper cabinets to the left before you exit the door. Presto, on / off of outside lights!

[jasperkins]

For the past few weeks we have been setup in York, South Carolina. However for Thanksgiving we are heading South to the Florida Keys. As its the Keys, I have heard boon-docking horror stories. Therefore we opted to rent a location for a week at Boyds campground. Personally I am more of the State / National Park camping kinda guy. However in the Keys there just doesn't look like there is a lot of land to camp at!

Let me know what everyone thinks. We are driving down Wednesday before Thanksgiving and staying 7 days.

They have a Navy campground there too for us folks associated with the services- but I have heard hit and miss things about that too.

http://www.boydscampground.com/contact-us.htm

[AWCHIEF]

Living the dream! When you get to the Keys do check out the Navy Key West Campground. Hard to beat for location, facilities and of course reasonable cost. The trick this time of year is getting a spot. You can get on a stand by list if a spot does open up. Catch is if called you have to be able and ready to move in quickly.

[Lakeway78734]

Originally Posted by jasperkins

We didn't quite expect to be full-timing so soon, but sometimes life just go along as planned. My job assignment might be ending within the next few weeks, so we are placing our home furniture into a 10x30 storage, as we weren't prepared to give up all of our stuff.

Now I will say- the EB 27FB is perhaps not my first choice for full-timing due to space. Wife, 2 Chessies (retrievers), and myself... we might go mad. Luckily for the first few months we are staying on a large piece of land with hookups. Maybe for the winter we will visit family in Florida.

The hardest thing right now is figuring out what to take for clothes. We have a new TV (Ram 3500 with topper), which will be used to carry gennies, gas, dogs, tools, etc.

A few mods / purchases that I have already made which we are using:
- Dyson Hot / cold fan
- Surgegaurd with box
- Dyson animal vac mounted in rear bedroom below tv
- memory foam topper for bed (maybe need a new mattress)
- flipjack
- shower head oxygenics
- magnetic spice canisters
- universal remote
- dc converters from Target ($30) to power TV, laptop, charge phones, etc
- 5' ladder that folds to 3.5" depth stored in bumper
- Nespresso
- storage bins

Well if anyone has a more tips for packing the EB, send them my way. I am jealous of the folks with the FB and full dressers. Yet I do like our windows. Also I am finding the EB rear cargo door to be a great benefit. great for storage access, cross draft, and letting the outdoors in.

I will be setting up a website over the next few days to document our Airstream Adventures!

Jason

We have been full timers for over a year now and we love it!

One mistake we made was taking too many clothes. Found out that we really like getting away from Texas in the hotter months. So far have spent a few months in Colorado and Montana with visits to Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Oregon along the way.

[Lakeway78734]

Originally Posted by jasperkins

For the past few weeks we have been setup in York, South Carolina. However for Thanksgiving we are heading South to the Florida Keys. As its the Keys, I have heard boon-docking horror stories. Therefore we opted to rent a location for a week at Boyds campground. Personally I am more of the State / National Park camping kinda guy. However in the Keys there just doesn't look like there is a lot of land to camp at!

Let me know what everyone thinks. We are driving down Wednesday before Thanksgiving and staying 7 days.

They have a Navy campground there too for us folks associated with the services- but I have heard hit and miss things about that too.

http://www.boydscampground.com/contact-us.htm

We are headed to the Florida Keys for November and December of 2014. Would love to hear about any good monthly RV Park recommendations!

Thanks,

Mark & Girlie

[Foiled Again]

Ditto on the too many clothes. Get 1 1/2 of the underbed totes. Every stitch for one person should fit in that space and that's generous. That limit will help you sort stuff. More than one week's worth of anything? Comfortable undies only. Even those you don't NEED cause you can wash them out by hand and hang them in the shower.

Don't put salt in the magnetic spice holders - that one - carry the box.
ORGANIZING?

Do a dress rehearsal - PLAN where you agree everything SHOULD go - it might change in execution, but I did mine over 3 times since last June and might just need one more go-around. (hey it was after the wreck. I'm going to beat that excuse to death!) Consider putting a "store directory" of where to find stuff once you pack. It's unbelievable how much stuff you can lose in such tight quarters.

Velcro and Command hooks are your friends. The Command Hooks come off the interior aluminum very nicely. Velcro the TV remote somewhere near the TV. I velcroed the recovered remote for the Dyson Hot/Cold next to my bed.

Short? Replace the front of the shelf below the medicine cabinet with 1/4 inch Lexan.

Kitchen - nothing that isn't multi-purpose. Example - soup ladle? Use a measuring cup instead. Cake Icing spatula - nothing works quite as well, but are you running a cake decorating business out of your Airstream? Wouldn't a knife from your silverware or a regular spatula do?

Any storage canisters, etc., know the dimensions of the space over the fridge, in the pantry, etc. Everything I bought was 1 inch too tall.

Last - baskets. You can store stuff under the benches, It just helps if it looks pretty. A basket of bath towels perhaps? I keep my Singer Featherweight on full display and stuff pillows around it while traveling.

I dithered about where to stow my little portable Dyson until I HUNG it under the far side dinette bench. Close to an outlet for the charger.

Dirty laundry - got a wheeled shopping cart thingy with a bag and store it in the shower. This keeps the bottom of the bag from getting wet if I'm in a hurry and cant take the time to wipe down the shower (i.e.: every day).

[mefly2]

To the OP; how has the EB27 worked out?
Please share your experience.

[CDONA]

I've been full timing in mine since 12/6/13, just a few things I've noticed, , ,

Sink is too deep, I smack my head on the overhead cabinet reaching to the bottom

Added a power strip to the port side screen support for the rear hatch, handy for charging stuff, timer, Dyson.

Idea, a cocktail table, no more than two foot across, on one table leg. maybe a shorter leg, for those times sitting on the back bumper, hatch open.

I can’t believe how good the radio sounds, hatch open (^ above)

Why won’t my ipod/pad play on the Samsung tv/blueray?

Made a real shelf of the trash lid, under the sink.

Bought a stainless, step on, trash can that fits under the pantry slide out. allowing for venting clearance of the electrical panel.

That center burner, really throws out heat, what was a “5” on another model of Atwood, now a “3”

Something to kill the rattle & bang of the shades when down and window open

My Dyson in recall, KN2-US-DDB3168A

[jasperkins]

I have been offline for the last few weeks, as are traveling across country. We started in the Carolinas, visited Graceland, TN State Parks, Texas State Parks, Big Bend Texas, Mexico, Grand Canyon, Southern California, Yosemite, and currently Portland Oregon. 5200 miles in 21 days!

We love our EB 27'. The new interior layout with the 2 recliners is great after a long day of hiking.

A good story about Airstreaming, we have learned on our cross country National and State Park adventure. Every now and then my wife and I comment on how nice it would be to have a little extra room, when we see the big 5'ers pass us by. Then when things like the following occur, we are very happy we went with an AS.

Driving through Yosemite, you need to go through a curved roof tunnel about 1/4 mile. The 30' + motorhome in front of us (rented from Camping World), was so high and square that it was dangerously close to the curved ceiling. BOOM!! The motorhomes right awning caught the ceiling and brake lights immediately came on. At that time I had already dropped back a safe distance. Once out of the tunnel, the SOB pulled over for repairs. I kept on going :-)

Also as many have mentioned, there are many of the National Parks (Grand Canyon, Yosemite), that you couldn't pull a 5'er or something grater than 30' into any campsite. Sure there are RV pavement villages, but its just not the same as getting with nature!

I think there is a bit of jealousy or glamping judgement when people pass us by as we have rotated our recliners to face the rear, open the rear hatch, and enjoy a cool beverage with music playing .

Everyone asks- after 7 months of FT, what would I change in this model?
- Well we are expecting our first baby boy. Maybe with the second, I could see the versatility of the Bunkhouse model.
- The low wheel base can be a blessing when hauling (don't even notice it behind our Ram 3500), but also makes us cringe when we pull out of a sloped hill. The rear "bumper protectors" have hit the ground a few times. Learning curve- remove the Equalizer Stabilizers, and the trailer has more tilt.
- Solar panels to recharge the battery from the Furnace Squirrel cage running at night. (Looking into this investment while in Oregon).
- Love our sleep number RV bed. Just need to remember to deflate it before dropping elevations!

[jasperkins]

Woot woot! 12k mikes across the country, and we now just arrived at AlumaPalooza 😃. Stop by if you are here, #2062 wbcci.