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Old 04-21-2018, 10:52 AM   #1
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2015 25' Flying Cloud
2018 33' Classic
​2020 Atlas​
Pullman , Washington
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Posts: 90
First Night in Campground

We just spent the first night in our new Classic 33. Some observations -

1. We elected to get the Dometic Oven instead of drawers. I also bought a thermometer to put in the oven because I didn’t really trust the temperature settings on the oven itself. I must say that this oven cooked an orange coffee cake evenly and the temperature on the dial was pretty accurate.

2. The big bathroom is really nice and I had no issues with hot water this morning. I did put on the “boost” 10 minutes before the shower like the instructions suggested.

3. The bed is comfortable and we slept really well - except for the trains coming by the campground at 5 a.m. in the morning (Spokane, WA KOA).

4. We had not turned on water to the camper yet - so this was our first time we connected up with the city water supply. Many of the bypass valves were open so that water largely poured onto the ground the first time I turned it on. I must admit it took awhile to identify the correct valves to close on the Alde system - and the Alde thread (and pics) was extremely helpful. Of course, on the 2018 33’ trailers - the valve configuration looks different than in many of the posted pictures.

5. I am still trying to figure out the heating and cooling systems. I used the firefly to set temperatures in the trailer at 65 (and placed it on Auto) and it seemed liked the Alde and the AC were fighting against each other quite a bit. We turned the AC off when sleeping (night time temps were in the upper 40’s) and the heat stabilized around 70 for the night.

6. I know this is a really dumb question - but I am curious on how all this will work in summer temperatures. Do we have the turn on the Alde heat in order to get hot water? I would be curious to hear how people are practically doing this or if the shower boost feature is enough to get hot water.

7. We have exclusively used our Alde with propane gas - we are going to switch to electrical today to see how well that works.

8. The large kitchen sink is terrific and there is plenty of cooking space. More elaborate meals will come tonight - so I will see how I continue to like the galley space.

So far - our experience with our 33 Classic has been fantastic!
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Old 04-21-2018, 11:04 AM   #2
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So glad that you are enjoying your outing! The learning curve is always fun (sometimes frustrating), but it sounds like you are doing just fine. Can’t comment on the Alde.

You are enjoying some of the same features s we like about our Avion! Have a great trip!
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Old 04-21-2018, 11:52 AM   #3
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Prescott , Arizona
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Us too. First trip in our new 30’ Int. Sig. the more time I spend in this trailer the more I’m impressed.

Glad you’re having a good time. Lots to figure out eh?

Enjoy!Click image for larger version

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Old 04-22-2018, 12:31 PM   #4
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The OP here has started a new thread for night #2. Perhaps replies here will make for better continuity of the discussion?

FWIW


[click on orange arrow in quote to go to the other thread]
Quote:
Originally Posted by WA_Airstream View Post
Night #2 Observations -

1. I really, really like the galley area compared with our Flying Cloud 25. I have done twice-baked potatoes, brownies, and a coffee cake in the oven - aside from needing to cut down the baking time by a few minutes I can make almost anything in the galley.

2. My wife and I are movie fans so watching Indiana Jones last night felt like we were in a movie theatre. For us this was one of the really appealing parts of the Classic 33.

3. Thanks to several replies on the Alde system. I set the Alde last night to 60 and the Firefly controls to 68. I woke up at 4 a.m. and the trailer was 62 inside - I ramped up the Alde system to 65 and we woke up to a much warmer trailer. We have plenty of hot water for showers and dishes in the morning.

4. We really also like listening to the Polk audio system in the mornings while getting ready - I have it connected to an iPad Pro and it works very well.

5. The large refrigerator is especially nice - there is plenty of room for full-sized items. We will do longer trips later in the summer and it will be interesting to see just how much stuff we can get in the refrigerator and freezer.

All for now!
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Old 04-22-2018, 12:38 PM   #5
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the op here has started a new thread for night #2. Perhaps replies here will make for better continuity of the discussion?

Fwiw


[click on orange arrow in quote to go to the other thread]


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Old 04-22-2018, 06:48 PM   #6
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Thanks for the picture. We don’t have the 2 “Alde Shower Boost”or “Alde Water Heater” buttons on our 33 on the Home Screen.
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Old 04-24-2018, 03:54 PM   #7
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Answer to 6. In summer simply adjust the Alde heat temp so that it will not try and heat the trailer, but yes the boiler heats water and Alde fluid. On hot summer days we turn ours off except for morning showers
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Old 04-24-2018, 10:56 PM   #8
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Thanks for advice!
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Old 05-04-2018, 03:01 AM   #9
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Conroe , Texas
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WA_Airstream View Post
Thanks for the picture. We don’t have the 2 “Alde Shower Boost”or “Alde Water Heater” buttons on our 33 on the Home Screen.
We don’t either. Apparently there is a 2018 and a half release that separated the Firefly and Alde panels back out in an attempt to make the system more stable / easier to maintain. I called Airstream on this and its what they told me at least.
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Old 05-04-2018, 07:15 AM   #10
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Technology-Nice but not sure I am missing it

Reading through a number of similar threads I had to chuckle. I have a 35+ year career in high tech, mostly in Silicon Valley. By contrast I own 3 Airstreams where the only high tech is the TV and portable Dish Antenna. 1966 Safari, 1981 Excella II Limited and a 1963 Safari (for sale). What I don't miss about the technology is that while everything is manual, I can easily fix the systems and they are not interdependent. I think 5-10 years from now there could be a real problem with the systems that Airstreams are installing. Getting parts, tech support, software updates, etc. may be very challenging. I really don't have a problem turning a dial or flipping a switch and at most it requires me to get off the couch and walk about 8 feet.

I don't write this with any ill will towards those of you that have the advanced systems and I confess I do miss the "sexy" aspect of the technology. But wondering if others share the concern over whether this is simply technology for technologies sake and has longer term implications?
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Old 05-06-2018, 03:31 PM   #11
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WA_Airstream
By now you may have figured it out. On the heat panel of the Firefly radiant heat and water heat are selectable. In the summer you can turn on water heat only. It will work.
There is a diagram on pg. 8-14 of the owners manual that illustrates valve positions for winterizing and dewinterizing.
Like you we started out using propane with the Alde. Once we started using electric (2) we have not used any propane with the Alde. Works well down into the the 20's for us. It does take longer to warm up a cold coach but it gets there and holds well.
The control buttons for water heat and shower boost are on the temp. panel (the one with the thermometer). You might check which version of the Firefly software you have. That information is on the (gear) panel. My is version 3.2 and it has the water heat and shower boost on the home panel. The dealer should be able to update the Firefly.

Charlie
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Old 05-12-2018, 09:48 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kenfconnor View Post
Reading through a number of similar threads I had to chuckle. I have a 35+ year career in high tech, mostly in Silicon Valley. By contrast I own 3 Airstreams where the only high tech is the TV and portable Dish Antenna. 1966 Safari, 1981 Excella II Limited and a 1963 Safari (for sale). What I don't miss about the technology is that while everything is manual, I can easily fix the systems and they are not interdependent. I think 5-10 years from now there could be a real problem with the systems that Airstreams are installing. Getting parts, tech support, software updates, etc. may be very challenging. I really don't have a problem turning a dial or flipping a switch and at most it requires me to get off the couch and walk about 8 feet.



I don't write this with any ill will towards those of you that have the advanced systems and I confess I do miss the "sexy" aspect of the technology. But wondering if others share the concern over whether this is simply technology for technologies sake and has longer term implications?


I agree personally, and also come from the tech space. However, this depends on your situation. If you’re going on long trips or living full time in your Airstream the ill confess that small conveniences go a long way, especially for the wife . Plus Airstream has been smart enough to include manual overrides for the important stuff from what I can see. Ultimately anything can be replaced or upgraded to something newer in the long run, but guess I’ll find out if I eat my words on this later
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