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flamingo-kid1 · 09-22-2003, 03:25 PM

Airstreams tow BEAUTIFULLY. Your cousin probably hasn't towed one. We have friends who were know-it-alls about towing.. they have a 5th wheel Jayco. (pfffft compared to our Airstream) They did change their tune after they've followed us a few times. They were amazed. We tow with a Tundra. Sometimes we don't even know she's back there and she's a 28 footer! We live in Rockford, IL... give a holler on your way down OR back, Ok?

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I am a misplaced Texan and I can tell you that there are a LOT more critters down there than there are up here. I can also tell you that not ONE of them wants YOU or your dog! Probably the BEST thing you could put in the camper to keep critters out is the dog! They haven't had a frost yet so there will be more insects.

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The main thing you want to remember is to keep her straight and level. We do NOT use sway bars, and we took the levellers we bought at WalMart BACK to WalMart because she always parks level. She's BEAUTIFUl! We are relatively new to Airstreamiing but have learned a LOT this summer. Get in touch, Ok?

What did you buy?
Email me if you get a chance.

RaChelle

KIMILI · 09-22-2003, 05:46 PM

Quote:

May be having some buyers remorse. A cousin told me that towing is terrible unles you have a 5th wheel. Now, I am worried about the dog... What do you do to keep critters from crawling into the A/S?

Hi Clown,
we're new to the towing game also and trust us if you have the right tow vehicle, brake controller and a reese dual cam it will be a breeze!! We had no problems at all. The only difficullty is backing up of course, that will take lots of practice. Until then we solved the problem by taking another forum's member great advice: we bought a pair of walkie talkies and every time we need to back up we do it TOGETHER, one driver one spotter. It's important that the driver does exactly what the spotter tells him to because he's positioned where you want the AS to go and by squatting he can see all the wheels and direct you perfectly. By using this method (I'm usually the driver, my husband the spotter/Cmdr.) we've parked in really tight spots in less than 20 min! Not bad for newbies with 50' behind them!

Quote:

Now, I am worried about the dog... What do you do to keep critters from crawling into the A/S?

I was very worried of this myself. The solution came from an experienced AS owner at an AS park. Get on your back underneath the AS and fill any little hole/space with COPPER mesh (not steel because it will rust).
Spray the mesh with bug spray (raid garden works fine), you'll have to repeat the spraying every 3-6 months. As for inside there are bug screens everywhere, just be careful in not letting the door open too long. Also, I like to keep an insect coil burning outside the unit close to the door that discourages most insects from even getting close and being outside it does not bother our dogs inside.

Last but not least...always have a first aid kit in your car or AS, the liquid benadryl is a great addition to any standard kit. I always carry a burn creme and a few other items but ...I volunteer in EMS and have specific training to use them.

Just a suggestion for everyone:
You may want to visit your local ambulance corps., red cross unit or contact the AHA (american heart assoc.) and take a CPR class. It's a short class, usually free of charge and works just as well on our pets as it does for us. You never know when a few hours of simple training will/can make the difference between life & death for a loved one (with or w/out a tail) or a stranger. It's easy and made for everyone and you can take it as many times as you wish. No legal obbligation once you have it and you're always protected by the good sammaritan law.