Hi all,
it is with some regret that I am making this post as we are parting with our Airstream. This forum has been amazing at helping us know what and how to upgrade our grand tour. I recall our first trip to Florida where the atkins monitor was telling us the batteries were dying and Lew helped us within 5 minutes of posting (atkins controller was broken, batteries were fine). This forum was and continues to be the first place to turn for support. You folks are amazing and I hope its ok that even if I don't have an airstream any more I drop by and comment or ask questions.
For those of you who would like to eliminate all the effort in getting an airstream that is more capable of being off grid we have done the work. Reason for the sale is we are having an expedition vehicle built based on a Fuso chassis which is more capable of offroading. Below is the standard advertisement. For those on this forum you know that doubling the batteries, 4X the solar etc is required to make an interstate off grid. We have also made several other changes listed below. we are selling the airstream, matching trailer and vespa. If any of you or your friends would like an upgraded grand tour please have them contact me. It was a US vehicle and I imported it to Canada, it would be easy to move it back to USA. Thanks..Cameron.
Cameronsturgess@icloud.com
video tour at:
2016 Airstream Interstate: upgraded to be off grid capable
We LOVE our Airstream ! It is stunning inside and outside, beautiful to drive and wonderful to camp in. The inside is a modern contemporary design which matches the beautiful Mercedes Sprinter chassis it’s built on. You can drive easily at 80 mph while enjoying the scenery and an amazing stereo. When you park for the night you can enjoy being off grid for as long as you want. You will never need to plug in ! If that sounds like what you want then our Airstream will be perfect for you. We know because it was perfect for us. Please note, Airstreams do not come this way, they need an extension cord to plug them in within 8 hours of stopping. To us that defeats the purpose of enjoying the outdoors or boondocking in a city. We spent $20,000 and 6 months upgrading ours so that is capable of being off grid.
We are also selling a matching trailer, bike carrier and Vespa. We are avid hikers, kiteboarders, mountain bikers and stand up paddle boarders. On shorter trips we took the Nicova bike/cargo carrier which allowed us to have wet/dirty gear in the cargo box. On longer trips we took mtn bikes, SUP’s, kiteboarding gear and a matching black Vespa. This allowed us to park just outside of cities and use the Vespa to explore the city. The Vespa is very capable of two up riding at 100kph allowing you to tour a National Park or city and park anywhere you want. If you have been to a National Park in the summer you will know parking is at a premium so the Vespa is an amazing addition.
We are selling the Airstream, Trailer, Bike carrier and Vespa.
We have had amazing memories with our Airstream. Its taken us to Banff/Jasper, Yellowstone, Baja, California, Key west, Cape breton and been the perfect vehicle for travelling fast on pavement and a bit slower on gravel roads. Beyond that terrain the airstream gets pushed too much. We are having a more capable 4x4 RV custom built that can get us into the back country. The new RV is bigger and will have a KTM dual sport on the back, so we will no longer need the trailer and Vespa.
Our 2016 Airstream Interstate Grand Tour, trailer, bike carrier and Vespa is for sale: $110,000USD. New they are: Airstream $150+k, Trailer $6k, Bike carrier 2K, Vespa $5k plus $20k in upgrades total $180k. You will save over $65K not to mention the 6 months and trouble of upgrading the Airstream. The Sprinter chassis is good to 400,000+ miles
2016 Airstream Grand Tour
50,000 miles
17 mpg without the trailer
14 mpg with the trailer loaded
Upgrades:
Double the batteries (320AH total)
4 x the solar (400 W rigid panels)
Automatic Generator Starter (will start and cool van if it’s hot or start to charge batteries)
Magnum ME-ARC and shunt (shows true State Of Charge and discharge/charge rate)
Victron solar charger (see the charge rate on your phone via bluetooth)
Tinted driver/passenger window
Rain deflector driver/passenger
110 dB horn
20” Rigid light bar: shines light 1km down road, helpful for avoiding deer and moose
Insulated fresh/grey water tanks: so they won’t freeze at -10C
Temp sensor on water tank: alarms if it gets too cold
Temp sensor in van: can alarm if van gets too hot, helpful for pets
Full set of insulated window covers: reflecting one side, black other, insulation in middle
Insulated fabric wall with zipper between driving and living area: keeps extreme temps out of living area and blocks light
Temp sensor with alarm on fridge and freezer
Fridge and freezer insulated: the original installation will spoil food and consume your battery
Added 5 more drawers in cabinets: hugely helpful for organizing storage
New garbage drawer adds 4 times the usable space
32” Roku TV that rotates 90 degrees: stream movies from your phone or netflix
WiFI and Cell booster: you can pick up wifi from 1km, cell booster adds 1-2 bars
Kenwood Stereo (original Airstream stereo reboots constantly, it’s terrible )
Upgraded speakers in driver area (original Sprinter speakers are awful)
Subwoofer in driving compartment (Airstream installs a subwoofer at rear which is useless)
Quiet Generator (added sound insulation and resonator, three times quieter than original)
Reliable generator (original installation broke every 6 months with upgrades, it’s reliable)
Warm floors: added 1/2 foam flooring which is warm and soft to walk on. No more cold feet.
Temp controlled fan: allows hot air from furnace to be forced back where you need it
Cover for roof fan: allows it to be vent while driving
Parasitic loads eliminated: added switches to turn off battery draining loads
Suspension upgrade: Sumo springs help lift the van 2 inches and help in cross winds
Alignment: Airstream wears front tires out in 6000 miles, currently ours last 40,000 miles
Custom shelves at back: greatly improves the storage at the rear of van
iCarsoft diagnostics: full diagnostics in case you’re in remote areas
WeatherTech custom floor mats: helps keep the driving area clean
Tire sensor monitor: alarms if tires get low on air or too hot. Critical for safety
New Tires on van/trailer/Vespa. 7500 miles on van/trailer 200 miles on Vespa
Upgraded the ECU to eliminate speed limiter at 80mph (this is really helpful in Texas)
Front Bra: shades front from sun and allows bug free breeze via driver and passenger windows
Screens: driver and passenger: provide bug protection when not using bra.
Seat covers for driver and passenger: easy to wash when dirty, cooler to sit on when warm
2017 NicoVa combo 101
Carries two bikes covered
15 cu feet lockable dry storage
Swings out of way to open rear doors
Lights
2017 Neo Trailer 6 x 12 enclosed
Upgraded to electric brakes
Side air vents
Lights in trailer
Tracks on floor and walls
Wheel chock and tie down for Vespa
2009 Collector Vespa 250 GTS
9375 miles
Matching rear cargo box
Side stand
110 dB horn
Small and large windscreens
2 helmets