Fans of Airstream Interstate

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by brunoffrance

Hi the Interstate community....

is there enought places to store what you use outside, as chairs , table...BBQ ?
May be under the twin beds or the Lounge ?

No.

There is plenty of room for basic items for two people. Anything else, think small and compact, and only what is absolutely necessary. These things have to ride in the seating area in the back.

We move items to the front seat areas at night and when we are parked for a few days, to give more comfort and room in the rear.

That said, it is still the very best way to go.


Maggie

[xrvr]

We used a rear hitch carrier on ours. Made it a bit longer but was nice for chairs, etc. Best to get an expensive aluminum carrier, looks so cool and is light. zz

[Lily&Me]

We have a rear hitch carrier that we use to haul firewood to rallies , and with its' very nifty bag the sleeping bags, tent and gear for the grandkids when we take them camping.

We would never carry that full time, though, as it would greatly defeat the unique features of our Interstate----its' small and compact nature and the great mileage. It would be so much harder to park, too!


Maggie

[Bird's Nest]

Originally Posted by JBinKC

Here’s the one at the K.C. show -- all white and stunning, all LEDs, good towing for a boat or bikes, great tailgater. I get it totally -- the beach, the ballgame, the lake, the mountains. I’d totally love this style of travel. With the generator, a full rack of solar panels and a full rack of pinot noirs, I could be a very happy guy. I really thought about it hard for my RV. But I couldn’t convince my spouse that she could be equally happy without more room to roam. So at this point, I’m an Interstate wannabe. In a parallel universe, I’m be the guy headed to Lake Fork in my Interstate with the Ranger bass boat in tow.

We do not have an Interstate but we do have an Airstream Sprinter Westfalia which is known as a James Cook in Europe.
We had a 28' CCD that we loved but felt it did not meet our current camping needs. We chose the Westfalia for its nimbleness.
We like to bike and take one to two night trips a couple times a month. With an 18.5' rig we can park anywhere and boondocking is a breeze.
We could not do this with our former 50' set up.
We miss our CCD and hope to get another when we are ready to hit the road for extended trips but for now our little Westfalia is perfect. We are content with getting our "space" from the great outdoors instead of inside a spacious RV.
It took several week to convince ourselves that we could downsize but we are very happy with our decision.
I suggest you visit a dealership and spend a few hours in an Interstate. Test drive it and try all the buttons and bells. Then go home and sit in your big rig. Think about how long it takes to hook it up, load it and unload it. Picture yourself refueling.
We can load ours for a standard trip in about an hour and unload in about 15 minutes. We just pull into any gas station with diesel and do not worry about how we will maneuver around the pumps and out the exit.
A special not to your spouse...I can deep clean the unit in less than a half an hour.

[Bird's Nest]

I forgot to mention MPG.
18.5 to 19.5 so far and our heater is diesel powered!
We have owned this unit since October of 2010 so the heater has been used with every tank so far.

[Skater]

Originally Posted by ben322

Chevy & Ford which are body on frame have a ton of flexibility and thus a lot more storage.

As a B190 owner, this made me LOL. There are no outside storage bins in the B190, unless you don't have a generator. I don't know how the new Avenues are but I can't imagine they're much better.

Inside, there are plenty of cabinets, but limited space to store larger things. Our camp chairs (the type that fold vertically) ride on the couch. The gas grill is kept between the front seats. We got some reclining camp chairs but unless they go in a separate car I don't know where we'd store them.

It's just the nature of the B-van I think - it's a lot of camper in a relatively small package, so something has to give.

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by Bird's Nest

I forgot to mention MPG.
18.5 to 19.5 so far and our heater is diesel powered!
We have owned this unit since October of 2010 so the heater has been used with every tank so far.

We get a good, solid 25 mpg average, sometimes better. If we have hit the major highways to go home (like now ) and are cruising at 75 or so, mpg drops noticeably. For the kind of meandering travel we like to do, mileage is great and one of the big benefits of this unit.


Maggie

[ben322]

Originally Posted by Skater

As a B190 owner, this made me LOL. There are no outside storage bins in the B190, unless you don't have a generator. I don't know how the new Avenues are but I can't imagine they're much better.

I forgot we had talked about that when I bought the Interstate. I always think back to our last RT 200V which had exceptional storage. I had a conversation with a RT rep at Hershey that talked about the Mercedes imposed limitations on the Sprinter chassis vs what they could do on the Chevy Express.

[bugsbunny]

Doug and Maggie,

What are the length of trips you take?

Could you travel for a month or more in it and be comfortable?

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by bugsbunny

Doug and Maggie,

What are the length of trips you take?

Could you travel for a month or more in it and be comfortable?

We have done 12 weeks at our longest, all kinds of weather, and have been very comfortable.

One has to get along well with one's partner, to be together 24 hours a day in such a small space---but we are very fortunate to have that in our relationship. If ya ain't in love and the very best of friends, wouldn't recommend it.

We are very space conscious with everything, but have all we need and always more than we have to have, every time. Plenty of clothes, a couple of pairs of shoes apiece, and minimalist but plenty adequate kitchen equipment to cook simple but healthy meals. .


Maggie

[SilverGate]

Last month Gerald (gmilleroik1) of Muskogee, Oklahoma, took delivery of a new 2011 Airstream Interstate and started the Yahoo Group: Airstream Interstate: Airstream Interstate & Avenue with detailed observations, along with new unit problems and fixes.

Welcome to AirForums, Gerald!

As wayneskid points out, also check out the Sprinter-Forum - The Sprinter Source for additional information and support.

[avid]

One of the fun parts of owning an Interstate is figuring out what you need and what you have room to store. We have folding bikes which fit perfectly between the side benches and rear sofa. It was like someone pre-measured so they would fit perfectly. We always made do with folding chairs till we saw a couple in a 19' Roadtrek with reclining lounges. Now we have two Lafumas and they ride in the isle while traveling. At night they are sometimes stored between the front seats. The folding bikes go in front of the driver's and passenger seats. We use a tiny little super packable grill made in Japan. We just have purchased a 10" Dutch Oven to add some variety to our cooking options.

We have everything we need and more. Could a couple stay out for months in an Interstate? I wouldn't see any reason why not.

[xrvr]

When I had my Interstate I used a hitch carrier made of aluminum to carry chairs, etc.. zz

[bugsbunny]

I have a 345 Classis MH now and considering adding an Interstate or trailer to the fleet.

A couple of things that I really like about MHs are:
Easy set up and tear down -
Don't have to exit when stopping for the night while travelling
Can make a sandwich, make a pit stop, etc easily (if you are the passenger)

What do you think the drawbacks of a MH are?
Is it a PITA to pack up during the day to go to the store or do you just detach your hoses and cable and drop in place until you return?
I guess much of that depends on how much "stuff" you get out....

I really like the small size for traveling purposes.

Thanks,
Katy

[SilverGate]

Originally Posted by avid

One of the fun parts of owning an Interstate is figuring out what you need and what you have room to store. We have folding bikes which fit perfectly between the side benches and rear sofa. It was like someone pre-measured so they would fit perfectly... The folding bikes go in front of the driver's and passenger seats.

Thanks, avid, for sharing with us items that you take along when traveling that work so well for you; and thanks for your permission this afternoon to show the photo I took of your folded Brompton bike.

See avid's beautiful 2007 Airstream Interstate (inside and out), along with another interesting cooking item that he brings along in:

"Fans of the Airstream Interstate", History Safari Express, Airstream Life Online Community

[Lily&Me]

Am copying a post I just did on a related thread. These are great items.

We have solved the one-small-towel-rod problem with these items, of which we have all sizes

RV Towel Bars

They are WONDERFUL, and can be easily moved and placed on the exterior when you have nice towel-drying weather.

This site has some other very handy items, too.

Travel safe,


Maggie

[gmillerok1]

Thanks! Also, on the Yahoo Group, I posted a pdf file of the differences in standard and options between the 2011 Airstream Interstate and Roadtrek RS Adventurous in the files section if anyone wants to compare.

Gerald

Originally Posted by SilverGate

Last month Gerald (gmilleroik1) of Muskogee, Oklahoma, took delivery of a new 2011 Airstream Interstate and started the Yahoo Group: Airstream Interstate: Airstream Interstate & Avenue with detailed observations, along with new unit problems and fixes.

Welcome to AirForums, Gerald!

As wayneskid points out, also check out the Sprinter-Forum - The Sprinter Source for additional information and support.

[MamabearJD]

Hi - We are brand new owners of a 2011 Interstate 3500. We have taken it out just a few times, and are planning a long trip from Texas to California this summer with our 4 little kids! I need some help, please friendly folks could you point me to some good blogs/forums/websites to help me plan our drive? I have always wanted an Airstream, I thought I would buy an old one and restore with my dad, but I was able to convince the hubby that we would have a lot of freedom with our large family with one of these. It's up to me to learn how everything works and to plan our adventure.....I need a little help knowing where to get started! Help!

[Lily&Me]

Congratulations, MamabearJD!

Traveling with kiddies is much easier with a frig, sink and potty so handy. I'm guessing you will be using it on the road, not for sleeping?

Can't help you with your travel plans, we are not so farsighted to plan ahead other than general direction. Can give you a few newbie tips.

Read your owner's manual thoroughly and give everything a good look-see before you head out on that trip. Turn everything on and off, fill your water tank, flush the toilet, wash the dishes, get your frig cold, etc., so that anything that isn't working properly can be tended to before you leave---so you don't find yourself sitting at a dealership hundreds of miles from home, trying to entertain the children while something is fixed.

Have a great trip,


Maggie

[Bird's Nest]

Dump the tanks too. Will this be your job as well?
We have a sprinter Westfalia and it is nimble enough to maneuver close to the sewer clean out on our pool house. That is what we usually use as our preferred dump station.
We are also close to two exits on I20 in GA with free dump stations.
There are websites that help you locate dump stations. You can also call a local RV dealer for help. Maybe where you purchased your interstate. The GA dealer is a Mercedes dealership in Atlanta and I doubt they would have a clue about where to find a free dump station.

Dump a bucket or two of water in your gray and black tanks, load up the family for a shake down drive, make sure you have plastic gloves, an extra extension of slinky hose and your owners manuals and head to the nearest dump station.
For extra entertainment watch Robin William's RV on the trip.

I wish I had had a b-van when my kids were young. We home school and it would have made school on the go easier. We spent years schooling out of back packs in dr.s offices when we were caring for my sister during a severe lupus flare.
My oldest is in college now and my youngest is graduating. Our Westy is our empty nester RV.