Our Journey Begins - 2018 AI TB Lounge

[Jererae]

Regarding the need for a mattress foam pad - we love the way our 2017 sleeps without one! Suggest you try it first. I simply use a down comforter covered in a sheet duvet - and it sleeps wonderful!

[txntravlr]

As to storage of the memory foam topper - we use a duvet cover on ours (to encase the memory foam) as a bottom sheet and a light comforter on top. The comforter can be folded and put in overhead storage, and we simply roll the foam with duvet cover and leave on the “head rest” portions behind the sofa during the day.

[rmkrum]

Originally Posted by wachuko

Thank you. I must have missed it. Did not see it in the 2018 parts diagram. Reason for having it on the list.



Not buying anything else until I get the AI. I will be able to confirm then.

Uh, the reason for an external water pressure regulator is to protect your fresh water hose from excessive pressure. Some campgrounds have very high pressure and can easily rupture a hose. Get an adjustable regulator with a gauge, put it on the spigot and then attach the hose.

Another handy accessory is a 90 degree elbow to screw into the trailer inlet and take some of the strain off the inlet. I attach the water filter to the hose, then put the elbow on the short hose on the output of the filter and then into the trailer inlet.

It’s a little more stuff to carry, but I think it ends up being s bit easier on your hardware in the AS and the somewhat expensive drinking water hose...

[wachuko]

Thank you all for the additional comments and suggestions.

90 Degree Hose Elbow added to the list.

Also, a duvet cover to encase the memory foam sounds like the way to go. We just want something on top of the seats to fill the voids.

The Amazon wish list continues to grow, lol.

[Lily&Me]

I would add a tarp to your list...you can even get ones at WalMart that are silver.

They don’t take up a lot of space, but come in handy at times for covering firewood or anything else that may be vulnerable in a sudden rainstorm.

Also a 30 to 50 amp adapter, for those occasions when 50 amp is all that is available...we have been in a couple of RV parks where this was the case.

Maggie

[wachuko]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

I would add a tarp to your list...you can even get ones at WalMart that are silver.

They don’t take up a lot of space, but come in handy at times for covering firewood or anything else that may be vulnerable in a sudden rainstorm.

Also a 30 to 50 amp adapter, for those occasions when 50 amp is all that is available...we have been in a couple of RV parks where this was the case.

Maggie

Ahhh yes! Thank you!
Adding tarp and Camco 55175 PowerGrip Dogbone Electrical Adapter with Handle, 18-Inch, yellow (or this one, less expensive)

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

Also a 30 to 50 amp adapter, for those occasions when 50 amp is all that is available...we have been in a couple of RV parks where this was the case.

A dogbone-style 30-to-15 adapter is also good. Less likely to pull out of the household outlet due to weight cantilevered from the adapter than the straight type.
https://www.amazon.com/Camco-55165-P...+15amp+adapter

[wachuko]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

A dogbone-style 30-to-15 adapter is also good. Less likely to pull out of the household outlet due to weight cantilevered from the adapter than the straight type.
https://www.amazon.com/Camco-55165-P...+15amp+adapter

I understand the need for the 50 to 30 amp adapter.

Why the recommendation of a 30 to 15 amp adapter? In what situations would I need that one? Learning here...

Or is this more a 15 to 30 adapter to hook up from a normal receptacle at home if I do not have access to a 30 amp receptacle??

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by wachuko

Or is this more a 15 to 30 adapter to hook up from a normal receptacle at home if I do not have access to a 30 amp receptacle??

Exactamundo! It allows you to hook up in your driveway— or someone else's driveway when you go visiting— without needing a 30amp receptacle.

The dealer will probably give you one, but it will probably be a straight one like this that will try to pull itself out of the receptacle due to all the weight sticking straight out from the the socket:

The dogbone style is much preferred even though it takes more room to store.

[wachuko]

Excellent. Thank you. Added to the list. And also validated which 50-30 to get... not the straight unit but the first one I listed with the dogbone-styled. Cool.

[Air99]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Exactamundo! It allows you to hook up in your driveway— or someone else's driveway when you go visiting— without needing a 30amp receptacle.

The dealer will probably give you one, but it will probably be a straight one like this that will try to pull itself out of the receptacle due to all the weight sticking straight out from the the socket:

The dogbone style is much preferred even though it takes more room to store.

I found this adapter not working at all locations I have been to, including my garage and all my relatives, got something to do with GFI in series. This is without any loads in the RV and with shore power setting at 20A, I gave up and put in 30A socket with proper wiring.

[Air99]

Originally Posted by Air99

I found this adapter not working at all locations I have been to, including my garage and all my relatives, got something to do with GFI in series. This is without any loads in the RV and with shore power setting at 20A, I gave up and put in 30A socket with proper wiring.

To clarify, I meant this and 3 other 30A to 15A dongles as well, all tripped the breaker or the reset on the GFI outlets. This maybe unique to my AI who knows.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Air99

To clarify, I meant this and 3 other 30A to 15A dongles as well, all tripped the breaker or the reset on the GFI outlets. This maybe unique to my AI who knows.

If you plug into a GFCI-protected 15amp outlet, turn off the breaker for the GFCI circuit inside the Airstream and just use the other circuits.

When you have a GFCI-protected circuit plugged into another GFCI-protected circuit, the upstream one can see the downstream one as a ground fault because of the circuitry the downstream one uses to detect ground faults.

[Natuzzi]

Originally Posted by wachuko

Excellent. Thank you. Added to the list. And also validated which 50-30 to get... not the straight unit but the first one I listed with the dogbone-styled. Cool.

Just a comment; a few years ago we bought our first RV and went through the exact same exercise as you are currently. We are now getting ready to sell that 31’ Kodiak to get a smaller self-contained Class B+. When going through all the “stuff” we bought 5 years ago in anticipation of all our upcoming adventures, at least half of it was still in the original box! Some things like the surge protector, fresh water hose(s), window tint, etc., are a given and you should proceed. But, other things can wait until you have taken a trip or two to determine if you are really going to “need” or use them. Also, be sure to learn what items your selling dealer is going to include with purchase. Some dealers are more generous than others and some give great discounts on supplies from their store as a result of your purchase. Have fun and enjoy!

[Air99]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

If you plug into a GFCI-protected 15amp outlet, turn off the breaker for the GFCI circuit inside the Airstream and just use the other circuits.

When you have a GFCI-protected circuit plugged into another GFCI-protected circuit, the upstream one can see the downstream one as a ground fault because of the circuitry the downstream one uses to detect ground faults.

Bingo Protag! I’ll definitely try it next time, beats running the noisy generator for hours just to keep the fridge cold when parking in relatives driveways. Thanks!

[TayaraTravel]

Originally Posted by wachuko

Just consolidating the list that I have so far and adding some last minute items I had forgotten.

Anything else that would be classified as a must-have-now for a newbie starting the RV life? ...

If you haven't had enough to spend money on, here is a similar thread we used when preparing for our Interstate a few months ago:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f240...ar-164408.html

As others have noted, I'd keep the initial list short and add to it after experience. We bought-then-disposed-of several items from our startup list.

[Pahaska]

After driving through the "love-bug" swarm in SE Texas and, later, a swarm of migrating butterflies, I found that a long-handled squeegee/windshield-scrubber is an absolute must.

I store it behind the second-row seat with the business end out by the sliding door and the handle held in a spring broom holder mounted on the front wall of the black-tank enclosure. Because I have a bump installed on the sliding door rail, the sliding door ordinarily doesn't open far enough back that the squeegee is visible unless I roll the door past the stop to the Airstream-installed stop.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

After driving through the "love-bug" swarm in SE Texas and, later, a swarm of migrating butterflies, I found that a long-handled squeegee/windshield-scrubber is an absolute must.

Ditto. The long handle of mine is the collapsible 10-foot pole that I mentioned in Post #46 that I use for measuring questionable overhead clearances.

[wachuko]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Ditto. The long handle of mine is the collapsible 10-foot pole that I mentioned in Post #46 that I use for measuring questionable overhead clearances.

Yes Sir. On my list.

https://www.amazon.com/Cleaning-Exte...window+cleaner

[wachuko]

Just documenting... finally found some photos of the roof setup for a 2018 AI.... so much for trying to easily accommodate one more solar panel.... if Airstream would have done a better placement of the one in the rear, It would have been easy to add one more there without major modifications.

Trying to do that now will mean removing the existing rear panel and making the space for the 4th one. Will also mean getting a different connector that can combined all four (the one on there does not look like it has additional plug for one more)...

And then there is that wiring coming from what looks like the awning...