Our Journey Begins - 2018 AI TB Lounge

[Boxster1971]

Here are the photos I promised of built in rear vents covered by Airstream. First photo is the stock vents on driver side with trim panel removed, same two vent holes on passenger side. They vent to outside via opening in the lower body panels. All vehicles have these to promote airflow though the interior. Second photo is me trimming the panel to bring cover grills to surface of the trim panel. Last photo is completed installation. I cant be sure how much this helps because I made no measurements of air flow. But I'm sure it improved the situation as these openings are normally fully covered by the trim panel.

[wachuko]

Thank you Mike. Makes me wonder why Airstream would cover those?? So that A/C would not get out?

These would have helped when the fan came on during my absentminded moment of not leaving a rear window open...

[Lotus54]

RE: traveling with tanks empty.

I like to travel with black and grey tanks as empty as possible. numerous reasons, 1. Less weight 2. More capacity for use when no hookups (often) 3. The older AI can have issues with the tank connections breaking (see IB’s posts on that). I would hope they solved that issue on newer rigs.

I like to have at least half a tank of fresh water. But that is due to not having a plan on where to stay until the same day (usually)- and many times has no hookups/water. Plus it is nice to have water when traveling for the toilet and even drinking. (I sanitize my fresh tank a few times a year and it is in great shape, so I’ll drink from it. Not everyone does).

With this trip it looks like you are going places with hookups/water so perhaps only a 1/4 tank of fresh for traveling?
On mine, the tank is in the middle, but above the floor of the van. So a low as possible without being external and close to middle between axles.


You probably have all the figured, but just thought I’d put in my two-bits.

Mark

[wachuko]

Mark,

Thank you. I wished I had it all figured out . I should have some water in the fresh tank just for use of bathroom or washing something while in route. I will make sure to do that.

[Titus]

I know that I am cutting down on my mpg and carrying capacity, but I like to fill my fresh tank at home. I figure our city water is better than anything that we will get on the road. We have had rotten egg water heater smell twice from high sulfur levels in water that we got somewhere along the way.

[Lotus54]

I’ve certainly skipped filling fresh water tank at lots of places. I filter every time, but some is still not good.
I generally fill it before leaving. Same reason, we have good water here and I dont’ Know where I’ll get good water again.
Last summer I was planning on filling at a known good place, but they had a mainline leak and no water!

I generally carry a gallon or so of bottled water for drinking or whatever. I try to make that distilled, so if I need to top up the radiator I can use it with no issues.

I wouldn’t be surprised I was overweight on the trip. But I forgot to weigh it coming back.

Mark

[Titus]

We also use purchased or Natl Park water bottle filling stations for drinking, but use the fresh water tank for everything else (including coffee water).

Not sure what to expect on our upcoming trip to AK. Per the Milepost it seems to be easier to find dump stations than drinking water. Many campgrounds are listed as having a hand pump - can't imagine using that to fill the fresh tank.

[rmkrum]

Since we travel with a pack of doggies, and a sick one can barf gallons, it seems, we carry a case of bottled water and that's all they drink.

If there is some left, people get bottled water as well, from a fresh bottle. I try to use the same brand, because dog tummies can be very sensitive to changes in food and water.

I usually carry about 1/4 tank of fresh for toilet flushing, and it has some extra chlorine added to it when I fill it to make it safe for washing hands and showering.

[Titus]

Not that I doubt your doggie experience, but I find that incredible after watching them lick their butt and drink out of puddles.

[Titus]

Post 901 regarding the rear vents.

For those of you who have frequent rear-seat passengers: I wonder if you could put fans in these openings to push air out of the van and improve AC or heat flow from the dashboard vents to the rear of the van?

[rmkrum]

Originally Posted by Titus

Not that I doubt your doggie experience, but I find that incredible after watching them lick their butt and drink out of puddles.

Yeah, I know. It makes no sense at all. They do that and worse, but its all from the same environment when they are at home.

But I have found, through bitter experience, that if they get off their normal food and water on a trip, they can have issues. Maybe it's just my gang of rescues, but my son and his wife, both veterinarians, have told me its a possible serious issue, so control their diet and drinking habits on the road. We carry a full trip supply of their normal food, from the same bag they were eating out of when we left.

Don't let strangers feed them anything, and avoid greasy treats--learned that one the hard way.

Good thing there is no carpet in the AS. When I learned it the hard way, it was white carpet in a van conversion....and the poor dog scored a direct hit from her spot on the velour upholstered couch! Took over an hour to clean the mess on the couch and the floor and then air out the van--in the middle of the night!

[wachuko]

^ Yikes!! ^

[Tincampers]

Originally Posted by Titus

We also use purchased or Natl Park water bottle filling stations for drinking, but use the fresh water tank for everything else (including coffee water).

Not sure what to expect on our upcoming trip to AK. Per the Milepost it seems to be easier to find dump stations than drinking water. Many campgrounds are listed as having a hand pump - can't imagine using that to fill the fresh tank.

Drinking water...we’ve been buying drinking water in one gallon jugs. We never drink from the fresh water tank.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Tincampers

Drinking water...we’ve been buying drinking water in one gallon jugs. We never drink from the fresh water tank.

+100 Not even for our pets. Everything bottled. Having lived in a 3rd world country for few years, learned that whenever away from home, especially on road trips, only consume BBCWD (bottled boiled canned & well done) even at expense of slightly less ideal diet. Easy to get sick in unfamiliar areas, even within continental US. Coz the problem is not how to handle the getting sick part, it's where to locate the medical facilities or supplies you may need to treat. Better safe.

[Tincampers]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

+100 Not even for our pets. Everything bottled. Having lived in a 3rd world country for few years, learned that whenever away from home, especially on road trips, only consume BBCWD (bottled boiled canned & well done) even at expense of slightly less ideal diet. Easy to get sick in unfamiliar areas, even within continental US. Coz the problem is not how to handle the getting sick part, it's where to locate the medical facilities or supplies you may need to treat. Better safe.

We live in the sticks and have well water. I am paranoid about drinking that! I have 3 filters on there and have it tested regularly. Fortunately, nothing bad but it is very hard.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Tincampers

We live in the sticks and have well water. I am paranoid about drinking that! I have 3 filters on there and have it tested regularly. Fortunately, nothing bad but it is very hard.

Oh, yeah, that reminds me, regardless that we do not drink from fresh water tank & city connection, I still use in-line filter on city connection. Talk about paranoid - I carry a TDS meter. Any of these or similar from our local RO filter supplier works

[Tincampers]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

Oh, yeah, that reminds me, regardless that we do not drink from fresh water tank & city connection, I still use in-line filter on city connection. Talk about paranoid - I carry a TDS meter. Any of these or similar from our local RO filter supplier works
Attachment 314465

Ordering one of those when we get home.

[wachuko]

I have a TDS for when making water for the aquarium... where I take it to 0 TDS before adding the salt...but why would you use it for drinking water?? A TDS meter does not give any type of reading about what contaminants might be in the water, and while some dissolved solids are bad, many dissolved solids are beneficial. You would have to actually tested to know...

And with that my friends, we have gone way out of topic, LOL!!!

So ignore, ignore... back to normal programming!!!

Window deflectors should be here this weekend.

EDIT: Oh man I need to sleep... here I thought that I was in the "show your garage thread!"" LOL Good night!!

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by wachuko

I have a TDS for when making water for the aquarium... where I take it to 0 TDS before adding the salt...but why would you use it for drinking water?? A TDS meter does not give any type of reading about what contaminants might be in the water, and while some dissolved solids are bad, many dissolved solids are beneficial. You would have to actually tested to know...

And with that my friends, we have gone way out of topic, LOL!!!

WACHUKO - have a good night. Reading for tomorrow. Yes, I do not take TDS for drinking water to mean expecting 0. That would actually be bad. But in hard water areas like LV (& TINCAMPERS) just a good way to track down how much the filtration or RO (in my kitchen) is bringing down dissolved solids from the super hard water. Just a way to track filter performance from baseline and then know when to replace once it starts to creep up. Yes, many, many dissolved solids are beneficial and really don't want to remove. FYI - Perrier water has more than the allowable EPA TDS standards for tap water, but all their TDS is the good kind.

[wachuko]

Nothing to see… just stuff I have pending to do(but the list is getting shorter, only problem is that some of the remaining items are expensive!! ) :

• Window Deflectors
• Fix slow leak in rear, driver side, inner wheel
• Redo the cover of the foldable bed. I need to round the corners that I forgot to do and are damaging the vinyl. Will recover each piece of wood panel separately in a different material (cloth and beige color). Got everything that I need for this task. Will do this next as we will be using it in our next trip on the 28 of June.
• License plate relocation kit – for when using the carrier with the scooter. Need to figure out something that I can easily move back and forth and with a light to illuminate tag...
• Cargo tray for Vespa. Want to replace the rods, which are made to be adjusted, for thick flat aluminum pieces. This is easy; I just need to buy the aluminum pieces and secured them in place with pop-rivets. This will make it easier to load and unload.
• Switch for propane valve. Got the switch, just need to remember where the heck I put it...
• Screen room – this will move higher in priority as the days get warmer and insects are out… we had a great first few months of ownership without bugs… that is about to change… The feedback on the initial one I was looking at were pretty bad… need to look for a better alternative without being stupid expensive…
• Buy and install a drain valve for the fresh water tank (suggestion from Protagonist) to replace the plug currently there.
• Install the ShowerMi$er. Parts moved from the garage to inside the house… that is progress Just need to see when I tackle this one…
• Rear shelve with matching TB laminate – link to what John did... - I will have to order the matching laminate. Also not high on the priority list but something I would like to make/add.
• Self-leveling system ... due to cost, this will take a while, but keeping it on the list. There are less costly alternatives like Bullseye system that I could install myself (if they can get their s* together and have all the parts available for shipping). I might just order the Bullseye jacks and get a separate controller... semi-manual approach but it will be less expensive and I could do it sooner... and when they get their issues with the automatic controller resolved, it will be just as easy as connecting the new controller... Will need help from Alex AVI to take photos of the brackets in his AI so that I can make those at home and attach the Bullseye jacks to those...
• Prime Design - Rear Door Access Ladder . Don’t care that the wife does not like the looks of it… I want the rear (door-mounted) ladder… She is not the one having to clean the solar panels and having to drag the ladder out every time I clean them…
• Quiet A/C from Advanced RV

Feel like I forgot something that was brought up here in the forum...