|
|
12-27-2015, 08:52 AM
|
#321
|
Airstream Driver
1994 30' Excella
1992 35' Airstream 350
Austin
, Texas
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 5,224
|
You are writing the book right now, Mike. Being from the south, I always have concentrated on beating the brutal summers in an Airstream. I am afraid, I would fail the Colorado test with my current set-up.
__________________
1994 30' Excella Front Kitchen Trailer
1990 25' Excella Travel trailer
1992 350LE Classic Touring Coach
AIR #13
|
|
|
12-27-2015, 10:23 AM
|
#322
|
Rivet Master
1982 31' Airstream 310
champaign
, Illinois
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 4,072
|
We are learning as we go here in these cold temps for sure. I will say that we havent had any problem staying warm in the 310. But being from central Il we are used to cold temps this time of year. I am really surprised how little propane we have consumed. Been keeping the thermostat at 65 or so and using the two small electric heaters. The sun is amazing out here, very powerful, but when it drops behind the mountains it gets cold quick. We filled up with propane last Wed, its still reading nearly full. We have cooked, made lots of coffee, and run the water heater when needed all with propane.
Last night was the coldest its going to be while we are here according to the forecast. I think this cold weather use is very doable, so far anyway. Still need to dump our tanks, if that goes ok then we are all good.
|
|
|
12-27-2015, 11:22 AM
|
#323
|
Rivet Master
1984 34.5' Airstream 345
Foothill Ranch
, California
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 4,695
|
Mayco,
Great pictures!
I was thinking about you comment about you boost being higher than you have ever seen.
Here is a thought... Combination of cold, dense air, and the Cetane/octane boost from the additive, making better combustion!
|
|
|
12-27-2015, 11:56 AM
|
#324
|
Rivet Master
1989 34.5' Airstream 345
Ebro
, Fla Panhandle
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,212
|
Amazing what a few days and 4 / 5 inches can do to change the landscape.
Beautiful!
Mike I would plan on putting one of your space heaters under the coach for some time in the afternoon, and maybe screen the area with some plywood or cardboard, whatever comes to hand to free up those valves. And maybe a hot shower around that time too. I've poured a kettle of hot water down the head also. The exposed tanks and drain pluming is a challenge for our classics.
Nice to hear that you two are staying cozy and enjoying the trip. Good thing you are used to chilly weather from home.
Good move on the U Haul van :-)
Happy New Years , Richard
|
|
|
12-27-2015, 01:56 PM
|
#325
|
Rivet Master
1982 31' Airstream 310
champaign
, Illinois
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 4,072
|
Good call on some hot water down the sink/shower and toilet. We have kept our gray water tank nearly empty the whole trip. I found a nice sized tupperware type tub that slides perfectly into one side of the kitchen sink. (Looked forever to find the right size) So all dishwater, bathing washing up water, etc etc etc has been done in that tub. Then we just take it outside and dump. The gray water tank hasnt even moved off empty. So thats worked out real well. In fact, Ill need to add water to the gray tank when we dump in order to rinse the slinky after dumping the black. I started out the trip by pouring one gallon of RV anitfreeze in each tank and then have added more with each use. We will need to dump the black tank within the next day so we will find out!!
Key, I think youre correct in that assumption. Those things along with the fact that our travels for the most part have been in and around the flat lands of the midwest. There are some REALLY LONG and fairly steep uphill grades on US36 in western KS. I really dont
know squat about turbo chargers other than the general concept on how they work. I ASSUME that seeing that kind of boost (12-13) on my gauge means the turbo is doing its job well. Ive read other threads where people have stated that they had trouble getting 10lbs of boost.
|
|
|
12-27-2015, 02:21 PM
|
#326
|
Rivet Master
1982 31' Airstream 310
champaign
, Illinois
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 4,072
|
Oh ya, they have great heated shower facilities here at the campground and a nice laundry.
Hehehehehe, we HAVE been able to shower!
|
|
|
12-27-2015, 02:38 PM
|
#327
|
Dazed and Confused
Currently Looking...
1983 31' Airstream310
Hillsburgh
, Ontario
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,805
|
I must admit when i replaced all my plumbing with expandable Wirsbo/Uponor Pex A it took most of the worry out of freezing pipes. It would be the pumps I would worry about most. May want to add some vodka into the tank as an anti freezing component and save your pump.
Cheers
Tony
__________________
Per Mare, Per Terram and may all your campaigns be successful.
“It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose your own.” "Harry S Truman"
|
|
|
12-28-2015, 06:34 AM
|
#328
|
Rivet Master
1984 34.5' Airstream 345
Foothill Ranch
, California
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 4,695
|
I always add vodka to my black tank, but I am not sure how effective it is in it's "post user" state...
Seriously though, we are planning some trips to altitude and I would like to worry less about freezing pipes and tanks. Maybe adding tank heaters and some insulation under there is an option.
__________________
My name is Steve.... and I am an Alumaholic!
Working in my Garage is like playing TETRIS with Tools!
|
|
|
12-28-2015, 06:54 AM
|
#329
|
Rivet Master
1974 20' Argosy 20
Richmond
, Kentucky
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,116
|
Just yesterday as I was removing the black water tank I found something interesting about my Argosies black and gray water tanks. The tanks are enclosed in sheet metal boxes and the boxes are lined with 1/2" white Styrofoam insulation on the sides and bottom. I did not notice this on the 310 and the 345 I dismantled.
I wonder why Airstream decided to eliminate the insulation for the tanks? It would seem to me with the insulation my Argosy is already set up for cold weather camping.
The other thing of note that was different between my Argosy and the 345 was my Argosy has 1" Styrofoam insulation between the plywood floor and the chassis. The floors of the Classic series Airstream motorhomes are made of a grid of 1" x 2" steel tubing with a sheet of galvanized sheet metal laid down on top of the grid and then the plywood (later rigs used OSB) is laid down on top of the galvanized sheet metal. The grid is open from underneath.
The Argosies had a sheet of aluminum laid down and then the grid was placed on top of the aluminum, 1" white foam board was placed inside the grid and then the plywood was laid on top of the grid. Much better approach in my opinion
Was it a cost cutting measure to eliminate the Styrofoam or did they find it to be ineffective? No matter how you look at it the Argosies were better prepared to handle the cold.
Brad
__________________
Air forums # 1674
1974 20' Argosy Motor Home
1975 24' Argosy Motor Home
1974 31' Excella trailer (parting out, as of 4/1/2015 I have wheels & windows left to sell)
|
|
|
12-28-2015, 08:50 AM
|
#330
|
Rivet Master
1982 31' Airstream 310
champaign
, Illinois
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 4,072
|
Number 1 on the must have list when camping in this cold is warm slippers!!! The floor is ccccold.
This morning when I checked our gauges on the control panel, the propane is still reading nearly full. My gauge has been working fine and when I topped off wed it was reading 3/4 full. It took about 12 ga of LPG to top off the tank and the gauge responded and read full. I couldnt believe we hadnt used more propane than what the control panel was telling me this morning. So, I went out and checked the gauge on the tank itself and sure enough, it read between 3/4 and full. Im really surprised we arent using more propane than that. We havent been scrimping on the furnace use either. We keep it at 65 to 68 degrees. We have the two small electric heaters going and when the sun gets going the furnace doesnt kick on real often. But from 5:00pm till sunrise the furnace kicks on regularly. I guess I expected to be using a great deal more propane.
|
|
|
12-28-2015, 09:22 AM
|
#331
|
Rivet Master
1984 34.5' Airstream 345
Foothill Ranch
, California
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 4,695
|
I think it's an interesting topic, this cold weather usage and worthy of its own thread!
__________________
My name is Steve.... and I am an Alumaholic!
Working in my Garage is like playing TETRIS with Tools!
|
|
|
12-30-2015, 05:33 AM
|
#332
|
Rivet Master
1982 31' Airstream 310
champaign
, Illinois
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 4,072
|
We left Golden yesterday and headed north to Fort Collins. Stopped in the tiny little town of Lyons right on the edge of the front range. Its just about 30 miles from Estes Park. Heres the 310 parked on the street in downtown Lyons. "Downtown" is about a block long.
Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums
|
|
|
12-30-2015, 05:37 AM
|
#333
|
Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
1995 36' Classic 36
Ludington
, Michigan
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 1,662
|
And you took up 60% of the entire town's parking spaces! 😃
|
|
|
12-30-2015, 05:41 AM
|
#334
|
Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
1995 36' Classic 36
Ludington
, Michigan
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 1,662
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by bkahler
Just yesterday as I was removing the black water tank I found something interesting about my Argosies black and gray water tanks. The tanks are enclosed in sheet metal boxes and the boxes are lined with 1/2" white Styrofoam insulation on the sides and bottom. I did not notice this on the 310 and the 345 I dismantled.
I wonder why Airstream decided to eliminate the insulation for the tanks? It would seem to me with the insulation my Argosy is already set up for cold weather camping.
The other thing of note that was different between my Argosy and the 345 was my Argosy has 1" Styrofoam insulation between the plywood floor and the chassis. The floors of the Classic series Airstream motorhomes are made of a grid of 1" x 2" steel tubing with a sheet of galvanized sheet metal laid down on top of the grid and then the plywood (later rigs used OSB) is laid down on top of the galvanized sheet metal. The grid is open from underneath.
The Argosies had a sheet of aluminum laid down and then the grid was placed on top of the aluminum, 1" white foam board was placed inside the grid and then the plywood was laid on top of the grid. Much better approach in my opinion
Was it a cost cutting measure to eliminate the Styrofoam or did they find it to be ineffective? No matter how you look at it the Argosies were better prepared to handle the cold.
Brad
|
The 94-95 360s have insulated enclosures for the tanks with heat ducting to them. The floors are sandwiched metal-high density foam-plywood. They stay pretty warm.
|
|
|
12-30-2015, 06:42 AM
|
#335
|
Rivet Master
1974 20' Argosy 20
Richmond
, Kentucky
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,116
|
__________________
Air forums # 1674
1974 20' Argosy Motor Home
1975 24' Argosy Motor Home
1974 31' Excella trailer (parting out, as of 4/1/2015 I have wheels & windows left to sell)
|
|
|
12-30-2015, 12:27 PM
|
#336
|
Rivet Master
1982 31' Airstream 310
champaign
, Illinois
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 4,072
|
Hehehehehe yuuuuup! Ahhhhh yes, Lyons Colorado. Gateway to the Rockies. (At least thats what the sign said back in 1980, the last time I was there)
|
|
|
12-30-2015, 04:38 PM
|
#337
|
Rivet Master
1982 31' Airstream 310
champaign
, Illinois
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 4,072
|
Two blocks from my sons house in Fort Collins CO sits another 310 in someones drive. Doesnt look like its moved in some time. What are odds on that????
Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums
|
|
|
12-31-2015, 09:33 AM
|
#338
|
Rivet Master
1974 20' Argosy 20
Richmond
, Kentucky
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,116
|
Interesting parking brake
__________________
Air forums # 1674
1974 20' Argosy Motor Home
1975 24' Argosy Motor Home
1974 31' Excella trailer (parting out, as of 4/1/2015 I have wheels & windows left to sell)
|
|
|
12-31-2015, 01:13 PM
|
#339
|
Airstream Driver
1994 30' Excella
1992 35' Airstream 350
Austin
, Texas
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 5,224
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by mayco
Attachment 254856Attachment 254857
Two blocks from my sons house in Fort Collins CO sits another 310 in someones drive. Doesnt look like its moved in some time. What are odds on that????
Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums
|
He must be reading the forum, because it seems he is using my White masking tape method to remove the woody decal
__________________
1994 30' Excella Front Kitchen Trailer
1990 25' Excella Travel trailer
1992 350LE Classic Touring Coach
AIR #13
|
|
|
01-01-2016, 10:30 AM
|
#340
|
Rivet Master
1984 34.5' Airstream 345
Foothill Ranch
, California
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 4,695
|
Couple of things I noticed on that 310...
Twin tailpipes coming out the rear?
Those rear wheel trims are different looking.
__________________
My name is Steve.... and I am an Alumaholic!
Working in my Garage is like playing TETRIS with Tools!
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|