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Old 03-14-2012, 10:56 PM   #1
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2008 27' Safari FB SE
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First timer, long trip.

Assuming the deal goes through, my wife and I will be excited first time Streamers in a couple of days. Tomorrow I fly to Virginia to close the deal. Then I find and buy a TV. Then roll that baby 3000 miles cross-country to our home in northwest Washington.

It has taken 5 years of reading, searching, learning, and false starts to get here, but I think it is finally going to happen. This forum has been invaluable. What a great resource.

The weather across the country is unusually balmy so maybe I can take the direct route home instead of the original plan to run I-10 across to California then north.

Really looking forward to this. I have driven cross country multiple times and love the open road. My experience includes most types of vehicles except a heavy trailer on a bumper hitch. Hopefully the learning curve will not be too steep.

Any comments/suggestions are most welcome.

Paul and Carol

The username refers to Gogi Grant's Wayward Wind. I grew up listening to Mom's 45 on the record player.
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Old 03-14-2012, 11:12 PM   #2
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Thumbs up

Welcome to the forums. What a great adventure you have ahead of you. Looking forward to seeing some pictures.

" My experience includes most types of vehicles except a heavy trailer on a bumper hitch. Hopefully the learning curve will not be too steep."

I'm especially curious about your rig.

Safe travels.
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Old 03-14-2012, 11:30 PM   #3
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Port Townsend!!!!!!! YAY We live in Gig Harbor. Look us up when you get back. We can usually be found in the vicinity of the Tides Tavern.
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Old 03-15-2012, 12:01 AM   #4
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Welcome Paul & Carol!!! I'm so excited for you guys!! I live in Oregon and tow a cute little 16" Bambi Sport. I love it!

Have a safe trip to pick up your Airstream and coming back. I'm sure I'll see you two down the road! Take care.
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Old 03-15-2012, 04:12 AM   #5
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Take each day as it's own trip or adventure. If little things happen try to shrug them off. Safety first, pravado second. Sometimes it is best to take things slow and deliberate when towing. Just a few thoughts. jim
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Old 03-15-2012, 04:15 AM   #6
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Most of all be positive and have fun. jim
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Old 03-15-2012, 07:44 AM   #7
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Paul and Carol,
Hi from Central Virginia! We started our AS adventure last year about this time and have really enjoyed it. Are you new to Airstream, too?
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Old 03-15-2012, 08:05 AM   #8
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Hi from GA. . . welcome to the group ! Now that's my kind of adventure! ! We bought ours in Tucson & brought it home to Atlanta (only 1744 miles) May I suggest you stay at a campground close to purchase point for a night or two, trying,practicing, using all systems. We did that & felt some comfort in having service center folks close for dumb questions. Love to hear how it goes, and regards, Craig
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Old 03-15-2012, 08:07 AM   #9
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As long as you have good running gear, you're set! We took a big adventure with our AS, and I felt like as long as it was rolling happily along behind us, everything was fine.

Congrats on your new toy and your big adventure, and maybe we'll see you around the NW sometime
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Old 03-15-2012, 08:25 AM   #10
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Greetings from the Florida Panhandle

Welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us.

It's sounds like a great adventure. Enjoy the ride!
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Old 03-15-2012, 08:33 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kin to the Wind View Post
My experience includes most types of vehicles except a heavy trailer on a bumper hitch.
This quote causes a bit of concern. Hopefully you are planning to get a weight distribution hitch for your tow back home. Depending on the size of the trailer and tow vehicle, all that weight on the bumper could result in a bad experience.
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Old 03-15-2012, 08:36 AM   #12
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Thumbs up Welcome Aboard....

"Really looking forward to this. I have driven cross country multiple times and love the open road. My experience includes most types of vehicles except a heavy trailer on a bumper hitch. Hopefully the learning curve will not be too steep."

KTTW,

The adventure begins, congrats on your find. More info Please...remember we LOVE pic's around here.

One question out of the above quote....is it actually a "bumper hitch"? or the receiver type. Rented tow vehicle?

Stream Safe
Bob


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Old 03-15-2012, 08:45 AM   #13
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Thx for all the welcoming smiles. Right now it really feels like a big adventure.

The planned rig is a 5 year old 27fb and a used F150.
We are hoping for lots of local 3 day weekends to start. I'm retired but Carol still works part time. Gig Harbor, absolutely.
Positive? For sure. The difference between adventure and a hassle.
New to AS, new to this kind of camping. Both of us did the tent & popup thing when young and for 30 yrs have said we paid our dues and don't have to do that again.
May I suggest you stay at a campground close to purchase point for a night or two, trying,practicing, using all systems. We did that & felt some comfort in having service center folks close for dumb questions. Love to hear how it goes, and regards, Craig Thanks, that just the sort of info I was hoping for. As luck would have it, I get to do just that pretty near to the PO while I try to find a TV.
We have been following the AS community for awhile and are really hoping to become part of and contribute to all the fun.

Paul off to the airport.
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Old 03-15-2012, 08:53 AM   #14
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Bumper hitch was the wrong term, sorry. My larger rig experience is with hitches over the rear axle or wagon style trailers.

The AS includes a weight distributing hitch. And looking for a F150 with the extra 10% capacity.

Paul
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Old 03-15-2012, 08:57 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kin to the Wind View Post
Bumper hitch was the wrong term, sorry. My larger rig experience is with hitches over the rear axle or wagon style trailers.

The AS includes a weight distributing hitch. And looking for a F150 with the extra 10% capacity.

Paul
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Have a GREAT trip!!

Bob
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Old 03-15-2012, 09:16 AM   #16
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After the first 10 miles, stop your rig and get out and feel the sidewalls of your trailer tires. Any one which feels hot or warmer than the rest needs more air in it.

Compare the sides of your trailer with the lane marker lines in your rear view mirrors. When the gaps are equal you're centered in your lane.
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Old 03-15-2012, 10:53 AM   #17
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Where in Virginia? I am in Va Beach - S.E. Corner of Va. I have a great relationship with our local Ford dealer... perhaps because my last name is FORD. If it's in our neighborhood I'll be happy to put him to work looking for a good deal on a newish F150 or 250 for you. (If I were doing the tow vehicle again, a backup camera would pay for itself in dings avoided!).
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Old 03-15-2012, 12:34 PM   #18
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We use to travel from crystal river florida to Portland,Or and three years ago Hiway 10 was still not fully recovered from hurricane.Check out the so.rte that sets higher up.
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Old 03-15-2012, 01:43 PM   #19
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Welcome! You're going to have so much fun!

Who is setting up the F150 for towing for you? A dealer? Do not leave the area until the rig feels good to you on the highway. Most reputable dealerships are happy to have you stay in the area until you're happy with how the rig feels.

If you've had little experience towing a rig (that's me too) and if whoever is doing the setup is not a known quantity, I might suggest asking for one of the VA members to take a look at the rig after setup and go along on a short test drive with you to see how it feels and whether it's set up properly. That way, if it's not set up properly, you can go right back to the set-up place and get it fixed until it's right.

Barring that, I'd call someone like Andy Thomson at CanAm in Canada and ask for advice on how the thing should be set up. (I know 100% that he'd be glad to help you even if you're not buying from his dealership.)
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Old 03-15-2012, 07:31 PM   #20
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And I'd suggest tow mirrors. If they don't come with the unit or don't fit the F150, the slide-on Cipa's have been great on our F150. Don't waste $ on the ones with rubber straps that wrap around the factory mirrors - they vibrate and lose adjustment. Take it easy, enjoy some back roads, at least at first. I've actually found towing to be more relaxed and enjoyable that just driving cross-country; you're not trying to cover miles fast and you can stop for a break anytime. And by the way, RV World has a publication that ID's "RV friendly" gas stops (easy to get in and out of) at each interstate highway exit.

Have fun!
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