In-person tutorial

[AndreaM]

Hi,

My name is Andrea; my partner EJ and I recently became the proud owners of a 2020 28 Flying Cloud! We are utter newbies, and plan on using the Airstream as temporary housing while our house is built.

We could use some assistance with how to get enough electricity running to power a space heater. E are also interested in finding out if there is anyone local to us (near Sequim, WA) who could come out to out property for a guided tour of the unit, as YouTube videos don't always do the trick. We'd be wiling to pay for the time.

Any recommendations?

Thanks!

[Belegedhel]

Welcome to the Forums!

Something you might try is going to the top of the page, just below the AIR FORUMS logo, and click on the Portal tab. Scroll down, and at some point you will find a utility that helps connect you to volunteer inspectors. Maybe this will at least help you find local types who are willing to help, and then you at least have someplace to start.

Good luck!

[jondrew55]

If you can't find a local volunteer, another possibility is to contact a certified RV inspector (familiar with Airstreams) to come over and give you an introduction. While we ended up not using an inspector when we bought our used Globetrotter, we did talk to a guy who was very familiar with them and gave me a lot of good tips. You can find inspectors at https://nrvia.org/locate/ . Pricing for formal inspections for us ranged between $450 and $600. This included a full day's inspection plus a written report. They might give you a break if you only want them to spend a couple of hours with them. And even though you've already bought your trailer, it may be worth it to you to have a pro do an inspection anyway in case there are some hidden problems you're going to have to get fixed anyway.

Good luck

[Lily&Me]

And if you haven’t pulled out your owners manuals, do so.

Mark them up as needed, look at pictures/diagrams, add tabs for import sections such as winterizing, fuses, etc.

Do some driveway camping to practice using systems and gain some familiarity.

Consider some weekends at a nearby campground, where you will find yourself surrounded by people familiar with RV’s and their systems who are generally very willing to offer information.

There’s nothing quite like some practical experience to fuel your knowledge.

All while awaiting more hands-on, personalized help.

Maggie

[InsideOut]

First off, welcome to AirForums!

Just curious...how come you weren't given a "walk-thru" from the seller of your almost new trailer?

You may also want to pick up "The Beginners Guide to Airstreaming" as a handy reference.

Shari

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Welcome !!!

You don't need anything more on your list ... but .....

In a lot of areas, simply setting up and living in a trailer (even on your own property) is not simple. Local building codes may place constraints on what you can do or the permits you need. The only way to really dig into that is going to be at the local office or through a lawyer.

Bob

[Llittle54]

Originally Posted by AndreaM

Hi,



My name is Andrea; my partner EJ and I recently became the proud owners of a 2020 28 Flying Cloud! We are utter newbies, and plan on using the Airstream as temporary housing while our house is built.



We could use some assistance with how to get enough electricity running to power a space heater. E are also interested in finding out if there is anyone local to us (near Sequim, WA) who could come out to out property for a guided tour of the unit, as YouTube videos don't always do the trick. We'd be wiling to pay for the time.



Any recommendations?



Thanks!

Hi, I’m in PA
PM if you still want some help
Larry

[AndreaM]

Thanks much!

[AndreaM]

Thanks Shari! We were given a preliminary walkthrough, kinda...but due to traffic they arrived at 10p and we had to first spend time attempting to unhitch the trailer on a somewhat uneven surface, which proved to be a challenge. My partner and I are both the kind of people who learn better through live demonstration than reading, and it would be great to have someone to bounce questions off of in real time.

[AndreaM]

Originally Posted by jondrew55

If you can't find a local volunteer, another possibility is to contact a certified RV inspector (familiar with Airstreams) to come over and give you an introduction. While we ended up not using an inspector when we bought our used Globetrotter, we did talk to a guy who was very familiar with them and gave me a lot of good tips. You can find inspectors at https://nrvia.org/locate/ . Pricing for formal inspections for us ranged between $450 and $600. This included a full day's inspection plus a written report. They might give you a break if you only want them to spend a couple of hours with them. And even though you've already bought your trailer, it may be worth it to you to have a pro do an inspection anyway in case there are some hidden problems you're going to have to get fixed anyway.

Good luck

Appreciate it, thank you!

[AndreaM]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

And if you haven’t pulled out your owners manuals, do so.

Mark them up as needed, look at pictures/diagrams, add tabs for import sections such as winterizing, fuses, etc.

Do some driveway camping to practice using systems and gain some familiarity.

Consider some weekends at a nearby campground, where you will find yourself surrounded by people familiar with RV’s and their systems who are generally very willing to offer information.

There’s nothing quite like some practical experience to fuel your knowledge.

All while awaiting more hands-on, personalized help.

Maggie

Thanks Maggie, great ideas.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Llittle54

Hi, I’m in PA
PM if you still want some help
Larry

Hi

The "I'm in PA and can help" had my head spinning for a bit. Never mind that I've been to Port Angeles and caught the ferry more than once .....

Bob

[AndreaM]

Originally Posted by Llittle54

Hi, I’m in PA
PM if you still want some help
Larry

I did, thanks Larry!

[AndreaM]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

Welcome !!!

You don't need anything more on your list ... but .....

In a lot of areas, simply setting up and living in a trailer (even on your own property) is not simple. Local building codes may place constraints on what you can do or the permits you need. The only way to really dig into that is going to be at the local office or through a lawyer.

Bob

Thanks Bob, we're looking into all that and it's ok to have the trailer set up on our land. We're looking to build more permanent housing next year...

Cheers,
Andrea

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by AndreaM

Thanks Bob, we're looking into all that and it's ok to have the trailer set up on our land. We're looking to build more permanent housing next year...

Cheers,
Andrea

Hi

If you are building anyway, you *will* be putting in a power line and something to handle sewage. Both are kind of a big deal living in a trailer.

Dropping in a power feed is generally not going to constrain the house that eventually goes in. There is a cost, but you will be paying it eventually. Just what the cost is depends a lot on how far out you are. If this is an off grid setup, then the same solar (or whatever ... hydro dam ... ) that will power the house could also power the trailer.

Sewer / septic does tend to constrain the house that goes in. If you have solid plans, you might go ahead with that. The practical alternative is an in ground tank and a service to pump it out. When the house goes in, the tank might get yanked, it might also just get capped off and left.

Heat and a few other things require propane. The trailer has tanks. Running into town to get them refilled twice a week is going to get old really fast. The local propane outfit will be happy to drop off a nice large tank. They will come out with a truck to refill it every few months. Plumbing that tank to the trailer is not to crazy. If the tank needs to be moved / removed when the house comes along, that also is easy to do.

Parking long term on dirt (does it rain there? ) is not much fun. A truck full of gravel and a bit of work with a machine will give you a reasonable "pad" to park on / live on. When the house goes in, if it's in the way, not a big deal to remove it.

Fun !!

Bob