Made the leap

[Doggoneit]

Wife and I purchased 2022 Globetrotter 27' FBT. Picking up in NJ end of April, and driving cross country to west coast home. Expect to take about 1 month for first trip. Not a newbie to towing but would appreciate any tips from experienced travelers aimed at making inaugural AS adventure most enjoyable.
Most concerned about refueling in route while trailer hitched to crew cab pickup. Seems like finding suitable fueling locations with appropriate clearances requires some advance planning. Note: TV is diesel. Advice on this subject would be especially appreciated.

[vanderwielen]

subscript to rvtripwizard and plan your route and fuel stops.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by Doggoneit

Wife and I purchased 2022 Globetrotter 27' FBT. Picking up in NJ end of April, and driving cross country to west coast home. Expect to take about 1 month for first trip. Not a newbie to towing but would appreciate any tips from experienced travelers aimed at making inaugural AS adventure most enjoyable.
Most concerned about refueling in route while trailer hitched to crew cab pickup. Seems like finding suitable fueling locations with appropriate clearances requires some advance planning. Note: TV is diesel. Advice on this subject would be especially appreciated.

Congratulations! Refueling (assuming fuel vs electric.) should not be an issue. Several apps to help. Most all navigation systems have an app for this. Our F250 (2017) lists the nearest diesel stations on our route. We have not found any hight issues with standard clearance highway bridges/cross overs in 18 years of towing our AS's.

[Fungus]

Fuel up at the diesel pumps the truckers use.

[eubank]

Congrats!

May I suggest that you plan to stay in the area of the dealer for a couple of days before heading out. Airsteams are fine machines, but they're not perfect, and, well, stuff happens. You want to get those fixed on the spot.

Further, Jackson Center, Ohio isn't that far out of your route home, so think about dropping by there if you have any other issues that crop up.

And have fun!!!!!


Lynn

[pjshier]

I almost always get into trouble when I let myself feel rushed. When breaking camp in particular, force yourself to do the double walk-around until some habits form. Even with habits, a checklist you two can use to "divide-conquer-confirm" will help avoid unnecessary excitement and potential loss of tools.

Welcome to the adventure!

[Dennis C]

Congrats! When traveling on interstate highways, we look for Love’s or similar gas stations as they generally cater to big rigs and recreational trailers. They often have CAT scales too, allowing for a quick check of your weight. Some of them have dump stations and fresh water available. On backroads, you’ll very quickly learn to recognize gas stations that will accommodate your rig and those that will be problematic. I think the biggest concern is getting yourself into a tight spot that doesn’t have the space for you to easily pull out. Backing a trailer in a crowded gas station isn’t fun.

Are you planning your stops along the way, or winging it? We bought our trailer at Airstream of Chicago in 2020 and drove it back to the Denver area. We had some planned stops, and some that we just managed en route without reservations. It worked beautifully, but this was before the serious COVID-19 craziness that we’re seeing today.

[Powerrunner]

Originally Posted by Doggoneit

Wife and I purchased 2022 Globetrotter 27' FBT. Picking up in NJ end of April, and driving cross country to west coast home. Expect to take about 1 month for first trip. Not a newbie to towing but would appreciate any tips from experienced travelers aimed at making inaugural AS adventure most enjoyable.

Most concerned about refueling in route while trailer hitched to crew cab pickup. Seems like finding suitable fueling locations with appropriate clearances requires some advance planning. Note: TV is diesel. Advice on this subject would be especially appreciated.

I had the same concerns when I picked up our 30’ International towing with a F250 Diesel. I would estimate my gas stops along the route and look at Apple/Google maps for a gas station and view it with the Satellite view just to make sure the gas station was big enough for my comfort. Also with a new AS, please get yourself a torque wrench with deep well socket, as you will need to check to lug nuts frequently on a new AS. Congrats and enjoy.

[StuartsDad]

As already stated, no problem at all on interstates because of the many truck/travel plazas with auto/RV lanes. Even on state roads, many of the fuel/convenient stores have plenty of room. I tend to look for those where the fuel lanes are parallel to the road. The biggest concern I had crossing the country was #2 diesel vs B20 bio diesel. My F250 will run on either, but I prefer #2. Many truck stops, especially in west, are all bio diesel. I remember a Loves truck stop that had #2 on the sign at the exit, but B20 on the pump. I went inside to ask which it was, and the answer was, it's all the same.

[moosetags]

First off, welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us. Congratulations on your new baby. may you have safe travels and many great Airstream Adventures with her.

As to your concerns about fueling with a 27FB pulled by a crew cab pick-up, it is not something to be overly concerned about. We have been Airstreaming for a long time (16 years, 2080 nights, 200,000 miles). After a while, you will be able to spot a bad fueling situation, and move to another filling station if necessary.

The only advice that I will give you is to not let yourself become fuel critical which will limit your choices.

Brian

[AppFan]

Congrats on your purchase and your upcoming adventure!

Depending on your tow vehicle, I can heartily recommend looking into an extended run fuel tank. We upgrade our F350 to a S&B 60 gal tank and it essentially removes the need to fuel up while towing. Depending on terrain we can go ~500 miles, while towing, without needing to refuel.

[kmNash]

Originally Posted by eubank

Congrats!

May I suggest that you plan to stay in the area of the dealer for a couple of days before heading out. Airsteams are fine machines, but they're not perfect, and, well, stuff happens. You want to get those fixed on the spot.

Further, Jackson Center, Ohio isn't that far out of your route home, so think about dropping by there if you have any other issues that crop up.

And have fun!!!!!


Lynn

I just had Jackson Center do some work for me, they are short staffed just like everywhere else and as of yesterday they only have 1 electrician on staff, his name is Aaron. Customer service was well below what I consider the bar for standards however this was my first time ever getting service there. For fueling up my tow vehicle, I look for big gas stations so I can use the far outside pumps which leaves me plenty of room to pull through and drive around the station to get out. The trick is, don't wait until your low gas light turns on to look for a station, fill up when you see a big one instead. (I ran out of gas once in New Mexico, now I always carry an extra 5 gallons)

[Doggoneit]

Thank you for the suggestions. We are staying one night on dealer lot following delivery, and four nights at family not too far away. Also, have AS Factory earmarked for possible issues should they occur.

[eubank]

On fuel, well, it kind of depends on how far you drive per day, of course, but I make it a habit of fueling up every day, even if that means fueling up a half of a tank. Start the day with a full tank, and the road is yours to enjoy!


Lynn

[mythbuster88]

Sounds like fun.
We did the same thing.
New Jersey to LA. A lot of US Hwy 2. Great trip!
Did some repair work in Spokane.

[Hans627]

Originally Posted by Doggoneit

Wife and I purchased 2022 Globetrotter 27' FBT. Picking up in NJ end of April, and driving cross country to west coast home. Expect to take about 1 month for first trip. Not a newbie to towing but would appreciate any tips from experienced travelers aimed at making inaugural AS adventure most enjoyable.
Most concerned about refueling in route while trailer hitched to crew cab pickup. Seems like finding suitable fueling locations with appropriate clearances requires some advance planning. Note: TV is diesel. Advice on this subject would be especially appreciated.

Congrats! If you enjoy your GT as much as we enjoy ours you will have a great time. What interior colors did you choose? And when do you expect to pick it up? Just curious.