Thinking outside the general mainstream thinking process, of experience, is for those who use AI. Artificial Intelligence: Simulation of human intelligence.
I prefer AOCI: Airstream Owner Common Intelligence.
Not wanting to disturb those who use only AI and not AOCI when solving problems. Experience from other Airstream and Some Other Brands of trailers is true AOCI. Experience trumps AI when the power is ON, or OFF the Grid.
One owner wondered about having a 'Trailer Port', aka Car Port to store their trailer, but their trailer had Solar Panels and no access to the electric grid. They did not want to run their batteries down with the Solar System covered under the 'CAR' Port.
You have to think Outside the Port and Box. AOCI, my friends has been very good on the AirForums! Geniuses dwell on this site every day.
(1)- Under a standard Car Port with roof, the easiest is to remove the batteries and have them in the garage, on wood blocks with a
12 volt battery charger. Yes... you have to remove the heavy batteries. Next time you replace the Interstate batteries, leave the nice plastic handles connected. They may have already died sitting at the Dealer's Lot and be useless. Use AOCI problem solving now.
(2)- Build a 'Trailer Port', rather than a Car Port. Automobiles no doubt have fewer Power Vampires draining their battery. Disconnect the batteries and leave them in the Battery Box, if you do not have Solar Panels on the roof. On later model Airstreams use a portable panel connected to the Battery Box, install Solar Panel(s) on the Car Port with Solar. Cost about $120 per 100watts at Costco. If you have Solar on the Airstream... go to point #3.
(3)- Build the Trailer Port for your TRAILER in MIND with the Solar Panels on the roof of your Airstream. Frame the Trailer Port as anyone would do with the Car Port. Now you have to consider WHY think Car when you want to protect your TRAILER and charge your batteries at the same time.
(4)- Trailer Port. Frame as you would the Car Port. Put a retractable CANVAS ROOF instead off corrugated aluminum or plastic. When weather is favorable, like the awning on our Airstreams, or another easier system, or not easy... open to expose to the Sun for Solar Power. When it is hot, raining, snowing depending where you live and what Latitude... close and protect your Airstream.
Before we had a RV Garage for our Airstream, Colorado's out door RV Storage year round was never a problem. Although many other climates NOT having a dry and no salt environment like the Rocky Mountains... any shelter is preferred. (Antique Car Buyers preferred WESTERN Junkyard Cars to humid, salty air junk cars to restore.)
Has anyone tried this before?
Your Airstream is an expensive asset and will retain its value by taking good care of it. Filiform can be minimized by having the slab poured concrete, rather on the dirt or gravel.
Linear Mode
