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gadgetat · 03-13-2007, 07:51 AM

The photos look good!

Now you've got to do the 2 week trip. More boondocking (love those solar panels). Maybe somewhere in AZ or NM.

Hope you're enjoying the new Safari. I really like the 23 layout. Congrats on it!

Rich

mistral blue · 03-13-2007, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverGate

But we came through it with smiles...
See you on the road!

(I don't know how to do the photo thing so please check out post #98.)

In the hat contest, I think I'm voting for Larry.

Beautiful Airstream, great truck, fantastic park, good friends -- who's got it better than you? Congratulations.

gadgetat · 03-13-2007, 12:56 PM

Well, Rich L is off to Mexico, so he can't even see the thread now.

That gives me a week to upgrade my hat. Any suggestions Bill???

We all really had a good time. Now you just have to get that Airstream out of CA! Just pulled into a fantastic spot in Prescott, AZ! A 75th anniversary 19 foot Bambi is parked 2 sites over. There's still a few open spots here......

OrangeKid · 03-21-2007, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antique Pedaler

Here's one more small custom thing I did to our 23 Safari. It came with an automatic refrigerator cooling fan operated be thermostat.....but no on/off switch such as our CCD had. Hence, here in the warm climes it came on at will day and night. It's not that warm that the fan is needed. So I installed a simple toggle switch near the fan and easily reached from the outside access door. I just pulled the hot wire to the fan and wired in the switch. It's not as convenient as having the switch inside the trailer, but I didn't have to put any holes in the interior.

Antique Pedaler: Could you please post a photo of the toggle switch you installed to control the fan. I would like to see the type of switch and the wire that you installed it on. The constantly running fan is one of our biggest gripes on our new Airstream.

Our biggest gripe is that in order to turn on the light in the head the two lights above the bathroom sink have to be turned on first. I would like to rewire the barthroom ligth so it is independent of the sink lights.

Thanks, Steve

Antique Pedaler · 03-21-2007, 09:36 PM

For Steve (aka orange Kid) above.
Sorry, but the trailer is under cover two miles from here after we returned from our 3 month winter oddessy in southern Arizona. So I can't immediately send any photo of the refrigerator fan switch. What I did, though, was buy a simple toggle switch from radio shack. I pulled the front fan wire at the top of the frig, looking from the outside, connected that wire to one of the switch wires, and plugged the other switch wire into the top of the frig.....in essence putting an in-line switch to the hot fan wire.

Your biggest gripe about the light in the head and the two lights above the bathroom sink is also one of ours. The short fix was to use a simple night light plugged into outlet over the sink for night time forays to the head. But we're thinking about installing a rheostat [like Rich R. has been talking about] rather than rewiring.

That reminds us of one other small gripe. The large door handle grabs our clothes when we enter/exit the head (and we're skinny people). The newest Safaris have a flush door handle. We plan to make a switch there, also.

On the plus side, we really like and use the opening to the left of the entrance for shoe storage and the built in slot for the garbage can....two small details that make a difference.

SilverCabin · 03-22-2007, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antique Pedaler

...biggest gripe about the light in the head and the two lights above the bathroom sink is also one of ours.

Our's too! What we did is buy a touch-on touch-off battery operated light from Wal*Mart and used hook and loop stick-on tape to attach it to the wall just above the toilet. Use the heavy duty tape and it doesn't come off on a bumpy road. The light isn't too bright either.

I thought about rewiring it, but when I pulled down the light in the head, there was only the two wires going to it, no nearby hot wire.

OrangeKid · 03-22-2007, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antique Pedaler

For Steve (aka orange Kid) above.
Sorry, but the trailer is under cover two miles from here after we returned from our 3 month winter oddessy in southern Arizona. So I can't immediately send any photo of the refrigerator fan switch. What I did, though, was buy a simple toggle switch from radio shack. I pulled the front fan wire at the top of the frig, looking from the outside, connected that wire to one of the switch wires, and plugged the other switch wire into the top of the frig.....in essence putting an in-line switch to the hot fan wire.

Your biggest gripe about the light in the head and the two lights above the bathroom sink is also one of ours. The short fix was to use a simple night light plugged into outlet over the sink for night time forays to the head. But we're thinking about installing a rheostat [like Rich R. has been talking about] rather than rewiring.

That reminds us of one other small gripe. The large door handle grabs our clothes when we enter/exit the head (and we're skinny people). The newest Safaris have a flush door handle. We plan to make a switch there, also.

On the plus side, we really like and use the opening to the left of the entrance for shoe storage and the built in slot for the garbage can....two small details that make a difference.

Antique Pedaler:

Three month trip sounds like it was fun. We live in Vegas and take many trips in the winter months to the surrounding states. We just got back from a 9 day trip to Zion. The weather was perfect.

Can you remember the color of the wire that you installed the fan switch on? I want to make sure I install the switch on the correct one. Have you noticed any deterioration on the operation of your refreigerator? When you have the fan switched off? I talked to Airstream about the fan and their advice was to always leave it on.

We have no problem entering or exiting the head as we have a flush door handle on our 2007 Safari SE. We also like the shoe storage and the slot for the garbage can. They are two of our favorite features.

Thanks again for your advice, Steve

OrangeKid · 03-22-2007, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgodfrey

Our's too! What we did is buy a touch-on touch-off battery operated light from Wal*Mart and used hook and loop stick-on tape to attach it to the wall just above the toilet. Use the heavy duty tape and it doesn't come off on a bumpy road. The light isn't too bright either.

I thought about rewiring it, but when I pulled down the light in the head, there was only the two wires going to it, no nearby hot wire.

Good idea, we may do the same thing. As we do a lot of dry camping, we are thinking of relamping the whole trailer with LED lights. There are several good discussions of that elsewhere on this forum. The two down sides are that (a) LEDs tend to put out a very "cool" white light and (b) the cost of several $100 for all the LED lamps at around $20 each. The good news is that there are exact replacement LED lamps available that fit the halogen fixtures in the Safari SE trailers. I have ordered a couple to try them in the two halogen fixtures over the bathroom sink. If we like them them then we will relamp the rest of the fixtures.

Steve

Antique Pedaler · 03-22-2007, 11:36 AM

Steve wrote: Can you remember the color of the wire that you installed the fan switch on? I want to make sure I install the switch on the correct one. Have you noticed any deterioration on the operation of your refreigerator? When you have the fan switched off? I talked to Airstream about the fan and their advice was to always leave it on.

I don't remember the color. There's two wires close to each other at the top left of the fridge. It's the front one. I mounted the switch on the left wall and the 6" wires that came with it were plenty long enough to wire in. After spending the first night in the trailer at Salt Lake City dealership, I asked about the fan. The AS tech, who I've trusted for years pulled the wire from the plug-in and said you don't need the fan unless it hot out.

Spent the winter in Parker, AZ. Temperature never got above 85 so I never did switch the fan on. The fridge worked perfectly.

OrangeKid · 03-22-2007, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antique Pedaler

Steve wrote: Can you remember the color of the wire that you installed the fan switch on? I want to make sure I install the switch on the correct one. Have you noticed any deterioration on the operation of your refreigerator? When you have the fan switched off? I talked to Airstream about the fan and their advice was to always leave it on.

I don't remember the color. There's two wires close to each other at the top left of the fridge. It's the front one. I mounted the switch on the left wall and the 6" wires that came with it were plenty long enough to wire in. After spending the first night in the trailer at Salt Lake City dealership, I asked about the fan. The AS tech, who I've trusted for years pulled the wire from the plug-in and said you don't need the fan unless it hot out.

Spent the winter in Parker, AZ. Temperature never got above 85 so I never did switch the fan on. The fridge worked perfectly.

I have attached a link to two images of the rear of the the Dometic RM2551 refrigerator from the outside. The wires attach to the right end of the cooling fins and two other wires go directly to the fan. Can you susggest which wire would be the correct one to put a switch in. The wiring does not sound the same as your A/S, even though we have identical Airstreams, as you state your wiring is connected on the left. My wires attach to the fridge on the right. My Airstream mechanic said that disconnecting the thick red wire on the upper right at the cooling fin would disable the fan.

http://web.mac.com/steveofvegas/iWeb/Site/Library.html

We spend a week on our maiden voyage in our new Airstream at Buckskin State Park just north of Parker. We have reservations for two weeks at Buckskin next January. In the two months we have owned our Airstream we have spent 25 nights in it. We love it!

Thanks for your help, Steve

Antique Pedaler · 03-22-2007, 08:40 PM

Hi again, Steve.....Looking at your photos....the wire I pulled to install the switch is way above the fan, on the left. I believe the wire goes to the fan thermostat not the fan. Wish I could help you with a photo.

Speaking of Buckskin State Park, we were just across the river at Big Bend. Also took part in the "Buckskin Mountain Desert Dash" a local run, walk, mountain bike fundraiser. Had a great time.

Perhaps we'll meet up with you somewhere down the Parker Strip next winter....we'll be looking for you.

SilverGate · 03-23-2007, 01:16 AM

Thanks for stopping by for a chat and sharing of ideas and solutions.

OrangeKid, Steve… Congratulations on your new Safari! Have you posted photos besides the rear of the refrig?

BTW we don’t mind the refrig fan running as we have food in there and keep the trailer plugged in. (While boondocking the solar panels keep up with it nicely).

rgodfrey… Thanks for the idea of the touch-on & off battery operated light.
I picked one up, a soft yellow smiley face

, called a Taplight, for $0.93 at Wal-Mart. Runs on two AA batteries and fits nicely in mesh pocket in hanger in bathroom. See photo of hanger in my post #81 here.

Antique Pdealer… Thanks for you ideas here also. Sorry to hear you have the grab handles. Our and Steve’s Safari were made at about the same time and as Steve noted, we both have and like the flush handles.

Overall, I think you all will agree that we made the right choice after doing our homework. This model is well laid out and makes excellent use of its space.

We’re off this weekend for another outing in our beautiful Anza-Borrego Desert.

Have a nice weekend… And come back and chat and share more ideas & photos!

SilverGate