Air Skirts

[IrisnGerald]

Anybody use this?

https://www.airskirts.com/

[GetawA-S]

A camper with the tag of tarheel72 (? - not sure about the last two digits) stayed during the first few months of the year in Gary, IN (COLD!!) in 2020 or 2021 and seemed to have a good experience with them. Maybe he's out there in forumland still and can share his opinion.
My impression is that between the bulk and the air volume required you would not use these casually. Are you planning for extended cold weather camping?
Happy travels!

[twbucksr]

Last year I talked to an fellow Airstreamer who had wintered full time in his 30’ Classic with these underneath in Pueblo, Colorado.

He highly recommend them for their temperature effectiveness but suggested that you tether them because a strong windy winter storm could blow them away.

[IrisnGerald]

Originally Posted by GetawA-S

A camper with the tag of tarheel72 (? - not sure about the last two digits) stayed during the first few months of the year in Gary, IN (COLD!!) in 2020 or 2021 and seemed to have a good experience with them. Maybe he's out there in forumland still and can share his opinion.
My impression is that between the bulk and the air volume required you would not use these casually. Are you planning for extended cold weather camping?
Happy travels!

The youngest kids got a ridiculously great job offer in Milwaukee. So likely relocating soon, and of course will want the folks around from time to time, especially if/when the family grows.

I wintered over one year in the Colorado mountains in an old 5th wheel, prepped it really good to include a skirt from lumber bunk wrap. Coldest week was -20F at night and 0F in the day and nothing froze. The Caravel is better equipped from the beginning, but needed a skirt option.

[IrisnGerald]

Originally Posted by twbucksr

Last year I talked to an fellow Airstreamer who had wintered full time in his 30’ Classic with these underneath in Pueblo, Colorado.

He highly recommend them for their temperature effectiveness but suggested that you tether them because a strong windy winter storm could blow them away.

Thanks! I’m a Colorado native, Pueblo can get pretty windy.

Makes note to self - Dorothy proof the airskirt when in use.

[pcskier]

I have wintered the past two years and made a vinyl skirt, or a variety of companies can make them for you. That way it’s possible to get a neat, virtually total seal around the bottom, which is the key to skirting. Under the skirt was always 10-15 degrees warmer than ambient, and the floors warmer.

I have seen Airskirts in the Rv resort on a few rigs. They are ridiculous.
1. Ugly
2. Labor intensive to inflate and especially deflate.
3. A pain to store.
4. It’s impossible to fill all the gaps—around tires, battery box, dump valves, stab jacks—and all smaller balloons you need to fit the nooks and crannies look like crap, as does the whole installation.

Since under the trailer is not heated, having the supposed ‘insulation’ of all that air in all those balloons is unnecessary and lost anyway due to all the gaps.

Believe me, in two season I’ve seen it all and those things are a useless and expensive waste of money. You are better off using nice black tarp material or billboard vinyl (you can buy online, the back side is black) and use snaps (permanent) or colored residue-free duct tape. My neighbor did that this past season and it looked very neat and was very effective. Another advantage to skirting is you can lift the edges and store bins and things underneath. Can’t do that with airskirts.

Pics of my home made skirt below. The white clips are pvc pipe clamps that hold the skirt over pieces of 1/2 inch pvc pipe to hold it all in place in the wind. The commercially made ones that are custom measure are generally a heavier vinyl with weights integrated at the bottom. Very neat and clean whether home made or purchased custom.

[Fungus]

Originally Posted by pcskier

I have wintered the past two years and made a vinyl skirt, or a variety of companies can make them for you. That way it’s possible to get a neat, virtually total seal around the bottom, which is the key to skirting. Under the skirt was always 10-15 degrees warmer than ambient, and the floors warmer.

I have seen Airskirts in the Rv resort on a few rigs. They are ridiculous.
1. Ugly
2. Labor intensive to inflate and especially deflate.
3. A pain to store.
4. It’s impossible to fill all the gaps—around tires, battery box, dump valves, stab jacks—and all smaller balloons you need to fit the nooks and crannies look like crap, as does the whole installation.

Since under the trailer is not heated, having the supposed ‘insulation’ of all that air in all those balloons is unnecessary and lost anyway due to all the gaps.

Believe me, in two season I’ve seen it all and those things are a useless and expensive waste of money. You are better off using nice black tarp material or billboard vinyl (you can buy online, the back side is black) and use snaps (permanent) or colored residue-free duct tape. My neighbor did that this past season and it looked very neat and was very effective. Another advantage to skirting is you can lift the edges and store bins and things underneath. Can’t do that with airskirts.

Pics of my home made skirt below. The white clips are pvc pipe clamps that hold the skirt over pieces of 1/2 inch pvc pipe to hold it all in place in the wind. The commercially made ones that are custom measure are generally a heavier vinyl with weights integrated at the bottom. Very neat and clean whether home made or purchased custom.

Attachment 419192Attachment 419193Attachment 419194

Nice looking skirt.

I got surprised last winter near Atlanta. 20-degree lows for a few days. I fashioned a cardboard skirt to keep the wind out. The only material I had at hand.

Just today while sitting outside in 100* heat with a mister blowing on us we talked about the next step. I would not buy the Air-skirt but I would consider a vinyl (or some other fabric) to keep the wind out. How to secure...Snaps? Rails? Velcro?