Newbie AS Bambi Owner!

[KY Girl]

Hello there!

My husband and I recently purchased our first Airstream TT. We bought a 2003 Bambi. We are so thrilled with it, and in just a couple of months we've already taken it to Ontario, Tennessee, Washington DC and Atlantic City!

The biggest surprise was all the little "stuff" we had to learn about the trailer, even though we were given a "tour" of our Bambi at the dealership. But they don't teach you how to level your TT in the rain, in the dark, on a rocky and uneven pad. Whew, have we learned a lot this first summer!

Well, I didn't mean to ramble, I just wanted to say "Hi!" to all of you and mention how tickled we are with our first AS. The Bambi is just perfect for the two of us (kids are grown). It cost a fortune but worth every dime. This baby will be around long after we're gone!

See you all later.

Cherie (Kentucky Girl)

[Larry Brown]

These people are great! .You can't go wrong being a member to these forums .any questions will be gladly answered and you will have lots of fun chating with everybody. you made the right choice with an airstream .Kudos to you.

[jcanavera]

Originally posted by Kentucky Girl
But they don't teach you how to level your TT in the rain, in the dark, on a rocky and uneven pad

Hi Cherie. I am always impressed when I find a camground with perfectly level spots. We stayed up at Wagon Trail Campground up in Sister Bay Wisconsin this summer. Not only was every spot perfectly level, but they raked the fill material used for the pads after each unit departs. The rake grooves are all pointed the same direction. Very impressive when you pull up and it looks like no one has ever camped on your site. Sometimes its the little things like this that keeps people coming back.

Congratulations and have fun with your Bambi.

Regards,

Jack

[gwsullivan]

Cherie, congratulations on your new Bambi. Those things are too cool! As for levelling it in the rain-get a rain suit. After you get it all wet and muddy just take it off and you will be dry and clean. Make sure you have a couple of flash lights and spare batteries. I found that the plastic leveling blocks hold up better than wood when dealing with rain/mud/snow.

[jcanavera]

Originally posted by gwsullivan
I found that the plastic leveling blocks hold up better than wood when dealing with rain/mud/snow.

Yea and the bugs don't burrow into them.

Jack

[RoadKingMoe]

Originally posted by jcanavera


Yea and the bugs don't burrow into them.

Jack

Not in pressure-treated wood either. But the mud does bury in the backside of the plastic ones, which sink in it deeper than a piece of wood does. I use some of both, depending on the situation... sometimes plastic on top of wood.

[spaceghost65]

Originally posted by Kentucky Girl


It cost a fortune but worth every dime.

mine was free (but no where near as nice as yours is!)

[Jim W]

It's really rare for us not be set up by 4:00 pm, but a couple of times when it's been dark, I'll just pull in the space & hook up power & go inside for the night. Come out & hook up & level it up in the morning. Sounds like you got the right trailer for yourself. You should get a lot of years of great camping with that beautiful Airstream.

[KY Girl]

I appreciate all the nice comments about our Bambi. I'm sure we'll be in touch, since we have so much to learn. Unfortunately, our camping season is over for this year, and we've had Bambi winterized and ordered a good strong cover for her. A friend is letting us park it in his back yard where nobody will bother it, and where the can keep an eye on it. It doesn't hurt for an AS to spend the winter in the weather (if covered) does it?

Okay, so I'm an overprotective new mom!

Thanks again. I'll be in touch with more silly questions, you can be sure of that!

Cherie the Kentucky Girl

[Rickk48]

Congrats on your new Bambi. We have enjoyed ours immensely. Being in southern California, we expect our usage to be year round, so winterization is not an issue. But, I have read many times that a cover is not recommended as even the best can scratch the aluminum. I would appreciate any other information on this issue.

[rcaldwel]

I have read numerous articles regarding covers for Airstreams. All of them recommend against covering your airstream. This is due to the rubbing that occurs on the trailer even when you have the cover snugdged down. It will eventually rub the coating off. Better to leave it naked, much better to find a garage or carport. Hope this helps.

Bob Caldwell
01 Bambi

[KY Girl]

Thanks so much for the advice on the cover. I never would have thought about the rubbing off of the surface, but it sure makes sense. The cover we had ordered was back-ordered, so we quickly cancelled it, thanks to your good advice. We do have the new air conditioner cover, which we'll definitely use while it's sitting for the winter. A friend is letting us park our Bambi in his side yard for the winter. It will be somewhat exposed, but I guess that won't hurt until we can find an under roof situation for it later.

Our weather is starting to get cooler now, and our camping season is over. Oh well, we have exciting plans for our little camper next spring and summer. Now I have to concentrate on earning enough money to pay for it!

Thanks again for the great advice!

Cherie

[jcanavera]

Cherie,
You might want to pickup up some Walbernize Super Seal and give your Bambi a slick coat for the winter. Do this once or twice a year to keep it looking new. Its easy to do and won't take you long. I'm going to be doing my Safari before it goes into its inside winter home next week.

Regards,

Jack

[PatB]

We are looking at a 1999 Bambi and after reading your posts I am getting more excited about it. This Bambi is 19' long so most of my questions concern that size.. If your is the 19' I am wondering about cooking in the trailer. There is limited counter space and a small sink. We will use it for week long camping, some boondocking as we get more adventurous (live in the SW with lots of BLM land). Any feedback will be great.

[jeffmc306]

Originally Posted by jcanavera

Hi Cherie. I am always impressed when I find a camground with perfectly level spots. We stayed up at Wagon Trail Campground up in Sister Bay Wisconsin this summer. Not only was every spot perfectly level, but they raked the fill material used for the pads after each unit departs. The rake grooves are all pointed the same direction. Very impressive when you pull up and it looks like no one has ever camped on your site. Sometimes its the little things like this that keeps people coming back.

Congratulations and have fun with your Bambi.

Regards,

Jack

Jack, thanks for sharing your experience about Wagon Trail Campground! We drove through it while visiting Door County but never had the chance to stay there. They were closed for the season when we made a quick trip last October.

By the way, did you get a chance to go to Czarnuszka Soup Bar in Ephriam while in Door County? Best homemade soups around. We will have to try the Wagon Trail Campground this season.

-Jeff

[waninae39]

each time you setup and tear down, write down all the steps you do.
when you have free time, review the two lists. see if changing the order makes it faster/easier.

we did that over two years , now we are very fast at setup and tear down. Each user has unique experiences and capabilities. Do what works for you!

for leveling , we use a wireless Bluetooth device ( level mate). When we pull in and are still hooked up we level the AS Left to right with leveling blocks from the TV ( Tow Vehicle).
We then disconnect and level Front to back using the electric lift.
We then put block around the wheels so the As cant move and lower our level jacks.
last year we bought 6 supplemental jacks , thus do a FANTASTIC job on stabilizing the AS so that it does not shake.

cheers