Time you spend in your Airstream?

[Lothlorian]

We spend most of our time in one spot. Mine stays in a huge barn (retirement property) and we camp in the trailer getting the property ready. We usually will take it for anywhere from two weeks to a month every summer.

[Bill M.]

Per year. 3 months in Fl. 3-4 months for one long caravan plus going and coming. couple of weekend trips. so on a good year about 6-7 months in the trailers.
Headed out on the landmarks west caravan this summer and will come home slowly.

[weirdstuff]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

I don't have enough room in my Airstream Interstate to carry any food that I'm not going to eat on the current trip, or any clothes I'm not going to wear on the current trip. If I plan the trip just right, I arrive back home at the end of the trip with one laundry basket of dirty clothes, with no leftover clean ones, and no food at all left over to unload.

From one Interstate owner to another....I totally get this!! My eyes are bugging out reading all the stuff trailer owners take and pack!

We're so new to this, and just figuring out our "packing system." But so far, this seems to be working for us:

Stashed in the RV are dog bowls, dog toys, dog comb/brush, doggie poop bags. In the space left over for us, we leave bedding, toiletries, kitchen plates/utensils, and a couple of inexpensive musical instruments.

When it's time to pack, we start with dog food, dog beds/blankies. In the space left over, we pack some clothes for us! Then stop at store and buy some beverages and basic food/snacks.

[m.hony]

You have less storage in an Airstream than in an sob. When we traded we had to jettison lots of cargo. In our sob we had 3 box fans, 3 lawn chairs, a bbq grill- more books, movies, blankets- and all those overhead lockers were still not full-

[FlashSilver]

I camp about 150 days a year. I ski about 100 days a year. The other 115 days I just waste.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by FlashSilver

I camp about 150 days a year. I ski about 100 days a year. The other 115 days I just waste.

That makes it sound like camping and skiing are your job. Fifty-two weekends plus ten Federal holidays work out to 114 days off a year for working stiffs, almost the same number of days you "waste."

[Goal15]

In the spirit of this thread, I decided it would be completely fitting for me to make my one thousandth post to Air Forums on this discussion. Why it seems like only yesterday that I was searching these threads and any place else I could think of looking for our AS. We have thoroughly enjoyed Thumper for these past couple of years and look forward to many more nights of camping in the future. And I'll keep checking Air Forums on my smartphone during the commercial breaks until DW tells me to stop. lol

Dana

[cdmagda]

Using the FC for an extra bedroom for the Fam during the holidays...actually, I'm using it for some peace! I've been running the AC a little during the day down here in FL. We use FC all year...at home or abroad.

[PharmGeek]

My wife switched from working as a pharmacist early this year from one popular chain to another...this involved a number of compromises....but did not realize one now until this past month or so...

her previous job had her at having x number of hours of leave per year....she worked a 12 hour shift with a long week (5 days working) and a short week (2 days working) alternating back and forth...and as such, she could plan vacation time on short weeks always to use less leave...this was a one perk of working long shifts as such...

Her new job offers her less leave as a new-start for the next 3 years....and the WORST of this is now they dont just let you use leave the same....you get x number of days of leave (similar to previous) but other portion must be taken as "1 week" or 40 hours of vacation time....this means essentially that she has like 2-2.5 weeks of vacation time for the next 3 years....then after that she gets another week....this means for the next few years we will only have a couple 1 week family trips at best...factor in travel and such for family stuff, maybe less....and now she just put in initial requests for leave in 2014 and 2/3 were initially denied and appear to need to be rescheduled....this is so f'in annoying as for 6 previous years we never had an issue...and she had "effectively" 5 weeks of vacation (by taking short weeks off only)....

I on the other hand have a 5 day work week as VA employee....144 hours per year, 3.6 weeks per year if take on 40 hour weeks only....if on holiday weeks such as memorial day then more like 4 weeks plus change...and with her work now it appears impossible to make it happen on any of the holiday weeks as they denied our memorial day week request....argh...

She has had alot of problems at her new job, its unclear how it will go over time...but if it does not work out she may retreat back to previous employment with same previous senority and benefits.....or change to other spot (already has offers pending) if this does not work out....im kinda sorta hoping it does not, but this would just mean more uncertainty about her quality of life at work....

Anyway, just perhaps 25 years to retirement...then my answer will greatly increase...

Otherwise, it looks like we will do more weekend camping trips than anything else...we will make the best of it...

[Goal15]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

My wife switched from working as a pharmacist early this year from one popular chain to another...this involved a number of compromises....but did not realize one now until this past month or so...

her previous job had her at having x number of hours of leave per year....she worked a 12 hour shift with a long week (5 days working) and a short week (2 days working) alternating back and forth...and as such, she could plan vacation time on short weeks always to use less leave...this was a one perk of working long shifts as such...

Her new job offers her less leave as a new-start for the next 3 years....and the WORST of this is now they dont just let you use leave the same....you get x number of days of leave (similar to previous) but other portion must be taken as "1 week" or 40 hours of vacation time....this means essentially that she has like 2-2.5 weeks of vacation time for the next 3 years....then after that she gets another week....this means for the next few years we will only have a couple 1 week family trips at best...factor in travel and such for family stuff, maybe less....and now she just put in initial requests for leave in 2014 and 2/3 were initially denied and appear to need to be rescheduled....this is so f'in annoying as for 6 previous years we never had an issue...and she had "effectively" 5 weeks of vacation (by taking short weeks off only)....

I on the other hand have a 5 day work week as VA employee....144 hours per year, 3.6 weeks per year if take on 40 hour weeks only....if on holiday weeks such as memorial day then more like 4 weeks plus change...and with her work now it appears impossible to make it happen on any of the holiday weeks as they denied our memorial day week request....argh...

She has had alot of problems at her new job, its unclear how it will go over time...but if it does not work out she may retreat back to previous employment with same previous senority and benefits.....or change to other spot (already has offers pending) if this does not work out....im kinda sorta hoping it does not, but this would just mean more uncertainty about her quality of life at work....

Anyway, just perhaps 25 years to retirement...then my answer will greatly increase...

Otherwise, it looks like we will do more weekend camping trips than anything else...we will make the best of it...

Is there such an abundance of pharmacists that she can't find a better deal vacation wise? I know every time I go to a certain store pharmacy, there is only one pharmacist working and lots of techs doing the rest of the work.

It is interesting though that once you get more and more into the AS life, things like how much vacation time one can expect or how many three day weekends you can finagle become Soooo much more important in the discussion.

[m.hony]

I think our 45 or so nights was quite a lot considering things in life that happened- Granddaughter born with Spina Bifida in April (about 12 weeks were spent going to Le Bohneur's)- father-in-law passed after 2 1/2 years of struggling in October (several trips cut short)-
Looking forward to more nights in the Airstream this year, but life happens.
We do spend more and more time camping as time goes on. It is what we both enjoy together as a couple.
First trip of 2014 is in 2 weeks to the Canopener rally- woohoo! Chompin' at the bit! Rarin' to go! The trailer is already loaded except for perishable groceries- we'll get them at Walmart in Santa Rosa Beach, FL...

[PharmGeek]

"Is there such an abundance of pharmacists that she can't find a better deal vacation wise? I know every time I go to a certain store pharmacy, there is only one pharmacist working and lots of techs doing the rest of the work."

yes and no to your first quesiton...in more populated areas that have pharmacy schools nearby the supply of pharmacists is more robust....as such nowadays in our region at any given moment, the only available spots are not always the most desirable....she can however if push comes to shuv pretty easily shift over to a different retail pharmacy and test those waters, but she hopes that despite the drawbacks of her current location, it will be a better work environment.

Yeah, you would see alot of techs working...as most of the steps involved in getting Rx ready is tech driven...typing in script, preparing label, counting, bottling, ringing up, etc etc...pharmacist often is grounded checking, answering calls, taking questions, and helping where necessary....

Im kinda in part hoping she leaves this current job...otherwise for the next 2.5 years we will live with less leave than I would like...but we shall see....

but even as such, I can still do alot of weekend camping to make up the diff and still have alot of fun....ill just roll with the punches...still have weekend camping as well...so not the end of the world...in a few years she will get an extra week of leave and that will help.

[m.hony]

I ain't afraid to go camping by myself.
There are lots of weekends my wife has to work or travel for a class or workshop.
She'll come later when she can and we end of with 2 vehicles at the campground.
I go hang out with myself- build a fire, eat ramen and ravioli and chicken noodle soup and such-
When I go by myself, I do what I want, when I want, and how I want to do it...
As for now, we both get 3 weeks' vacation. At 20 years I get 4 weeks.
Geek- y'all got Canopener squared away, right?

[PharmGeek]

Yeah - we'll be there!

Kids complicate my would be solo camping without my wife

That won't last too too long though as they get older and such

[m.hony]

When the kids get older it will be you and the kids-
Campgrounds are very kid friendly for riding bikes and such-
Some have playgrounds and splash pads.

[Jack46]

Before retirement it was about 30 days a year. In 2013, we will do about 130.

[AlaskaSafari]

Before my wife and I retired we spent between 70-80 nights a year, primarily during May - September. Since retiring I have joined the full-time club and have been on the road since leaving Alaska in September.

[Aviator]

We shoot for at least one weekend a month which is easy with the amount of Rallies the Southeastern Camping Unit has. In the summer we go for a couple of week long stretches. In the past there have been a lot of trips with just my daughter and I while my wife takes our son to soccer tournaments.

As to the forum, I check at least once daily usually more often.

[m.hony]

I plan to keep up with how many nights we spend in the trailer this year a little better.
So far, 4, at the Canopener rally.
I have booked April 4-5 at Dewayne Hayes in Columbus, MS for the Thunderbirds air show at Columbus Air Force Base.
We will spend April 19-27 at Lake Tiak O'Khata in Loiusiville, MS for the Magnolia Messenger RV rally.
We will spend September 12-15 at the Diana Singing in Pulaski, TN.
We will spend September 16-17 at the Terraport at the mother ship.
In addition, there will be other random weekends and holidays at George Payne Cossar state park in Oakland, MS or the North Abutment campground in Grenada, MS.
Also, the not-yet-booked return from the mother ship and the Texas/Louisiana RV rally at Salmon Lake park in Grapeland, TX.

[Jim Foster]

Last year was 205 nights. Should be about the same this year.