Picking up new 2021 Classic 30 RBQ in 7 days...help please.

[coasttocoast]

Get off the Interstates and see America.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AR is a beautiful place and on the way back to NY.
Tell work you'll see them later, maybe....

[Saluda372]

Congrats and enjoy, nice package you put together. Backing up, slow and easy. It will come to you. Enjoy the holidays.

[Mikebrady62]

Originally Posted by coasttocoast

Get off the Interstates and see America.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AR is a beautiful place and on the way back to NY.
Tell work you'll see them later, maybe....

Come for the Museum stay for mountain biking!

I've had my AS for 1 year this month. I had to replace a door knob on the bathroom. (could have been my fault, still not sure) That's it. AS sent it to me to install

[PatLee]

Great advice here. If you are new to attaching a hitch system, I would go through the unhitching and hitching process with the guys at Airstream a couple of times, with them watching you as you do it. I promise you, you will run into glitches with it and maybe even uncover something THEY overlooked during the installation. The hitch installers are so proficient and knowledgeable that it's second nature to them - and they have forgotten how intimidating it can be for a newbie. If you are traveling with someone, have them video-tape the hook-up and unhooking process as you do it. I recommend this regardless of which hitch you get but having had a Blue Ox before, I would definitely go through the drill with this WDH system. It can be a bit tricky to get those chains on. Ditto above advice on asking for a complete walk-through and use of every system. Again, record it with your phone, those videos will come in handy when you're off on your own. And read your owners' manuals at some point.

[OTRA15]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations!

With your towing experience, backing up should be relatively easy, if you take your time, and if your tow vehicle mirrors are easy to adjust for the length and width of your new rig.

One suggestion is to have your NYS EZ-Pass updated to include the new trailer if your existing account is not set up for a 2-axle trailer in tow. This will save you tons of time and hassle on the road, on all kinds of turnpikes, bridges, and tunnels like the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Also, in terms of weather, if needed you can go east from Texas, and come up the East Coast, including The Eastern Shore, which can help you avoid lots of bad weather, although it is longer in miles.

I think you can do the EZ Pass stuff over the phone. Not sure if you have NYS, Texas temp transport, or dealer plates lined up? Here is the NYS form:

https://www.thruway.ny.gov/ezpass/ta-w68176.pdf

One broad-brush suggestion is to relax and enjoy the trip. Sounds simple, but often challenging to do with a new rig. As John Steinbeck said in Travels With Charley: In Search of America:
__________________________________________

“Once a journey is designed, equipped, and put in process, a new factor enters and takes over. A trip, a safari, an exploration, is an entity, different from all other journeys. It has personality, temperament, individuality, uniqueness. A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us. Tour masters, schedules, reservations, brass-bound and inevitable, dash themselves to wreckage on the personality of the trip. Only when this is recognized can the blown-in-the glass bum relax and go along with it. Only then do the frustrations fall away. In this a journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.”
__________________________________________
[emphasis added]

Try to avoid "Have-to-get-there-ASAP-itis" . . . as this malady can lead to trouble IMO.

Let the trip take you . . . and have fun!

Happy trails,

[superChop]

Might want to get some Texas Longhorn flags and hang them on the truck windows to traverse that great state!

Seriously - great advice so far plus a few more:

1. Join WBCCI and gain access to some free Courtesy Parking on your return home. You can select your member number or WBBCI will assign one. We used our zip code to easily remember it.

2. Ensure your walkthrough includes description of winterizing your AS, which will need to be accomplished soon after you return to NY.

3. On your return home, flash your lights at oncoming AS’s and start to feel the camaraderie of the AS family!

[wwillson]

Originally Posted by gln826

My question is, what are the most important things to know/remember to make our 1,200 mile trip home safe and enjoyable? I have and know how to use my torque wrench for lugs; what else? Anything you suggest is appreciated.

I wrote this https://rvthe.us/community/threads/towing-safely.74/

It's not an exhaustive list of things you need to do to tow safely, but it will get you pointed the right direction.

We've pulled our 30' AS 30,000 miles over the last two years and I think the best piece of advice when on the interstate is no faster then 65 and go a bit slower than the flow.

[mgblake13]

Congratulations!! Two days ago I picked up a 2019 27’ globetrotter from Colonial Airstream in NJ. Since you live in NY I highly recommend them for your future service needs. Everyone was very professional and friendly.

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by gln826

The suggestions about staying in Texas are all excellent. Unfortunately, given the the length of time it will take to get back home at a bit of a slower pace, I need to be back at work on Monday and don't have the ability to stay near DFW. I will have to take the advice of working any kinks out over the next few months and making an appointment at JC, Ohio if anything comes up. I can think of worse things than visiting the mothership, I suppose

Thank you all for these ideas and suggestions. Very worthwhile.

Maybe the dealership has a full hookup site on premise that you can use for an overnight. That way he can take care of any problems you find overnight. A trip the distance you have to drive can be a disaster if something isn't working. I had a shower leak with my overnight at my dealership. It was fixed the next morning. That overnight gives you a chance to try everything out. Working out kinks is one thing but if it's major you will lament not doing that overnight.

Jack

[Vagabonds_2]

Originally Posted by gln826

Happy to be a part of this amazing community. Such a wealth of experience and information.

We are about to realize our semi-retirement dream.

Two months ago, we purchased our TV, a 2021 GMC Sierra 3500 HD AT4 with a Duramax diesel engine. I love driving it.

Next Tuesday, we drive from NY to Airstream Dallas/Ft. Worth to purchase our 2021 Classic 30RBQ. We are obviously both very excited and a bit nervous.

For those who have already walked in these shoes...

I have watched every YouTube video, read every post here and on the Facebook Airstream Addicts page, watched Chris from Airstream DFW do Service Walkthrough videos and anything else I can get my eyes on.

We are having a Blue Ox and 3" lift kit installed on the Classic.

My question is, what are the most important things to know/remember to make our 1,200 mile trip home safe and enjoyable? I have and know how to use my torque wrench for lugs; what else? Anything you suggest is appreciated.

I am dreading backing this rig into our rather narrow driveway, btw. I've trailered boats and utility trailers, and intend to practice in large, empty parking lots on the way home, but still...

Thank you in advance, Glenn

May want to winterize lines for trip back or find out what they recommend to get back to cold NY. May need a compressor to air purge lines and leave RV antifreeze in P-traps. Also, focus on Alde system and what to do when your get a Red Warning Fail message. Don't try to run both heat pumps if only hooked to a 30 amp service. Have tire pressure monitoring system installed (Tire Minder 1A1 recommended by our dealer). Also, practice hitching and unhitching. Have them give you some pointers on how to tow and have them take you out first time accompanied. May want to put phone camera on record when they go over systems. Bring lots of warm clothing and blankets, we blew all our fuses on a March night and froze to death in our new trailer. Learn how to hook up water hoses, sewer hoses, how to flush blackwater hose, and get water. Don't have stabilizers extended when hitching up, etc., etc. We were completed RV newbies. Enjoy your new baby which will be taking the suburbs with you.

[pontzdav]

My advice is take your time. 300 miles or 3 pm , whichever comes first, is my good rule of thumb for a days drive. Might consider full hook up camping for the winter trip. Stay put if the weather is not dry. Maybe stay in Texas for a month or so, Grapevine, just north of Dallas is fantastic city/county park on a lake, then perhaps the Florida Panhandle for a month or so, there is a great camping just west of Pensacola. Perhaps Schedule your arrival back in NY for mid April. Charleston, Asheville, and Savanna are all just wonderful in March.

Just an idea.

[guskmg]

Since you are headed North I would have them wax the trailer and in particular all the aluminum seams and rivet heads. When you get home power wash the trailer and the underside with a low pressure electric power washer. Raise and lower the tongue to gain better access to the belly surfaces. Be sure and wash the stabilizer jacks. Sounds like lot to do, but in the long run you will be avoiding filiform corrosion. I still do my trailer twice every year. I have no corrosion after 16 years.
guskmg

[Happy-rver]

Pick up a cheap set of 2 way radios for backing trailer onto camp sites. Then as driver you can focus on your mirrors and the trail, not on whatever hand signals your partner is giving.

[GettinAway]

I second the get it winterized before you leave idea. It will have to be dewinterized when you pick it up, in order for them to show you everything is working. Then you’ll head north into likely freezing temps. Make sure you understand the furnace operation, and it’s effect on batteries.
I’d practice hitching and unhitching a few times with the blue ox. The chains seem weird at first. Eventually you may want to get away from the flat bar wrench that comes with the blue ox, and get a breaker bar with the appropriate socket.
Hope you have good weather going home. Hopefully you’ll have a little flexing your schedule. I’d be tempted to just sit tight vs towing into a snow storm..
Congrats on the new AS! Have a safe trip. Happy Holidays by the way.

[gln826]

The quality of these suggestions is amazing. Thank you all for your input. Some of the details and time taken are incredible. We leave in the morning armed with lots of great knowledge, including a request to winterize before hitting the road, EZPass upgrade, taking our time and everything else. Merry Christmas all of you!

[GCinSC2]

And I'll offer a comment about future queries especially tech or appliance based.

Unit (applicance) make, model info. What are you having a problem with?

Current problem. No heat, no hot water etc. What is the problem?

Any things you have checked or tried.

Now things to leave out:
General non specific info.
Whining.

If you're not willing or able to try suggested fixes that's making things tougher. Let folks know your threshold of nope, beyond my skill or tool level.

Not following up. If a post asks for more data or pic, follow up. It's part of the Forum helping process.

And please add a conclusion. This XYZ fixed my ABC etc. You're contributing to someone else's problem solving in the future. Adding to the info data.

Nope not picking on you at all, just trying to offer .02$ to help you get info and not get ignored.

Happy trails.

Gary

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by gln826

The quality of these suggestions is amazing. Thank you all for your input. Some of the details and time taken are incredible. We leave in the morning armed with lots of great knowledge, including a request to winterize before hitting the road, EZPass upgrade, taking our time and everything else. Merry Christmas all of you!

Thanks for the update . . . Happy Trails!

[OTRA15]

PS Glenn -- To get back on LI we always avoid NYC entirely by going north on I-287, as if you want to go to northern NY, and then heading east on the Tappen Zee Bridge [still I-287 now "Cuomo" ?], cross the Hudson at that point, and come back south on I-87 to the Throg's Neck Bridge.

Or

Personally, if towing a 30' trailer for the first time, I would continue east on I-287 through White Plains, go to I-95 eastbound [CT Turnpike] to Bridgeport, then take the ferry to Port Jeff. If you are considering this route, please advise, and I can add various cautions about the approach to the BP ferry terminal, etc..

I know this "avoid NYC" route seems like the long way around, but having towed our old 25' on the BQE back in the 90's, I would never use that route again. If you try it, you will know what I mean. It is "do-able" but no fun IMO. White knuckles all the way.

Good luck,

[AKmtnpilot]

Just driving thru New York City would scare the heck out of me.

[Ol Bob]

Make sure you have TPMS on your trailer rims.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM
I like Pressure Pro brand but there are several others to choose from these days. Better to be safe than sorry. You can never predict tire problems.
Safe travels