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Selling The Airstream

One of the things that I did to think about non-hospital, non-cancer thoughts in the last four months was to consider options for future travel. I was thinking about Mary and I and the dog but those plans changed rather abruptly a few weeks ago.

I had been intrigued by my brother Barry and sister-in-law Mica who were having a love affair with an old Airstream van that they were taking out West. They continued to report about the flexibility and went so far as to write that they would probably never haul a trailer again. (They have had several vintage Airstreams and have travelled with them for a decade or more.)

I’m leaning toward a more modern RV, one based on the Sprinter frame with the Mercedes diesel which is so popular. Since there is only the dog and me, we can get by with less space. So, while it could seem too soon to make such decisions, I put the Airstream up for sale and a day later, may have sold it. We will know next week.

Our '99 Airstream, shown here in Mission, TX, has served us well

Our ’99 Airstream, shown here in Mission, TX, has served us well

Airstream Class B’s (Interstates) are very expensive new ($160,000) but there are older ones coming on the market.

An Airstream Interstate

An Airstream Interstate

I’m looking here and there but taking my time to consider other brands and other options. I have a brand new Ford F-150 which in retrospect, was a poor purchase, but who knew what we were facing?

I’m intrigued by the opportunity to get a rig where I can pull into the kids’ driveway, hook up a power cord, and visit with limited impact on their busy lives. In most cases, you can’t do that with a trailer behind you.

Stay tuned for how this turns out. I will miss the old Airstream – we have logged thousands of miles together and countless hours of polishing and renovation work. It will make someone a good economical camping rig.

New Battery System

As I noted last week, I have been looking at options to strengthen our electrical system for those times where we are not hooked up. I decided to install two AGM batteries and a new controller under our couch which would double our capacity and also give us room for further expansion.

So I went down to my friends at Vintage Trailer Supply and talked to them about converters. Steve, the owner, thought that my existing converter would probably work ok but I opted to buy a new INTEL-POWER 9200 which “monitors the battery voltage then automatically adjusts the converter output voltage to provide the proper charging voltage for fast recharge and long-term maintenance.”

I felt that the expensive AGM batteries needed a state-of-the-art converter.

I felt that the expensive AGM batteries needed a state-of-the-art converter.

I had pretty much narrowed my battery choices down to 105 AH units from Fullriver or Lifeline which sell for over $300 per unit. I went with Lifeline because they are American-made and I got a good price from Powerstride Battery who got them here in four days with free shipping.

The installation of the converter was relatively smooth with just two leads to change – but of course it wasn’t that easy – the grounding wire was almost too short because it attaches on the far end of the unit. I got it going and soon was testing it on my existing battery, which it brought up to full charge over a day or so.

The major project while I awaited the new batteries was to move all the wires into the trailer. First, from inside the trailer, I labeled all the wires since some stay as is (the solar lines) and others (the wire for the tongue jack) have to be extended to come inside.

I reluctantly the terminal clamps off (the new units don’t use posts) and used my torch and solder to attach two new leads. Since I did it outside right near the tongue, I disconnected and moved the two propane tanks far away. I pulled all the lines inside, brought my old battery inside, and hooked it up to test the new setup. I got it done on a sunny day just before a front brought an all-day rainstorm.

Testing out the new wiring with my old battery. The container will be under the couch - it's there for spacing. We are sacrificing the middle storage unit for the batteries.

Testing out the new wiring with my old battery. The container will be under the couch – it’s there for spacing. We are sacrificing the middle storage unit for the batteries.

The Lifeline batteries came UPS yesterday afternoon and soon I was moving them into place. They have a 6mm terminal and a positive 8mm one. I knew that but it turned into a hassle as all my positive fittings had holes that were too small. I reamed and drilled out a couple, with some colorful language but I wired them up in parallel and while several leads are too long, the system seems to be in good shape. The converter started polishing off their charge right away.

The two Lifelines in parallel with a wiring setup that could use some cleanup - although no one will see it under the couch.

The two Lifelines in parallel with a wiring setup that could use some cleanup – although no one will see it under the couch.

I need to build a containment system around the batteries to keep them from moving. I have the materials and then it’s just moving the couch back, fastening it down, and cleaning it up. I think that this is going to be a good project to give us more flexibility in camping sites – and it is nice to have it done.

Ricker Pond Camping

We do most of our camping in the winter but usually take a couple of local trips each summer to check out Airstream systems and enjoy some of Vermont’s state parks. This past mid-week, we reserved a spot at Ricker Pond State Park in the Groton State Forest and had a wonderful three days.

We headed out Wednesday morning ahead of some thunderstorms.

We headed out Wednesday morning ahead of some thunderstorms.

Ricker Pond SP is like essentially all Vermont parks — aimed more at tent and lean-to campers than RV’s. There are no hook-ups nor is there any internet — wifi or 4G. There are only about five sites where we can fit our twenty-five foot Airstream in.

One thing Vermont parks have going is great attention by the staff.

One thing Vermont parks have going is great attention by the staff.

The flags were at half-mast for the servicemen shot in Chattanooga.

The flags were at half-mast for the servicemen shot in Chattanooga.

We infrequently camp when school is out and when we do, we avoid the weekends. Even so, there were tons of kids around. It’s a pretty-safe park for them, with limited traffic and long smooth dirt roads for bike riding, but because of all the recent rains, the bacterial level at the swimming area was high and the beach was closed.  We enjoyed the squeals and yells of kids although a few carried on rather late. It was nice to see no electronic devices — we had Kindle books on our iPad but other than that, radio silence. It didn’t kill us.

Our site was #17 which is probably the best for a trailer. We even good decent solar inspite of all the trees.

Our site was #17 which is probably the best for a trailer. We even good decent solar inspite of all the trees.

Here are some shots that I took while out on birding/dog walks.

I love this big piece of granite. I tried to get Mary to put her head inside for a photo but she declined.

I love this big piece of granite. I tried to get Mary to put her head inside for a photo but she declined.

This young angler had a small bass on the other end of her pole.

This young angler had a small bass on the other end of her pole.

There were a number of first-year Mallards which have been tamed by feeding by the campers. Penny was quite interested in these two.

There were a number of first-year Mallards which have been tamed by feeding by the campers. Penny was quite interested in these two.

This park has 27 campsites, 23 lean-to shelters, 5 cabins and a couple of waterfront cottages. The lean-tos are very popular and people reserve the same one year after year.

Many of the lean-tos have great locations right near the water.

Many of the lean-tos have great locations right near the water.

I did a lot of birding and in spite of mid-summer and heavy foliage, heard and/or saw most of the usual suspects. Red-eyed vireos seemed to be holding a convention there. The highlight was the pair of Common Loons who have nested there and have a couple of chicks. I took some photos from the canoe but stayed well away from them. You can see one of the youngsters in the photo.LoonsWIt’s a pretty little body of water and it is easy to see why so many folks, many who have camped all over Vermont, come back. If you have a larger RV, there are several sites up at the next campground, Stillwater, which can handle large units. You’ll need a generator or solar system — it’s boondocking at about $20 a day. But look at this shot of Ricker Pond – it’s pure Vermont.

UplakeW

 

Replacing the Airstream’s gas range

Several years ago, a metal brace in the Airstream’s oven snapped, probably from the fatigue of a decade of travel over bumpy roads. I got it welded but then found that the collapse had also damaged parts of the propane dispenser — and ended up disabling the oven completely. It turned into a great storage space for pots and pans and the range continued to work fine. And since lighting the oven was always a scary proposition — nothing, nothing, then woosh — Mary certainly didn’t miss it.

We lived with that for the last couple of years, using a small toaster oven to “bake.” Of course, it only worked when we were plugged in to a power supply and even then, left a lot to be desired. (Sawing a frozen pizza into sizes that fit was fun as was cutting cornbread recipes in half and then still having them ooze all over the place.)

I considered a lot of options — replacing just the stove top and putting a microwave underneath (again, you need power to use it), continuing as we have been (it detracts from selling the rig), or replacing it. That’s the option we chose and I found a replacement unit which came by Fedex yesterday.

Even though it’s not a difficult job, there were challenges. Pulling the old stove out was easy – just a matter of unhooking the propane line and four wood screws. It’s not heavy, about 70 pounds, and so I got it out the door and up into the pickup without problems.

The opening was a bit too large for the new unit but shims solved that.

The opening was a bit too large for the new unit but shims solved that.

We are fortunate to have a metal recycling operation just a few miles away so since I was going to town yesterday, I swung up there early. I drove on to the truck scales for a “before” weight, tossed the oven in the big pile of light metal objects, and got weighed going out. The attendant said, as I walked into the office, “Well, maybe you can get a cup of coffee.” The payoff was $1.95 but he rounded it up to two dollars. Just about what I expected but the stove is on its way to reuse – perhaps I’ll be shaving with it next year.

The opening for the old stove was a bit too large for this one so last night, I cut some shims to tighten things up, slid it in, hooked up the propane and tested for a leak, and lit her off.  The burners worked fine – the oven, which should be easier to light than the old one, will get tested soon.

The new Atwood gas range ready to go.

The new Atwood gas range ready to go.

It will be nice, wherever we are, to have the capability of baking or even broiling — and we can still use the oven for storing our cookware. Off to new maintenance/repair ventures.

A Short-lived Spring Romance – with Class B’s

My brother and his spouse, who sort of got us into Airstreams through their tales of adventures in the South and Southwest, now have purchased an older model Class B (van) Airstream called the B190.  Here’s a shot of one, not theirs.

B190W

Photo credit: Helle Gowan

Barry and Mica love their rig for it’s compactness and how they, being free of towing their Airstream trailer, can get into smaller sites and navigate the roads of New England and Atlantic Canada more easily. They are considering leaving their towed rig home this winter and taking the 190 out West.

So, it got me thinking. I should note that virtually every spring, I start considering options: a newer trailer (cost doesn’t justify getting the same features we now have), longer rig, perhaps with a slide out (have trouble getting our 25-foot unit up our driveway and parked — and would likely need a new tow vehicle), or even an Airstream motorhome.

I have been intrigued with the Airstream Interstates, built on a Sprinter van body, with their diesel power and easy of maneuvering. Their price, now about $150K new, is outside our pay grade but there are some older units that are a little more reasonable. I knew they were tight on space, being a 23 to 24 foot unit, but decided to do some more research. For about three days I was psyched to sell our rig and truck and go for it.

airstream15a-2

Then I looked at bed lengths. We need twin beds, which are available but rather scarce. The beds appeared to be 74 inches long — and I’m 73 inches long. I then started looking at specs for Class B+ rigs, which add a bit of width to the Sprinter van and sort of quickly morph into Class C’s. Many of the major brands have these options but many are new and quite expensive. I also am not to keen on driving down the road with swirls and other graphics on the rig.

As I do when I get on a project, I joined several Facebook groups/pages and also some Class B forums. I saw discussions of what kind of car to tow (sort of defeats the “freeing up” of a Class B), how to hang tool boxes and bikes off the back, and many issues with some of the equipment, especially the macerator for waste water.

So for several days I was looking hard online for options – running the numbers and finding that we could do it financially but not easily and then one morning last week, I woke up and the flirtation was over — the old Airstream down by the pine trees looked mighty fine. The beds are long enough, there’s plenty of storage with the truck cap, we know where the “warts” are, and the rig and tow vehicle are paid for. Rather than fix things up so that I can sell it, I’ll fix things up so that we can enjoy it. And we won’t have to leave a hose and a “This site is occupied” sign every time we leave a campground to go birding.

Airstream1W