The Adventures of Airstream Mikie

Airstream For Sale - Sport 17! (SOLD - SOLD - SOLD)

2011-08-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

This always garaged pristine Airstream is now for sale.

$24,900 or best offer.

Upgrades include:

Two aluminum propane tanks, 7.5 gal. each.

Two batteries.

Solar Panel

Large Sink and separate faucet.

Wood blinds (Hunter Douglas).

Equalizer hitch.

And more, more, more...

Trailer Improvement Project

2011-06-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

Upgrades Finished:

Replace sink and faucet
Venetian blinds, wood.

Posters, aviation theme, for wall decoration

iPad (3G) internet/entertainment solution
Removed lower 4 cabinet doors, except for clothes closet
2nd battery added
7 gallon propane tanks, aluminum (upgrade from steel 5 gal)
replaced all interior lights with LEDs

Install awning lift handles

Jack stand - wood block

Refrigerator fan switch

Fill (or file smooth) 2 holes in wall panel near stove

Glue laminates

Shower - remove accordion door, replace with clear curtain

Weather station

Spare keys
Solar panel and controller

Recycling and trash bin (iTouchless hands-free stainless steel)

Director's chairs for use in/outside

Hammock stand

Removed roll-up cabinet doors for all 4 upper cabinets

Mount the weather station control panel next to battery condition panel

Batteries, replaced original battery, charging & maintenance schedule

Detail the hitch area, clean & repaint

Properly purged the new aluminum 30 lb. propane tanks #1 of 2

Locking Hitch Pin

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

2010-05-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

Frequently Asked Questions

When I am traveling with the Airstream, some people are fascinated by the size, shape, color of the trailer, or the concept of a home on wheels, or the tow vehicle, the generator, etc, etc... This document is intended to help passers-by who want to know more but who also want to respect the owner's privacy.

Q: The trailer, what is it?

A: It's an "Airstream". One of many thousands which have been built over the last 75+ years. This one was manufactured by Airstream, Inc. in Jackson Center, Ohio in 2009. The model designation is Sport 17 and is 16 feet 8 inches in length, overall. Cost: $32,282 plus tax, license, etc. Weight 3,500 lbs, GWVR. For a tour of the inside, the way it was originally at delivery, see this YouTube video. Continuing improvements have been made to the Airstream since new, including doubling the battery capacity, a solar panel, larger propane tanks, etc. For more information on this Airstream, see the blog at this link.

Q: The tow vehicle, what is it, and what have you done to it?

A: 2010 Toyota Tundra Double Cab. Some major improvements to this tow vehicle include a BedSlide and SnugTop camper shell as well as a Yamaha EF6300iSDE generator which has been modified to use propane as well as gasoline to power the A.C. appliances such as air conditioning, microwave, and other devices, as well as to recharge the batteries which are used for fans, lights, etc. Many other improvements continue to be made to the tow vehicle and are documented at this link.

Q: Where have you travelled with it?

A: All the travels have been documented at the blog "The Adventures of Airstream Mikie".

Q: Favorite places visited?

A: Big Sur, CA and Torrey Pines Beach, CA

Q: Where do they sell Airstreams?

A: Dealers can be located at the Airstream website.

Q: I have a question that's not on this list!

A: Please visit the blog "The Adventures of Airstream Mikie" to find your answer, or email the owner at this email address: FastMikie@Gmail.com

Pancakes at the beach, a major milestone!

2010-05-03T16:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a major milestone in the Airstream adventure: pancakes and sausages (veggie, of course) at the beach, for about some friends, using the generator to power the electric griddle. It was a great day, on balance, but there were several things I would improve for next time:

1. Set the party time for later in the day. 10AM is just too early because it is not reliably sunny and warm enough to be pleasant. Next time it will be a pancake brunch at noon or 1PM, instead of breakfast.

2. Only one cook in the kitchen! Can you imagine having 3+ people working in that tiny kitchen all at once? It was madness, of course, but it seems that they wanted to volunteer, and I was certainly not organized enough to be efficient, and I guess they noticed that, but that leads to improvement...

3. Invite fewer people. (There were 10 of us yesterday: Alex & Joni, Sean, Alexis, Peter, Joey & Carolina, Mark, Samm, me!) I'm thinking that 4 people is ideal, 6 people maximum.

4. Have the guests bring something. Chairs, beer, dessert, dishes, silverware, whatever.

5. Assign duties (photographer, "potty training", etc) and activities (hike, Frisbee, etc)

6. Checklist for various tasks. (I forgot the electric kettle because of no checklist.)

7. Handouts for the curious. Some people are captivated by the Airstream but I'm really not too excited about answering lots of questions ("How much does it weigh?" Really?) I'd like to create a printed handout to give to people who feel compelled to interrupt my solitude.

Overall, it was a great day, an auspicious beginning to a fine Airstream summer season...

Generator Working Using Trailer Propane

2010-04-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I picked up the 30# propane tank from Ferrellgas, the propane source, who properly purged the tank (see post below) and refilled it. Now, at long, long last, it's working with the generator. This is significant because now I can use the trailer-mounted propane tanks and not need to haul around the smaller 20# tank inside the tow vehicle to be used as the fuel source for the generator. This gives the advantages of being safer as well as offering greater fuel reserves for longer use and simplifies the system with fewer parts.

With the two 30# tanks containing about 14 gallons of propane, and the generator able to run about 4 hours per gallon, it could run a total of 56 hours before running out of fuel. Of course it is unlikely to be needed continuously, so it could easily support several weeks electricity needs, especially when considering the solar panel would supplement electrical power generation.

This is a major milestone in the evolution of the rig (truck and Airstream) so that it can be used "off the grid" in such places as the beach where no plug-in power is available.

The propane supply is split between two tanks, only one of which is in use at any given time. This allows the use of one tank until it is empty, whereupon a switch is made to the full tank, and the empty tank is driven to the nearest propane station to be refilled and put back into service. This method allows uninterrupted operation of refrigerator, hot water heater, space heater, all of which are propane-fueled.

The big advantage of using propane as the fuel to power the generator is that it uses a fuel that is already being stored on the front of the trailer. Most generators are gasoline fueled and therefore require a tank of gas to be stored inside the tow vehicle, and since it is an enclosed space, it is a safety concern. Another safety concern is in refilling the generator's gas tank when the generator is already hot. These are not issues when using the propane solution.

This makes the most perfect sense to me, but I have not seen any other rig set up this way.

Interior Project

2010-04-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

Some t-shirts with designs that are being considered to be used for throw pillows:

Some posters for the walls:

12 volt tutorial

2010-04-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

While enduring the learning curve of all things electrical (in the Airstream), I ran across this excellent tutorial on all things 12 volt:

http://www.ccis.com/home/mnemeth/12volt/12volt.htm

What I found extremely informative is the chart above.

On a brighter note...

2010-03-18T16:45:00.000-07:00

1. The GPS software from Tom-Tom for the iPhone is much improved with the latest update. Now it speaks the names of streets, and exits, which is so much better. It works great without even using the car kit!

2. I found an apparently secret spot for the Airstream where I can hang out by the beach during the day and it looks like there will be NO problem with parking being full, even in the summer! This means I don't have to get up at oh-dark-thirty and be there before sunrise in order to snag a spot. I'll be able to roll in anytime, so I can sleep in. My favorite thing to do!

So, on balance, two steps forward, one step back. At least I'm going in the right direction...

Life is Good t-shirts have the Airstream vibe!

2010-03-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

Gotta love these t-shirts by Life is Good.

And Now, For Something Completely Different

2010-03-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

The generator is now online.

This means I can make flapjacks in the boondocks using an electric griddle while running the air conditioning and the microwave all at the same time, and running the heater fan, and refrigerator and all the lights. Not that I would ever do that, but with this honkin' generator, I could. But back to the point, which is the flapjacks, or pancakes, if you prefer that term.

I tried making pancakes on a propane-fired griddle, but it was awful because of the uneven distribution of the heat. But with an electric griddle, it will be perfect. The problem for the last several months is that I have not had a generator which is needed for the honkin' electricity used by the griddle.

This now puts the Airstream/Tundra into a whole new realm of vehicle. With electricity-generation capabilities, the rig adds survival to recreation.

The generator is a Yamaha 6300, with a gas/propane mod done by US Carburetion in West Virginia. It is fitted with a wireless start for the ultimate in camping convenience.

The generator is bolted to the BedSlide, which, when closed distributes the weight over the rear axle. When the BedSlide is fully extended, the generator can be operated in place from curb-side, or wirelessly.

And today is the New Moon. It is a propitious sign.

FJ Cruiser vs. Tundra for Tow Vehicle?

2010-02-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

Today I received an email asking to compare the Toyota FJ Cruiser (my previous tow vehicle) with the Toyota Tundra (current tow vehicle) when used with the Airstream Sport 17.

I would have answered the email directly, but the message was deleted because of a bug in Google's Tasks (no undelete option!), so I hope answering it here will help.

I got the FJ Cruiser because that's what was recommended to me by the Airstream sales rep. It is not an optimal solution, for several reasons...

1. The rear hatch on the FJ Cruiser can not be opened very far at all when still hitched up. The spare tire inhibits the opening to only about 8". I removed the spare and put it on the roof rack, but the hatch still can not be fully opened when hitched up. The door hits the tongue jack. I think the Airstream rep could not have been aware of this or he would not have made the recommendation.

2. The power of the FJ Cruiser is ok, but not great. Same for the brakes. So it's acceptable for towing the Sport 17, but if you are thinking of upgrading to a bigger Airstream, the FJ Cruiser will need to be replaced with a vehicle with a greater towing capacity.

3. The capacity of the FJ Cruiser is somewhat limited for hauling all the "stuff" you'll probably accumulate. If you want to carry a generator, it will take up a lot of the space in the cargo area. Check the GVWR of the FJ Cruiser. Then subtract the fully wet and stocked trailer weight (max 3500 lbs for the Sport 17) and there's not a lot of carrying capacity left especially when you consider margin for safety, occupants, etc.

4. The Tundra is more powerful and has better brakes, and a much higher towing capacity, and you'll feel much more comfortable towing compared to the FJ Cruiser.

5. If you are carrying a generator in the FJ Cruiser, you will have to carry a gasoline can (or propane tank) inside the vehicle, exposing yourself and occupants to the fumes. Not safe! With the Tundra, the generator fuel can be stored in the bed of the pickup, away from the passenger area.

Hope that helps!

Day at the Beach

2010-02-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Valentine's Day, was a shakedown cruise to test some recently upgraded systems, and a learning experience, overall.

After hooking up at o-dark-thirty in the dimly lit storage facility, I made the very short drive to the beach and started the process of getting squared away. That's when I noticed my half-hearted attempt to connect the cord which goes from tow vehicle to trailer (controls brakes/lights/power). I didn't do a very good job at all, because the cord dragged on the ground and rubbed through the outer coating, and completely through one of the wires inside. Luckily, the lights/brakes still worked, but if the trip had been a few miles longer, it would have severed these lines and possibly caused all manner of catastrophe.

And it's all my fault, too. I knew about this potential problem for months, and have always been wanting to get around to rigging up some sort of spring device to keep the cord up off the ground, yet pay out whatever is needed for turns. Well, I got around to it now, after the fact. A bungee cord is all that I needed. Duh.

But that's what these shakedown cruises are for, to test all the systems. In this case I learned that the geometry is different between the new tow vehicle (Tundra) and old one (FJ Cruiser) which changes how much of the control cord is needed. Less on the Tundra, that's why it dragged.

All the other stuff worked great. The solar panel kept me with electricity all day, as did the extra battery. The new propane tanks worked flawlessly. And the new touchless lid trash bin was excellent.

Good friends Peter and Joey & Carolina stopped by around noon and we had a great time.

The only negative was the beach! There was no sand -- victim of the recent storms. And where sand should have been was all stones. So I didn't get the chance to ride my beach cruiser, or play any Frisbee. But the sand situation is only temporary. It has been doing this for probably billions of years. The sand will be back again soon enough.

And so will I...

Shower improvements

2010-01-31T19:07:00.000-08:00

After a couple of experiments with prototypes, a major step forward has been taken today in upgrading the showering experience.

The truly trailer-trash plastic accordion door which comes standard in the Airstream Sport 17 has been removed and replaced with a see-through shower curtain. The stock door, when fully opened, narrowed the opening by at about 6 inches. Without this ugly, cheap shower door, the shower looks HUGE, and with the transparent shower curtain, it feels so much more spacious inside.

Next, I'm looking forward to installing a separate control for water temperature, and a much improved flow valve and shower head, and move the placement of the shower head mount to be less intrusive.

If I'm going to be roughing it, I may as well do it first class!

;o)

Stock Photo of Tow Vehicle

2010-01-25T12:09:00.001-08:00

Here's a stock photo of the Toyota Tundra with the SnugTop SuperSport camper shell.

Bike Mods

2010-01-25T11:56:00.001-08:00

The beach cruiser is in the shop getting a quick-release front wheel so that I can keep the bike inside the shell, front wheel removed, and fork secured to the BedSlide. (Finally!)

Cap and Slide are now installed

2010-01-24T13:50:00.000-08:00

Moving along at glacial speed, I have now upgraded the tow vehicle (Toyota Tundra) with a camper shell cap from SnugTop (Super Sport model) and a BedSlide. The generator is now securely bolted to the BedSlide, on the street side. This allows full use of the generator without lifting it out of the truck.

Next up:

1. organizers for all the stuff (hoses, tools, electrical cords, etc).

2. method/device to keep the bike secured on the BedSlide.

3. bed deck rail system and tie-downs (link)

4. lower the truck overall, install air bag suspension assist

Sun Power!

2010-01-01T08:48:00.000-08:00

Another major goal has been achieved with the installation of a solar panel on the top of the Sport, so now I can stay out longer "off the grid". Abe Hernandez did a first class job with everything from researching and recommending the proper solar system and doing a custom installation. What a guy!

If you're looking for an RV mechanic,

Abe is the man to call (760-802-3238).

First Tow using new Tundra: "Oh, what a feeling!"

2009-12-21T08:36:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I finally got the chance to tow the Airstream with the new Toyota Tundra tow vehicle. Wow, what a difference from the FJ Cruiser! So much stronger, more stable... "like it's not even there"!

The Tundra's hitch port is higher than the FJ Cruiser, by about an inch, so I need a shank that will compensate for that to tow the Airstream closer to level, but I can get by with the current setup for a while.

Again, it was Abe Hernandez who helped with the project this past week. Together (with him doing all the work) we moved many items from the To Do list to the Done list. As before, Abe's work is first class. He really knows his stuff, works fast, charges reasonable rates, and even cleans up after he's finished. If you need some help, Abe is the man for you. Phone 760-802-3238 or email him at abe2u@cox.net and tell him I said "Thank you".

Double Juice

2009-12-10T14:50:00.000-08:00

The Sport 17 model comes from the Airstream factory with a woefully inadequate single battery.

While I'm waiting, seemingly forever, to figure out why the Yamaha generator will not start, I have taken another approach toward living off the grid. I have doubled my capacity of DC power, adding a second deep cycle marine/RV battery.

I say "I have..." but in fact all I did was point, grunt, and write checks. The real work was done by a very talented man named Abe Hernandez who has a lot of Airstream experience.

Last week we discussed the project, and yesterday Abe showed up right on time and moved through the surprisingly complex project with ease. His experience showed in every move he made. He had all the right tools and knew how to use them.

After that job, he resealed a seam in the roof, hung a few hooks, checked out why my plumbing makes nasty noises, and installed a brake controller in my new pickup truck tow vehicle.

If you need some work done on your Airstream, contact Abe Hernandez. Phone 760-802-3238 or email abe2u@cox.net and tell him I said "Thank You".

Aluminum Propane Tanks

2009-12-04T12:32:00.000-08:00

Today I ordered two 7.1 gal. (30 lb) aluminum propane tanks to replace the two 5 gal. steel tanks that are standard on the Sport 17. I figure they are going to look a lot better than the ugly white tanks now being hidden by the cheap plastic tank cover, so I'll probably not even use the cover. And with the additional propane on board, I can go 40% longer before refills.

Source: VintageTrailerSupply.com

Airstream Life Magazine

2009-11-29T21:57:00.000-08:00

A friend bought all the back issues of Airstream Life magazine and I had a chance to look through about six of them today. They are filled with useful info and neat stories, so I ordered the complete set of back issues today. Get yours at AirstreamLife.com

Wanted: Bigger, Longer Airstream

2009-11-26T08:56:00.000-08:00

Wanted:

Airstream, new or used, 25' or 27',

pano windows front and rear,

Flying Cloud,

preferably west of the Rockies.

If used, must have non-smoking, no-pet history,

and in like-new condition.

Please reply directly to

FastMikie@Gmail.com

for immediate reply.

Thanks for passing the word.

TomTom iPhone test run

2009-11-21T18:20:00.000-08:00

I needed a GPS Navigation system for the new truck, and after doing some research decided on the TomTom iPhone app and car kit. It took a couple of hours to download the app and maps, and the car kit will be shipped in a week +/-.

I took my bike in for some minor repairs and decided to give the new TomTom iPhone app a test run even though I didn't have the car kit yet. The results were better than anticipated. It synced with Bluetooth no problem, worked at the same time as the music was playing from the iPhone, and muted the music when a turn announcement was being made, and even came back online after a phone call in the middle of the trip.

So far, so good...

Truck Improvement Project

2009-11-19T21:24:00.000-08:00

Base Vehicle:
2010 Toyota Tundra 4x4, Double Cab, 5.7L V8, TRD Off Road Package
Purchased new in November 2009 from Toyota Carlsbad

Goal: Customize the vehicle to serve the following purposes:

tow an Airstream 25FB trailer (GVWR 7,300 lbs. nose 800 lbs) comfortably and safely.
carry camping supplies and equipment in support of the Airstream trailer, including a 200 lb. generator, bike, and kayak along with hoses, extension cords, ropes, chairs, mats, tools, survival stuff, spare parts, etc
be home on extended remote camping trips, beyond the range of an Airstream.
do it all in low key style to create a visual presence which might be easily overlooked. On close inspection it is clearly an extraordinary vehicle, everything very well thought out and executed with high quality materials and workmanship.

To Do List

Lower 2" front, 4-5" rear (Tundra Racing Drop Kit and Air Spring Kit Toyota Escondido installation?, check for warranty, air spring kit, price.
Hitch - mate to the Airstream
20" wheels/tires (freeway cruiser tires, not low profile tires)
Step bar (Running boards) - stainless steel (Nasta Tundra Parts Store)
Pedals - sport covers
Grille - Carriage Works Billet Grille (autoanything.com) , or similar
Locking gas cap (on order at Toyota Carlsbad 4/24/2010)
Sun visor extension, driver's side
Window shade, driver's side
Sun visor tint for windshield
Turn Signal Side Mirrors (Muth)
Cargo Tie-downs (Core Trax), in black
Cold Air Intake system (K&N)
Exhaust tip, stainless steel, (link)

De-badge

Smoked tail lights

Done:

Connect iPhone via Bluetooth for tunes and communications
Remove dealer license plate frames and temp registration holder
Load 6 discs into CD changer
Review Owner's Manuals
Program Garage Opener
Remove headrests in rear seats for better visibility
GPS - TomTom/iPhone
Notify Insurance company
Spray-on bed liner
Brake controller (Prodigy) by Abe Hernandez
SnugTop Shell, Super Sport model
BedSlide
Secure Generator to Bedslide (Roberto Mendez)
1000w Inverter for truck bed
Install roof rack bars
Storage bins (milk crate style, black plastic)
Bike rack for BedSlide (Hollywood)
Recall fix (accelerator pedal recall) - Toyota Carlsbad
Specialty plates installed (MIKE 101)
Generator, running on propane
Wireless entry remote control, custom programmed

Resources recommended so far:

Abe Hernandez Phone 760-802-3238 or email abe2u@cox.net
Toyota Carlsbad - where I bought the Tundra, see Kevin Edge and John Sanders

Airstream Social Scene: First Encounter

2009-11-16T08:11:00.000-08:00

And so it was in the fullness of time that I went out among other Airstream owners, members of the Wally Byam Caravan Club International (WBCCI), as they are found in the wild, camping with their Airstreams.

The WBCCI is highly segmented with regions, chapters, etc. I am a member of the San Diego unit, which had a joint rally with the Orange County unit, at Guajome park, a campground east of Oceanside, CA. The draw for me to attend this meeting was food. A big Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and all the trimmings. Even hermits like me have a tough time turning down a great meal.

This was my first time camping out with other Airstreamer peeps, and after having the opportunity to meet some of them I pronounce them as "good people". Nice people, and very willing to help a newbie like me. For example, the unit president Joe Thomas stopped by on Sunday morning to check up on me and gave me some helpful suggestions on my tow hitch. His wife Anne made one of the delicious turkeys. And I finally met Bill Wright, and his lovely wife Kathy, who I have been wanting to thank for his email suggestion that I visit Kirk Creek campground just south of Big Sur. He and Super Don Snyder are fellow flyers, but with the distinction of being fighter pilots, and kept me fascinated with great stories. And there was Bev and Lowell who are probably in contention for the title of Nicest People on the Planet... the list goes on, and I could name some others, if I remembered their names.

It was one of those social situations where the New Guy (me) meets about 50 new people at once! It's madness, of course...

I got to rig my hammock between a very handy tree and my tow vehicle roof rack, and spent a deliriously happy Saturday morning gently swinging and soaking up some warm sun. A walk around the campground revealed absolutely zero other hammocks. How can this be? Possibly because there is a campground rule against tying ropes around trees. I need to figure a way of rigging a hammock with one end tied to the Airstream. Are you listening, Airstream Inc.? They are selling "lifestyle", right? What says "relax" more than a hammock in your campsite? It seems that if you are selling "relax" at $50-100 thousand a copy, you could afford to throw in an eyelet for a hammock rope/carabiner.

All in all, it was a successful adventure. I got out among the people, had a great meal, got hammock time, discovered a new place... Life is Good.

New Tow Truck

2009-11-12T19:29:00.000-08:00

The engine is still warm as the new tow vehicle rests in my parking spot, recently placed there by the Toyota truck salesman. The specs:

2010 Toyota Tundra (half-ton pickup truck), Double Cab, 4x4, 5.7L V8 engine, 6-speed automatic, with TRD Off Road package, Tow package, Cold Weather package, Bluetooth, Backup camera, power heated mirrors, 10 speakers + subwoofer, power 8-way bucket seat, power sliding rear window...

Need to add:

Navigation system (portable)

Security system

20" wheels/tires
Bed rug
Bedslide
Camper shell
Brake controller
Tow hitch. (Hensley?)

Wooden canoe for the roof

Source: Toyota Carlsbad, Kevin Edge salesman, knowledgeable and professional. Strong truck experience, gave me a good deal. I got the zero percent 5 year loan, so the truck was delivered to my home and I never paid a cent for it. No down payment, no first month, nothing. Wow! America!

Tow capacity: 10,300 lbs.
Payload: 1,640 lbs.
Bed length: 6'
Seats: 4
Power: 381 hp @ 5,600 rpm
Torque: 401 ft. lbs.@ 3,600 rpm

Now all I need is something to tow.
Something shiny, rounded.
A pod, a home, a retreat.

Change is in the air

2009-11-10T16:32:00.000-08:00

The Airstream Adventure is 4 months old and I have been learning at a fast clip.

1. The Sport 17 model pulled by a Toyota FJ Cruiser has been a good PROTOTYPE, a test bed, a learning experience.

2. The next Airstream, coming soon, will build on what has been learned, and extend the adventure to the next level.

3. Currently looking for a 23 to 25', maybe 27' Flying Cloud, new or very good condition used. This requires a bigger tow vehicle and currently looking at Toyota Tundra 5.7L V8 crew cab with a SnugTop camper shell covering a Bedslide carrying the Yamaha generator.

4. This leaves me with two Airstreams and two tow vehicles, and the obvious choice would be to sell the smaller of the two rigs, and I would be open to offers.

5. But the entrepreneur in me figures that I could rent the Sport, and if I were going to go to all the work of renting the Sport, then I'd probably want to rent the Flying Cloud as well to maybe even make a profit, which I am feeling a growing need to do.

6. The Sport has been left pretty much in original condition, but the new Flying Cloud would be modified considerably to fit my particular tastes in woodwork, lighting, electronics, materials, etc. This may even make it more rent worthy for high-end applications, but that is beside the point, which is to create a personal space which could eventually become a full time home.

7. If I am going to be making significant changes to the new Flying Cloud, then it would probably be best to get a used one and build it up rather than paying for all the stuff that would be changed out.

8. An alternative to this would be to get a new shell, with bed and dinette/sofa never installed in the first place. Then there wouldn't be a bunch of drilled screw-holes for mounting the unwanted furniture!

9. Whichever way I go, the tow vehicle will have a canoe on top.

There are many options, many opportunities!

Future Trips: Wooden boats: canoe & kayak trip to plan

2009-10-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

I'd like to head north to Big Bear Lake, CA, just north and east of Los Angeles, to check out some canoes and kayaks at North Shore Trading Company (link).

On the way, it would be good to stop in Corona, CA and meet Andy Rogozinski, the owner of Inland RV, the Airstream repair facility featured in the current issue of the Airstream newsletter. Seems like a regular guy.

Following along with the boatman's holiday theme, I'd definitely like to head a lot farther north and check out the custom wooden kayaks built by Joe Greenley at Redfish Kayaks. A good time to go would be late July, 2010 for the West Coast Wooden Kayak Rendezvous.

Meanwhile, I ordered the book

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Canoeing and Kayaking

I doubt I'll learn how to paddle a kayak sitting in my chair reading a book, but maybe I'll learn something useful...

Condiment packets, as few as you want!

2009-10-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

On my last excursion to Big Sur, I started running out of stuff in the refrigerator and bought a sandwich from a local gas station / convenience store. When I got back to the Airstream I realized that I sure would like to put some mayo on my turkey sandwich, and maybe some mustard too, but I didn't have any in the refrigerator... it didn't occur to me when I was packing for the trip, probably because of the big sizes I keep at home and the limited space in the Airstream refrigerator.

That's when I got the idea to pick up some of those little packets of ketchup, mayo, mustard, and soy sauce the next time I saw them when I was out and about (rare for a hermit).

The solution came to me a few days ago when I was looking through Amazon.com for such packets, but they only sell them in quantities of 200, and that's way too much for just me. However, there was a "sponsored link" to Minimus.biz where they will sell you as many or as few as you want. They came by Fedex this morning. What a score!

Click here for the Minimus.biz link!

Toyota FJ Cruiser as camper tow vehicle

2009-10-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

Being a total novice to camping of any sort, much less Airstreaming, I had no idea what tow vehicle I needed, so I asked my friendly Airstream sales rep, and he suggested I get a Toyota FJ Cruiser. Let me share with you some of my experiences with this choice:

1. Great looking vehicle. I like the aggressive stance, and the lines of it.

2. Nice riding vehicle. Much more civilized than I expected from an off-road 4WD.

3. Poor gas mileage. I haven't measured it, but the stock FJ, not towing, is poor, and towing an Airstream it's worse.

4. And now for the biggest problem I have encountered with it: You can't open the rear hatch very far at all when you are hooked up to your Airstream because the spare tire hits the electric tongue jack. The I can open it is about 8 inches or so. Even after I moved the spare tire to the roof rack, tied down with a ratcheting strap, (photo above taken before this) the door opens a lot more, but not fully as it still hits the tongue jack. The only solution to this is to un-hitch the trailer and pull the FJ forward a foot or so. That seems a reasonable fix, but many times when I'm at the beach for just the day, unhooking and hooking up again seems like more work than necessary.

5. With only a 5,000 lb. tow capacity, its perfect for my 3,500 lb. Airstream Sport 17, but there's no way I'd feel good towing a trailer the next size up. And since I'm looking at the Sport as a prototype learning experience before I jump in with both feet and get a 27 footer, it looks like I'll be trading in the FJ for something like a Toyota Tundra pickup.

But it sure looks great, doesn't it! And, with the spare on the roof, it looks even more gnarly!

Adventure!

2009-10-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered.

An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.

G. K. Chesterton

(attitude is everything)

I want, I need, I lust...

2009-10-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

When I get where I'm going, wherever that is, even if there is no water nearby, it seems that I still want a wood canoe.

Even if I never get it in the water, I would still like one of these in my home, either on the wall, or even on the floor, just to admire the craftsmanship, to sit in occasionally, and dream.

This is only 13' long, perfect to put on the roof of the tow vehicle. I think it would look so fine going down the road on some great adventure.

Here's the link for more info.

Road Trip #1: Day 5, Big Sur!

2009-09-20T23:41:00.000-07:00

Today almost never happened, and I wouldn't have had much of a story...

I was well rested and looking forward to my final thrust up the rugged coastline to legendary Big Sur. The road between El Capitan and Big Sur gets progressively more challenging, and the last 50 miles are downright treacherous with a trailer.

I have played with very fast cars on this road many times. Never with a trailer. But I was ready for it when I woke this morning. In fact, I was looking forward to the challenge.

I made the many preparations to break camp and prepare for travel. One of the very last things to be done went seriously wrong and almost cancelled the day. A part of the tow hitch went missing, and of course I had no spare part. There were no such parts available at the camp store.

Do I really need that part? Not absolutely, but without it the trailer will be more effected by gusty winds and swaying. And gusty winds can be expected on this stretch of road through the mountains. For the road to Big Sur, I want every advantage I can get. I called two RV parts businesses nearby, but it's Sunday and they are closed.

I could wait it out here and get the part in the morning. So what if I lose a day, right? Normally, yes. But my schedule (reservations) say that if I miss tomorrow then I miss Big Sur completely and I have wanted to stay at Big Sur ever since I first passed through the place more than 30 years ago. If I want to stay there on this trip, I need to leave now, without the part, and without the added safety the part brings to the towing experience.

What was previously going to be a very challenging drive is now going to be off the charts challenging. I was not looking forward to this at all, but then I was not looking forward to missing out on Big Sur. This is one of those Go-NoGo situations, and I have had my share of those as an aviator. The final decision usually comes down to Confidence...

So, I went for it!

This stretch of road is spectacular. I love it, I love it, I love it!
There was lots of fog blowing up from the sea below, crossing the road at an upward angle and continuing to climb into the trees and the mountains and into the low clouds. Fascinating!

I refueled at Ragged Point although I really didn't need gas, but I am magnetized by Ragged Point. The name draws me! I have stayed at this place many times over the years when I toured this road in Ferraris, Jags, Corvettes, etc. I wanted to hang out and stretch a bit, but parking the rig was going to present challenges so I didn't stick around to savor the memories.

The road from Ragged Point to Big Sur is the best driving on the planet. I loved every second of it, even towing the trailer. In fact, the much slower speeds expanded the time to appreciate even more the beauty around every turn.

After getting parked in a grove of ancient redwoods, I headed out to a nearby pub for some fish and chips and a pint of Guinness (amazing, even here in Big Sur!). Next door to the pub were a few tourist shops, and in one of them I spotted a hammock which was calling my name...

I have had in my mind since day one that a hammock is an essential piece of kit for the Airstream lifestyle. Well, every lifestyle, actually. It is my belief that a hammock is an essential part of life and there should be one wherever you (I) go. It's embarrassing to admit, but in the 2 months I've had the Airstream I have not found my hammock. I have searched, and in every case found the hammocks to be lacking. And now, right here in Big Sur, is this hammock calling to me. Great colors, all cotton... SOLD!

Back at the Airstream I stow the hammock in the closet, thinking I'll get to figuring out a way of rigging it later -- another day's project for sure.

I made a cup of coffee, and settled down, but the hammock was still calling to me. I removed the hammock from the bag, and was impressed with how well made it is, and for only 20 bucks! There's not enough room inside the trailer to lay out completely, so I take it outside and that gets me thinking and looking for where I could hang it. There only one low branch anywhere nearby, sticking out of a redwood stump. The other end would have to be the roof rack on the tow vehicle, so it could work out if I had a lot of rope. And then I remember that I might have what I need in an emergency kit I keep and, YES! The kit, put together about 15 years ago and never used, has a coil of 120' of a really interesting military surplus green natural fiber rope!

I whip out my Marine Corps Kabar knife from World War II, and it cuts through the rope like butter. Maybe too easy, I think. The knife is not that sharp, so maybe the rope has some rot from being so old. Caution!

I cut two sections of rope and hung the hammock in less than 10 minutes, probably closer to 5. I lowered myself into the hammock and stretched out completely and relaxed and the wonder of it all struck me: Big Sur in a hammock! Just doesn't get much better than this. I took a few photos with the iPhone in my pocket, and a video, but can't upload because there's no signal.

I enjoyed my time in the hammock immensely, smiling the entire time. Admittedly, I got pleasure out of the thought that I did something improvised with a knife and rope and achieved one of my primary objectives for this Airstream. What impressed me is how everthing just flowed...

The rope has been in that emergency bag for many years, waiting for some purpose. The knife was an impulse buy, in my previous life of conspicuous consumption, at least 15 years old, and never used! That knife and rope have waited a long time to meet the hammock, and what a beautiful thing they did when they finally got together, and it all flowed so naturally.

I moved through each phase of the job with a general idea of what needed to be done and improvised along the way. However, my moves were so fluid, so flawless, that anyone watching would think I had done it a thousand times before. I was like a big jungle cat, moving deliberately without any lost energy or mis-steps. Today I was a tiger.

The night among the big trees was silent and peaceful. I could not have been happier!

Road Trip #1: Day 4, Santa Barbara, CA (El Capitan State Beach)

2009-09-19T23:31:00.000-07:00

I headed out before breakfast to find the Pacific Ocean, El Capitan State Beach, to be specific. More of a hike than I expected but it's always a reward to arrive at the sea.

In fact, it was an excellent hike. There was a nice fog and it seemed to want to rain but couldn't quite make it.

I ran out of bananas and a few other items are running low, so I was forced to make a supplies run into the nearest town, Goleta, 13 miles to the south.

It's Saturday night, and there's a live Rock 'n Roll band playing in the canyon just over the ridge. It occurs to me that if those sounds were coming from another camper nearby, it would be a nuisance, but since it is so far away, and a live band, it is not only acceptable, but fun!

The park's Wi-Fi is FUBAR so I use the iPhone to connect for email and check out the route to Big Sur, using Google Maps satellite/hybrid views to see what's ahead.

The RV park is big and sterile, with paved parking pads and all the conveniences, but lacks the one thing I want: the beach.

Tomorrow: Big Sur!

Road Trip #1: Day 3, Santa Barbara, CA (El Capitan State Beach)

2009-09-18T23:07:00.000-07:00

I had a great sleep - No Buzzing Refrigerator Fan!

The Airstreamer next door (23' International and Chev. Tahoe) confirmed the fan problem. Says he disconnected his fan months ago. It was driving him crazy. How could Airstream build, and its dealers deliver, such a flawed product? But then, I suppose I have been a perfectionist so long and I should expect mediocrity as a best case scenario. This is the sort of quality you might find in a 1950 Schwinn bicycle. I know, I have one. It may be that Airstream has been coasting on their reputation for a long time and has never really needed to compete to survive.

Breaking camp went easy enough, and the drive to Santa Barbara was simple. Actually it was north of Santa Barbara, and north of Goleta, to a place called El Capitan State Beach... an RV park called OceanMesa.

The farther north, the more fog. And now, parked in the new camp, the "ocean view" I wanted is just a wall of white.

In the afternoon I had a good phone meeting with a Protégé, proving out the concept of doing business from the road is possible as long as you have a phone or Wi-Fi connection. This was a key experiment planned for this trip: to see how well a mentoring session can go without being face to face.

Think of me as fog and tree...
Think of me when the fog slips through the trees.
I am that moment when fog feels tree and tree feels fog.
What is their first reaction?
What can they know of each other - they are so different
and have so little time together.
The fog is just passing through,
but the tree is happy to stay.
I think they are happy to see each other, like old friends,
familiar with each other's ways.
One wanders, one waits.
In need of each other,
a story without end.

Think of me as fog and tree.

Road Trip #1: Day 2, Malibu, CA (I killed the Buzz)

2009-09-17T23:04:00.000-07:00

I woke at 7:11 AM after a decent night's sleep. That is, after I got myself pointed up hill. The parking spot is supposed to be level, but either that's not exactly right, or the bed is unlevel, or the cushions are weird, or something, but my body was sensing something not quite level, and I confirmed it with my iPhone. It has an app called "Carpenter" which displays a very sensitive bubble-level.

Last night was the first test of the "Travasak" bedding system, and it seems to work OK, but it's quite bulky. I could probably use a smaller size.

In the middle of the night, I thought I had gone suddenly deaf. The refrigerator stopped buzzing (briefly). It has been making that awful sound since I have known it (a couple of months). And now, without any action on my part, it had gone silent. Sublimely silent! What the heck is that all about? I am at once happy and curious, but also sleepy, and sleepy wins.

The buzzing is there when I wake up, but then, suddenly, it goes quiet again. And so I have come to expect intermittent behavior from a previous constant. I guess I'm learning, but I'm not sure what!

Another observed oddity, this one positive, is that this morning I did not even think about using the computer (email, news, comics, facebook) while having my coffee. Instead, I opened the door and went outside into the fresh air and watched the waves. And I picked up my pen and notebook.

I like the idea of staying an extra day (one full day) in a new place. It gives me some time to relax and get a feel of the local vibe.

I clean the floor with a tiny whisk brush and sweep the debris onto a small Post-It note slip. It's good stretching exercise as well as cleaning, and we all know how Virgos love clean. (They love the fact of clean, but not necessarily the work of cleaning.) The floor is, of course, very small, so it's not much work. How small? That got me curious, so I measured it and it comes to about 27 sq. ft. which seems like a big number for such a tiny trailer. That's just floor space, where you can actually put a foot. The actual enclosed space inside the trailer would be about (14x6=84sq. ft). It's interesting that my condo is about 15 times the size (1250 sq. ft.) but I don't feel very cramped at all. Yet.

The space seems a lot bigger when the door is open.

The unused parking spaces here are all groomed with a fresh and orderly raking each day. A nice touch.

Beethoven plays as I write.
The buzz stops again!
OK, now I'm awake and curious, so I launch an investigation. I turn battery power off and remain on shore power, figuring it might be the inverter.
Beethoven without the buzz is suddenly more beautiful, but soon the buzz comes back, telling me it's not the inverter. It's got to be the refrigerator, but I'm not sure what I can do about it.

So I move outside and for the first time deploy my patio tarp to cover the parking spot dirt with a green space which mimics a lawn and gives depth to "My" domain. I move the tow vehicle to fully open the 7'x15' tarp then park it with left wheels over the edge, keeping it in place.

Next, I deploy a low folding chair. The color is a lime green which literally Screams against the very different dark green of the tarp, but I let it go. Somehow I am just too relaxed to care. The chair decides to test my calm and prefers to stay folded when I prefer to have it unfolded. It's one of those cheap aluminum frame things, and I know it will soon break anyway, and I have already resolved to replace it with a quality wooden one which sits at a normal height. Revenge is sweet. I will not get angry, I will get even.

Eventually I get it to allow me to sit in it, and, fully reclined, soak up the morning sun. It's barely past 9 AM.

At long last, I am feeling brave enough to attack the awning. I have put off this chore long enough. I wanted to see the awning procedure demonstrated one more time before I tackled it, because I remember there was something important that I should NOT do, but exactly what escapes me now. There are multi-jointed arms and springs and detents and all manner of gizmos to deal with but I ignore them all and simply tie the grab-strap to the rear wheel of the tow vehicle. Hopefully, I will not drive off and cause great damage to the awning, trailer and my reputation. I take an iPhone photo of my new patio room outdoors and send it up to facebook. Only then do I check my email for the first time this morning, even though I have no interest in any of it.

About mid-day the temperature climbs to 82 and I start up the air conditioner for the first time for a nice cool breeze and fix my first meal of the day: some oatmeal (McCann's Irish), with sliced banana, and have a relaxed breakfast on my patio in the shade. Life is good.

The afternoon evaporated in blissful indolence.

The weather station (brought it from home) goes spastic, showing 131 degrees. It's probably the corroded contacts, the ones I didn't clean very well when I changed the batteries a few weeks ago. This will be a good project for later, but right now the weather is Perfect. There are low lying clouds off shore, waiting for the cool of evening to roll in and blanket everything in a soupy fog. That would be nice. Foggy in the morning, foggy at night, sunny in the middle, and my day's a delight!

All around me the RV people putter with their Stuff. This is the background music of the passing days in an RV park. The neighbors all seem to want to be alone, just like me, and that's surprisingly refreshing.

Gray water tank is half full, so I need to empty or go without a shower in the morning. Deal with it now, and stay ahead of the curve. Did I mention that the water outlet in the Airstream is lower than the RV park sewer inlet? And since water seldom goes uphill except in the Bible (Red Sea parting episode), this is an unpleasant chore. There should be a pump, or is that just too obvious. Duh. Why is this entire camping this so Primitive? Didn't we send men to the moon? Yes, they wore diapers, but you get the idea...

I have found it! The noisy buzz was the refrigerator fan. It is very quiet from the outside, but the hard mount and hollow cabinet sure do make it a lot worse. So I disconnect the fuse, and now the sweet sounds of the surf are much more enjoyable.

One improvement of minor note, I have removed the cosmetic valance over a window blind which was installed improperly at the factory so that it interfered with the control rod operation. The Quality Control manager must have been sick when my unit rolled off the final assembly line.

And, finally, a decorating note: I cut up some west coast campground maps and scotch-taped them to the ugly white vertical surfaces for a big improvement. Better color and educational too!

Road Trip #1: Day 1, Malibu, CA

2009-09-16T23:20:00.000-07:00

The "Morning Of" went well enough, a flurry of activity, of course, but it seemed to go without any major problems. I was just hoping that I wouldn't get 100 miles down the road and realize that I forgot something essential. I hate when that happens!

In its first real test, the Garmin GPS in the Toyota FJ Cruiser works well enough to get me where I need to go, in spite of several disconcerting audible messages that advise me that it has lost its satellites.

The drive went smoothly enough, and I soon pulled in to a commercial campground in Malibu, on the legendary Pacific Coast Highway, right across the street from the Pacific Ocean. Some first impressions:

Electricity! Real electricity, not from batteries, but the good old fashioned stuff right out of the plug waiting by the parking space. An inexhaustible supply, no generator needed, no battery recharging needed. Just like home! I can charge my computer/iPhone/iPod and listen to music and microwave food and use the air conditioner all at the same time without blowing a fuse. This is truly civilized living!

Wi-Fi. I can use the computer for email instead of using the mini screen on the iPhone, and it's a lot faster too.

Water! Right out of the hose, an unlimited supply, so I can take a real shower without being concerned about running out or overfilling my gray water tank. However, the trailer's water outlet is lower than the park's inlet. And, from what I learned as a child, water doesn't go uphill. What is this all about? Didn't Wally B. start this camping stuff like 70 years ago? How can it be that the Airstream is designed with such a low water outlet? How can it be that a campground in Malibu (USA) decided to build sewer inlets higher than an Airstream outlet? I guess I'm just going to have to get used to the idea that outdoor types don't spend very much time thinking about such details. Probably a plethora of mesomorphs involved in this camping thing.

View. A great 180-degree white-water view of the Pacific. I have a front-row seat (parking spot), precariously close to the edge of the hill. I chock the wheels for the first time. Sure, the spot is level, sort of, but the idea of some kids coming along in the night and pushing the trailer over the edge is unsettling. (I'm remembering my own mis-spent youth.)

Weather. Perfect. 74 degrees, clear.

Cost. 80 bucks per night! Yikes! That seems high to me, but it's probably a lot less than any hotel I might find in Malibu. And I know where the sheets have been...

Cons.
1. The traffic noise during the day all but obliterates the sounds of the surf.
2. No Sunsets! That was a huge surprise. Malibu faces south, and is cut of from sunset views by some mass of land to the west. Total bummer! How do these people survive without sunsets?
3. No Pool Table. Actually, there is a pool table, but it is closed after 6pm when the campground store closes. It seems obvious that these people are not pool players. It's probably just as well because the table is in a semi-outdoor spot, so the table and equipment is almost certainly FUBAR due to the ocean salty humidity.

Late at night, the traffic noise decreases until there are moments, some lasting almost a minute, where there are no cars at all, and the sweet sounds of the surf can be heard. Big, clean waves roll in and crash on the beach with the sound of thunder.

There is a buzzing sound coming from the refrigerator area. It will not stop unless I turn off all electricity, and of course then the food will spoil, so that's no solution. It is not at all conducive to sleeping, and of course it completely spoils the natural sounds of the surf.

Road Trip #1: The Night Before

2009-09-15T23:05:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to get out of town on a decent road trip, but all the details of trying to make schedules and reservations was just too much for me to deal with so I finally did what has worked so many times in the past: I delegated the details!

One of my favorite sayings: "I delegate, therefore I am."

I simply charged my assistant Carol with making it happen. I gave her the final destination (Big Sur) and the duration (about 10 days) and asked her to research the campgrounds and see if she could make reservations for me along the way there and back. Many days of planning and preparation all come down to "The Night Before", an auspicious time if ever there was one.

I reflect on the other epic journeys in my life, all of which began with their own Night Before and Morning Of.

As always, I'm a little bit nervous, but also feeling confident and strong.

Nevertheless, I updated my Will.

I make last-minute piles of supplies and equipment, and tire myself out, finally getting to sleep and dreaming of Grand Adventure in the morning.

Generator blues...

2009-09-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

Hired a professional electrician to check out why my Yamaha 2400 generator will not start the Airstream air conditioner even though other Airstream owners claim that it works for them.

Still don't know why it works for others, but we know that it will never work for my Airstream air conditioner because it draws more juice to start than the generator puts out. The unit needs 48 amps to start! However only 24 amps will run everything simultaneously. That's good to know. So if I got a generator that put out 3,000 watts continuously it would cover normal operations, but still not start the air.

Road Trip #1.

2009-09-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

ROAD TRIP! Beaches, big trees, quiet, reading, planning, writing, pool, yoga, hiking. Secondary purpose: extended shakedown expedition for Airstream trailer.

A "Road Trip" definition:

Multi-city,

minimum 7-day,

epic locations (beaches, mountains, islands, Parks, events, etc.),

billiards is optional, but welcome.

Local #2: Silver Strand, Coronado, CA

2009-09-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

This was the second overnight trip in the Airstream. Actually got some sleep, but am convinced there must be an improvement with the bedroll. Check out Travasak.

The beach here is spectacular. Very wide, and goes as far as the eye can see, and that's forever. Just north of the camp area is a Restricted Area, so the walk starts out going South. Lots of kelp, probably due to the purse seine fishing boats just off-shore.

Noise from nearby highway overpowers the sounds of the surf.
Primitive.
Lots of parking space.
61.

Local #1 San Elijo State Beach, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA

2009-09-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

I have visited this campground before. This was my first over-night stay in the Airstream. I'm thinking that it was made easier because I am sort of familiar with the campground -- I have visited friends here on a couple of occasions. About 7 miles from home.

My birthday! Joey and I get into some seriously good frisbee on the beach at sunset.

I figured out that if I shower at home in the morning, then I don't have to fill and dump the tanks as frequently. I'm learning.

There may be hope...

2009-09-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

It is said that none of us is as smart as all of us, so I went online to the Airstream Knowledge Forum to see what "all of us" might have to say about my generator failings (see previous post).

Amazingly, there are posts by several people who say that their Yamaha EF2400IS unit does in fact start up their 13,500 BTU air conditioner on their Airstream.

That really confuses the issue for me, so I left a post begging for some help or insight into why it works for them but not me. It's really nice when the internet can connect you with people who will take the time to help. I got a couple of replies and offers to help and now I have something to try before I just give up completely and return the generator.

First thing to try is to see if the air conditioner will start up by using normal household AC electricity. There's no such juice in the storage unit, so I'll have to hook up and drive it 100 yards to check it out, but that's easy enough to do. If it starts the unit, then the next step is to measure the power draw on start-up to see if it's more than the generator puts out (2400 watts maximum). Then I can measure how much juice the generator is putting out. When I know all this, I should know where the problem lies.

If the air conditioner is drawing too much, then there may be a solution by installing a "hard start" device. This is way outside my talent zone for now, but I'm learning as I go...

Caveat Emptor

2009-09-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

The current (if you will excuse the pun) situation with the new generator not being able to run the Airstream air conditioner:

The Airstream local dealer service department got through to Carrier (the manufacturer of the AC unit) and they say that the unit will require 28 to 29 amps on startup although only 12.8 after startup.

So, 29 amps, multiplied by 115 volts, equals 3335 watts of power needed to start that sucker (only 1472 to keep it running). The generator that was recommended to me by the local Airstream sales rep is the Yamaha EF2400IS (the one I bought).

The Yamaha web page for this unit says it has "the highest output in its class -- enough to power up most 13,500 BTU RV air conditioners". The specs page shows that it produces 2400 watts max, 2000 watts rated. But the Airstream AC unit needs 3335 watts. Big difference!

The generator I need will cost twice as much as the one recommended, in addition to about $500 in return shipping and restocking fees to return the one that doesn't work.

The bottom line: "Caveat Emptor" Let the buyer beware! And, of course, the real bottom line is that I did not do my homework and check every detail. Instead I relied on the recommendation of the Airstream sales rep, who, as it turns out, made the recommendation based on no personal experience whatsoever, just the recommendation of his local Yamaha generator dealer, who, it seems perfectly clear now, had no idea what he was talking about.

I guess you could call this an expensive learning experience.

Service notes

2009-08-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

I finally got a free day to take the Airstream in for some warranty work.
1. The monitor panel was replaced and now my black water tank level indicates correctly.
2. The incredibly loud water pump was a simple matter of the hoses banging against each other, and all is now much quieter. What a relief, and a pleasant surprise that it was so simple to fix.
3. A couple of fit-and-finish issues with weatherstripping were taken care of, but one became un-fixed almost immediately. So I get to put it on the list for next time.
4. After several attempts, it is now fixed: the screw that was missing and could not stay in to the support for the dump hose storage tube.

Not bad, really. Except for:
1. Still need hole drilled to accept the removable tongue wheel. The next time will be the 3rd request.

It's interesting to me that there is no formal document created when you bring your Airstream in for service. There is nothing to sign to say this is what you want done, no estimate of costs, and nothing to sign to say you have received your Airstream back. Nothing at all to say who did the work, how long it took, and of course, no records that would show how many times something was requested and not done, or had to be redone. Without this information, there can be no measurable quality control. And, in business, if it can not be measured, it can not be managed. It's a completely different experience when I bring my Toyota FJ Cruiser in for service!

But, on balance, I was in and out of there in no time at all, and time passed very quickly as I toured the other Airstreams on the lot, looking for my next upgrade, feeding my aluminum lust. It was interesting seeing how much nicer the new ones are than my bare-bones model. For now, I've got plenty to keep me busy...

For example, the Yamaha inverter arrived and, with help, gave it a try, and it ran the TV and the microwave, but it couldn't start the Air Conditioner. It was a hot day, maybe 85 degrees, and it takes extra power to start an AC unit, but at least 6 tries it gave a power overload reset on the inverter. Disappointing. This is the inverter that was recommended for this model by Airstream...

The inverter is huge and heavy (79 lbs.). There is no way I'm going to schlep that critter around. So that means mounting it in the rear of the Toyota, and running it with the hatch door open. Seems like it will be necessary to do some custom work to make it work right in that space.

My concern is that it is too small a unit to be satisfactory. If it can't run all the appliances simultaneously, it is sub-optimal.
On the plus side, a larger unit would have an option for wireless starting, which certainly seems much more civilized than the raw work of this lower rated model. But it's going to cost a lot more money, be lots heavier, take up more space, noisier...

And the beat goes on...

Electric Avenue

2009-08-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

I just want to turn stuff on, and off.

Why is it so complicated with AC and DC and volts and amps and watts and generators and inverters and some things use one kind but not the other and some things go both ways. Some devices need a generator (not supplied). Some devices can get by with a smaller generator, but to use the AC you need a bigger generator. And even then you might blow a fuse if you wanted to use the AC and the microwave at the same time.

We put a man on the moon 40 years ago, but today I can't charge my iPhone in the Airstream unless I had the engine running in the tow vehicle, or a separate generator running? Even then I could do it only with a non-Airstream add-on inverter.

Why present buyers with all these variables, doubts, concerns, etc. Offer a complete power solution that is simple.

If you plug into "shore power" you can run all your stuff without worry of overload. However, the very design and purpose of the vehicle is to be able to go places and be off the grid. It seems that a simple, complete solution would sell more than a product that does not address the many power issues. Maybe it's just me, but I think there's a big market waiting.

I feel like I need a degree in physics to deal with this stuff. It would be a lot easier for me if I could buy a complete and integrated power solution that included a generator that will run anything in the trailer, including air conditioning, and charge the batteries. run an iPod and charge my iPhone, and run my laptop computer, etc. That just doesn't seem to be asking too much.

And then there's the whole subject of propane and solar! Make it simple, people will buy.

This is an opportunity for Airstream to offer a complete solution, so more people buy and use their products, and be happier customers.

The bottom line is that Airstream would enjoy a steady flow of new profits from this business opportunity.

Checklist Version 1.0

2009-08-19T17:20:00.000-07:00

I have already screwed up in ways too embarrassing to say, and it only confirms to me that if I had taken the time to prepare (and use) some basic checklists, I might have saved myself some grief. So today I took a first pass at it:

Pre-Departure Checklist

Tow Vehicle checkout

Refuel tow vehicle, check fluids
Tires - check pressure, also spare

Trailer checkout

Tires - check pressure
Dump black and gray water
Fresh water fill

Propane - check levels
Refrigerator - start

Recharge electronics:

iPhone

iPod

Camera
Computer
Kindle

Food Inventory

Oatmeal
FRS
Coffee
Coffee Filters
Trail Mix bars
Water
V8 juice
Mini-moos

Supplies Checklist

TP, soap, shampoo, toothpaste
Black water additives
Trash bags
Baggies, small, large
Paper towels
Sponges
Towels - kitchen, bath (large & small), beach
Batteries - D, C, AA, AAA, 9-volt

Pre-Departure Shopping

Water Bottles, 6 per day, minimum
Fruit, bananas, oranges
Murphy's/Guinness/Bushmills/Tequila/Wine
Fruit Juices (mango and blueberry)
Maple Syrup
Half and Half
Soups
Prepared meals, sauces

Ice

Pre-Tow Checklist

Load all supplies, food, water, clothes, etc.

Load all campground items (chairs, etc) into T.V. and Airstream

Interior Lock-Down

Bathroom
Window, close
Shower door closed and snapped secure
Shower items secure
Blinds, secure, close
Counter top, stow or secure loose items
Lights, off

Kitchen
Countertop - stow loose items
Sink - water off, lid closed, drain open
Window - close, blinds secure and closed
Upper Storage - secure, closed
Lower Storage - secure, closed
Ceiling Fan - turn off
Ceiling Vent - close tight
Refrigerator - close door, stow/secure items on top
Gas Stove - check gas off, lower lid
TV - secure
TV antenna - lower and secure
Lights off

Bed
Side Window - close, secure and close blinds
Upper Storage - secure contents, turn off radio, remove iPod charger, close covers
Skylight cover - close
Electrical Master Switch - turn ON to recharge batteries during tow
Lights off, overhead and switches by the door
Under bed storage area, secure

Exit
Check KEYS IN HAND
Slide lock left
Close the door firmly
Check it is locked
Stow the step

Exterior Walk-around Inspection

Door closed, locked secure
Entry step stowed
RF stabilizer raised
Awning secure
Fresh water door secure
Kitchen window closed
Sewer hose storage tube cover, secure
RR stabilizer raised
Rear Window secure
LR stabilizer raised
Sewer and Gray water valve pulls closed securely
Water Outlet cover secure
Outside Shower door secure
City Water inlet secure
Sewer Flush inlet secure
Refrigerator Vents, upper and lower, secure
Shore Power door secure
Cable TV cover secure
Hot Water Heater door secure
LF stabilizer raised
Side Window closed
Front (Pano) window cover secure
Propane cover secure
Battery secure

Hitch Checklist

Starting at Right Rear of Tow Vehicle (T.V.)
Raise Tongue to 18"
Hitch lever - slide forward and flip up
Remove ball cover on tow vehicle, stow it in T.V.
Grease ball
Back tow vehicle into position
Lower Tongue over ball completely
Hitch lever - flip down securely
Raise tongue again to 18"
Load Equalizer Bar - Install Left and Right
Lower tongue completely, raising post fully
Safety chains, crossed and hook to T.V.
Breakaway cable, hook to safety chain clevis hook
Electric connection - hook securely to T.V.

Final Walk-Around Checklist

T.V. headlights on
T.V. rear hatch window and door closed secure
T.V. rear lights on
Trailer door closed secure,
Step stowed
Check lights on T.V. and trailer
Check hitch
T.V. mirrors
GPS set destination
iPhone, mount on dashboard, bluetooth hookup, power hookup
Pull out slowly, listen for problems
Check brakes
Equalize trailer and T.V. brakes
Go!

Day Trip 2: Torrey Pines State Beach, Torrey Pines, CA

2009-08-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

At 5:30 AM, I showed up just in time to get the last parallel parking spot along Highway 101. I love these handful of spots because the Airstream door opens out onto the sand, or at most 2-3 steps from the sand. And it's free.

Park all day from 6AM to 11AM, but no overnight stays allowed.

This is a no-brainer for me. The Airstream storage is maybe 2 miles away, and the beach is about 3 miles from there, so I can be there with a minimum of effort. The effort/reward ratio is very high.

Kendra and Debbie were featured guests for the first pancake breakfast in the Airstream. Forgot the flipper. Duh.

Feeling the need for a generator.

Dixie Dancy saved my life!

2009-08-13T12:09:00.000-07:00

It all started when I was at the Airstream dealer, the only Airstream dealer in Southern California, looking to learn more about the different models. It was really just a scouting mission, to see them in real life instead of the brochure and website.

The first one I looked at was the Sport 17 model, and the special price was marked in big numbers on the front pano window. However, since I am the son of a car dealer, I am quite familiar with the ways of some dealers, and a healthy dose of skepticism can save a person some real nasty mistakes. So I asked to see the MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) which is a document that by federal law must be shown. In the car trade the document is known as the Monroney sticker because it was Senator Monroney who sponsored the bill which mandated the disclosure of such prices in a standard format. All that aside, many people are not aware of the federal law, or the MSRP, or the window (Monroney) sticker, and if they see a big number written on the window, they just assume that's the price. Not me, I know better. And I've seen those special prices on the window that are actually HIGHER than the MSRP, but you wouldn't know that without checking the MSRP.

(click the photo to see the detail)

So far, so good. The dealer shows me the Monroney sticker price document, and my first reaction is that this thing is Bogus! Totally bogus. The first thing I notice is that the name Airstream is nowhere on the document! How can that be? Is this an Airstream or not? It shows that it's a Sport 17, but not an Airstream? Weird. Very suspicious. I look around the lot, and there are plenty of Airstreams. Very well stocked. I figure they just MUST be an Airstream dealer because of the research on the internet I've been doing, and all paths point to this place being the only authorized dealer in SoCal.

So I call their bluff. I mention the obvious missing name of Airstream on the document, and ask the sales rep, Jerry Handley, very directly if he is sure that this is the official MSRP document, and he assures me, very earnestly that it is in fact the proper document. I am not convinced.

While we are discussing the missing manufacturer name (not even a logo!) I take a closer look and... what the heck is that: the word "gray" is spelled GREAY! And the word "height" is spelled "HIEIGHT" and to add insult to injury, on the line right below that, the same word "height" is spelled HGITH. What the heck is this about? Don't these people use computers? How can such things get through a spell-checker? Or, was this thing typed by hand, on a bad day when the computers were down, and it was the last day of the month, and they needed to ship a few units in order to get their bonuses, and the lights were off so they couldn't see what they were typing, and they ran out of the official forms with the company name and logo? Sure, I can buy that scenario. Stuff happens! A once in a lifetime comedy of errors and I'm standing there looking at the evidence. I'm thinking that maybe I have an instant collector's item here that's going to be worth a few bucks in another hundred years or so. Yeah, right, says my car dealer's son's skeptical brain. This thing was typed locally, and poorly, to bogus up the numbers so they could make a few extra bucks from any rube who is naive enough to believe it.

But my mother always brought me up to be nice, so I didn't say all that to Jerry Handley, who may really not have known that the boss was cranking out bogus MSRPs in the dead of night. Jerry, by the way, was really very helpful, patient, and informative... the ideal sort of person you would want to help you on an exploratory mission. Certainly not the kind of guy you would expect to be in on a con.

The mystery was not solved that day, and I went home to consider my anticipated purchase of the Sport 17, and to do some more research on the price. And I'll be darned... the numbers seemed legit, so what the heck was the reason for the very strange Monroney sticker?

I let that question go for later, put a down payment on the Airstream the next day, spent a few more days buying a tow vehicle, and then went back to do the deal and take delivery and tow it home and start learning all about the magical mysteries of Airstreaming.

Until this morning, when I finally ran out of plausible scenarios that could produce such a document from a company with a reputation for quality. My curiosity finally got the best of me and put me over the edge of caution and fear and launched me into one of modern life's most dreaded experiences: Calling a big business customer service department.

Let me explain... I've been in the business world, computers to be specific, for the last 45 years, and I know that dealing with customer service people can be some of the most challenging events in a person's life. I dread calling customer service departments at ANY company, even the best are bad. Now when you also consider the fact that I will soon be 67 years old, and I do not suffer fools lightly, I treat all customer service interactions as potentially life-threatening (to me). I avoid these situations like the plague. But as I mentioned, curiosity got the best of me.

In Fear of The Hammer of Thor

So I picked up the phone and called the Airstream company, division of Thor Industries, which owns several makes of RVs. "Thor"? Really? Viking God of Thunder and excellent customer service? No Way, right?

I was greeted nicely by a pleasant voice who asked me how they could help. Of course, being the skeptic, and having dealt with more than one person whose job it is to "help" customers, I was expecting to be transferred several times to the wrong people, and then having my call dropped, and calling back several more times, more transfers, leaving messages, etc, etc, etc... BUT NO! I said I had an MSRP document that seemed strange, but then figured that she probably didn't know what an MSRP is, so I asked her, and I'll be darned if she didn't come right out with "sure, it's the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price"!

Oh, I've got a real, live, thinking human being here! She sounds like she knows what she's talking about AND she seems to care. What are the odds of that?

She asks me for the last 5 digits of the serial number, on the upper right of the document, and almost instantly she retrieves it from her computer. I continue with my story, and mention that the name Airstream is nowhere on the document, and I'll be darned, after a brief look-see on her part, she agrees with me, and also agrees that it is strange, but hadn't noticed that before. She does say that there is a faint graphic showing a guy pulling an Airstream with a bicycle, but that doesn't show on my copy, which was scanned and emailed to me by the dealer. And I don't remember seeing it on the document that was shown to me by the dealer, but maybe that was a copy, and some copiers don't pick up light blue, so we move on to the typos. I directed her to the first one, told her how many lines up from the bottom of the right column, and before I could be more specific, she spots it herself and says "the word gray is wrong". This girl is sharp, seriously on the ball. So I direct her to look two lines down and Bingo! Again she spots the extra letter "I" in the word "HIEIGHT". I am really impressed now, so I wasn't so surprised when she spotted the other error on the following line too.

This person is truly a ray of sunshine in the cold, dark world of customer service. She is extremely polite, and helpful, and very much on my side with all this. She verifies all the prices on the document, and our paperwork is in agreement, perfectly. So that's the end of the mystery to me, but she goes on to assure me that she will take these things up with the top guy in the sales department right away, and be sure these things are handled, and because of her tone, and her on-the-ball awareness, intelligence, and courtesy, I actually believe her! You can't get better than that.

One in a Million?

So we hang up and I'm feeling like I just had one of those one in a million customer service experiences. And then I call back and just had to know her name because I'm going to let the president of Airstream know he's got one very, very good person working there.

Dixie is her name. Dixie Dancy. What a fun name! ("and I'm not a dancer" she says with a fun spirit in her voice)

If there are any Airstream competitors out there who need to upgrade their customer service department, you should call Dixie and pay her a lot of money. But if your name is Bob Wheeler, president of Airstream, I suggest you call Dixie into your office and give her a big fat raise and tell her what a great job she is doing as an ambassador of goodwill for Airstream, and give her every promotion she can handle, and I'm thinking that's big.

Thanks, Dixie, and all the best to you!

ps: Bob Wheeler, President of Airstream... they have things called spell-checking software nowadays, usually free. All you need to do is use it. And, putting the name Airstream on the MSRP would be nice! Probably wouldn't cost 20 cents in ink over the next hundred years to make that addition.

So, how did Dixie Dancy save my life? Well, the story continues...

After hanging up the phone, I was feeling pretty good. My faith in human nature was refreshed for the first time in a long time. Some people (in addition to me) really are excellent. And today I had the good fortune to meet up with one of them. I had my faith restored in human decency, even some humans in the vehicle business. Wow!'

Customer Service Call-From-Hell

So, while riding this euphoria, I decided to go visit my Airstream, sitting lonely in storage, and fiddle around with it to prepare it for a day trip this weekend. I went downstairs to the garage, hopped in my daily driver (2006 Corvette convertible) and poked at the start button. Click. Nothing. WTF? I just gave it a good ride yesterday, what's the problem? Poke the start button again. Click. Nothing. Damn. Can't be the battery, the lights are on strong. Instruments look weird when the power comes on, strange messages, engine light is on. I'm thinking the computer is FUBAR. Bugger All. I go to open the door, to get out to call the dealer on the cell phone....

The door doesn't open! I AM LOCKED IN MY CAR! The other door doesn't open. OK, just breathe easy, there's got to be a way out of this. But how? I call the dealer on my cell. Push one for sales, two for service, three for parts, four for... No selection to push for LOCKED IN MY CAR and getting freaked out about it, so I hit zero and try to explain to the operator and she says she never heard of anyone getting locked inside a car before, and transfers me to an "advisor" who never answers the phone and I get a voicemail, which could take days to get a reply, and by then I'll be dead of an apoplectic fit, if not hunger. So I call back and tell her this is an emergency (what if it was 3AM and the dealer was closed?) and please don't transfer me, but sure enough she does, but this time I get an advisor who tells me to rip up the carpet behind the seat I'm sitting in (Corvette, right? There is NO room to even change your mind in there, let alone do the gymnastics to pull up the carpet behind the seat to find a lever to open the door). In any case, I manage to pull up the carpet... no lever! He asks if there is anyone else around who can help? Yes, several, and aren't they enjoying this little freak show! Give them my key so they can open the trunk and in there is another lever to open... but wait, he says, another "advisor" has told him about a lever (invisible in the dark) inside the car, next to my seat that will open the door, and I find it and I'm FREE AT LAST! I breathe the fresh air of Freedom and thank God I'm alive and I don't have to talk with these people any more.

But, of course, I now have to deal with getting the car towed to the dealer, and that took two different people from Triple A to come out and look and poke things and test and tell me it's the battery, but then of course it's not, and how are we gonna get this car out of the garage, and so on and so on until finally it's on the flat-bed truck and down the road

and I'm back in my easy chair thanking my lucky stars I haven't gone purple and insane with rage at the mediocrity of all Mankind, until I remember Dixie Dancy who just one hour before had put me in such a good mood that if it were not for her I would surely have popped a brain artery, or my whole heart would have exploded, and I would be dead as possum on Highway 101.

Thank you Dixie Dancy, you saved my life!

So I'm sitting here in my easy chair enjoying a pint of the good stuff, with a shot of Bushmills Irish whiskey cradled in an Airstream shot glass, and itself dropped into the good stuff. Some people call it an Irish Car Bomb, but in my youth we called it a boilermaker. Call it what you will, it's good to be alive, sometimes!

(click the photo to see the detail)

Mikie Gets a Juice Box

2009-08-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

I couldn't take it any longer, so I finally splurged and ordered the Yamaha EF2400IS generator (inverter) with mods to run on propane or gas. In a discussion this morning with the technical support guy Bill Nutter, I learned that only the next size up allows a remote start, and that is twice the weight, so I'm going to have to use the pull start. I'm not looking forward to that in nasty weather!

This generator will need to have a custom made housing to protect it from the weather. Additional mods will be needed to tap into the propane line on the Airstream. This will eliminate the need for a separate propane tank to supply the generator.

Continuing in the spirit of shopping, I dropped in to Camping World and got myself some jack pads and a couple of shopping bags of cheap stuff you can't live without but will probably break or not work almost immediately.

More Systems Checkout

2009-08-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

The Tow-yota FJ Cruiser has a built-in 120 Volt outlet in the rear hatch area, so I checked it out this afternoon with an air compressor and used it to inflate the Airstream tires to 45 lbs. (they were at only 34). Good to know I can use it in case of emergency, but still looking forward to a pro generator (see 3 posts back).

Best Airstream Interior, Ever

2009-08-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

I had been wanting an Airstream for many years, and never made the move until I saw a vintage Airstream done by David Winick who created what I consider to be the best looking interior ever. I had no idea an Airstream could look so good inside.

David Winick is a true artist. Check out his website and I'm sure you'll agree.

I immediately wanted him to do one for me, but I really had no idea what I wanted, or needed, or should have. It would have taken me ages to figure it all out, and meanwhile I was itching to jump right in. I felt that if I didn't get an Airstream soon, the window might close, and it would never happen. So I got the most basic Airstream possible, chalking it all up to a learning experience. And when I learn what I really want/need/should have, I hope to go back to David Winick for a real work of art that will last me a lifetime.

Meanwhile, I have David Winick to thank for giving me the inspiration to jump in and get started. Thank you, David!

Wally Byam Caravan Club International

2009-08-10T09:26:00.001-07:00

Emailed the application for membership in the Wally Byam Caravan Club International this morning, San Diego Unit. Hopefully, I'll learn some good stuff that will save me some pain and/or expense later.

Continuous Improvements

2009-08-09T18:43:00.000-07:00

I finally secured the spare tire to the roof rack with some ratcheting straps I picked up at Pep Boys. Now there's room to open the rear hatch wide enough to be useful.

Still working on a solution to where to put the bike, but I'm thinking it can go on the front of the Tow-yota. I might have to mount some 'roo bars first, and then hang the bike rack on the 'roo bars, and then that might block the headlights, but eventually I'll figure it out.

The generator is getting close to being solved. I'm thinking of getting a hybrid Yamaha EF2400IS from US Carburetion who convert the standard unit to allow using propane/LNG/gasoline, and mounting it on the roof of the Tow-yota. The alternative fuels and roof mount will solve all kinds of problems for me. There are a few more details to deal with before I commit to this approach. It's a big ticket item, so I need to be sure it will work.

I spent some time today to start work on some checklists.

Maiden Voyage / Shakedown Cruise

2009-08-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

Torrey Pines beach. There's a half-mile section of Historic Highway 101 between Del Mar and Torrey Pines that runs at sea-level, right next to the sand. And of that scrap of prime real estate, there's a very small section that allows parallel parking, which, if you have an RV, you can pull up right along the beach and have sand at your front door, from 6AM to 11PM.

This is Fantasy-Sand for me. I've lived in Del Mar for 25+ years, and have always wanted to have an Airstream I could park there during the day to fully enjoy the beach scene (Frisbee, walk, bike, swim, etc), in the comforts of my own home.

On the pro side, the Airstream is WAY less expensive than a beachfront home, but the con is that you can't stay overnight. That's ok with me. If I can be there for 17 hours, I don't really need the other 7.

Yesterday I finally had the chance to play out my dream. I set the alarm for 4:30AM, but the alarm in my head woke me at 4:24AM and by 5 o'clock I was pulling the Airstream out of storage and on my way in plenty of time to be there before anyone else slipped in and took the primo parking spot.

On my arrival I was treated to a Full Moon setting into the Pacific, with Jupiter following along. Here's the photo (Canon PowerShot 950IS, handheld):

I walked out to the surf line, turned around and took this shot of my rig silhouetted against the rising sun (iPhone 3GS, handheld):

For some reason, I really like that photo, maybe because it has the least amount of detail to get the message across. Minimalism in photo and subject!

The first order of business was to ready the rig for use, including removing the bike from the interior, setting up the stuff I put away to keep from getting knocked over by the road bumps on the short trip, opening some windows, etc. In no time at all it was light enough to take one of my favorite walks south to Flat Rock, along the high cliffs below Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. But I didn't get that far because I was noticing how sweet and clean the beach was, all smoothed out by the fully receded high tide from the Full Moon. It was perfect for a bike ride, so I walked back to the Airstream and unlocked the Electra Sparker Special and headed out to do what that bike was designed to do: Beach Cruisin'... Why walk when you can ride?

After the ride it was time to get down to the business of checking out the systems in the Airstream.

1. Hot water for a shower? Check. Nowhere near the amount of water I use at home, but enough to get the major dirt off. The hot/cold control is very sensitive! Must remember that or face the consequences...

2. Propane stove? Check. Of course oatmeal is not very complex, but it's enough to survive.

3. Toilet? Check. Weird, but workable.

4. Music? Check. My iPod touch is plugged in to the Airstream stereo system AUX port and gets power from the DC plug.

5. Reading material? Check. My Kindle2 is loaded with good stuff, fully charged and worked like a charm. Currently reading Mark Twain's takedown of Christian Science. He's America's Favorite Author for good reason.

6. Ventilation? Check. Even as the temperatures hit 79 and the sun beat down without mercy on the aluminum skin, it never got too hot inside, and in fact I never felt the need to lower the awning. The electric ceiling exhaust fan draws plenty of cooling air up and out. In fact, with all the windows open and the light ocean breeze, it was almost too cool even at 73 degrees.

7. Refrigeration? Check. I started it up the afternoon before, so it would be at operating temperature when I needed it. Worked like a charm using propane all day.

8. Nappable? Check. I can fully stretch out and sleep without touching the walls, but there's not a lot of extra room without pulling out the extension to make it wider, and even then I wouldn't want to spend the night with... well, maybe I would, but that's another story!

So far, so good. Of course I learned a few things I wasn't expecting:

1. Generator. If the Airstream is not hooked up to outside 120 volt service, then you will not be able to operate the microwave, or air conditioner without a generator. Everything else works off the DC (battery) and/or propane, but there's only one 12 volt battery, so it can go fast. The tow vehicle can recharge the battery, but using a 6-cylinder engine to recharge the battery is overkill, and it still will not run the microwave or A/C.

2. Hammock. I really want to rig up a hammock. Star-gazing is so much better with a hammock. So are naps.

3. The Curious. Some people feel compelled to interrupt whatever you are doing (I was in a meeting with a Protégé at the time) and fire an interminable barrage of questions about the Airstream. I'm going to print up a brochure with all the questions and answers, so I can save myself a lot of grief with these people. I don't want to be rude, but I don't want to get sucked into hearing about everyone else's brother-in-law's trailer they had when they were a kid. thank you!

4. Perimeter. I'm learning that it is desirable to stake out a claim of space in front of the entry to the Airstream, otherwise people will be getting up in my face without warning. I should have parked in such a way that the tow vehicle and the trailer formed a V with the open end of the V along the beach, but I left enough space so that some runners, walkers, curiosity seekers, and general ne'er do wells could easily choose to pass by on either side of my rig. I've seen some bamboo fences that would work great for this purpose and offer some extra privacy.

5. Checklists. As a pilot, I am fully aware of the importance of checklists, but I haven't taken the time to make them up for this new adventure. The are especially important at 4:30AM when trying to get on the road. This time I only forgot my iPhone and camera and had to cruise past home to pick them up on the way to the beach. And I still forgot the GPS system (not that I needed it for this trip, of course, but it could have been ugly without it on a major trip). I also forgot to stow the vent cover, and a few other items. Even the small things can escalate into major problems. Checklists are essential.

In summary: It was a great day at the beach, far surpassing my expectations. I'm planning a lot more days at Torrey Pines, and lots of other beaches nearby, and then moving up the coast toward Big Sur and beyond...

Love at First Sight?

2009-08-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

The date: June 30, 2009. High noon.

The place: Southwest Coaches in Irvine, CA,

the only Airstream dealer in Southern California. This little gem was sitting right next to the office. The door was open, the ceiling fan drawing cool, fresh air through the open windows. I could feel a strange fascination. I wanted to remember the details, so I took this little video with my new iPhone 3GS.

Jerry Handley is the salesman who allowed me to buy this new home on wheels. It followed me home a few days later; first I had to get a tow vehicle and a place to put it.

They say love is a madness.

So I guess this is Mikie's Mini-Madness.

California Parks

2009-08-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

Ordered the annual day-use pass for California parks.

Hopefully it is $125 well spent.

Looking forward to visiting a lot of them!

A step back

2009-08-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

The bike rack mounted on the spare tire is just not going to work.

1. When hitched up, and the Tow-yota is in a tight turn, the bike rubs against the propane housing.

2. The bike severely limits the opening to the rear cargo area when hitched up.

3. The rear window opens only a crack before it hits the bike rack.

Three strikes and you're out, rack!

So for now, the bike will have to be stored inside the Airstream. I'm going to look for a rack for the FRONT bumper!

Another improvement will be to store the spare tire on the roof rack, so I can open the cargo hatch a lot more. As it is now, the spare hits the automatic jack on the trailer. Stowing the spare on the roof will allow mounting the backup video camera in a perfect location to assist with hitching up.

I think I'm zero-ing in on the right setup.

Progress continues, one small step at a time...

2009-08-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made some progress in several important areas:

1. Backup lessons from good buddy David. G. who has plenty of experience with his 40' motor-home towing a 27' trailer with his NASCAR racer inside. After an hour of lessons, we calmed our frustration with a couple of shots of tequila! Here's a summary of the lessons:

a. keep hands on bottom of the wheel, use mirrors only.

b. point thumb in direction you want the back of the trailer to go.

c.. make small corrections.

d. pull forward a little bit when it gets FUBAR.

e. patience, sense of humor

2. Storage containers, clear plastic, in several sizes and used to organize the tools, sprays, and miscellaneous stuff. I feel a lot better now!

3. Coffee! I made my first cup of coffee in the Airstream, so now I know I can survive. This was an essential test of the propane stove to be able to boil water, and proof that I have the essential pan, drinking water, coffee, sugar, and Mini-Moos for half and half (do not require refrigeration). I'll check refrigeration in a subsequent test.

4. Reconnoissance mission at midnight last night to check out the parking hours for Torrey Pines Beach (no parking from 11pm to 6am).

I'm getting real close to rolling it out. Maybe on the Full Moon!

The Way It Was

2009-07-31T20:31:00.000-07:00

Demystifying RV Battery Capacity

2009-07-31T20:04:00.001-07:00

From the

RV Boondocking News

an informative article:

Demystifying RV Battery Capacity

Something I need to know more about!

Backin' that AS up!

2009-07-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

The title of this post is a take-off on a rap favorite, and I normally hate rap, but in this situation it seems appropriate.

The good news is that I got this "Hitch Ball Finder" at Camping World and after getting all the visual noise out of the way, it works pretty good at hitching up. I feel that I have now graduated and feel relatively confident at this elementary skill.

The bad news is that backing up the tow vehicle is tons easier than backing up with the Airstream connected. It seems they always want to go in wrong directions, kinda like herding cats.

I know I'll get it figured out. Here's my affirmation of the day:

I am a highly intelligent person, with lots of patience and a great sense of humor. With practice I will soon become expert at backing up my Airstream and be able to park it in the most challenging spaces!

More baby steps

2009-07-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

Still adding essentials to the Airstream:
1. Wheel chocks
2. Grease for the hitch
3. Silicone lube for all the moving parts
4. Gloves for the dumping procedure (real gloves, not those disposable ones)
4a. Lysol for above.
5. Microwavable, lightweight dishes (link)
6. Sleeping bag
7. Post-it notes and pens
8. Bike rack for tow vehicle which frees up tons of cargo space inside.

I spent some time yesterday practicing backing up the tow-yota into hitch position, and I was not pleased with my progress. The bike rack and bike hanging off the spare tire add more visual noise which doesn't help, even with the special-purpose magnet-based removable mirror which is supposed to help. What's up with that? It's only two-dimensional reasoning, but it's backwards. I either need more practice, or I have to invent my own solution that works for me. I have no doubt that I will get it down, but it's interesting to watch me fumble around with the learning process. Learning patience...

Will it fit in a shipping container?

2009-07-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

In thinking long range, for when I run out of beaches on the west coast of North America, I get to considering the challenge of shipping the Airstream and the tow vehicle to Europe, or New Zealand, or wherever.

The solution I had always thought most practical was to simply drive the entire rig, tow vehicle and trailer together, into a 40' shipping container and put a label on the outside, close the door, and presto!

Not so. It doesn't fit. Not by much, but a miss is as good as a mile, in this case.

Check out the standard shipping container sizes.

and

Check out the size of the littlest Airstream.

So that idea is out.
I guess it will just have to go in the hold, just like all the other un-containerized stuff. I wonder how much it will cost? That will come in another post, when I get closer to the ship date.

Triple-A, such a deal

2009-07-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

I think it was Airstream super-salesman Jerry Handley who told me about it: there is an add-on to the normal Triple-A (AAA) Roadside Assistance plan which you can get to cover trailers, RVs, and motorcycles. So I stopped off at the local AAA office today and for only $27 added on to my annual roadside assistance premium, I am now covered for my Airstream trailer. That means that they change the tire when it goes flat, and that is so much more civilized than having to do it myself. And the 27 bucks covers up to 4 incidents, and includes towing (on hard surface roads only).

Such a deal!

Glitches Glaore, but still something nice to say!

2009-07-21T19:31:00.000-07:00

The backup video camera was installed off center, and too low, so trying to use it for hitching up is just too weird. It's going to have to be centered, and looking down from the roof of the tow vehicle, but it seems that the spare tire is in the way for that, so maybe the spare needs to go in the back of the tow-yota.

I towed the Airstream back to the dealer today to take care of some warranty work:

1. The monitor panel in the Airstream which shows the status of the fresh water, gray water, and black water tanks is malfunctioning. In order to get this checked I first had to dump the sewage in the tanks, and since this was my first adventure with that chore, I learned that I was not prepared with all the necessary Haz-Mat gear. I'm still learning! The trouble with the monitor is that the sending unit in the blackwater tank is giving FUBAR readings. New unit ordered and is due in 8 days! WTF? I'm learning patience....

2. Screw missing from the sewage hose storage tube. I mentioned this to them but they didn't fix it! WTF?

3. When I took delivery of the Airstream a couple of weeks ago, they forgot to give me the wheel for the tongue post. I figured I would get it installed today when they were doing other work, but it seems that the wheel can not be installed with the electric jack installed. WTF?

4. So far, 3 out of 3 and nothing is fixed. But without me mentioning it, they noticed that they had installed the tow hitch so that the front of the Airstream rides too high, and therefore the back is too low, and that means that the already-way-too-low sewage outlet valve rides even lower, so much so that it could easily hit a speed bump, and that could break the valve off and that would leave a major mess for me to clean up. So they installed a new hitch, and other adjustments to make it ride a bit better, but the valve design is just Wrong - way too low. WTF?

On the positive side, I was in the office while the service department was working on the Airstream, and I noticed a very neat 1/18 Motor City Classics scale model of a vintage Airstream, and was doing the "Wow! How cool is that" routine, and right out of the blue Jerry Handley, the salesman who helped me buy my Airstream, just up and gives it to me! Sweet! So now it's sitting on my mantle at Mikie's Fun House! What is interesting about the model is that nowhere on the box or the model does it say "Airstream" even though it is clearly, unmistakably an Airstream. Must have been a copyright battle on that issue!

Jerry Handley is a class act. He has been working there at Southwest Coaches for about 10 years and has sold Airstreams to some Hollywood headliners including

Matthew McConaughey - check this story about him and his Airstream in Architectural Digest, of all places!
Tom Hanks
Julia Roberts
Mike McCafferty (oops... shouldn't have mentioned that, he likes privacy!)
etc, etc.

More on Jerry Handley in a later post, just wanted to say Thanks for the neat model, Jerry!

Tow vehicle mods

2009-07-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

Finished major mods on the tow vehicle:

1. Backup video camera - so I can line up the trailer and the tow hitch without help. I sure wouldn't want to rely on the help of strangers, at night, in the rain. Another benefit of the backup camera is that it might keep me from running over children, pets, toys, cliffs, etc.

2. Bluetooth hands-free connection to the iPhone. It's the law in California that you can not talk on your cell phone without some sort of hands-free device. I could use ear-buds, but they kinda get old fast.

3. iPod interface to the car stereo system. Charges as it goes, and I can control tune selection and volume from the steering wheel. Gotta have tunes. audio books and podcasts on long drives.

Getting closer to heading out of town, but still need a bike rack which fits on spare tire.

Provisioning and Private Showings

2009-07-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

The first week at home has been spent turning checklists (see post below) into reality, and seeing just how I can stuff 10 lbs. of "stuff" into a 5 lb. bag (the trailer). So far, so good, but I have lots more to go. The key piece in the puzzle is to find a way to hang my bike on the outside of the Tow-yota so I can have a lot more room for traveling stuff and not clutter up the trailer.

I have not gone for any road trips yet. The first and foremost item needed is some way to make coffee in the morning, which means a pot to boil water. I just learned that an electric coffee pot using 110 volt will not work off the battery (also no iPod charging using the 110 volt plugs). So I need either a 110 volt generator, or else use the propane stove. I can charge the iPods using a car-charger, so I ordered one of those from Amazon.com.

Meanwhile, I have been having giving some friends private viewings. Sean checked it out first, and gave heaps of approval. Then David G. stopped by to break in the unit with a few shots of Patron tequila for each of us, while I showed him the rig and he showed me photos of his recent trip to France. David offered to give me lessons in how to back up the rig in exchange for me showing him how to put music on his iPhone. He's got lots of experience with trailering. He tows his NASCAR race car in a closed trailer behind his monster motor home! Today, Peter and Nancy were given the tour after pancake breakfast at Mikie's Fun House. Nancy thought it was "cute" (I guess I'm gonna have to get used to that kind of talk), and thought it looked like a toaster, and wouldn't it be fun to have two pieces of toast sticking out of the top of it! I had to agree that was highly creative and fun, but in the final analysis it would go against my principles of keeping a low profile.

I'm kinda itchin' to get on the road...

First Tow, Home from the dealer.

2009-07-07T19:01:00.000-07:00

"Li'l Sport" (new Airstream travel trailer) followed me home sweetly, and I'm learning humility and patience and sense of humor when I try to back it into parking spots!

I needed help to get it into the storage space. Of course, I needed help the first couple of times I tried to land an open-cockpit biplane in a crosswind. But I got the hang of that soon enough. It might be nice to have a video camera on the back of the trailer!

Need several checklists: Hooking-up, unhooking, camp set up/tear down, walk-around inspection, storage, connecting to "shore power", TV, water, sewer, wifi.

Tonight: study the Airstream owner's documents.

Tomorrow: start gearing up, and personalizing. contact Garmin, Triple-A for trailer coverage and campground info.

Gearing up:

Clothes: underwear, socks, t-shirts, work shirts, jacket, cargo pants, swim trunks, running shoes, laundry bag, hats,

Foul Weather Gear: slicker, umbrella, boots, gloves,

Clean kit: rags, paper towels, Purelle, hand soap, rubber gloves, disposable gloves,

Laundry kit: laundry soap, quarters, laundry bag

Shower kit: towel, wash cloth, hand towel, shower gel, shampoo, razor, blades, q-tips, stick deodorant, moisturizing lotion, Sonicare, tooth paste, nail clipper, tweezers, scissors,

Bathroom kit: TP, chemical packets

iPod/phone accessories: 110 and 12V charging cables, USB cable, audio (aux) cable

Mac accessories: power cable, speaker cord, monitor cable to TV(?),

Coffee kit: coffee mugs/filter, coffee, sugar, (half and half needs refrig. so get mini-moos?), kettle (electric), spoon

Cooking utensils: pots and pans, coffee/tea kettle (electric), toaster, cookie sheet, butane lighter (long handle), butane supply.

Dishes: plates, bowls, glasses (plastic?), wine glasses, Guinness glasses, shot glasses, coffee mugs,

Flatware: forks, spoons (coffee size and soup size), knives,

Kitchen tools: measuring cup, scissors, spatula, soup ladle, can opener, whisk, measuring spoons, pancake grill, Tupperware containers, food prep knives, water filter?, can opener,

Kitchen supplies: trash bags, food storage bags, paper towels, hand towels, dish soap, hand soap,

Food kit: trail mix bars, bottled (Fiji) water, McCann's Irish Oatmeal, salt/pepper, supplements, pancake mix, V8 juice,

Fresh food, shop day before launch: bananas, fresh juices, half and half, bread, lime, mango, papaya, mustard/ketchup, maple syrup, buttery spread,

(foods requiring refrigeration go into portable cooler for first leg of travel while refrigerator gets cold enough en route)

Liquor: Murphy's Stout, Bushmills Irish Whiskey, Rum, Tequila.

Pre-launch items from home:

Go-tech kit: Binoculars, camera, Mac, iPhone, Kindle, each with supporting chargers, cords, etc.

Go-food kit: Fresh food cooler,

Go-clothes: street shoes, dress shirts, jacket,

Go-info kit: files, paperwork, books, magazines, mail,

Exercise: rubber band, yoga mat,

Sleeping - blankets, electric blanket, sheets, pillows,

Outdoor living kit: wheel chocks, beach towel, astro-turf, collapsible hammock, grill kit, portable chairs, privacy bamboo curtain, tent, sleeping bag, power cord, multiple outlet,

First Aid kit: ibuprofen, Band-Aids, alcohol, Neosporin,

Emergency kit: hand crank radio (AM, FM, SW) and combination light/strobe/alarm. Also take bags already prepared from home, store in back of tow vehicle.

Personal Stuff: Cue case, ID,

Backpack: sun screen, water, Frisbees, Swiss Army knife, iPhone headphones,

Tool kit: Work Gloves, pliers (reg & needle nose), hammer, screwdriver set, snips, velcro, wire, wrenches, ratchet set, wood blocks, silicone lube, WD-40, grease, rags, work gloves, eye protection, flashlights, spare batteries, Ka-bar (WWII USMC) knife, rope, bungee cords, rope, duct tape

Security items: tongue security device, video surveillance cameras (and backup), keyed/combination access panels, water, etc.

Trailer modifications:

Interior: Hooks for towels.

Exterior: Storage box, Video cameras?, drill bit for stabilizer jacks, solar panels,

Power items: generator, extension cord, power distribution bar,

Other Big Road Trips

2009-07-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

There have been other extended road trips. Here are three road trips that were documented on a daily basis, and the last two have photos to help tell the story.

1996 - Six Weeks of flying the USA, San Diego to Maine, and return, in an open-cockpit biplane. Click here for the stories.

1997 - Three Months of flying all over Europe in an open-cockpit biplane. Click here for the stories.

2006 - Two Months of driving a new Corvette convertible along the coast road from San Diego to Canada, and then touring the western states, shooting pool. Click here for the stories.

Why?

2009-07-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

A quick answer is found on the back cover of the Airstream brochure:

TO THE RESTLESS SPIRIT

The Airstream Travel Trailer beckons to those driven by an insatiable desire to see more, to do more, to learn more. It calls to those who understand the allure of the open road, and the discovery of what lies beyond the next bend. And it appeals to those who value independence and inspired design, to to those who recognize the quality and craftsmanship that have allowed one brand to stand the toughest test of all - time.

--------------

A more personal answer is that I like living as close to the beach as possible, and I like to experience different beach environments. An added benefit is that this lifestyle is a lot less expensive than living in hotels along the coast, and a lot more suited to me because I always have my own personalized living space, and food, wherever I go.

Where am I?

2009-07-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

Where am I right now?

My exact current location will be private but most likely I'll be near a beach, along Highway 101 ("The Royal Road"), the coast road from San Diego to Vancouver, where it changes its name to the Alaskan Highway. That's vague, but hopefully conveys a sense of the geography, and the ecosystems in small seaside communities along the west coast of North America.

Treeless and flat and dry along the south coast, and forested, mountainous and wet in the north. A smorgasbord of weather!

Sometimes, when I'm On The Road, even I don't know where I am! Occasionally, when I wake up, I'll forget for a moment exactly where I am, especially after just changing locations. It's very unsettling when it happens, but of course it doesn't last long.

What is it like, Life On The Road?

2009-07-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

Life On The Road is good for a hermit like me. I would have to say it's perfect!

I'm the last one to draw attention to myself in public, but there are two things I really do enjoy that involve being out among the General Population: pool and Frisbee. I look at these activities as my "performance art" and they are well-suited to a nomadic lifestyle for two reasons: they allow me to perform for ever-changing audiences and they require very little space for the equipment. On second thought, the ever-changing nature of the audiences may be more of an advantage to the audiences than to me!

Here's a complete list of things I most enjoy both at home in Del Mar, as well as On The Road:

1. Pocket Billiards. My pool cue, a bit of chalk, and a tip tool take up negligible space and yet provide hours of fun at a variety of locations with friendly locals. I don't gamble, so I can focus on having fun and perfecting the art form. And the great thing about pool is that I enjoy the game solo just as much with a friend I haven't met yet.

2. Frisbee. Where there's a beach, there's usually a light wind, and Frisbees love a light wind. I keep several Frisbees on hand because they like to get wet, and sometimes escape in the surf! There's always enough space to stash a couple of Frisbees. And Frisbee is another one of those things you can enjoy even without a partner, if there's a nice light wind.

3. Long walks on the beach. The best times are in the early morning, and around sunset, and low tide. Good exercise, meditation, and even educational and entertaining if you want to plug in your iPod earphones for music, audiobooks, etc. I might be walking along by myself on the beach and burst into laughter at some comedy routine on my iPod. Love to laugh! That's got to be good for you, I think.

4. Yoga. In the morning I like to do some light yoga. Breathing and stretching to wake up and get the juices flowing, and maybe a headstand just for the fun of it.

5. Reading, Writing, Music, and communicating with people for fun and profit. So easy from a mobile headquarters. Anybody can be anywhere, so why not be in a place that's as excellent as can be?

6. Meditation & Naps. Sometimes a meditation becomes a nap. And vice-versa. Gotta love a good nap. Especially in the heat of mid-day, after lunch. I have a hammock and an awning that are excellent equipment for napping, and they stow away completely. A good nap has to be earned, and some yoga, and a morning walk on the beach, and maybe some Frisbee will be payment enough to earn a good nap and refresh me for a sunset walk on the beach and some pool in the evening.

7. Learning. It seems like there's always something to learn. You can never learn enough Patience, for example, and there's plenty of opportunity to practice patience when you live close to the edge of the sea and spend a lot of time outdoors. You become more aware of the changing weather and the time of day -- there's a rhythm. It becomes like a metronome. It's very calming. For limitless learning opportunities there's all those interweb tubes. If I lived long enough to get to the End Of The Internet, I could start all over again and it would be all different.

8. Continuous Improvement. Living in a small space provides endless opportunities to organize, and to invent new solutions for everyday situations. And with me being such a hedonist, I really enjoy finding ways to increase my enjoyment of every moment.

9. Sleep. With the sounds of the surf nearby, sleep comes easy and goes deep and the morning is always energized.

I like to look at this list frequently, just to remind me how good it is to be On The Road.

Road Warrior Technology

2009-07-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

It's an interesting challenge to live in a small space but technology has made it very easy and productive. Here's a list of gadgets which improve life on the road by an order of magnitude over what was available just a few years ago:

1. iPhone 3GS - perfect tool for on-the-road. Communicates hands-free via Bluetooth when I'm in the tow vehicle, and switches to a different channel when I'm in the trailer. And when I'm on the bike, it's a GPS recorder to track hikes, trails, etc. I also use the phone's video camera a lot, and the app called Carpenter (one of the tools is a level, useful when the trailer is parked on uneven ground, requiring jacking).

2. Kindle 2. Holds 1,500 of my favorite books, newspapers, magazines, etc, all in a form-factor of one page of a book. Battery operated and light as a feather, and easy to operate, and reads easy in broad daylight or with very little light. A perfect "reader". I'm currently involved in reading the collected works of Mark Twain, one of my favorite authors. With all the magic of the Kindle 2, I still keep a couple of "old school" books around just for the look and feel, the heft and smell of the printed page and a good leather binding. A couple of my favorites are "Song of the Sky" by Murchie; "Stick and Rudder", and a couple of other flying stories to remind me of my years of adventures flying the USA and Europe in an open-cockpit biplane.

3. iPod touch - for music library independent of the phone and computer, and a backup for most of the Apps on the iPhone..

4. MacBook Pro - Wi-Fi connection for all internet needs. Built-in webcam for video conferencing. If the campsite doesn't have internet connection, I can take the Mac to where the signal is, usually a Starbucks or library, or some other public place. The iPhone is a backup for the Mac with no wi-fi, as long as 3G or Edge is available. I use the Mac extensively for writing and video editing and photos and movies, e-mail, shopping, and so much more. The MacBook Pro that I use has the no-moving-parts all solid state storage (no hard disk) so it's quiet and reliable and fast. It has the 17" display for a reasonable computing experience, made even easier with wireless mouse and keyboard.

5. HiDef TV - The Airstream comes standard with a flat-screen display and is wired to over the air digital TV, via rooftop receiver. It has a built-in DVD player, but so does the Mac.

6. GPS Navigation system - dashboard mounted, yet removable for hiking and trip planning. Not just for navigating where you want to go, but where you might want to go... it has a database of over 5 Million points of interest, stores, gas stations, repair stations, etc.

7. Backup video camera - to see where you are going in reverse, to make it easier to align truck and trailer for hookup.

8. Inclinometer - dashboard mounted indicator shows the attitude of the truck, used off-road in rock climbing situations. Other off-road gadgets include Compass, Four Wheel Drive, locking differential.

9. Alloy materials - light aluminum alloys keep weight down on the bike, so it can be taken more places. Aluminum construction of the trailer keeps weight low so gas consumption is reduced (but of course, mileage is poor when towing, and only slightly better when not towing).

10. HiDef video camera, vibration-reduction binoculars, wind speed and other weather instruments. These goodies take up surprisingly little space, and even less with each new product release. Soon all of the chargers for most devices will be eliminated in favor on one Universal Cordless Charger.

11. Air-conditioning - the Airstream has air-conditioning (and heat) for ultimate comfort regardless of what the weather brings (and it's constantly changing along the coastline).

12. Refrigeration - it's not big, but it keeps essentials cool. Murphy's Stout, some white wine, cream for the coffee, and some frozen foods can stretch camp time into several days, even a week, before re-supply missions. Well, I guess I'd want to take on water before a week went by, for showering off that overly ripe aroma.

I love seeing the evolution of all the tech gadgets, and I'm definitely an "early adopter".

Airstream Dreamin'

2009-07-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

Where to go?

The maiden voyage will definitely be local, probably just down the road to a local state beach, if I can reserve a spot at this very crowded time of year. I need to learn how to back it up! And how to hook up water, electricity, etc.

If all goes well with that, then I'll keep doing longer and longer trips, up the coast of California, staying in beach campgrounds all the way, space available.

And when I run out of California coastline, then there's the magnificent Oregon coastline to explore, and then Washington, and Canada. Might even make it to Alaska, but only in the summer. Lots of coastline, lots of beaches!

I should have a good bit of experience by then, so I'd be ready for longer tours, and while I'm dreaming, why not let it all hang out...

Getting off the North American continent doesn't seem very difficult. Just back the rig, trailer and Tow-yota, into a 40' shipping container, and put a label on it for wherever I can imagine, right? So...

Australia would be fun, staying on the coast, and doing a complete tour of the edges of the Land Down Under. Nice people there! I have visited Sydney and Melbourne, but I've always wanted to see Perth, and Darwin, and spend some quality time along the Great Barrier Reef. When I had done a roundabout of Australia, it's back in the shipping container for a hop over to New Zealand, for a tour of the edges of the North and South Islands. I'd definitely get back to Queenstown in the south for another visit. Then it would be back in the box for the slow boat to San Diego and a rest for man and machine alike, and catch up on the mail and friends.

Europe seems like fun, lots of coastline circling Ireland, the U.K., then follow the left coast of France, Spain, Portugal, the south of France, roll the dice in Monaco, then tour the coastline of Italy, ferry the rig to Greece, and then into Istanbul, Turkey. I'd be due for a rest by then so I'd put the rig on a train running the route of Orient Express to Paris and sit back and watch the world go by. Then, fully energized, I'd take off from Paris for Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, a loop around Denmark, across the top of Poland, then Latvia (visit a friend in Riga), and into Russia with a great visit to St. Petersburg, then south to Moscow, then follow the Trans-Siberian Railway to Vladivostok on the east coast, ferry the rig to Japan, tour that island, and then ship the rig home for a bit of a rest. Maybe a long rest!

And I have never been to South America, but I'd want to skip over the troubles in Mexico and ship the rig direct to Ecuador, then Peru's jewel Machu Picchu is a must. Then Chile! Talk about coastline! I'd just like to stay to my right all the way down the Pacific side, and when I hit Tierra del Fuego, head back north on the Atlantic side, Argentina, Brazil, then ship the rig to Nova Scotia for a trip down the east coast of the USA to the Florida Keys, then the Gulf Coast, and a mad dash across Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and home to San Diego. A trip like that could be an adventure for sure!

There's a lot of world out there, and I haven't even thought about Africa to check out Morocco, and the pyramids, and done safaris in South Africa. Always wanted to get to Cape Town. I guess I need to save something for my next life...

Tow-yota delivery: Details a-plenty!

2009-07-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

I couldn't take delivery of the Airstream today because they were all booked up, and the salesman was taking the day off, and tomorrow I'm busy mentoring, and the dealer is closed again for Saturday and Sunday, so the next open date is next week. Since I have nowhere to go, I guess it just doesn't matter.

So I spent the day taking delivery of the tow vehicle (Toyota FJ Cruiser), now dubbed "Tow-yota", and getting info on such add-ons as:

1. Cable to connect iPod to the Aux. input to the in-vehicle sound system ($9, such a deal)

2. iPod interface, about 3oo bucks, so I can charge and control the iPod from the steering wheel controls

3. Bluetooth hands-free for the iPhone.

4. Map updates for the Garmin nav. system which was already installed in the vehicle.

5. Rear-facing video camera so I can see what I'm backing into, but mostly for aligning tow and trailer without someone to spot me. It looks like the spare tire is going to be in the way of getting a good look at the tow hitch area, so I'm thinking I might put the spare on the roof, or inside the vehicle.

6. Insurance!

7. Bike rack. The factory bike rack looks like a real bear to deal with. Very awkward to get the bike onto the roof. No wonder nobody knew how it works because nobody buys that unit. I might have to put the bike inside the cargo area, or inside the trailer. Here's a photo of the bike, an Electra Sparker Special, 3-speed:

Click here to go to my bike blog: "SoCal Beach Cruiser"

I did it ---> Airstream Sport 17

2009-07-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

Click here for trailer specs

The tow vehicle: Toyota FJ Cruiser

Well, you gotta start somewhere, so why not start at the bottom?

The Airstream Sport 17 is the cheapest, lightest model in the lineup. So I bit the bullet and got it. I've been thinking about this for a long time. And preparing for it. I'll learn with the smaller unit for a season or two and upgrade later, if I still feel the need.

Yesterday I put a deposit on the Airstream, and today I signed the deal for the tow vehicle: a Toyota FJ Cruiser.

Perfect for the hermit who needs to get out of his cave... take the cave On The Road!

Tomorrow I pick up the Cruiser and drive north to get the Airstream and bring it back to put it in storage, then head back to the dealer to get some mods like

The tow vehicle is equipped with:

1. an iPod connection, so I can take all my tunes on the road.

2. a Garmin GPS, but I'll probably use the iPhone GPS when Tom-Tom releases their software.

3. 4-wheel drive so I can go off-road and really get lost.

Tow vehicle needs:

1. rear video camera to help with lining up for the connection,

2. Bluetooth for iPhone hands-free dialing/talking, while on long drives.

3. iPod interface.

What I'm going to need to get used to:

1. driving slow, patience

2. backing the Airstream into campground sites.

3. leaving lots of room between me and the car in front, for braking distance.

4. thinking ahead...

5. big turns

Equipment needs:

1. Generator. Yamaha?

I have been practicing taking short showers to conserve water, especially hot water!

That's will be a big adjustment.

To do:

1. arrange for local storage for the Airstream

2. notify the insurance company about the two new vehicles.

3. sell the Corvette

4. drill bit for powering the leveling jacks.

5. dozens, if not hundreds, of other details to furnish the trailer for living, a never ending process, I figure.

The adventure begins...