Jun 04 2008

Filiform corrosion

Returning home from the shore, means it’s time to hose off the salt deposits from the trailer. It’s also the time for the trailer’s annual, big wash and wax job. This time, though, we knew it would entail more, and we’ve been preparing.

Ever since Randy (a fellow 23’2007 Safari SE trailer owner) asked the question, “Does anyone know what this is?”, on the Airstream Knowledge Sharing Forums, over a year ago, we’ve been watching for its appearance. We’ve been following the Airforums’ eye-opening thread, “Corrosion problems with new Airstreams“, for a year now. We’ve been quietly holding our own vigil, carefully inspecting our trailer for the inevitable worm-like filiform to grow from the unprotected edges, rivet holes and scratches in the aluminum skin and burrow under the clear coat where humid conditions help it to thrive.

Our filiform were slow to emerge, probably due to using a good wax last year, Meguiar’s Mirror Glaze, Professional Polymer Sealant, #20, as part of our wash and wax regimen. But emerge they did, white worm-like, thread-like filaments sprouting here and there along the belt-line area.

And from various rivet holes…

And on taillight housing bezels…

And wheel rims…

Using Google search, I found interesting background information on filiform corrosion and watched how it grows. I am learning that corrosion is a threat to all trailers and filiform corrosion is a threat to all aluminum trailers with a clear coat finish. As of this writing, there are 29 fascinating pages regarding this filiform issue on the Airforum’s thread, “Corrosion problems with new Airstreams“, along with strategies to control this condition.

This information helped us to select our interventions for the counterattack which coincided with our wash and wax job on our return from the beach. First, I washed the trailer with a good car wash and chose, Meguiar’s Deep Crystal Car Wash.

We chose and applied CorrosionX Aviation to the entire belt-line area, taillight bezels and wheel rims. I also applied CorrosionX to the stabilizing jacks, which were showing some corrosion. The following day, I wiped off the oily excess and sprayed on Boeshield T-9 (“Rust & Corrosion Protection, Waterproof Lubrication”, as stated on the label). I liked how T-9 dried, leaving a waxy residue. Meguiar’s Professional Sealant #20 was then applied and buffed.

Read Randy’s experience with filiform corrosion and his remedy: he took his trailer to Jackson Center where the Airstream factory applied the Classic Beltline Trim.

We’re hopeful that our interventions will be successful in protecting our Airstream trailer, while keeping it looking good.

May 28 2008

Our new web site

Dim sum, an offering of small portions of a variety of foods (steamed, baked, or fried dumplings, and roasted meats), a traditional Chinese cuisine, and in this case, highlights and glimpses of our camping trips and interests. Over a year’s worth of photos are being highlighted in a new web site that will offer seasonal, regional, and topical fare. It will also be a place to see more photos related to the stories as they appear in this column. The photos can be viewed as slide shows, and selected ones will be shown in movie format with a soundtrack.

Our new web site was created utilizing the application, iWeb, that came with the Mac computer. Through one-to-one training sessions at the Apple Store, I have been learning how to use this along with the many features that came with our Mac.

This site also contains a “Friends Along the Trail” page with photos of precious memories and moments such as:

Cooking highlights will be seen on the Cooking page, such as making homemade pizza on the grill.

Yum cha, anyone?

Apr 17 2008

Airstream and Earth Day

In 1969, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed a national environment event which led to the first Earth Day observance on April 22, 1970. It is now viewed as a worldwide effort to promote the health and protection of our global environment and resources.

Forty-three years earlier, William Hawley Bowlus supervised the construction of Charles Lindbergh’s plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, at Ryan Airline Company in San Diego in 1927. In 1934, he applied aircraft monocoque construction techniques and used Duraluminum in making a streamlined travel trailer, the Road Chief. Two years later, a salesman for the Bowlus-Teller Mfg. Company, Wally Byam, bought the company, founded Airstream, and made their first trailer, the Airstream Clipper, based on the Road Chief.

The sleek, streamline design of Airstream trailers now seems to be a timeless icon of natural beauty in form and function that works well with the environment rather than against it. The Airstream’s shiny exterior reflects the gleaming sun, sky, and natural beauty wherever we take it. Its low profile design also means that it helps us be more fuel efficient when towing, as well as safer in wind-advisory conditions.

The Airstream trailer enables us to experience a variety of terrains and get close to the natural beauty of our planet Earth. It also reinforces good conservation efforts and habits as we learn to be frugal in the use of the trailer’s supply of water, propane and electricity. Airstream also inspires us just by being visible through our living room window.

It motivates us to maintain and conserve what we already have (the greenest building is one that is already built), as well as to add additional alternative energy systems such as solar and wind power technology.

Airstream energizes us to observe, celebrate and live Earth Day, every day. Earth Day activates us to become more aware of environmental concerns and current issues. One issue is the threat to our local, state and national parks due to budget cuts during the downturn of our economy; California and Arizona are two good examples.

For more information on Earth Day and keeping current on green issues, check out some of these links: earth911.org, epa.gov/earthday, treehugger.com, and if you have a cat, see naturesearth.com. Then get your favorite beverage, sit back and enjoy music to celebrate Earth Day.

Happy Earth Day (and Happy Birthday Emma)!

Feb 22 2008

Computing and Airstreaming

Computing and Airstreaming have always gone hand in hand for us after contracting “aluminumitis” just over two years ago. The computer allowed us to see the wealth of Airstream-related information (Airstream Knowledge Sharing Forums, for example) that is available on the Internet. This information enabled us to make good choices regarding our first tow vehicle (2006 F-250 PSD), Airstream trailer (2007 23′ Safari SE), and accessories.

The computer continued to play a supportive and enhancing role with our Airstreaming lifestyle as we began sharing our Airstream experiences and photos on-line. It also fostered a sense of community by providing access to such places as the Airstream Knowledge Sharing Forums, where ideas and solutions are freely exchanged, thus increasing our joy of Airstream trailer ownership.

Up until just recently, we had been using our vintage, 1998 Gateway desktop computer. Shortly after setting up our computer ten years ago, our initial joy was quickly replaced by the brain-searing sensation of encountering system conflicts, failures, and long, late-night tech sessions. After the Windows operating system was re-installed, the computer finally settled in, but not without the typical, ongoing PC hassles of encountering viruses and spending too much time on computer maintenance.

So after the first year of setting up and enjoying our trailer, we recruited our computer to help us research its own replacement. It didn’t go unnoticed that it seemed to take much longer loading in the Apple web page, just as it didn’t go unnoticed that two well-known Airstream bloggers, Rich Luhr and Rich Charpentier, were using Mac laptop computers. Apple’s recent release of the beautiful, aluminum MacBook Pro laptop and the iMac desktop, along with the new Leopard operating system, OS X 10.5.2, made the decision irresistible. We now have one of each and are rediscovering the joys of computing.

Here’s what Rich Luhr, publisher and editor of Airstream Life, says about his Mac, “My laptop is an older Powerbook G4, the predecessor to the current MacBook Pro. I chose it because I wanted to get away from the painful Windows experience and the Powerbook was a highly capable laptop that had everything. I run my entire business on it.”

Rich Charpentier, author of The Digital RV and Gadget’s Airstream Chronicles, has the MacBook Pro and likes its stable and powerful operating system, OS X, based on the Unix system. Rich says, “That’s why I’m a big proponent. The Macs just worked. I spend more time getting work done, less time trouble shooting.” See his article, Setting Up Your Mobile Office, page 77 of the current, Spring 2008, issue of Airstream Life magazine.

So next week we will take our MacBook Pro for its first post from the field as we rendezvous with Rich C. and Sadira at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and celebrate the beginning of the spring wild flower blooming season.