Jun 01 2017

Our 2007 23′ Airstream Safari 10th year Anniversary and Review

We brought our new 2006 F-250 Super Duty truck to Southwest Coaches and picked up our custom-ordered 2007 23′ Airstream Safari Special Edition trailer in January 2007. (See video of similar model)*

We were in our 60s, recently retired and lived in San Diego, where our favorite desert, mountain and beach getaways were all within a two-hour drive. Camping in the comfort and style of an Airstream trailer made sense to us and we bought the largest one that could fit comfortably in our driveway!

This Airstream trailer was a custom order placed through Southwest Coaches, Irvine, California. It included two factory-installed solar panels, two FanTastic Fans, and the full awning package (awnings on all three sides).

The selling point for us is that this trailer has an L-lounge that extends into a large bed and, along with the rear bed, we and our two dogs sleep very comfortably! Next to a huge, 2-door wardrobe is a 5 cu. ft. refrigerator under a built-in microwave. And the many windows brighten the day inside!

The trailer comes with a dinette table that stows away in the nearby credenza.

The galley features a large lobster sink with underneath storage and a pull out pantry.

Storage is also provided above and below the Vanity Sink.

This article is the first in a series of postings that show details of the features of our trailer and truck and why they work so well for two people with two dogs. And why this trailer and truck combo is right at home at the beach or in the mountains and desert.

Gee, ain’t it funny how time just slips away.* (Willie Nelson)

*This is a link to a YouTube video.

Dec 04 2016

Airstream torquing tendonitis

Before every trip, I follow a checklist of procedures that need to be done and items to include, which are spread over a 4-day period. Critical items that must be done are checking and adjusting tire pressures, and checking the torque of the trailer wheel lug nuts to lessen the chance of a tire or wheel failure (See Outside Interests‘ “Tire Tips – Part 2″). I lug around a rather heavy air compressor to each tire that needs more air and then I apply a torque wrench to each lug nut in a star pattern* to the specified tightness of 110-120 ft-lbs two days before departure (See “Carry a Torque Wrench for RV Maintenance“).* See and hear Colonial Airstream’s Patrick Botticelli’s video, “Airstream Tire Safety,”* which includes information about tire inspection, tire pressures, lug nut torque, DOT (Department of Transportation) Code for manufacture date, and when to replace tires.

Last month, two days before our first trip of our fall-winter-spring camping season, I checked the tire pressures, placed PressurePro tire monitoring sensors on our ST tires* and checked lug nut torque. I am right handed, so I lugged the air compressor and checked the lug nuts mostly with my right arm. Our aged air compressor seemed to struggle at times with the job, so at the end of the day, I went to Home Depot and got a new compressor and then went to Costco and picked up a half-gallon of ice cream and a large apple pie, mostly with my right arm. That evening, I felt my arm ache, which interrupted my sleep. The day before departure, I continued with my checklist and the ache became pain and burning that persisted throughout the night. I awoke on departure day realizing that hitching up would result in further injury, so we reluctantly canceled our November trip to the desert.

Ten years ago, we first bought this Airstream Safari just before Thanksgiving when I was 69 years old [actually, I was 59, as caught and corrected by my dear Dr. C., whose sharp eye, insight and wit are evidenced in his comments below]. By the way, November is a great time to shop and haggle for a new Airstream. Next month will be the 10th year of our camping with this Airstream travel trailer, and I will be 70 in March. As Willie Nelson sings, “Gee, ain’t it funny how time just slips away.“*

It seems this Airstream is holding up better than my body parts, as my Kaiser Urgent Care diagnosis of right arm tendonitis* confirmed. Fortunately, after a 2-week course of Ibuprofen (Motrin) 800 mg q8 hrs and most importantly, mindful rest,* I feel up to preparing for our return to the desert this month.

Whether this incident is a fluke, or a sign of things to come remains to be seen. We have reservations for camping sites through next April…

Meanwhile, we are attending the fun events such as the Harbor Walk at Oceanside, CA, put on by San Diego Corgi Meetup.

Happy Holidays to all, no matter who you are, where you live, or what you believe!*

Wait, wait, there’s more: A Dr. C. inspired encore video selection: James Cluer’s Wine Route – Bordeaux Part 8: Cháteau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande*

*This is a link to a YouTube video.

Oct 01 2016

Airstream Basecamp Relaunched!

First introduced 10 years ago, the Airstream Basecamp trailer was a collaborative effort by Airstream’s product development team and Nissan Design America (NDA) designers Bryan Thompson and Steve Moneypenny in San Diego, who “envisioned a travel trailer that was a springboard for outdoors adventures rather than a living room on wheels.” Bryan says, “The relationship with Airstream has been the exchange of ideas. Essentially, two very different companies coming together with two very distinct identities to come up with a new aesthetic.” (See the Nissan & Airstream YouTube video)* Bryan explains that Airstream wanted to create a trailer that would appeal to the younger market that was not buying their larger trailers, “So we came up with this idea, let’s infuse the [Nissan] Xterra DNA into some of the classic heritage icons of Airstream.” (See Bryan Thompson on Airstream Basecamp Project)*

According to “The Shape of Things Past: Airstream’s New BaseCamp Enters The Market,” article in the Fall 2005 issue of Airstream Life, page 16, “Airstream called on Nissan Design America to translate a dusty old photo of a 1930s Torpedo into something 20- and 30-something buyers would love.” The article shows a photo of Dr. Norman Holman, Sr., standing next to his 1935 Airstream Torpedo that he built from a set of Wally Byam’s $5.00 plans. His son, Norman Holman, Jr., MD, inherited this trailer and gave an interview and tour seen in the video, “Oldest Airstream Trailer in the World.”*

Airstream commemorated the retro style, along with its 75th anniversary by releasing 75 Commemorative Edition Travel Trailers designed by David Winick and the first Airstream Basecamp (model year 2007). See Colonial Airstream‘s Patrick Botticelli give a detailed walk-through of his 2007 Basecamp,* the ninth one made. The original Basecamp had large clamshell rear doors that provided access for loading in a motorcycle, quad, or bike. See Patrick come into his Basecamp out of a cold, snowy New Jersey night and load his mountain bike,* light a Mr. Heater Buddy and proceed to cook a meal. Unfortunately, the end of 2007 also marked the beginning of the Great Recession in the United States and Airstream had difficulty attracting buyers for the next two years, selling only about 220 Basecamp units, says Patrick, and Basecamp production stopped with the 2009 model.

Bolstered by the improving U.S. economy and increasing consumer confidence, Airstream is now growing and coming out with new models such as the Nest Caravan in Summer 2017 and the greatly improved 2017 Airstream Basecamp, being relaunched now. See Airstream’s exciting video, “Introducing the new Basecamp,”* and a “Walk-Through 2017 Airstream Basecamp“* by Patrick Botticelli. Patrick says, “Airstream found out that only a small percentage of their [original Basecamp] owners were actually using the back cargo for motorcycles or quads… you had to open up the rear door and drop the steps every time you wanted to come inside [and pull up the steps every time you wanted to close the door].” For the new Basecamp, Airstream added a side entrance door for easy entering and exiting the trailer, while keeping a rear utility hatch for loading gear such as backpacks, mountain bikes, and kayaks.

Patrick says this all-new Basecamp is more robust with its buck-riveted aluminum structure on an A-frame, like regular Airstream trailers (original Basecamp had aluminum plating on a fiberglass shell on a center beam), and the many new features such as the Truma Combi heater for water and room heating, SeeLevel II Battery and Tank Monitoring System, optional Zamp Solar System (with two 80-watt solar panels, AGM battery and a Zamp Solar Disconnect Port by the streetside front A-frame for connecting additional portable solar panels), optional Coleman-Mach air conditioner (9200 BTU) and a Fan-Tastic Vent Fan (or 2 Fan-Tastic Vent Fans without the optional air conditioner), bathroom with shower and a China toilet bowl, interior and exterior LED lights, 3 cu. ft. 2-way Dometic refrigerator, folding galley water faucet over a stainless steel sink with folding lid (provides additional counter space), 2-burner recessed cooktop, optional Contoure microwave, pop-up electrical sockets with USB port on galley counter, and 2 movable pedestal tables in a lounge and eating area that converts into a large 76″ by 76″ bed!

The 2017 Airstream Basecamp is a multi-purpose hybrid tent-trailer that comes with two optional PahaQue Wilderness tents and visor (arch wing awning) that attach to Basecamp’s roof/gutter track rail, seen in PahaQue’s September 8 announcement on Facebook and Twitter. The large side tent could be used as a screened patio for an additional lounging and sleeping area, and the smaller rear tent could provide cover for gear items such as mountain bikes (See Patrick’s walk-through tent tour).*

The Unit Base Weight (UBW) without options is 2585 lbs.,* Hitch Weight is 410 lbs. (dry, no options), and the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is 3500 lbs., which means this trailer is easily towed by mid-size SUVs. The new Basecamp comes with a 22-gallon fresh water tank, a 29-gallon black/gray water tank, two 20-lb. propane tanks, and a Propane Quick Disconnect port just under the curbside front A-frame for connecting a hose to a low pressure portable gas BBQ grill. See Airstream’s Basecamp webpage for their Overview, Design, Features, Floorplan and Brochure. See Airstream’s 2017 Basecamp Owner’s Manual (PDF) for additional information.

This Airstream Basecamp “is built for the extreme camper in mind… it’s made for the guys that go up in the mountains backpacking, hiking, kayaking, mountain biking… it’s made to go off the grid,” says Brent Rudd, Airstream Regional Director of Sales, Central Region, during his walk-through at the 2016 Southwest RV Supershow in Dallas, Texas.*

Basecamp has a MSRP of $34,900 and is being shipped to Airstream dealers beginning in October, says Outside Interests‘ article, “Basecamp,” in their September 26, 2016, newsletter.

Whether you’re a fan of mountain biking (such as Patrick),* kayaking,* or just living riveted,* you can be one of the Fans of the Airstream Basecamp and see more information, news, updates and videos of the Airstream Basecamp.

*This is a link to a YouTube video.

Oct 30 2013

Airstream Safari trip notes

I start by making checklists and notes on a 8.5″ x 13″ yellow pad days before our Airstream Safari camping trips and specific tasks are assigned to specific prep days depending on the weather. For example, Friday’s weather was clear, two days before departure on our first trip of the season, so I completed one of the scheduled tasks by attaching my PressurePro tire pressure sensors to the tires of the truck and Safari and adjusting the pressures toward the recommended cold tire pressures (50 psi for my 14″ trailer tires, 60 psi for the front truck tires, and 75 psi for the rear truck tires).

Starting a trip with the right tire pressures is important because an under-inflated tire could get too hot, stressed, and fail. The tricky part is that tire pressures fluctuate with the outside air temperatures by as much as 1 psi per every 10° F change in temperature.* The temperature was 80° that Friday afternoon when I attached the sensors. I knew that the pressures would be lower the next morning and even lower at our mountain camping destination, predicted to get the first cold storm of the season by midweek. My task was facilitated by the PressurePro monitor, which shows the pressures at a touch of a button and then I recorded the pressures, along with the date, time, outside temperature, and weather conditions. So when we departed, I was confident the tires had the optimal pressures for our 5 days of camping.

My note taking continued when we arrived at our non-hookup campsite as I kept track of weather conditions and how well our Lifeline AGM batteries were being recharged by our two Airstream factory installed solar panels (See my Columnar Pad notes in above photo). These notes are saved and assist me in determining when it’s time to replace the batteries (I replaced our first set after 5 years).

I continued to write notes on my yellow pad throughout our camping trip, which are also saved for future reference. At home, Larry maintains a running camping log on a Word document on our aluminum iMac* of trip mileages, menus, plants, birds and people seen. I also make concise entries in “The Airstream Travel Journal”.

“See More, Do More, Live More: The Airstream Travel Journal“, designed by Bryan Burkhart/MODERNHOUSE, was published by Chronicle Books LLC in 2002. (Bryan Burkhart is also the designer and coauthor of Airstream: The History of the Land Yacht, Chronicle Books LLC, 2000.) The spiral-bound journal with aluminum* front and back covers and featuring lined pages along with vintage Airstream spot art and photos, originally sold for $16.95 and I bought two of them in 2006. This journal is now out of print and is no longer available from Chronicle Books*, but it can be found online for prices ranging from $79.99 to $600! (For now, I think I will not place notes in my second copy and will just keep it in pristine condition for future possibilities!)

“See More, Do More, Live More: The Airstream Travel Journal”

Another journal, “Airstream Prism Journal Book“, is currently available online for $16.95 from Airstream, Inc.. Per Airstream’s website, this journal has a silver anodized aluminum front cover and a black leather back with an elastic pen loop and includes a black Airstream pen.

Our aluminum Airstream (75th anniversary)* Safari trip notes also find their way into our aluminum MacBook Pro*, which transforms them into a blog post, documenting those riveting experiences.*

I prefer writing my trip notes with a pen and paper, but perhaps I should consider a simpler tool, the pencil, or a more powerful tool, the iPad Air*, or perhaps the typewriter (with its classic, iconic image and sound)* would be more appropriate!

*This is a link to a YouTube video.

Aug 07 2011

Wondering and wandering about books

The summer grains of sand kept on slipping into the bottom of the hourglass as we approached the dog days of summer and I finished my daily bedtime reading out loud of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling, and started her second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

I had already purchased the first four Harry Potter novels some years ago, and just prior to the opening of the latest (and presumably last) Harry Potter movie this summer, I bought the last three novels at Borders just in time before Borders began closing all of its stores. We still have a Barnes & Noble bookstore in San Diego, but it seems that there are far fewer books stores now and many attribute this to discounters, online booksellers and electronic books. There is no doubt that e-book readers, such as Kindle, are great devices for Airstreaming, since they are small, lightweight, and can “carry” hundreds of books. I, however, prefer a book that can only be fully experienced and appreciated as an integral whole… its size and weight, the feel of its cover and pages, its images, its smell, as well as its content.

A good example of this is Wanderlust Limited Edition (#0704), Wanderlust – Airstream at 75, Russ Banham, Greenwich Publishing Group, Inc., Connecticut, 2005, with 192 glossy pages and a riveted aluminum slipcover measuring 10″x 12″… a stunning presence. We were lured into getting our first Airstream trailer in part by beautiful Airstream-themed books and Airstream Life magazine.

I am currently a juror on a 3-week long case and each day I take with me Bill Moyers Journal – The Conversation Continues, which I read during breaks and the hour and a half lunch period. I use my time clock attendance certification paper as a bookmark within its 594 pages.

The wit and weight of Mark Twain await me in the form of Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 1, all 737 pages and 4 pounds worth.

I am especially intrigued by antique books such as The Works of Charles Dickens, Volumes VI, XI, and XIV, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London, Edinburgh, New York, 1901-1903… a fly was also curious.

At the beginning of Volume XI, Hard Times, by Charles Dickens, is a wonderful illustration of the character, Tom, talking to his sister, Louisa.

“… Tom went and leaned on the back of her chair, to contemplate the fire which so engrossed her, from her point of view, and see what he could make of it… ‘Wondering again!’ said Tom.” (page 56)

Wondering and wandering in books…

So, wouldn’t this be a good time for a piece of rhubarb pie, a steaming cup of hot coffee, and a Neverending Story.