Feb 04 2018

Top 11 Airstream care, maintenance and repair posts… and more!

This blog was started in 2008 to share our experiences camping with our 2007 Airstream Safari travel trailer, along with its care, maintenance, and repair. Website stats show that Airstreamers or Airstream enthusiasts come to this blog everyday to find information regarding over 10 years’ worth of Airstream-related subjects and care. Each blog page has a search window where specific topics can be searched and found. To further facilitate viewers’ most commonly sought after subjects, I have listed my all-time top 11 Airstream-related viewed webpages and their links:

Filiform corrosion

Wash, wax and treat II

RV refrigerator drain tube failure

Propane gas leak and summer reading

F-250 dual battery change

Quick, easy and safe RV refrigerator defrosting

Aye, there’s the rub rail

Getting my bearings…

Resealing our Airstream plumbing vent

10-year sealed battery requirement for smoke alarms!

Trailer awnings

Since the selling our trailer last August, we have moved on to new experiences that are now more appropriately conveyed in a blog that I had set up three years ago for this very purpose: History Safari Expresso, which has just been reawakened and now thrives as it takes over conveying our seasonal celebrations, holidays, meditations, outings, and the beauty we see around us.

I thank everyone who has viewed this blog over the years and I invite you to take a look at its successor, History Safari Expresso, and its new welcoming post, Hello World (Take Two), while relaxing with a hot cup of rich coffee, or a sip of wine!

Oh… There is one more thing…* The video encore: Chris Hadfield – Space oddity [SPACEX Falcon Heavy test]*

Cheers… and Thrive!

*This is a link to a YouTube video.

Oct 01 2017

The selling of our Airstream trailer

In our younger years, we enjoyed tent camping, so shortly into our retirement, 11 years ago, we rekindled the dream of camping and explored the RV options that would make it more pleasant and comfortable. After visiting dealers of pop up and white box, and finally Airstream trailers, we came to the conclusion that it would be Airstream or nothing! After doing almost a year of homework and exploring all of the information and opinions in AirForums and Airstream Life, we bought a 2007 Airstream Safari SE 23′ trailer and brought it home in January 2007, as detailed in “SilverGate’s Safari is Home at Last!”

For the next 10 years our family enjoyed the form and function of this iconic trailer* while camping in the beautiful desert, mountain, and beach parks in San Diego County and meeting and making new friends along the way.

As I entered the seventh decade of my life, my body began telling me that I should lighten the workload and yet still enjoy being a California day-tripper.* So we decided to find the right person to buy, enjoy and love this Airstream as we have. To this end, we first contacted friends and then placed our ad on AirForums’ Airstream Classifieds on September 13. The first responses were from dealers who wanted to buy it for resale. There were 18 other inquires and I asked each one to tell me something about themselves, interest in Airstream, RV experience, how they would use the trailer, and what they would use as a tow vehicle.

Two days after the ad was posted, we got a positive response that looked promising from a local, young family who came to see the trailer and decided after a few days of serious contemplation that this trailer would be a perfect match, and we agreed! The transaction was completed with a cashier’s check, bill of sale, and the Notice of Title Transfer and Release of Liability. I then reviewed with the buyer how everything worked and assisted in hitching up the trailer to his 2016 RAM 3500 truck. I then followed him in our truck, filled with camping items that we no longer needed, and assisted him in parking and unhitching the trailer.

Our Safari was beaming, looking happy, and right at home in its new homeport!

Also looking happy, the new owner said he and his family are absolutely thrilled with the trailer!

And we are happy and thrilled to pass this iconic Airstream trailer on to a younger generation that will give it love, good use, good care, and a good home!

*Encore YouTube videos: Paul McCartney – Two of Us and Transfer – Reflections of Home and Losing Composure

Aug 16 2017

10th year wash, wax and treat!

This is the tenth year that our 2007 Airstream Safari has had a thorough washing, waxing and treating (filiform corrosion control and prevention), which has preserved its iconic beauty, even though it lives with us along the San Diego coast. (Note: we routinely cover our trailer tires for sun protection.)

As it awaited its big wash and wax job, it proudly flew the flag of the United States and the United States Navy. I was a Navy Hospital Corpsman 1971-1975 and June 17 was the 119th birthday of the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps!

Last week I donned sun protection for my skin and eyes and climbed the step ladder to begin the attack. A full report on how I wash and wax the trailer, along with a list of my tools, strategy, procedure, and the benefits, is seen in my post, “Wash, wax and treat II.”

Our three awnings were then deployed, washed and lubricated. See awning operation, safety, cleaning and lubrication in my comprehensive post, “Trailer awnings.”

The phenomenon of newer Airstream trailers (2001 through current year) being susceptible to filiform corrosion continues to be well documented in the AirForums’ 170+ page thread, “Corrosion problems with new Airstreams.” The clear coated aluminum sheets can corrode beginning at the cut edges, rivet holes, and scratches where salt, water and air can enter. Early on, we limited the spread of filiform corrosion by washing and waxing the trailer regularly with a good quality wax and using corrosion retardants and protectants such as Boeshield T-9 and CorrosionX. (See my comprehensive post Filiform corrosion.)

This is the 10th year we have relied on Meguiar’s M20 Mirror Glaze Polymer Sealant wax to provide a beautiful sheen that feels silky to the touch while protecting the trailer. (See photos and details of the trailer’s first wash & wax job, June 2007, in my AirForums’ posts #182-188.)

The Safari shine is an eye-popping, riveting experience!*

Airstream Travel Trailers: A Lifetime of Adventure*

*This is a link to a YouTube video.

Aug 05 2017

Safari’s L-lounge and storage space!

What sold us on this 2007 23′ Airstream Safari were the many space-saving components such as the versatile L-lounge that can be opened up to become a large bed while providing abundant storage space, a concept seen in Japanese space-efficient designs.*

We strengthened the supporting construction by replacing staples with screws and bolts, and installing hinged fold-down legs for added support. (See bedding details here.)

Bamboo floor mats have a nice feel and have kept the floor in pristine condition. Large storage space is provided below, above and on the side of the lounge.

15 windows provide scenic views as well as abundant natural light that makes this trailer seem more spacious. Next to the lounge is the credenza with 3 large drawers and storage area for the roll-out dining table seen here. Copious storage space is provided throughout the trailer, including over the galley and below the lobster sink (we added the fold-down cutting board countertop). Seen by the stove is a wood dish rack from Ikea.

More storage space is provided under the oven, pantry with roll-out drawer, and under bed and wardrobe closet.

We mounted magnetic knife strips on the inside of one of the wardrobe doors for holding kitchen utensils.

The huge double wardrobe closet measures 31 inches wide, 60 inches high, and 28 inches deep at the base. We added a hanging shoe rack for holding clothing articles such as insulated vests and parkas. In the closet are complementary hats and jackets that we received from Airstream upon purchasing this 75th Anniversary trailer!

Next to the wardrobe is storage space above and below the Vanity Sink. The shower is pristine because we use it for storage rather than showers (seen in the shower is the original 75th Airstream Anniversary carrying case filled with Owners Manuals)!

*This is a link to a YouTube video. Note: All photos were taken by iPhone 7 Plus (except 3rd one down).

Jul 04 2017

Our Airstream Safari systems review

Our 23′ Airstream Safari Special Edition trailer was made in December 2006, Airstream’s 75th anniversary year!

Our custom order through our local dealer included our Airstream factory installed solar charging system with two solar panels and AGM batteries. Our records show that on most non-hookup days our AGM batteries are back to 100% by midday. See how I changed our Lifeline AGM batteries.

Also see how I replaced the failing OEM Parallax converter with the Xantrex XADC 60A converter/charger.

See how we changed out our hot Halogen lights to cool LED lights that use less energy. Our LED lights are seen below, along with our new 10-year sealed battery smoke detector that I installed last January.

Last year I replaced our Dometic refrigerator’s brittle plastic drain hose with a more durable, vinyl hose.

We use neither sharp tools nor a hot air blower and yet easily and routinely defrost the Dometic RM2551 RV refrigerator (5 cu. ft.) in less than 30 min.

We are now on our second set of Goodyear Marathon ST215/75R14 tires, which have served us well with only one flat (due to a screw). We monitor our tires with sensors and rarely travel more than 62 mph.

Over the past 10 years, we have taken our trailer on 86 200-mile or less round trips for a total mileage of no more than 17,200 miles, which contributed to our good marathon experience!

Modern Airstream trailers*, such as ours, have an exterior body of clear coated aluminum sheets that can corrode beginning at the cut edges and rivet holes where salt, water and air can enter. In our experience, the spread of filiform corrosion can be limited by washing and waxing the trailer regularly and using corrosion retardants and protectants such as Boeshield T-9 and CorrosionX.