Answering ALL Your Airstream Questions! From Maintenance to Travel Tips - Ask Me Anything!
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- Опубліковано 17 лип 2024
- About this video:
Greetings, Airstream aficionados! 🚐💡 Ever had burning questions about your Airstream? Well, you're in the right place! In this video, we're diving deep into the Airstream community's most asked questions, covering everything from maintenance hacks to travel tips and beyond. Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned RVer, we've got valuable insights to share. Join us for an information-packed session where no question is left unanswered. Have a specific question? Drop it in the comments below, and let's build a knowledge hub together. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more Airstream adventures and expert insights. Let the Q&A session begin! 🤔👫🌐 #AirstreamQuestions #RVFAQs #AskMeAnything"
Intro: (0:00)
Bathroom Sink: (0:39)
Tire Pressure: (1:28)
Sticky Windows: (4:16)
Sheets: (4:55)
Cabinet Caterpillars: (5:09)
Inverter: (6:54)
Power Awning: (7:52)
Furnace Vents: (8:40)
Under Closet Components: (11:57)
Sizing a Mattress: (13:00)
Cleaning, Waxing, Ceramic Coating: (13:34)
Refrigerator Latch: (18:35)
Lift Kit & Tank Dumping: (20:52)
Airstream Inc. (21:53)
Buying a New Airstream: (27:13)
Phil the NOLOX Guy: (29:34)
Fantastic Fan Cover & Lubrication: (30:19)
Receiver Hitch: (32:24)
Water Pump: (33:41)
Adjusting the Door: (36:16)
Interior Panel Moving: (39:43)
Washing Dishes: (40:18)
Alumalina: (40:59)
New Merch: (41:14)
Outtakes: (41:57)
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I feel quite lucky Brad was my salesman and did the pre-delivery check list with my wife and myself. He took over 6 hours to answer all our questions and educate us on it and we videoed it all. He noticed the kitchen table had rubbed up against our wall and informed me before we ever showed up for our pre-inspection. I sorely miss him being around for all my newbie question. He even walked me through the winterization after our first night in ours once we took delivery back last November.
Jeff,
Thank you for your kind words. It was a pleasure working with you.
Thanks for the video, great tips!!! Safe travels!!!
Thank you very much. Happy Adventures!
Just wanted to thank you for providing all of you Airstream tips knowledge. I have also watched a lot of your Tech Tip Tuesday with Airstream of Utah videos.
Thank you so very much for your feedback and continuing to allow us into your life! If you have any topics you want me to discuss, please let us know. Happy Adventures
Another great video! Very helpful.
Thank you for watching and making us a part of your day.
Wow you are an encyclopedia of Airstream knowledge. We have had our trailer for 6 months and are still learning more tips every time we watch. Thank you!
Thank you for making us a part of your day and for your feedback! if there is anything you want more info on, please let us know!
Another great video, thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it! Happy Adventures
Great video very informative I am saving this one for sure. Thank you
So glad you found it helpful! Happy adventures!
Brad…great video with a wealth of information. Was hoping to meet up with you guys at Alumalina but we’ve have an unexpected change of plans. Hope to cross paths soon. Safe travels
HI RIck! We will meet up soon! Too close to each other not to!
Congratulations on the completion of your tiny house. As you said, it may have taken longer than you expected, but you can blame some delays on weather and sickness. Don't push yourselves so hard on the main house as there will be delays on that completion as well. Expect it and accept it. 😮😊👍
Thank you.
We had both our Fantastic Fans break on our first trip in the spring. Woke up to rain! Our dealer told us that apparently FF had a manufacturing issue with them and have been replacing them under warranty so that’s why we have seen the rash of them on FB and AS forums. We had the FF scoops added by our dealer when they replaced both covers. This way if the covers ever break again we have no worries about rain. Question about ceramic coating and waxes. My detailer told me that waxing was not needed with ceramic coating. The rubbing tends to remove the hydrophobic coating. He also recommended to use auto wash without any wax in it. Both my car and airstream detailer told me the same thing here. Curious what you have heard. Thanks for the tips on the furnace and t-shirt. Looking to test this out in November!
Finally, thank you for your service Brad.
There is another comment on this video that there was a lubricant used that caused the plastic to deteriorate. This has been corrected. Thank you for letting us know how your issue worked out. Ive also considered the covers so we could leave it open when traveling but haven’t done it yet. I too have heard that you shouldn’t wax it with the ceramic coating on it. I would encourage you to look up the manufacturer of the brand of coating you have and see what they say. For example, my current coating is by Ultimar and should not be waxed but they do offer a list of products that are safe to be used in conjunction. Thanks for making us a part of your day!
Brad great videos. We have the exact same rig as you. As you on can imagine we watch very attentively. We have had an issue of the kitchen faucet falling off on travel days. Have you or anyone else had this issue. The Mothership said it was normal and to just push it back on.
Could you please send me a photo of it off. Im not sure what part you're referring to. Please email it to ThirteenAdventures@gmail.com
Another great video! We replaced our Fantastic fans which broke after we had only used the trailer 4 or 5 times. We had always keep them closed even when it was windy. The MaxxAir fans we replaced them with are much more robust, quieter and can be left open in the rain and the wind. We also installed the IRVWPC pump controller. We had to adjust the pump pressure setting to stop the pump from pulsating. IRVWPC provides an excellent information video on how to make Nathan adjustment. The pump is much quieter and the water flow is much more consistent.
We are huge fans of the MaxxAir fan and plan to replace the fantastic fan with one sometime in the near future. Thanks for your feedback on the pump. Im excited to get it and check it out.
Looking under the fridge on a globetrotter 2024.5, there was one of those water pressure control modules.
yes! They added them for all models (that Im aware of) this year!
Brad,
I have installed that pump modulator on my rig and yes, it does quiet the pump down. It does depend on the restrictions in the faucet. The Kitchen faucet has a restriction and the pump is quiet, there appear that there are no restrictions in the shower and bathroom faucet and the pump is not as quiet as when the kitchen faucet is running. There are some adjustments you can make and I have to read through these again, but I am quite happy with the current results.
My rig is a 2023 Flying Cloud 27FBQ and I have it now almost 2 months.
Over the winter I will be making additional changes to the rig, such as solar panels on the roof (due to placement of some components on the roof, I estimate I can place around 700 Watt) , lithium Ion batteries and a Multiplus II 3000VA charger/inverter and charging from the truck while towing. It will also have a Cerbo plus display. The main challenge there will be to hide the wiring. The Multiplus will be always on while I am living in the trailer, it will be off when the trailer is stored. I do have to safeguard the lithium batteries from freezing temps; no charging when battery temp is lower than 2 C.
I think I have similar truck as you have (F350, platinum diesel) and I have implemented the the TPMS via the Ford built in trailer TPMS as I do not like the TPMS implemented with the valve stem caps.
Thanks for the feedback! We have very much enjoyed our set up which sounds very much like what you plan to do. I have a video of everything we installed on this rig. We have a. DC-DC charger to charge while towing but havent needed it yet with the solar we have. Whenever we upgrade our truck, I plan to add the Ford TPMS trailer system.
I bought the RV water pump controller from Terry. It works very well and regulates the pump speed to match the desired flow rate. Great buy.
We love ours! Thanks for watching and for your feedback
Thanks!
Thank you!!!
One tip that I picked up at a rally was to use a suction cup on the outside of the window to open a sticky window.
Very good idea. I will discuss that in an upcoming video!
I too use a tire chart, Michelin weight chart on a 25' Airstream and I run it based on a full load at 55psi per tire. The Fantastic Fan seals are supposed to be lubricated every so often. They come with lube if you buy them separately.
Im glad to hear that someone else out there uses the tire chart. There is such a debate in the community and its as easy as following the chart! I lube that seal montly along with all my others. Thanks for watching and your feedback.
Brad, Regarding Fantastic Fan issues, both fan covers have broken on my 2023 International. One has already been replaced under warranty and the second recently broke. I contacted Dometic and Product Management replied as follows- first "You can just tell him we resolved the issue in February (2023) and replacement parts should not experience the previous failure". When asked to elaborate on what caused the failure they responded "The failure issue was found to be caused by a lubricant used in the fabrication of the metal slide component . The chemical composition of the lubricant is aggressive to the lid's polycarbonate composition. The resulting degradation of the polycarbonate material was undetectable prior to packaging due to a delayed effect from lubricant contact" I was given no further details but assume the lubricant used was changed to one suitable for polycarbonate. I'm not sure if my new fan was from new and improved inventory, but hope the second one that is replaced will be new and improved. In the meantime I'm using the new fan very cautiously. I enjoyed the video very much, thanks again !!
Thank you so very much for sharing this news! Im glad they have fixed the issue and hopefully everyone who has this issue will get it corrected. Thank you for watching and allowing us to be a part of your day!
I see I am in good company regarding the fantastic fan….We have taken our Airsteam out for 3 weekends and we’ve had one of the fantastic fans stop working almost immediately, then was fixed by the dealer, and then stopped working again this past weekend. The other fantastic fan also stopped working this past weekend when we were on our third weekend trip. So both fans were not working this past weekend. The covers open up but the fan won’t turn on… we already checked the fuses. This is not a good track record for 3 weekend trips. I guess we will keep getting them fixed under warranty for now until the warranty expires. We have an appointment for dealer repairs this Friday.
Sorry to hear of these issues you’ve had. I’ve only heard of the covers breaking and have leaned that it’s from a lubricant that breaks down the plastic causing it to weaken and break. Yours is the first I’ve heard about the motor.
Thank you for such clear solutions for many of my issues in my 2022 Globetrotter. As a single woman living full time on Vancouver Island , it is so rewarding to fix my own small problems. I learned about and cleaned my sail switch when my furnace kept kicking off and a repair shop was so surprised I could do it. He charges upwards of $295 to do it. I appreciate your mechanical knowledge and confidence. I agree with you about dealerships lack of knowledge. They are just happy to have made the sale. Very disappointed with the dealership on inspection day. I seemed to have had more knowledge after a year of research then the gent rushing me through it. Love your videos !! 💎
So glad to hear from you and love your independence and confidence in your Airstream! Thank you for making us a part of your day! Happy Adventures
we are soooo careful with our fantastic fans and have still broken 2 on our 2023 flying cloud- definitely something going on with those and very interested in the max air fans!
Th company making the covers changed to a new lubricant that caused the plastic to breakdown, thus weakening it and breaking. They have fixed the issue and you should have no more issues with this, but I would still be careful having it open in very strong winds.
The MaxxAir is pretty great. It is very soon on our list of things to upgrade.
@@ThirteenAdventures ahh thanks for the info!
A few things we’re considering for our FC- new outdoor shower hose to have better pressure/ spray, a bidet for the toilet, adding the Starlink Smartplug, adding the Shower Miser and switching from AGM to Lithium!
I’m also super interested in the UV water filters I’ve seen a few people install!
Im considering the Shower Misser and the UV water filter.
We have the same sink and faucet in our bathroom. My wife is “splashy” with her long curly hair in the morning. I removed the stainless sink and sealed it to the counter with a bead of silicone (doesn’t show). That keeps water from seeping under the sink lip and wetting the wooden countertop under the formica. I realized this was happening and this stopped it.
That’s a great idea! Thanks for watching and for the feedback!
Hi Brad. I truly appreciate how much knowledge you share! It’s very helpful. I have a specific question since you also own a Ford SD. As you know, Ford offers a 2.4 KW onboard pro power option. Do you know if this system is compatible to provide power to a 30 ft FC? If so, would it be enough power for one AC? I’m considering getting a new F250 to tow my 30’ FCRB and would love to have the ability to power an AC via the truck while boon docking.
Hello! Thanks for watching and your feedback. I am very glad that Ford put this option in the super duty as I plan to get a new truck in the net year and this is one thing I wanted. A key factor here is it is NOT the 2.4 or 7.2 as they offer in the F150, but a 2.0KW. I find this to be a tremendous shortcoming and hope they fix it in the next model year. That said, this makes the plug in the bed a 2000W generator. Your Air Conditioner typically needs 3-3500W to start and 1500W to run. Additionally, it’s a 120V outlet in the cab and in the bed. You could use this to power the trailer and charge the batteries but running the AC would not be possible without a MicroAir soft start. I added one of these to my main AC and can run it on battery for a while. Hope this helps.
Thank you, Brad! I recall the soft start video-I’ll check it out again!
Thank you for explaining everything. I have two Coleman ACs, I can’t seem to find an answer if I need softstart for them. Can you dive in a bit? I agree with you about the ac vent, but some of them just randomly rattle, drives me nuts. And the shower door sweep, I’m on my third one in half a year, and I’m not a full timer. I’m actually considering changing it to self squeegee style door.
The door sweep is not something I have mentioned in past videos but should. Our situation is a bit different with it as we keep the door open all the time for Scout but have noticed deterioration of it in this and our last rig.
From my understanding and limited experience with the Coleman, you do not need a soft start as it has a more robust variant than the Dometic. Also, if youre not using it on a generator or battery, it's not necessary.
I had a friend with one and we fired it up on generator power with both AC's without a soft start and they both worked fine.
Would you consider doing a pros & cons video for the Flying Cloud / International / Globetrotter lines, and why you decided on the International? Thanks.
I sure will. Look for it in the coming weeks. Thanks for the idea.
Thanks for all your great videos. Are you still employed with Airstream? I am looking to get an Airstream in the future. My trouble is I can't make up my mind on the best one for me. I really like the concept of the new Trade Wind, but will it be able to get to most state and national parks? Is it better to have a single or double axle trailer? I really like the Caravel line, and I like all the floorplans, each for something different. What helped you make your decision on which model and floodplain after you settled on Airstream?
I am not currently employed by Airstream. I do miss working for the brand though. I also highly recommend Airstream of Utah and/or Wyoming if you happen to be near either. Ive said it many times, but there is no perfect RV. Each has +/- and finding the best for you is to determine how you will most use it. Do you spend most of your time in cold or hot conditions? Do you have limitations based on your tow vehicle? What is your family size? If you spend your time in state and National parks, a 25’ or less is quite often the size that fits. Once you think you like a particular model, I encourage you to find one at a dealership and have them plug it in and go hang out in it for a few hours. While in there, lounge on the couch, lay on the bed, stand in the shower, sit on the toilet, etc. Try to determine where you would put all of the items you typically take on camping trips with you. Basically, enjoy the space for a while. Listen to the sounds of the heater and AC. Think about sitting in a camp spot and would you enjoy looking out that window. I’ll discuss on a video soon.
You may have answered these in another video. Sorry, if so. Do you rotate your tires front to back every 10,000 miles like the manual says? Also, do you do the power jack maintenance twice a year?
Hi! Thanks for following along and for the opportunity to assist. I do rotate the tires as outlined in the manual and I do grease and inspect the power jack as outlined in the manual for that. I need to address this on a video soon! Thanks for the question and I will address this on a video.
@ThirteenAdventures Thanks! We look forward to all your videos. We're catching up now after 4 months of travel, mostly off-grid and out of service areas.
Sounds like a wonderful journey!
We had our fan arm break and Jackson Center told us there was a manufacturing defect. They replaced both
There is another comment in this thread about a lubricant deteriorating some of the plastic. They have corrected this issue. Thanks for letting me know.
Brad,
I’m on my third Victron smart shunt (500ah 2 lithium batteries). The last two work fine for several months then go dead. No blue tooth signal. I have tried everything Victron suggests. The shunt is mounted in the battery box of our 2023 flying cloud. The same thing happened in our Base Camp 20x. Any suggestions before I mount the new one.
Semper Fi.
David
Englewood Florida.
Hi David,
This is the first ive heard of these failures for this product. We have had them in our last 4 rigs and have never experienced an issue like this. Have you reached out to Victron directly? They are typically very good at finding the issue and help over the phone.
I’ve successfully removed scratches w the OEM clear coat pen I bought at Wy rally. If you’re somewhat skilled w buffer/polisher you can to.
1- lightly compound area on 1500rpm w foam pad. Let the buffer do the work.
2- wet sand w 2000 using firm 1”x4” sponge backer. (many pp use 800-1000 but w 2000 you’d have to sand for hrs to burn thru Alcoa coating. Use soapy spray bottle to keep wet. No suck thing as too much.
3- apply clear coat w pen. Let dry 30 min btwn coats, 1 hr after final coat. Don’t worry high spots or overlap.
4- block wet sand w 2000. Use a section of left over paint stirrer you got for adjusting door after watching Brad’s genius idea.
5-keep wiping dry every 30 seconds re-apply soapy water block sand until it feels even rubbing finger over.
6- buff out w foam pad and light compound.
7- polish and wax
Been using the Aero Cosmetics since Brad recommended over yr ago. Can’t recommend enough. They have it in small 8oz concentrate mix that makes a gallon. Make 24oz spray bottle at a time for exterior. 1oz bottle for interior. Parked my black sedan in Co over a year ago right after using WashWaxAll, then WaxAll Hybrid Multi Polymer Ceramic Wax. Car was supposed to get covered but didnt. When I first saw 3 wks ago I was crushed, she was so filthy thought I’d need major paint correction. She cleaned right up 95%. Few spots on hood roof trunk needed clay bar being flat surface. Excellent product line
Thank you for the great tips on this!
Thanks, we might have a lemon:)
Why a lemon?
Since it is not the same fan cover issue that others have had…the problem is unique to our fans. So, we maybe just got a bad one… a lemon…like a car with mechanical issues is called a lemon. We will find out more about what is wrong when we have service at the Airstream dealer this Friday. Hopefully it is not a user error:)
Makes much more sense now. This comment was alone and not in succession of the previous one and all i see is a list of comments. Understand completely now.
My propane gas detector is blinking yellow which means replace is this something I can do (retired electrician) and if so where can I purchase one. My Airstream is a 2017 International Serenity. Thank you, Geno
It’s a very simple exchange. If you connect two wires, you can do this. Here is a link to the one Airstream uses today
amzn.to/3FohlNo
Hi… humble enquiry from across the world..
Do airstream rvs struggle in extreme heat temperatures? Can they retain cold, inside..?
Thank you and god bless..
From DUBAI with ❤
They handle the heat and cold quite well but you would need to be connected to shore power to run the AC long enough to keep it cool.
@@ThirteenAdventures thank you very much brother Brad.. I only ask because I was told by airstream users that aluminum isn’t ideal in extreme temperatures (desert in our case). Conventional Azdel (polypropylene & fiberglass) - as I was told- is a far greater insulator.
I thank you, regardless..
From Dubai With ♥️..
It is not ideal for that weather. Ive been there a few times and experienced it firsthand. It would work best if you had some shade. We have had ours in about 100 degrees Fahrenheit for multiple days and were okay.
@@ThirteenAdventures oh, absolutely.. this is primarily for winter season… I parked my old 30ft jayco eagle under a permanent pole shade during summer season.. will do same with this if I commit with an order..
Much obliged Brad my brother..
♥️
Is front end separation very common?
It was in 2020 and older models but the factory added a brace (email us if you want to see a photo of it) that protects from that. This was partially true for those with weight distribution hitches with too much torque.
My International has dual axles. I run my tires such that if one tire blows the other tire on that side will be at a pressure that is adequate to support it. That's about 75 psi for my trailer. This is higher than needed with both tires, but less than the 80 psi many people run. Ride quality might be slightly improved. The Wright Life and other people have commented about running TPMS on rubber stems. If you look at your rubber stems after driving a while you will see them bent over a little bit. This could eventually cause them to break or tear and tire deflation can occur. Finally, Make It Rad came up with a solution for those pesky Fantastic Fan covers... ua-cam.com/video/LpXYK1h2EYg/v-deo.html
Thanks for the great videos and tips. Going to check my door hinges this weekend!
Hello and thanks for the info! We ran the rubber stems on our old trailer with the TPMS caps and over time, they all leaked. The centrifugal force of the weight on there is too much over time and all of ours eventually leaked. I'll check out the fan cover. Have a great day and happy adventures.