Feb 20 2012

Guest house Airstreams

I occasionally think that we have too many Airstreams, but sometimes we don’t have enough. This is the time of year when people tend to come visit (guess why) and the Airstreams become very useful as guest houses.

We live in a three bedroom house that is in a perpetual state of construction and has only two usable bedrooms, and 1.5 usable baths. I don’t even have an office that I can use, just a desk in the corner of the living room. So we aren’t well set up for having overnight guests, at least not indoors.

This has never been a problem for the dozen or so houseguests who visit each season, because the Airstream makes a far better place for them to stay. We tell prospective visitors that they will be welcome to stay “in the Airstream in the carport.” This is a sort of test. Those who are intimidated by the idea of sleeping in a trailer, parked next to the car and tool shed, would probably be happier in a hotel. Most of our friends have the opposite response. They say, “Oh cool, I get to sleep in the Airstream?” and then we know that they’ll be great house guests.

This week we have a full house. Lou & Larry have arrived in their 30-foot Airstream and are parked in front of the house. We have courtesy-parked at their place in Ohio many times, and this is the first chance we’ve had to reciprocate. They will be here a couple of nights and then head to California to visit Bert & Janie at their boondock site in Anza-Borrego (and Michael Depraida at his spot at “The Slabs” near the Salton Sea), and then come back here for a few more nights.

Tomorrow, a long-time friend of Eleanor’s will fly in from the northeast, and she’ll be accommodated in the Safari. That trailer is like having your own apartment, since it is roomy, stocked with everything you could possibly need, and fully hooked up to utilities. The same day, Brett will fly in from Florida, and he’ll be set up in the smaller Caravel. So we’ll have four guests at once, across three Airstreams.

This works out really well. Everyone has a space to call their own. We don’t have to worry about whose towel is whose, or when people like to get out of bed. Everyone has their own refrigerator, stocked with the things they like to eat. Everyone has their own bathroom, and can set the temperature where they like it. Lots of those opportunities for friction (even between good friends) are eliminated, and we all get to focus on the good parts of visiting.

It’s financially very practical too. We don’t need a big house just for those occasions when people visit. There are no unnecessary rooms to dust or pay taxes on. When our guests are gone, the “guest houses” revert to being our vacation and business vehicles, or I can use one of them as a private office when I need a quiet space to work. The Airstreams make our little house much more flexible and affordable.

I may someday get a plaque for our Airstream Safari’s bedroom that lists all the people who slept there. (That ought to freak a few people out during tours.) I think a few of them stayed specifically because they could sleep in the Airstream. It is an attraction, to some folks.

Long term I would like to buy a few more Airstreams, set them up luxuriously, and place them on a piece of property, for rental to the general public when visiting Tucson. This is a popular idea, which we’ve documented several times in the magazine. There are spots all over the world where you can spend the night in an Airstream “hotel room.” I feel like I’m nearly in the business already, especially this week, so it would probably be fun to do for real someday …

Jan 24 2012

Alumafandango

I’ve been down in the trenches lately, working hard to try to pull off a few long-term projects. The Spring 2012 issue of Airstream Life finally got off to the printer too, but neither of these things are responsible for the lack of blog posts lately. The real cause has been that I hate to say anything about the stuff I’m working on until I know it’s real.

But Friday night, after some intense negotiations and late-night conference calls, Brett and I finally resolved the last remaining issues for a major project. And that makes it possible to announce “Alumafandango,” our new event to be held in Denver CO this coming August, 2012.

We’ve been working on this for about a year. For a long time we’ve been hearing from people out west that they’d like something like Alumapalooza. We looked at potential sites in Palm Springs, northern Arizona, Texas, and Colorado, but we kept running into barriers that made it impossible to hold the kind of event we wanted. Finally, we found Lakeside Amusement Park in Denver, and started actively working on a deal with the park ownership so that we could camp right in the park next to the lake and the old-school rides.

This wasn’t easy at all. The area we wanted to camp in was overrun with bushes, littered with decades of debris, and overshadowed by an abandoned race stadium and a half dozen decrepit mobile homes. The park owners agreed to clean up the area, install water and power stands, and level & seed the ground so that it would be transformed into a nice place to camp for a few days. This work started last fall and has been ongoing through the winter. It probably won’t be done for a few months, but when it is, it will be a unique opportunity to camp where no one has camped before—and that’s one of the keys we were seeking.

Timeless Travel Trailers (Wheat Ridge, CO) has been instrumental in helping us put this deal together. They will be the key sponsor, and as part of the event they are planning to provide on-site service and tours of their workshop. They’re also supplying the fencing, water, and electrical infrastructure. Our plan is to make this an annual event if it turns out to be popular, so we are all looking to the long term. Obviously all of this investment in the site wouldn’t make sense for just one year.

Brad Cornelius designed the new logo, which you can see above. A version of this will appear on the t-shirts, too.

Our goal is to have something just as fun as Alumapalooza, but not the same. So we are looking for all new seminars and presenters, new entertainment, and different games. That way you can go to both “APZ” and “AFD” and have a great time at both without feeling deja vu.

We selected the headline entertainment with the intent of carrying over the “carnival” theme, and we’re very excited to have the Lucky Daredevil Thrillshow featuring Tyler Fyre and Thrill Kill Jill for two nights of performances. They’re Airstreamers, of course.

We’ve also secured a night of free unlimited rides for all participants. The classic rides at Lakeside are really fun. You’ll remember most of them, and want to ride them all. My favorite is the old-school wooden roller coaster. It’s just fantastic excitement packed in a 1-minute ride.

Registration for Alumafandango opened on Sunday and already the first three trailers are signed up, which is encouraging. We think we can accommodate 150 trailers on site, maybe more, but it won’t be clear until the site work is complete.

Of course, now that we’ve pulled the trigger I’m wondering nervously if we’ll be able to get 100+ trailers signed up in six months. Right now the website doesn’t have much detail about what we are planning, but hopefully the reputation of Alumapalooza will carry over, and people will know that we guarantee a great time. (We’ll get more detail up on the Alumafandango website as the plans begin to firm up.) We’re working on a “vintage showcase,” some interesting tours, lots of seminars, and a pretty radical trailer makeover demonstration that happens in five days while you watch, among many other things.

Jan 17 2012

Dexter brake actuator install

At last! The new brake actuator arrived yesterday and with the help of friends it was installed today. We’re back in action!

Those of you who followed the saga of our aborted trip to California know that our third Actibrake disc brake actuator quit without notice recently. I’ve had a long and painful history with that product, which you can read about in the Tour of America archives and the Man In The Maze archives. Suffice to say that this time we chose to switch brands, and after some research into the various products I chose to go with Dexter’s brake actuator, model K71-651-00. It’s a 1600 psi unit designed specifically for disc brakes.

When the new actuator arrived I was immediately impressed with its design. It’s a bit smaller than the one it replaced, and has a less-complicated 4-wire installation process (12v+, ground, brake controller, breakaway switch). The previous one required five wires and I’ve seen some competitors that need six or more.

The mounting feet are integrated into the cast aluminum case, so I was able to toss the funky hold-down straps that we’d used before. The whole thing seems tougher and neater, and from what I’ve read this Dexter unit has a good reputation for reliability, which is of course the highest priority in your braking system.

Removing the old dead unit was simple. The first step is to disconnect the trailer’s power, which means unplugging the trailer from shore power and removing the negative terminal on the battery. Then I unscrewed the straps that held the brake actuator down, snipped the wires, and unscrewed the flexible hydraulic line. It was out in five minutes, and it would have been quicker if I wasn’t working the confines of a closet. I haven’t decided what to do with the old one yet. My friend Rob suggested I send it to the Smithsonian. I suppose it could be refurbished with a new circuit board but I don’t feel very good about passing on a proven unreliable product to someone else, given that I’ve had three of them fail.

Most of the job would have been fairly easy if it weren’t for that closet. Having the actuator inside the trailer eliminates possible future problems from weather exposure, but it also means it ends up in some really awkward spot. To get into the closet I had to lie on my side and wedge myself in, which was uncomfortable to say the least. Fortunately, Rob came by and shared the joy by taking turns with me crimping wires in that tiny space (and he’s bigger than me).

The only other attachments needed were the hydraulic line, which just screws on with low torque (22 ft-lbs), and four wood screws to attach the Dexter to the floor. I pre-drilled the floor holes with a 1/16″ bit, screwed the actuator down, and we were basically done inside.

The next step is to fill the reservoir up with brake fluid, which required about a quart. We reconnected the power, pulled the breakaway switch, and heard the reassuring hum of the actuator’s pump in full operation.

Once we knew it was working, we needed to bleed the air out of the brake lines. This is the part I hate, because I have never managed to find a way to get a hose tightly on the bleeder valves so that it doesn’t leak. I always end up with an armful of brake fluid, and this time was no exception. But the bleeding went fairly quickly (there wasn’t a lot of air to be removed). It definitely is crucial to have a buddy standing by at the breakaway switch to activate and deactivate the unit while you’re underneath getting doused with brake fluid. We kept an eye on the fluid level but didn’t need to top it up until the bleeding job was done. All told, we used about 1.5 quarts of DOT3 brake fluid to fill the reservoir and bleed the lines.

After that, the next task was to clean up the wires, which are a bit haphazard with different colors and multiple butt splices left from prior re-installations. The photo shows it before I wrapped things up. I may also install a shelf so I have a flat surface above to store things, later.

At this point I lost my assistant, but the hard work was done. All I need to do now is hitch up and go for a test tow. When I do that, I’ll be checking that my previous brake controller settings still feel right for this controller (they probably will) and that I’ve gotten all the air out of the lines. I’ll know if there’s air because it will take longer for the actuator to build up pressure and hence cause a delay in braking action. Hopefully I got that part right.

If you are contemplating this job yourself, you’ll need these tools:

2-3 qts of brake fluid
open-end wrenches to remove and re-attach the hydraulic line
brake bleeder wrench (5/16″ or 1/4″ —check your brake calipers for correct size)
yellow and blue butt splices
wire cutter/stripper/crimper
drill & small bits (to put new mounting holes in the floor)
clear tubing & bottle for draining brake fluid
rags or paper towels
headlamp (very useful in small spaces)
an assistant for the bleeding process
mounting screws
screwdrivers
a test light or multi-meter
wire loom and/or electrical tape

What a great feeling it is to have this done. Not only are we ready to get back on the road, but I no longer have to worry about a random failure of the brakes. Dexter is a major company with a lot of experience, and they have a good product, so my confidence level in my disc brakes is high—for the first time in years.

Jan 02 2012

An unexpected “staycation”

Alas, it didn’t work out. We are staying put for now.

It’s hard to explain fully why the option of taking the Caravel to California didn’t work for us. Mostly it was because our trip was very ambitious. We were going to meet friends in three locations, sharing some fairly elaborate meals each time, and traverse from desert to ocean climate. This meant a huge amount of carefully packed food (some prepared in advance, others in the form of ingredients), clothing and gear. We planned to hike, picnic, grill, cook in the Dutch oven, photograph, swim, courtesy park, write/blog, and entertain. It just didn’t all fit into the Caravel, and culling down the gear meant culling down the plan, to the point that big chunks of our itinerary didn’t make sense.

Plus, Emma’s cold seemed to be draining the spark out of her, and Eleanor was showing symptoms of having caught it too. They weren’t going to be ready to do the hikes I had in mind in Borrego Springs. And then there was the curse of reservations—we were fairly locked into an itinerary by the reservations, and changing it to fit our new circumstances meant a slew of fees and lost deposits. We couldn’t extend the trip to make up for the lost day because of appointments back at home, so we’d have to rush something, and that wasn’t going to be fun given the number of miles we had planned (1,200 roundtrip).

We finally recognized the situation. By losing 36 hours and having to downsize, the trip we had planned no longer made sense. We needed to invent something entirely new rather than try to save an unsalvageable plan. It was a tough call to give up a vacation I’d been anticipating for weeks, but I think it was the right one.

A key to happiness is to be satisfied with what you’ve got. So, what did we have? Well, beautiful weather in Tucson (upper 70s by day, sunny), plenty of time, and lots of good food to be eaten. I broke out the Dutch oven and made my first-ever dish over charcoal in the back yard: “cowboy” potatoes with onions and bacon. I also grilled up some of Eleanor’s spiced chicken on the Weber, and some huge portobello mushrooms with olive oil and Kosher salt.

Eleanor started cooking up the perishable food that she was planning to serve during the trip, including a really fantastic Indian chicken with rogan josh and cream (which we will eat tomorrow—it’s always better after sitting a day to let the flavors meld). We opened up the windows and the sliding glass door and let the unusually balmy air flow through the house, tantalizing the neighbors with the smell of good things cooking. And we talked about future plans. I think we will go to Anza-Borrego in April to make up for this lost trip.

The rest of the time we spent unwinding all of the things we’d set in motion. The Caravel was unpacked and sent back to storage. “I think it’s disappointed,” Eleanor said. “It was all psyched to go out.” We left as much packed in the Safari as we could, hoping that we’ll be able to use it in a week or two for a shorter trip, but all of the stuff we’ll need this week has been removed. In the process we found some things in both trailers that needed attention, like flashlights with dead batteries, compartments carrying stuff we wouldn’t need, expired food, outdated paperwork, etc., so it was good to get all of that stuff addressed.

I cancelled the reservations, losing a total of about $180 in reservation fees and non-refundable charges. We still have one valid & non-refundable reservation in California for next weekend, but I doubt we’ll use it. We’ve offered it to a few friends.

The biggest hassle is that I had previously directed some mail to California, where I was going to pick it up during the week. That mail includes some checks. Now I’ve got to get it re-directed again, back to my usual address, and I can’t do that until the Post Offices open on Tuesday.

Today our “staycation” continues. I’m going to bake apple crisp in the Dutch oven, and Eleanor is going to cook up more of the goodies from the Airstream. I expect to get a quote from a local dealer on a replacement brake actuator, but until I hear what he wants to charge, it’s not decided whether I’ll buy locally or mail-order it. So it may be a while before I get on the job of replacing it. I’ll document that process when it happens.

Dec 31 2011

Stopped because we can’t stop

Once in a while things don’t go according to plan. Fate has decreed that today will serve as a demonstration of that principle.

We spent the last two days packing for an 11-day trip to southern California. Eleanor hustled mightily to get all her stuff ready for the Airstream; she’s got big culinary plans in addition to the usual challenges of packing up a household and child. I was busy too, packing, testing, filling, tweaking … Around 2 p.m., while Eleanor was making her finishing touches, I pulled the trailer forward a few feet and found that we had no brakes. The disc brake actuator (a hydraulic pump) had failed.

I knew at that moment we were probably screwed, because we’ve had a long history of problems with brake actuators. The unit was made by Actibrake, a company that has since disappeared, and whose legacy is hundreds of brake actuators that are known to suffer sudden failure. This is our third Actibrake, and we have it only because when the prior two failed they were replaced under warranty. For the past three years I have considered preemptively replacing this one to avoid a possible inconvenience, but since a replacement unit would cost $600-700 and this one was functioning properly, I let it go. And so, it died in our carport without even a whimper to warn us.

But to be sure, I ran through the usual checks. I added a little brake fluid, since it seemed low. I cleaned the main ground for the trailer with a Scotchbrite pad. I checked the 30 amp fuse that protects the unit, and all of the other fuses too. With Super Terry on the phone, I verified power was going to the unit and that the ground was good. I power-cycled it by disconnecting the battery. I even banged on it a little. Nothing. Dead dead deadsky.

So I told Eleanor, “We’re not going today,” which was no surprise to her by then, and I got on the phone to see if anyone in Tucson had a replacement unit. At 3:30 pm on a Saturday, New Year’s Eve to boot, I didn’t expect much but I did get one RV parts store that was willing to order in a Dexter or Carlisle replacement actuator on Monday. So the very best I can hope for it is to get one on Tuesday. If I install it myself and all goes well, we could be on the road Tuesday night or Wednesday.

I think the fact that I made reservations for this trip is karmically jinxing us. We don’t usually make reservations, and often when we do, we come to regret it and pay lots of cancellation fees. That’s going to be the case for this trip.

Super Terry pointed out that we have a “backup” trailer, our 1968 Caravel. So I picked up the Caravel from its parking spot and delivered it alongside the disabled Safari, and we started figuring out how to fit at least some of 30 feet worth of stuff into 17 feet. It’s not easy. The Caravel is a weekender. The refrigerator is 1/3 the size of the Safari’s. Storage is extremely limited. It’s so small that when one person stands up to do anything (cook, make a bed, get something out of storage) everyone else has to sit down.

In 2004 we took the Caravel to the WBCCI International Rally in Lansing, MI. That trip was 17 days, our record for length of time in that little trailer. But Emma was a tyke then, taking up hardly any room, and it was summer so we were outside most of the time. (In the photo, that’s Emma at age 4 pretending to be asleep. Don’t be fooled—she never slept.)

Things are quite different now. Emma is over five feet tall, she travels with an immense collection of books and stuffed animals, and we have the added complication that she has a nasty cold at the moment.

Plus, I just blogged about how cold it gets in the desert in the winter, and how sunset comes crashing down early. I’m envisioning ten long nights in a tiny trailer with a sick kid …

But what can we do? If we wait until the new brake actuator arrives, we might be on the road Wednesday. That would cause a huge ripple that would eliminate much of the plan we’ve carefully laid out over the past few weeks. And still something might go wrong that could cause a further delay. Taking the Caravel is the best option we have to salvage at least some of the plan.

So we’re re-engineering everything. About a quarter of the stuff we were bringing along is now staying home (but the Dutch oven is still coming!) The Mercedes will now serve as our outside storage, loaded up with all the things that won’t fit in the Caravel. (I don’t normally like to carry a lot of stuff in the car when towing the Safari because of weight limits, but the Caravel puts very little weight on the car so we are free to pack it full.) Some plans that required big refrigeration are getting scotched, other plans are being modified. We worked on this until about 7 p.m., but we need a lot more time to get it all figured out.

If we can figure it all out by tomorrow afternoon, we’ll get on the road and just miss our first night in the campground. If we need more time to pack or if Emma needs more time to get over the worst of her cold, we might leave Monday instead. All we can do is be flexible.

So tonight Eleanor broke out the cheese fondue that she had planned for our New Year’s celebration on the road, and I’m making popcorn for the movie we’ll watch. It’s an enforced “staycation” tonight. Not the New Year’s Eve we had planned, but a memorable one nonetheless.