paste to your site:
(source)
Filed Under: p.s.
Tagged: airstream blog, denver colorado blog, state infograph, states, travel blog, vintage trailer blog, what your state is known for
*please & thank you* link back to us if you re-post something you see here.
Comment »
how amazing are these for some home town/state love..
by stately tables
Filed Under: airstreams & campers Tagged: airstream blog, denver colorado blog, state tables, stately tables, travel blog, vintage airstreams, vintage trailers
*please & thank you* link back to us if you re-post something you see here.
Comment »
…little reminders of home when traveling (if you’re camper isn’t too teeny tiny)
& the u.s.a. map would be perfect for charting your route… {by dirtsa studio}
Filed Under: airstreams & campers Tagged: airstream blog, chalkboard maps, dirtsa studio, etsy, travel blog, vintage camper blog, vintage trailers
*please & thank you* link back to us if you re-post something you see here.
Comment »
»»»a few camper goodies from etsy artists«««
{from top left: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, center}
Filed Under: airstreams & campers Tagged: airstream blog, denver colorado blog, etsy trailer art, travel blog, vintage airstreams, vintage campers, vintage trailers
*please & thank you* link back to us if you re-post something you see here.
Comment »
we are so happy to share a question and answer & home-on-wheels tour today with another argosy owner, we love our tiny painted airstream and never once ran into someone else with one while traveling all of last year. it’s fun to see others (as owners particularly) because the layouts are very similar in many models with only slight tweaks.. this 24ft model is much different with the middle bedroom but otherwise there are still lots of similarities. we were introduced by fellow airstreamers tiffany & deke over cyberspace and hope to meet up one day on the road. david has given tons of fantastic advice/information in this Q&A.. anyone thinking about taking the plunge will be loaded with good info..
◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊
1. How did you decide on an Airstream as your camper of choice and specifically an Argosy?
I’ve noticed Airstreams all my life, and I’ve always been fascinated with them. They were pretty much the only RV that didn’t seem “frumpy” to me, though I still find that the interior of some of them is a bit of a disconnect from the sleek streamlined exterior. Chris Deam commented on the same thing, saying it was odd to walk into the door of the ’90s Airstreams and go from the retro-modern exterior into “grandma’s kitchen.” (Owners of Classics will probably give me hell for that answer.) I’m a bit obsessive about research and when I found AIRForums I dove in headfirst, reading a ton about the trailers (and learning about the construction of other brands in the process) and realized that the durability/restorability of Airstreams made it more appealing than most other brands (Streamline, Silver Streak and the older silver Avions would also qualify there.)
Our Argosy was just a happy coincidence… I wasn’t specifically looking for or avoiding Argosy trailers, but it happened to be The One. When we found out we were staying here for at least a few years, I started looking. I checked out several vintage trailers far and near, and ended up finding the Argosy only 12 miles from the house. I happened to see the listing 15 minutes after it was posted, called the same day to make an appointment to inspect it 2 days later, and thus began the grand adventure/addiction. I was very skeptical about it, because the seller didn’t even post any pictures and the price was higher than lots of the listings, but it was better than even the description in the listing, and I’m still convinced it was worth every penny.
2. What year/length is your Argosy and were you looking for a particular size?
Our trailer is a 1975 Argosy24 (so 24 feet from bumper to hitch). I was looking for a mid-sized trailer (22-27 feet) mainly because I was a little intimidated at the idea of towing a really big trailer (and I didn’t want to feel like I needed a big truck) and I knew that the smaller sizes are in higher demand and therefore a bit pricy. So far it’s turned out to be a “just right” size for us… we’re both big guys, and when we travel with the dogs it’s good to have enough room for everyone to settle somewhere without tripping over one another.
3. We love having a painted Airstream versus the traditional silver, have you ran into many on your weekend outings? (we never do)
We’re also very happy with the painted trailer, though our paint is the original 1975 paintjob, so refreshing that is going to happen somewhere down the road. So far I haven’t seen another Argosy when we’ve been camping, though 2 different random people at gas stations and a few Airstream owners have said they used to have an Argosy. Every one of them has said they regretted selling it too! One of the advantages of an Argosy in Texas is that they don’t heat up in the sun quite as much as the silver trailers. It’s still MUCH better to have good shade, but even with our antique AC unit we can usually keep it comfortable inside.
4. What do you love/hate about your set up?
We really love the panoramic front windows. It’s the biggest advantage of an Argosy over a silver trailer of the same era, the Airstream models didn’t get panos until the 80s (on a few models.) If you buy an Argosy, PROTECT YOUR PANOS! You just can’t get the clear-glass panos anymore unless they come from a scrapped trailer, we had custom padded protectors made for when we’re towing that remove easily, so we get great light when we’re camping (the Airstream rock guards have a dark tint).
The next problem we need to solve is the mattresses (both, ours is a twin-bed floorplan.) They’re not original anyway, so I’m not conflicted about it like I would be if we had to replace the cushions on the dinette w/ their funky ’70s fabric. They’re just not thick/supportive enough for big guys, and we often wake up with sore/stiff backs and shoulders. We need thicker mattresses with denser foam and perhaps a memory-foam layer on top.
5. Are you equipped for boondocking? Did your Argosy already have a gray tank and if not did you install one?
In theory we could boondock in moderate weather, but we haven’t yet tried it out. We still have the recalled original Suburban furnace, and the only way to check whether or not the fix for the recall has been done involves taking it out… which involves dismantling the galley cabinets, which means removing the range and sink… funny how satisfying a little ceramic heater can be when you have 120v power! (; They started with (tiny!) gray tanks in 1974, so our trailer has 15 gallons of graywater storage. With careful use we’ve had 4-day stays without a sewer hookup and hadn’t filled it. We’ve only got 1 battery and still have mostly incandescent lights, so 2 nights boondocking with VERY careful power usage would be our limit without buying a generator.
6. Advice for those dreaming of buying their very own?
Research first, then DO it. And don’t be in a hurry to buy the first one you see. There is a fantastic “airstream trailer inspection checklist” on the AIRForums website that I’d recommend anyone use (just do a Google search for the string I have in quotes, it’s currently the first result.) Don’t expect a $4000 trailer to be perfect, odds are you’ll spend that amount on it again getting it into good shape. Ours was in very good shape (and cost well over $4k), we could have gone camping right away, but there are still things to improve. I hear from people with brand new ones that those also cost money to keep road-ready.
Also, think VERY carefully about the sleeping arrangements. If one of you thrashes about in your sleep or needs lots of space, a double bed ain’t enough for 2. A “real” queen (that’s not in the corner) or a twin-bed plan may be better for you, it is for us!
7. As gourmands, any challenges in the kitchen?
The size of the range has been a problem from time to time. Even though we try to have right-sized cookware, those burners are CLOSE together and getting everything done at the same time takes a little practice. We’ve learned to plan meals that are galley-friendly, such as one item finishing in the oven while the rest finish on a burner or two. We’ve also bought a nice little Coleman propane grill with a burner so we can cook part of the meal outside.
8. Favorite spots you’ve been to?
Mill Creek Park near Jasper, TX is a nice place if it’s not too hot. It’s a Corps of Engineers campground on Lake Sam Rayburn, with great tall trees and good spacing between the campsites. Blanco State Park is also very nice. We’re still trying new places for most of our trips, we haven’t had the Argosy long enough to do a lot of repeat visits.
9. You belong to an Airstream group.. is that fun?
We belong to two, a unit of the official WBCCI club and the unofficial AIRForums group. Both have been great for us.
We’re in the Heart of Texas Camping Unit of the WBCCI, which is a “virtual” unit in that we have our business meetings/votes/etc. online via email, and all of our events are about camping. It’s a great, diverse, welcoming group of people and has been very rewarding, we’ve made good friends in the unit. So far our “social” camping trips have been split pretty evenly between HoTCU and AIRForums, and both kinds of trips have been great fun.
AIRForums is a mostly-online organization. The discussion forums have an unbelievable amount of valuable information about using, maintaining, restoring, modifying and/or improving Airstreams, as well as a treasure trove of specific info about various different models, etc. It’s all user-contributed, the moderators are just a group of people even more fanatical about their “aluminitis” who volunteer to chaperone a bit. Quite a few people arrange gatherings from informal camp-outs to big rallies via AIRForums, so there’s a good in-person social aspect to it as well.
10. Parting words of wisdom…
If you’re thinking about investing your time, treasure and toil into an Airstream (new or vintage) seek out people online who are already hooked on it and benefit from our experience. Most WBCCI units welcome visitors to their rallies, and that’s a good place to see various different models and ages of Airstreams. We’re generally proud of our streamlined portable houses (to a fault) and love to show them off and talk about them, so don’t expect a quick peek and departure, but it’ll give prospective Airstreamers a chance to learn a lot and decide if it’s a good choice for them without writing a big check, and can help decide between new and old, large and small, etc. Quite a few Airstreamers I know have traded through a couple of different configurations before settling on one that is “just right.”
**thanks again for sharing david & david**
Filed Under: airstreams & campers Tagged: airstream argosy, airstream blog, airstreams, airtream forums, campers, diy airstream, restoring airstreams, restoring vintage airstreams, travel blog, vintage airstream, vintage airstream argosy
*please & thank you* link back to us if you re-post something you see here.
Comment »
….there’s an RV Network? It’s not available everywhere via tv land (yet) but here’s a list of the where’s and how’s of piping it into your home (on wheels or not). The home base for the network is in the rv capitol of the world.. do you know where that is? (it’s here if you don’t know..we didn’t). Their goal (by our interpretation) is to educate, inform, highlight, share, and create a fun & informative community for those who rv, travel part and full time, and who have the spirit of travel in any way, shape or form.
They offer a variety of programs, like.. Ask the Professor (maintenance, tips & instruction), Gadgetplex (watch your men here ladies…), RV Kitchen (finding your footing in a kitchen on wheels), RVNN tv (interviews with travelers like Gone with the Wynns (rv’ers) & Captain and Clark, world travelers), Tails from the Road (keeping the 4 legged travelers happy & healthy) and if you think you have a show in you they are on the lookout for good talent.. details at Produce Your Show.
If you haven’t already, pop over and check them out.. here’s their website, facebook, and twitter sites. And a big hello to Courtney & Andrew.. awesome hosts of RVNN tv (among their many jobs..).
Filed Under: airstreams & campers Tagged: airstream blog, denver blogger, denver colorado blog, rv blog, rvnn, rvnn tv, travel blog
*please & thank you* link back to us if you re-post something you see here.
Comment »
a little bit back miss jenny of vintage sugarcube sent a sweet hello my way, and later sent me a link to this fun photoshoot & i couldn’t not share. now i’m sitting here wishing i had a peanut butter & chocolate ball (sweets are her thing) and i’m smitten to the highest with her fab-u-lous hair. makes me miss my redheaded days, and for sure leaves me wishing for more hair, this girls got volume. thanks for letting me share miss vs, y’all pop over and see her shenanigans & say hello.
Filed Under: airstreams & campers Tagged: airstream blog, denver colorado blog, peanut butter balls, rv blog, travel blog, vintage airstream, vintage airstream blog, vintage sugarcube
*please & thank you* link back to us if you re-post something you see here.
Comment »
»»» do you have a vintage or unique trailer/rv you’d like to share?
send us an email at hello@camp1899.com «««
{all images except our airstream eddie are via pinterest}
Filed Under: airstreams & campers Tagged: airstream blog, airstreams, burro trailers, casitas, denver colorado blog, home on wheels, rv blog, scamp trailers, spartans, travel blog, vintage airstreams, vintage trailers
*please & thank you* link back to us if you re-post something you see here.
Comment »
…of all the roadside attractions we saw this past year,
nothing shocked me as much as rounding the corner of the road
and seeing paul bunyan & the babe (see our visit here).
{want your own bunyan & the babe? from top right 1, 2&3, 4, 5, 6&7}
Filed Under: travel Tagged: airstream blog, babe, california, paul bunyan, paul bunyan and babe, roadside attractions, rv blog, travel blog
*please & thank you* link back to us if you re-post something you see here.
Comment »
tiffani and deke are living the dream full-time in their airstream… they downsized (for maybe ever.. so they really downsized) and recently made a big cross-country life move from hot hot texas to the pacific northwest (super jealous.. one of our very favorite spots). tiffani is one of those treasures of a friend that i’d have never known if it weren’t for blogging and i’m so glad she and deke took time to share what their past year has been like. if you’re wanting to do the same or just love all things airstream, pop over to their blog www.weaselmouth.com and catch up on their adventures.
happy 1 year anniversary of your life on wheels!
1. How did the idea first come up between you two to buy/live in an Airstream?
We’d had our 22′ International in Chicago for a few years, but because of the weather, couldn’t really use it that much. Then we moved to Texas, and the more we camped, the more we loved being in/around the Airstream! It made everything so much better, so we sold our 22′ (if anyone has it, send pictures!) upgraded to a 27 ft, and when our lease ended in Dallas, we decided to try and live in it full-time. Finding an RV park close to a city was tough (it seems to be like that around cities everywhere) but we were lucky to live in an area that had a few options that weren’t too far from where Deke worked, so we figured why not? That was February 13, 2011.
→ Our first Airstream ←
→ Our first fulltime campground, Blue Bonnet in Texas ←
2. What were the hardest parts of deciding to go for it?
Psychologically, it wasn’t hard at all, it was a natural decision. I think when you love something like we love spending time in the Airstream, you just try to make it happen! Practically, it was hard to get rid of things. Books, photos, clothes, sentimental tidbits…but we did it slowly with yard sales, giving things to friends, selling books. It all worked out, but it took a few months. We still have a few things we haven’t gotten rid of yet and I refuse to throw away, but I guess that’s another story.
→ All That’s Left ←
(On the day we moved out of the house this was all that we had — and it all fit in the truck, thankfully)
3. Do you have an estimated time you want to live in the Airstream or do you feel like it’s forever?
We hope to live in it forever. Ideally, we’d like to find a nice plot of land to park it on so we can have a garden and maybe a shed to store some things, but still travel in it when we want. Right now we have no desire to own a house or condo again. Been there, done that. Our needs might change, who knows — it would nice to have a bathtub again, and Deke would love more space for Men’s Town, but for now this is really an ideal situation for us.
4. Did you have any preconceived ideas about your new life a year ago (when you were just starting out) that has proven completely different than you thought?
We both thought we’d travel more…like every weekend, which we don’t. Everything we own is here, and because we use it every day, things are lying out for convenience. Not that it’s hard to put away spices and pack up patio furniture, but it does get annoying to do it every weekend. We need to work on that!
5. What do you wish you knew prior to this past year that you now know?
We wish we would’ve had some previous RV experience. We had none, and only through experience can you really learn about living like this full-time. We made a lot of rookie mistakes, and some cost us (literally), but we really tried to reach out to the network of people we knew out there to get help. That’s another reason we started the blog — we’re hoping newbies can learn from the mistakes we made in the first year and save themselves some time and money.
6. What are the three hardest things about living in an airstream? three easiest?
Hardest:
1.Keeping up with things — whether that be dishes and laundry, or fixing a leak. Sometimes I think it’s harder to keep a small space clean!
2. Making repairs to the Airstream while living it. Major fixes are hard to do without getting a hotel.
3. Trying not to accumulate too much stuff.
3.5. Finding an RV park to live in fulltime.
Easiest:
1. We never have to rummage around for things. We have 3 drawers instead of 6, so everything goes into one place. If it’s not there, it’s probably lost.
2. Comfort. We’re super comfortable and cozy here — the design makes it really easy to live in.
3. Getting around and traveling is easier than we thought — it’s a lot easier to tow than we expected!
7. If you could change anything about your Airstream what would it be?
I would love to get California Closets in here — the closet is a decent size, but it needs shelves or something. The bedroom area is always cold because it lifts up into the storage area which is connected outside — the temperature of the bed reflects the temperature outside whether its 110 in Texas or 30 in Seattle, and it can be uncomfortable, so I’d change something there. I would also make the kitchen table smaller and lighter. That thing is a monster – I really cant put it up by myself!
8. What do you find to be the biggest misconceptions of living in an RV?
That you cant possibly have enough room to live comfortably. You’ll have enough room if you keep what’s important and necessary. Sure, this would be a horrible lifestyle for people that collect things! We’ve also had a lot of people give us ‘that look’ — you know the one — the “Oh, how interesting, you live in an RV park” look. We’ve found beautiful parks that are infinitely better than the neighborhoods we lived in and filled with the nicest people we’ve ever met.
→ This is the view from my park that I get to see everyday! ←
9. financially has this cost less than you thought, more? and what has been the most unexpected expense you’ve incurred?
We thought this would save us oodles of cash, and to a certain extent, it is cheaper than a mortgage, but we think overall it costs more than we thought it would. Gas is a huge expense, and RV parts and service aren’t cheap — it’s the little things that add up like LED lights, a generator and internet service. But in the long run, I think it’ll be cheaper as long as we take care of our things.
10. what advice would you give someone considering following in your footsteps?
Before we bought our first Airstream, we researched and looked at them for about 2 years. By the end of that time, we knew we wanted one, we were confident we could take care of it properly and we did a lot of soul searching about the lifestyle and if it was for us. We didn’t intend on living in it full-time at that point, but because we were so confident in our decision to buy an Airstream, we never doubted ourselves, so that paved our way to living in it full-time.
As far as specifics go, we’d advise:
1. Don’t live in your trailer in tornado alley during tornado season.
2. Buy a generator. You’ll need it at some point, and when you do, there won’t be any around to buy.
3. Always put the awning up at any sign of rain and always overnight. (We broke ours…)
4. Be mentally ready to get rid of all your stuff.
5. If you plan on living anywhere below 45 degrees, get a mattress pad warmer!
Filed Under: airstreams & campers Tagged: airstream blog, airstreams, campers, home on wheels, living in airstream full-time, rv blog, travel blog, weaselmouth blog
*please & thank you* link back to us if you re-post something you see here.
Comment »
