How To Live Full-Time in an Airstream

I often get asked for tips and tricks to live full-time in an Airstream — and still live a half-way normal life. Now that it has been well over two and a half years, I guess it is time I write about everything that helps me live that half-way normal life on the road. Who knows? Maybe you will learn something! Even you full-time RVers.

Before I begin, try to imagine my living space. The official length of the Airstream is 23-feet, but this includes the 3-foot hitch outside (“marketing math” I guess). At a width of 8-feet, this means the total area inside is 160 square feet. To put that in perspective, many people have master bathrooms bigger than my home. So, yes, space is at a premium.

Clean and Organized

There are two items that help me keep that space clutter free: Velcro and 3M Command Hooks. Seriously, they are everywhere. All of my gadgets: routers, DVRs, remote controls, etc. are all velcroed to my desk shelf. An outside thermometer is even velcroed. And I have hooks for my laundry bag, jeans, shorts, towels on the walls. All of my laundry stays clean with Purex Complete 3-in-1 laundry sheets. The bathroom stays reasonably clean with TST Orange Power Drop-Ins and Lysol Neutra Air Automatic Spray. I have several foldable crates and cubes from The Container Store that hold everything on the counter that is not velcroed down. I also installed a magnetic knife rack from IKEA. Once everything is clean, velcroed down, on hooks, or put away in crates, it is time to hit the road.

Connectivity

In order to stay connected on the road, I use a variety of communication tools. The most important device is my iPhone. I have it mounted on the dash of my Touareg with a clip from ProClip. It connects to my in-car stereo with a cable from USA SPEC. All audio from the iPhone comes right through my car speakers. This includes voice instructions from the TomTom GPS app and music from apps such as Pandora and Rdio. I also use apps like Campwhere, CT RVParks, Camp & RV, and Passport America to find places to stay. Web sites I use all the time are rvparkreviews.com and overnightrvparking.com.

All of this requires constant internet connectivity. When AT&T works, I can tether my iPhone to my MacBook Pro. From providers like Sprint, Verizon, or Clear, I can plug a mobile broadband card into a Cradlepoint Wi-Fi router. This router is always plugged in to the 12V power supply in the Airstream. So as I go down the road (or even when I am in a campground), I can switch my iPhone (or MacBook Pro) over to Wi-Fi, and it picks up the Wi-Fi signal from the Cradlepoint. Even though many campgrounds offer Wi-Fi, it is often weak and slow. I end up using my iPhone and/or my mobile broadband card instead. I also use my iPad 3G as a Wi-Fi hotspot. In the US, it is on the AT&T network. While in Canada, I put a Canadian MicroSIM card in the iPad and used the Rogers data network. Brilliant! I also depend upon businesses like Starbucks or trendy, local coffee shops. I like to mix it up by getting out of the Airstream to work in a local favorite spot.

There is plenty of solitude, but I have no intention of being a hermit. To stay in touch with friends and family (and people I meet on the road), I have this blog. I send out updates through Twitter and Facebook. I track my location nightly with Foursquare and it helps create a custom Google Map. I also use text messaging, the new Apple FaceTime and Skype for video calls, and the regular ol’ iPhone for phone calls. And when that iPhone has no signal, I can use Skype over Wi-Fi to make the phone call instead. With technology, it is pretty easy to stay in touch with everyone.

The Other Kind of Connectivity

There are plenty of cables, hoses, and adapters that are an absolute requirement to making life on the road safe and easy. I use the Equal-i-zer hitch, recommended by my Airstream dealer. Other than the squeaks, it has been a great way to help combat the wind while towing. Always looking for electricity, I have two 25-foot 30A power cords, a 30A to 20A attachment, and a 50A to 30A attachment. For water, I recommend a Handi-Hose. It beats rolling up a regular hose by hand on every departure. I also put quick connect valves on my city water and pass-through water inlets. Again, it just speeds up the connection/disconnection time. Finally, every RVer needs water filters. I have an inline water filter for my fresh water hose.

Television/Movies

When I started my journey, I didn’t plan on watching any television, but that plan soon fizzled. If high-speed internet is available (and I am in the US), I can watch movies on Netflix and Hulu. For satellite television, I found a great product from Dish Network called the Tailgater. It is a portable dish that automatically finds the correct satellite. It is reasonably inexpensive, there is no contract, and there are no setup/cancellation fees. And it works! I also scan for local HD channels and use a regular antenna on the roof to watch TV over-the-air — for free. I love watching the local news broadcasts to get a feel of the area. (Ha! As I am writing, a comedian just dropped a few f-bombs on local Canadian TV!)

Energy

This is all powered by an 80W Sunforce solar panel when I am on the road. I have it connected to a Sunforce 30A charge controller that charges two deep cycle 12-volt Lifeline GPL-24T AGM batteries. They are so much better than the original Interstate deep cycle marine batteries that came with the Airstream. I also replaced several factory-installed halogen lights with LED lights. It was as simple as unplugging the old halogens, and plugging the new LEDs into the same socket. One halogen light uses 15W while one LED light only uses 1W! With a 1750W Go Power! inverter, I can charge my MacBook Pro, iPhone, and iPad, watch TV, even make a smoothie — all while parked along the beach just running off solar! To find restaurants, I use Siri, ask the locals, and follow TV shows that highlight local eateries. I actually do some cooking on my own, too. When I get hungry for dinner, I just pull out the tiny Weber Q portable grill and grill fresh meat and vegetables from the local organic market. It turns out I’m addicted to my morning coffee. When I don’t have electricity, I use my good ol’ Bodum Chambord French Press, but when I have electricity, I love my Krups Silver Art Collection Espresso Machine.

Climate Control

The Airstream does a pretty good job at dealing with all the different temperatures year-round. When parked, the windows and vents are almost always wide open. The vents will automatically shut if it starts to rain outside. Only for a few weeks in the summer do I find the need to turn on the air conditioner, and for that, I plug into shoreline electricity. I use the heater much more. Even in the summer, places like the desert get down right chilly at night. I normally just use the propane gas furnace because it can run off the 12V batteries. If I happen to run out of propane  (it always seems to happen at night in the middle of nowhere) and I have shoreline electricity, I will switch over to the electric heat pump, but it is insanely loud. Whatever I choose, a digital thermostat near my bed controls everything. Update: I recently purchased a Holmes Ultra-Quiet Dual Ceramic Heater that is super quiet and efficient. It seems to do the job when I have electricity available. And it is small enough to stow away when I don’t need it.

Mail

I am the perfect fit for a mobile lifestyle. Years ago, I gave up on traditional paper based newspapers, magazines, and postal mail. I consume almost all of my media electronically. Unfortunately, the IRS and banks and insurance providers still need a physical address. I used Earth Class Mail for a while; it gave me a mailing address in Oregon (no residency, just a mailing address) with all mail scanned into PDFs and sent to me electronically. If it was of importance, I had it sent to me (wherever I happened to be staying) via traditional postal methods. I honestly don’t get much mail, so I just switched to America’s Mailbox in South Dakota. It isn’t as fancy (or expensive), but it gives me the same options to get mail delivered to me, and I get official residency in the state of South Dakota. I got a driver’s license, a voter registration card (proxy vote), and license plates for South Dakota.

Finances

I use Ally Bank to pay bills electronically. I chose them because of their TV commercials. Well, kind of, but I also chose them because they reimburse me for any ATM fees I rack up by visiting random ATMs across the country. I use Mint to track just how much money I spend on gasoline.

Exercise

I cancelled my gym membership (yes, I used to go to the gym) and bought an inflatable kayak from REI and a foldable mountain bike from swissbike.com. The kayak fits perfectly in a Thule Ascent 1600 Cargo Carrier.  Every single thing I now own has an absolute purpose and place in the Airstream; otherwise I don’t own it.

The Good Life

I love the freedom, the flexibility, the spontaneous life on the road. There have been many times when I start to drive with no destination in mind. My only requirement: good weather!