repairs on the go

Before embarking on our adventure of adventures, I conducted a thorough inspection of the trailer and discovered that one of the shocks was leaking. I faced a dilemma: should I take it to the dealer, where repairs could take weeks due to their busy schedule, or should I attempt to fix it myself? I decided to reach out to Airstream, the manufacturer, to discuss the issue. After a few minutes on the phone with their technical department, they informed me that they would send me a new shock at no cost, as it was covered under warranty, and that I could perform the repair myself.  

A couple of days later, I received the new shock from Airstream, which was fantastic. I hooked up the trailer and pulled it forward until the front wheel went up onto a ramp, lifting the rear wheel slightly off the ground. With the wheel elevated, it did not take long to remove the wheel and shock. Within minutes, I had installed the new shock, torqued it to the correct specifications, and reinstalled the wheel, ensuring that it was also re-torqued to the correct specifications. I then carefully backed the trailer down off the ramp, gave it a test run around the block, all good.

  Airstream's design makes it very straightforward to complete your own repairs, as long as the issues are not major ones.

Driving through high winds and sandstorms in Nevada was quite tense. We decided to only stop for fuel and bathroom breaks, which fortunately amounted to just one stop in the midst of the high winds. After fuelling up the truck, I went inside the trailer to use the washroom.   As I entered the trailer, I heard a flapping, knocking noise coming from above. It turned out that the living room vent cover was flapping up and down in the wind. The winds were so strong that they had broken the arm off of the cover. This was concerning since I didn’t want to lose the cover altogether if the winds managed to break it off the hinge. So, there I was, in the parking lot battling high winds and flying sand while attempting a temporary repair. 

Thankfully, the fix held until we reached California, where I was able to purchase a new cover assembly from Airstream.  Replacing the broken cover was straightforward. I simply removed the screws along the bottom of the hinge, which allowed me to take off the old cover. Installing the new cover was just as easy: I attached the arm assembly, then screwed the hinge onto the vent base. After testing it, everything was working well, and the task was complete. 

Just a reminder: always have the necessary tools on hand and be careful while on top of the trailer, ensuring you kneel only on supported sections.

Even in Ventura, California, camping on the beach can get cold at night, sometimes requiring heat.   One evening, the wind picked up and the temperature dropped. I turned on the furnace, but it activated without producing heat and then shut off. I checked the propane tanks—one was full, and the other was half-full—so that wasn’t the issue. 

I decided to troubleshoot in the morning.  Fortunately, Airstream trailers have both a gas furnace and a heat pump, so I switched to the heat pump and went to bed. However, I couldn't shake the thought of the furnace issue, and while searching online instead of sleeping, I found a post stating that pet hair can clog the flow switch, preventing the furnace from working.   

The next morning, after breakfast and coffee close by, I removed the access cover to the furnace compartment and found a significant amount of Bear's hair caught on the flow switch. After cleaning everything and reassembling the furnace, I tested it to find it working perfectly.  

Now, I regularly check for pet hair to avoid future heating surprises.

I filled up the truck at a gas station in Oregon, and as I was leaving, I heard a loud scraping noise while driving down the sloped exit. Towing a trailer causes my truck to squat, which led to one of the tension bars on the hitch scraping the ground.  

Since this wasn't the first time it happened and we were heading to Alaska, I knew I needed to make a change. I began researching whether to get heavy-duty rear coil springs or adjustable rear airbags. It was challenging to sift through the various opinions online.  

In Victoria, BC, I decided to consult experts at Westshore Suspension & 4X4. They informed me that heavy-duty springs would raise the rear of my truck but would provide a rougher ride, while airbags require adjustments and have a shorter lifespan. After reading more, I chose heavy-duty rear coil springs and booked an appointment.  

The technicians were great and completed the installation in no time and off I went. Although the ride was a bit rougher, it was manageable. 

A week later it was time to hit the road and head north. Once I hooked up the trailer, the truck sat level, which was my goal and of course I had to re-adjust the trailer hitch, so the trailer sat level as well.  

Off to Nanaimo, BC.  The drive went smoothly: the truck remained level, had better handling, and there was no scraping when leaving gas stations. Money well spent!

Looking back, I should have made this change sooner. We learn as we go through life.

As we prepare to leave Vancouver Island and head to the mainland, we needed to do a quick check on the truck and trailer. Upon inspecting the tires on the truck, I notice they are worn, so I used my trusty tread depth gauge to check them. 

Ouch, this will be expensive! It turns out we need four new tires before heading to Alaska, especially since we've heard the roads can be quite rough.   

This was a straightforward task; I purchased a set of Pirelli Scorpion all-terrain tires and made an online appointment at Costco to have them installed in a week.   

One week later, after visiting the extremely busy Costco in Langley, BC, my new tires have been installed. Now we're ready to tackle the challenging roads in the Yukon and Alaska.

The road connecting the Yukon and Alaska is notoriously rough, especially when towing a 25-foot travel trailer. Think gravel sections, massive potholes, heaving asphalt, and bad drivers.  During our return trip from Alaska, we encountered an issue with our on-demand hot water system in Yellowknife, Yukon. 

After setting up camp, I tested the water and found the hot water pressure was low. Upon checking the water heater compartment, I discovered a leak caused by a cracked copper supply line, likely due to the road conditions. Initial thought was that I would have to replace the entire water heater, which could cost around $1,000. Instead, I researched copper tubing repairs and headed to Canadian Tire for a high-heat torch and brazing rods.  After turning off the power and disconnecting everything, I carefully removed the water heater and made a somewhat messy but effective repair. I reinstalled the unit, and thankfully, there were no leaks. However, I realized there was still no hot water because I had unknowingly damaged the water inlet temperature sensor.  After some searching, I found the part from the manufacturer, but shipping would take time. We arranged to have it sent to a campground in Peachland, BC, where we would be staying for a couple of weeks.

 Once we arrived, we replaced the sensor and finally had hot water again. And no, we didn’t go without showers—we used the campground facilities, some of which were free, others requiring quarters.

The Okanagan Valley in British Columbia can get quite hot during the day, even in autumn. Thankfully, we have air conditioning to keep us cool on those hot days.  

We hadn’t used our AC unit since being in Alaska, but it was definitely needed now. I happily turned on the unit, only to hear a terrible noise coming from the top of the trailer. Gulp, this did not sound good. I retrieved the collapsible ladder we had picked up at Ace Hardware in the US and climbed up onto the roof. The view was nice, but that wasn't why I was up there. 

I opened the cover to the AC unit, expecting the worst, and began troubleshooting. To my surprise, I discovered that one of the screws holding the fan motor in place had come loose, which was causing the fan to scrape and bang. I re-installed the screw and checked the others along with the fan. Everything was in order, so I put the cover back on and tested the unit.   To my relief, there was no more noise, and cold air was blowing out! 

We are cool adventurers!

After dealing with an annoying issue for a year—where my trailer hitch didn’t fit snugly in the receiver, causing it to jiggle and rattle—I decided it was time to find a solution. I searched online and found the perfect part on Amazon.  

I ordered the part, and thankfully, it arrived the next day. However, when I tried to install it, I discovered it didn’t fit as expected due to the design of the hitch. Modifying the new part became necessary, which turned out to be more challenging than I anticipated.  

After a couple of hours of working with a travel-sized hacksaw, I successfully cut a notch into the thick steel plate to make it fit properly. I then installed it on the hitch, and it fit perfectly. With the new part in place, I was eager to test it out. I drove over several speed bumps in our RV park and was pleased to find that there was no more jiggling or rattling. It was a success!  

Now, I just need to work on my own jiggle, jiggle!

 One day during our travels, I was getting the trailer ready to hook up so we could head to our next destination. As luck would have it, I went to close the bathroom vent and accidentally broke the handle. Guess I pulled down a little too hard because it snapped in two places. With the vent closed, we set off, knowing I’d have to deal with the issue later.

Once we were settled at our new location, I searched for a replacement handle from Airstream, which I found for under $20 CAD. The problem was that to replace the handle, I would have to climb on top of the trailer and remove the entire vent/fan assembly just to replace the interior handle. This task opened up a whole new set of issues, like potential leaks, damaging the fan assembly, and additional costs for parts.

Determined to find a better solution, I scoured the net and came across a company called Upstream Outfitters that produces aftermarket parts for Airstreams. They offered a replacement handle that came in three pieces, which meant it could be installed from the inside. Yes the part was more expense at roughly $35 USD, but no need to remove the entire vent/fan assembly—nice and worth the cost!

The part arrived in a couple days to our site and the repair was quick and easy. The repair took a little over 10 minutes and that's because I decided to clean the vent screen since it was off. 

If the shower vent/fan handle breaks, I’ll definitely be going back to Upstream Outfitters again.