Propane and your Airstream

The LPG (Propane) System

Take a look at the big cover over the propane bottles on your Airstream. Open it up and you'll see two painted steel or Aluminum bottles connected to hoses, and a device that regulates the flow of LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas), also known as propane. Each bottle has its own shutoff valve. When the trailer is stored, they should be closed. When the trailer is in use, they should both be open.

The reason for this is because you have an "automatic changeover regulator." The changeover regulator has a switch that points to one bottle. Try switching it from one bottle to the other. Propane gas will flow first from the bottle that the black switch is pointing to. We'll call that the "primary" bottle.

Here's the automatic part: if the primary bottle runs dry, the regulator starts to draw gas from the secondary bottle, giving the trailer an uninterrupted flow of gas. This means that you don't have to get up in the middle of the night to switch bottles—and believe me, that's the time propane bottles tend to run dry the most!

To be extra helpful, a small red indicator will appear on the regulator when the primary bottle is empty. It's a good idea to check the indicator on the regulator every day while you are camping. If it is red, move the black switch to point at the secondary tank, and you'll see the indicator become green again. Make a note to get the empty tank refilled at your next opportunity.

Take a moment to get down on the ground and see where those gas lines go. You'll find that they go underneath the belly pan, and disappear up into the body of the Airstream trailer at various points. The idea is that the propane gas is kept outside the living space until the last possible moment, when the lines go straight up to the refrigerator, stove, furnace, and water heater.

You may also see small valves mounted on the gas lines beneath the trailer or inside the appliance compartments. These are placed so you can shut off gas to part of the system, for example, when an appliance has to be removed for service.

In an emergency, during storage, or when traveling, always shut off the gas valves at the propane bottles. This can keep a small problem from becoming a big one!

Batteries on your Airstream

Batteries

Our next stop is the battery compartment. Usually the house batteries are stored in a big steel box that hangs between the main frame rails of the A-frame and behind the propane bottles. On some Airstreams, particularly Classics, the house batteries are inside little doors built into the front of the trailer body. For now, just be sure you know where the batteries live.

With Proper Maintenance your Batteries can keep your Airstream alive and functioning.

Lets talk about Maintaining the Batteries:

Always keep your batteries clean,charged and full of water.

1. Cleaning your batteries, There are products at many retail outlets that and made for keeping the batteries on your Airstream clean and also products that keep the Batteries on your Airstream protected this is a great start.

2. Keeping your batteries charged is probably the most important part of your Airstream electrical system if your Airstream Batteries are dead you will not be able to run most items in your Airstream so keep them charged the easiest way to keep your Airstream charged is keep it plugged in to 110 volt power and the system will keep them charged but remember the more charging and use the more the water in the batteries will deplete we will talk about the water next. Many problems in your Airstream are due to low 12 volt power most items need 12 volt power to operate even your AC system must have 12 volt power to activate the thermostat now that doesn’t mean that the AC doesn’t need 110 volts because it does. We will talk more on 110 volt system later in another article.

3. Keeping the water in your batteries is an important part of maintaining the battery life, Now don't use just any water, you need to use Distilled water by using Distilled water it keeps all the impurities out that will foul up the cells in your batteries, You should check the water in the batteries on your Airstream every month and if the temperature is hot and you are using the 12 volt system a lot it doesn’t take long for the batteries to lose water, to keep them full pop the caps on the top of the batteries (use eye protection and do not get the battery fluids on you or your clothes) check the level of the water in the batteries the level should be just below the caps approximately ½ of an inch, they do make a filler can for this and is available at most auto parts stores after filling replace caps and rinse batteries clean.

Well now that you know how to maintain your Airstream Batteries go have a look at yours and have fun camping and by the way when replacing your Airstream Batteries remember that you should replace them with a deep cycle style as they are made to be charged more often than regular batteries.

Check back soon for the next installment on Maintaining your Airstream

Airstream A-Frames

The A-Frame

Outside your Airstream, up at the front. This area is called the A-frame, and this is the "business end" of your Airstream. where a lot of stuff happens.

The very tip of the A-frame has the hitch coupler, where the tow ball from your vehicle attaches. Because hitch brands and styles vary so much, we'll talk about the hitch later.

Just behind the hitch coupler you'll see the electric hitch jack (on most models). Push the switch and up goes your trailer's tongue. Reverse the switch to go down. You might even have a little courtesy light on there, for nighttime use.

If the electric hitch jack ever fails, there's a way to operate it with a wrench-like tool.

Also mounted to the A-frame is a black box with a cable leading to it. This is the breakaway switch. It activates the trailer's brakes if the trailer ever becomes separated from the tow vehicle. You attach the loose end of the cable to the tow vehicle. With a strong tug, the cable will come out of the black box and activate the brakes. Don't use this device as a parking brake, since long-term operation will cause damage to the brakes. It's only for emergencies.

Airstream Avenue Van

Bates RV has the new Airstream Avenue Van

click the link above to see the new Airstream Avenue Van

AIRSTREAM SEE MORE. DO MORE. LIVE MORE.

Click here to visit our Airstreams at Bates RV

AIRSTREAM
SEE MORE. DO MORE. LIVE MORE.

Bates RV is the largest Airstream dealer in the United States. Adventure is all around you, just waiting to be found. It haunts the streets of old ghost towns, chases the sun down coastal highways, and lies in ambush around the next bend, and the next, and the next. Adventure. It's everywhere you park your Airstream! Find a road less traveled and follow it to . . . your heart's content. Explore the dusty ruins of an old mission, shoot the breeze with fellow Airstreamers, photograph a flotilla of aren't those white pelicans? When you own an Airstream, all the travel fun you've ever dreamed of becomes reality. Best of all, everyone in the family will want to come along. Turn weekends into mini-vacations and vacations into memories that last a lifetime.

Bambi

The most compact Airstream on the road, these travel trailers are perfect for those of you who like to get up and go, at a moment's notice. A happy marriage of economy and efficiency, every Bambi inch is designed for maximum livability in minimum length. They're easy on the highway, easy on the hills, easy on your car, and best of all, easy on your budget.

Interstate

The Airstream Interstate Touring Coach continues the strong design and manufacturing traditions that have made Airstream famous for nearly eighty years. The Interstate is the perfect solution when you don't want to tow a trailer and don't need a full-sized motor home. It combines the maneuverability and driving ease of a luxury car with the comfort and built-in conveniences Airstream is known for: bathrooms, well-appointed galleys, entertainment centers, and maximum storage.

PanAmerica

Designed for the adventurer that wants to explore every mountain road and open highway, the new 34-foot 2009 Airstream PanAmerica can haul two motorcycles, ATVs or other action/adventure gear, up to 2,500 pounds worth. The rear 11 feet of the trailer is configured as a garage, complete with a durable aluminum interior skin and textured floor. A gull-wing exterior door with fold-down ramp has been incorporated into the trailer's tail, and a pass-through door in the bulkhead with porthole window gives occupants access to both rooms. The back room is also equipped with storage cabinets, tabletop work areas, tiedowns, electrical outlets for power and speakers tied to the PanAmerica's crystal-clear sound system.

Safari

The Safari is everything you need in a compact travel trailer at a very down-to-earth price. Safari gives you complete independence on the road. It's roomy on the inside and gracefully compact on the outside. The Safari is lightweight, maneuverable, and yet battleship strong. Whether it's a week canoeing in Minnesota's Boundary Waters or three nights at the Monterrey Jazz Festival in Northern California, your Safari will take care of you.

International CCD Signature Series

The International lines are styled with polished aluminum interiors and intuitive floor plans, and are equipped for your go-anywhere-any-time lifestyle with Internet hook-up, satellite pre-wire and optional solar package. Their Vista View and wrap-around windows make them always light and airy, and truly bring the outside in. At night, strategically-placed recessed halogen lighting sparkles like starlight across the interior aluminum skin.

Classic Limited

It's hard to get any more classic than Airstream's Classic travel trailer. It's as timeless as the day it was conceived, and since that day has become a legend on the road, a true icon of American design, never compromising the elements - artistic or scientific - that made it justly famous.
Whether your taste is traditional or high-end, whether your goals are relaxing in nature or high adventure, whether you're escaping or joining in, alone or with family, the Airstream Classic is for you. Nowhere else will you find a home-away-from-home with this perfect balance of luxury and efficiency, and this kind of living history.

Airstream: PanAmerica walk through

Bates RV has Airstreams click these words to see more

Bob the Cow @ Bates RV

Bob the cow shows Airstreams at Bates RV

Airstream Sport Available at Bates RV

Bates RV Presents the Airstream Sport

Lightweight Affordability. Travel trailers from 16-22'.

Lightweight and nimble, the Airstream Sport line sets a new standard for ease of use – perfect for those who want to just hitch-up and go. Airstream Sport travel trailers are true premium compact trailers that let you live large. Smart floorplans maximize space and minimize waste in three easy-to-handle lengths. Spacious and airy with its own lights, water, shower and fuel for cooking – plus more creature comforts than some trailers twice their size – the Airstream Sport offers the best travel trailer investment available.

When you're towing an Airstream Sport, getting there seems almost effortless. Its ultralight weight allows it to be towed efficiently by most smaller and midsize sport utility vehicles, or even the family car, with outstanding fuel efficiency.

So choose your floorplan, choose the styling, then choose a destination. Whether it's a week of canoeing in Minnesota's Boundary Waters or a night of music at California's Monterey Jazz Festival, you'll enjoy all the comforts of home no matter how far the road takes you. The Airstream Sport offers nothing less than a personal declaration of independence. So get out there – your adventure awaits!

Celebs downsize in style with Airstreams

Bates RV Airstreams largest dealer

Celebrities are downsizing and purchasing Airstreams and where better to buy your Airstream than Airstreams largest dealer http://www.batesrv.com so come on by and see what all the hype is all about.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Airstream Inventory

Airstream Inventory


looking for a new Airstream come by our web site and check out the inventory pages there are many Airstreams to choose from

20' Airstream Flying Cloud

20' Airstream Flying Cloud



Stock Number: B12970
Model: 20
Class: Travel Trailer
Condition: New
Status: Available
Dealership: Bates RV
MSRP: $54,132
Interior: Mocha Blue

2011 Airstream Classic Limited 27'

27' Airstream Classic Limited

Stock Number: B12965
Model: 27FB
Class: Travel Trailer
Condition: New
Status: Available
Dealership: Bates RV
MSRP: $86,302
Interior: Praline

Airstreams... Silver is Green

airstream Silver is Green

Tired of companies trumpeting their new-found green-ness? Us too.

So we're happy to note that we're still taking the same environmentally friendly approach that has sustained us, and our planet, for nearly 80 years. Simply put, Airstream has been green as long as it has been silver.

Airstreams are designed to spend time on the road, not in the landfills. As such, nearly 70% of all Airstream trailers ever produced are still on the road! While other products are designed to wear out, Airstreams are designed to be handed down through the generations.

We also work with nature, not against it. Airstream's founder, Wally Byam, knew that a low profile and a rounded, slippery shape would make for better towing in every respect. As a result, Airstreams enjoy a 20% advantage in towing efficiency over standard "white box" trailers. And over the life of your Airstream, that's a lot of fuel saved.

And should your Airstream come to the end of its life after many decades of service, its primary components (aluminum, steel, and wood) are easily recycled.

So go ahead and enjoy your Airstream with a sense of global responsibility, and comfort in the fact that you are adventuring in one of the most environmentally friendly travel trailers in the world. And always remember that Airstreamers leave a place better than they found it. Silver is indeed Green.

Now is the time to buy an Airstream

Click here to see the Airstreams

Now has never been a better time to buy an Airstream

come by and check out all the Airstreams we have in stock and get the best deal you can

with the 4th of July around the corner what better than owning an American Icon "Airstream"

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In the camping world there are a few special awards that deserve to be mentioned. The Camping Life RV Awards are one of those awards. Camping Life has

Check out the Airstreams at Bates RV

In the camping world there are a few special awards that deserve to be mentioned. The Camping Life RV Awards are one of those awards. Camping Life has awarded Airstream their “ReVy” award for 2009. The ReVy award is sort of a thumbs-up award given to the company that produces a trendy new product specifically for people who enjoy camping.

This year’s ReVy was awarded to Airstream for the Flying Cloud travel trailers. In their own words: “They are a blend of tradition and modern art, and just plain cool. It’s the chic RV. Aside from the retro-classical aluminum-skin exterior; the new Flying Cloud trailers feature exposed aluminum inside walls, and a unique and distinctive interior using high-quality surfaces (wood, vinyl, aluminum and laminate) and more neutral color choices than other Airstream models to create a comfortable, stylish, but wash-and-wear interior. The smaller Flying Cloud units can be towed by most mid-sized V-6-powered SUVs.”

Huge Auction

Huge auction

check out our Huge Auction April 10 2010

Airstream Specials

Airstream Classic W/Slide



>Airstream Interstate Van

Airstream Ranch Here to stay

Airstream Ranch Creator

County has finley ruled and has ruled in favor of Airstream Ranch

Stay tuned for more on Airstream Ranch

Airstream Rally comming

check out the airstreams

Check out the Airstream Rally comming to Sarasota Florida

Airstream Sport

Airstream Sport









Check out the Airstream sports we have in stock